Pui Guan Man

October 18, 2012 | International Edition

Italian firm Legance has announced it is launching in London early next year, marking its first move overseas. The firm has recruited Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners corporate partner Marco Gubitosi to helm the new City branch, and will relocate a team of Italian lawyers to staff the new base.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 18, 2012 | International Edition

Trowers & Hamlins and Travers Smith have taken the lead roles on a property deal that has seen SJ Berwin's London headquarters acquired for £165m by a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund. The transaction marks sovereign fund Lembaga Tabung Haji's first foray into the UK property market.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 18, 2012 | International Edition

SJ Berwin has shaken up its partnership board, replacing three out of the ten positions following a firmwide election. The partnership has elected Germany IP-IT and commercial chief Stefan Kruger, EU and UK competition partner Elaine Gibson-Bolton and corporate real estate partner Michael Goldberg to join the board. The trio will formally take up their posts at the start of November and will stay on until 2015.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 17, 2012 | International Edition

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has announced an overhaul of its decision-making processes for Competition Act investigations, with the changes receiving a positive response from competition lawyers. The shake-up, part of an effort to boost the speed and robustness of cases, follows an internal consultation launched in March.

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

October 17, 2012 | International Edition

Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has rejigged its partnership structure, with the City firm taking capital contributions from some of its fixed-share equity partners in exchange for voting rights. The overhaul, which took place earlier this year, effectively rids the firm of a three-tier partnership structure, which comprised a tier of full equity partners and two tiers of fixed-share partners, some who contributed capital and others who did not.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 16, 2012 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC) has reported a 9% drop in the number of pro bono hours carried out by its lawyers during 2011-12, with the firm placing a value of £17m on the time invested over the financial year. According to the firm's annual corporate responsibility report, CC's lawyers around the world invested 50,324 hours in pro bono and community work during 2011-12, down 8.5% on the 2010-11 figure of 55,021.

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

October 15, 2012 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC) and Norton Rose have scored debut panel roles for LV= on its corporate legal roster alongside Eversheds and Bond Pearce. The UK insurance company, formerly known as Liverpool Victoria, has appointed the four firms to advise on business affairs.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 12, 2012 | International Edition

White & Case has promoted 28 lawyers to partnership across eight of the firm's offices, including five London-based lawyers. The promotions, which are effective as of 1 January 2013, have a particular focus on M&A, capital markets and disputes.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 12, 2012 | International Edition

Irwin Mitchell is set to acquire debt collection company PDP Management Services through subsidiary arm Ascent, marking the firm's bid for a sixth alternative business structure (ABS) licence. The deal, which is subject to approval from the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA), marks the firm's first takeover since it received its first five ABS licences for companies within its group structure - which included Ascent - in August.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 11, 2012 | International Edition

Simmons & Simmons has secured a boost in the US by sealing an alliance with specialist funds outfit Seward & Kissel for hedge fund and asset management work.

By Pui-Guan Man

4 minute read