Pui Guan Man

May 17, 2013 | International Edition

Al Tamimi & Company and The Emirates Group were among the big winners at the Corporate Counsel Middle East (CCME) Awards last night (16 May). The awards saw Emirates secure the Large Team Legal Department of the Year...

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

May 15, 2013 | International Edition

Shearman & Sterling is to bolster its London practice with the hire of a three-lawyer team from Weil Gotshal & Manges' in the City, including private equity partner Mark Soundy and tax partner Sarah Priestly. The trio, who are set to join in the coming weeks, is completed by associate Simon Burrows.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

May 09, 2013 | International Edition

London partnership prospects at the UK's top 30 law firms have dipped significantly this year, alongside a fall in partner promotions across almost all regions. The number of London partner promotions at the UK's 30 largest law firms by revenue dropped to 101 this year, down 17% on last year's figure of 121, with City promotions accounting for just over one quarter of all promotions across the group, down from 30% last year. In total, 370 partners were made up across the UK top 30, down 8% on last year's equivalent figure of 401. Asia has also seen a drop-off in promotions this year, after a tough period for the region in which work levels have fallen and many firms have cut jobs, with the total number of new Asia partners at top 30 firms down by one quarter to 30 from 40 in 2012.

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

May 08, 2013 | International Edition

Stephenson Harwood has continued its push into Asia with an association with Myanmar law firm U Tin Yu & Associates, with the news coming as Simmons & Simmons receives the go-ahead to launch in Singapore. U Tin Yu, which has three lawyers led by managing partner U Tin Yu, specialises in corporate and commercial work as well as litigation, real estate, intellectual property and employment.

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

May 08, 2013 | International Edition

A group of partners from Fulbright & Jaworski's London arm have secured a secondment to Norton Rose's City arm for two years, walling them off from the remuneration system at Norton Rose's UK LLP. The arrangement enables the partners to work alongside Norton Rose's London team and remain members of Texan firm Fulbright's LLP at the same time, after the merger goes live on 3 June. It is not clear how many of Fulbright's nine London partners will be covered by the agreement.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

May 08, 2013 | International Edition

Bird & Bird has recruited two partners from Field Fisher Waterhouse's franchising team following the firm's hire of top-rated Field Fisher franchise lawyer Mark Abell. Victoria Hobbs, head of franchise dispute resolution at Field Fisher, has been a partner at the firm since 2008, after joining in 2000 as a franchise litigation assistant.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

May 02, 2013 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC) and Eversheds have landed roles on an unusual deal that has seen Dairy Crest protect its pension fund with maturing cheese. The UK dairy company has granted a floating charge of £60m worth of cheddar cheese to the trustee of its pension fund, in what is thought to be the first deal of its kind involving cheese. Dairy Crest's cheese stock was valued at £150m at the end of March. CC is advising trustees of the fund with a team including finance partner Karen Hodson, pensions partner Clare Hoxey and associate Katie Hicks.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

May 02, 2013 | International Edition

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has kicked off a review of its EMEA legal panel, with the tender process for places on the new roster opening last month. Allen & Overy (A&O), Ashurst, Eversheds, Baker & McKenzie, Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), Clifford Chance (CC), CMS Cameron McKenna, Linklaters, SJ Berwin, Travers Smith and White & Case are all understood to be among the firms pitching for a place on the panel, which covers 24 countries.

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

May 02, 2013 | International Edition

Taylor Wessing has recruited private client partner Sanjvee Shah from Speechly Bircham as part of a bid to develop the firm's practice in regions including the Middle East, Southeast Asia and India. Shah, who joins Taylor Wessing's City office, made partner at Speechly in 2009 after joining the firm in 2006. She will joing her new firm next Tuesday (7 May), will bring Taylor Wessing's private client partner count to 23.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

May 01, 2013 | International Edition

Simmons & Simmons, Stephenson Harwood and HowardKennedyFsi have become the latest firms to announce their partner promotions, with Simmons making fewer partners than last year. Simmons has made up four City partners in a seven-strong round, with Michael Lorraine (capital markets), Navneet Juty (disputes), Penny Miller (financial services) and Peter Broadhurst (EU competition and regulatory) making the grade.

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read