Pui Guan Man

October 11, 2012 | International Edition

Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) media head Jaron Lewis is leaving the firm to become a full-time district judge on the South Eastern Circuit. Lewis, who first joined RPC in 1997, has been working as a part-time deputy district judge since 2009, handling civil and family matters, including personal injury and housing. He will take up his full-time role at Romford County Court from 18 December.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 11, 2012 | International Edition

Mills & Reeve has taken a lead role alongside Clifford Chance (CC) and Linklaters on the University of Cambridge's 40-year, £350m bond issue. Morgan Stanley, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland are joint-managing the offering from the university, which last week received an AAA credit rating from Moody's. The move marks the university's first foray into the public market in its 800-year history.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 09, 2012 | International Edition

Kirkland & Ellis has announced five partner promotions in both London and Hong Kong as part of an 84-strong global promotions round. This year's promotions, which are effective from 1 October, mark a slight increase on last October, when three partners were made up in both London and Hong Kong in an 80-strong round.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 09, 2012 | International Edition

Nabarro, Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Jones Day have scored leading roles as Norway's sovereign wealth fund acquires a 50% stake in Sheffield shopping centre Meadowhall for £308m. Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) has bought the stake from London & Stamford Property and Green Park Investments, with property giant British Land owning the remaining 50% of the retail hub, which has a gross asset value of around £1.5bn.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 08, 2012 | International Edition

Jones Day has secured a boost for its Paris office with the hire of a five-strong Gide Loyrette Nouel finance team led by derivatives heavyweight Alban Caillemer du Ferrage. Caillemer du Ferrage, who was head of derivatives and market infrastructure at Gide, is considered one of the top derivatives advisers in the French legal market.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 04, 2012 | International Edition

Last week's news that Allen & Overy (A&O) and India's Trilegal have called time on their referral relationship has marked the latest setback for long-held hopes of the local market opening up to foreign law firms.

By Pui-Guan Man

4 minute read

October 04, 2012 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Shearman & Sterling are ramping up their diversity efforts by signing up to work with an agency that specialises in African Caribbean graduates. The firms have joined the client list of Rare Recruitment, which specialises in providing high-achieving African Caribbean graduates, as well as other ethnic minorities.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 04, 2012 | International Edition

Clifford Chance's (CC) management committee received total remuneration of £19m for the 2011-12 financial year, a 10% increase from the previous year's figure. The figure is contained within the firm's latest limited liability partnership accounts, which show the 16-member board received a total of £17.3m in 2010-11.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

October 04, 2012 | International Edition

Simmons & Simmons has secured a boost in the US by sealing an alliance with funds specialist outfit Seward & Kissel. The non-exclusive alliance will focus on the firms' hedge fund and asset management practices in London, New York and Hong Kong. Seward, which has offices in New York and Washington DC, also has a referral relationship with Norton Rose. Both firms will continue to work with their other referral firms.

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

October 03, 2012 | International Edition

Herbert Smith Freehills has won a legal challenge on behalf of Virgin Rail Group, after the Government scrapped its decision to award control of the West Coast Main Line franchise to rival operator FirstGroup. Virgin Rail - a collaboration between Virgin Trains and Stagecoach, a longstanding Herbert Smith client - issued court proceedings in August when it lost the bid to continue operating the service, after the Government awarded rival FirstGroup the £5.5bn contract from December 2012 to 2026.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read