Pui Guan Man

August 28, 2012 | International Edition

Herbert Smith and Norton Rose have both confirmed their trainee retention rates for this September's intake, with the former retaining 80% of its newly-qualified lawyers (NQs). Forty-five out of 56 trainees will be kept on at the firm this autumn, with the 80% figure static on last autumn's qualification round, when the firm took on 44 of 55 NQs. However, the retention rate is slightly down on this spring's intake, which saw 88% of NQs kept on.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

August 22, 2012 | International Edition

South African law firm ENS has hired a three-partner team from DLA Piper's local arm, including regional corporate and commercial head Ian Hayes. Hayes and fellow corporate and commercial partners Lydia Shadrach-Razzino and Marc Friedman will join from DLA Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyer in September, bringing one senior associate, two associates and support staff with them. The team will be based in Johannesburg, where Hayes will co-lead the firm's corporate and commercial division with chairman Michael Katz, director Doron Joffe and director Koos Pretorius.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

August 21, 2012 | International Edition

Allen & Overy has announced a 79% retention rate for its September 2012 batch of qualifiers. The magic circle firm is keeping on 46 out of a total of 58 of its newly-qualified lawyers (NQs) - a boost on last year when it kept on 39 out of 53 NQs, marking a retention rate of 74% for its September 2011 intake. However, it is down on its 89% March 2012 retention result.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

August 21, 2012 | International Edition

Bird & Bird has appointed John Chiu as chief operating officer (COO) for Greater China and corporate development officer for Asia. The firm's London and China executive committees developed the first-time roles in light of its ambitious strategy to grow the area to represent 20% of the firm's total revenue and lawyer headcount in the next three to five years.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

August 20, 2012 | International Edition

Slaughter and May has lined up alongside a raft of Danish firms on a €500m (£390m) deal that saw Lego billionaire Kirk Kristiansen team up with a pension fund to secure a stake in Danish facilities giant ISS. Slaughters took a role advising ISS and majority shareholders GS Capital Partners and EQT Partners as Canadian pension fund Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) and Kirkbi Invest - a holding company that invests on behalf of the family behind Lego - took a 26% stake in the company.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

August 20, 2012 | International Edition

Insurance firm Travelers has turned to Flagstone Re for the hire of John Abramson to head its European legal and compliance team. Abramson, who held the post of general counsel Europe and global chief compliance officer at Flagstone, will take responsibility for interacting with regulators on behalf of Travelers and managing corporate governance issues. Based in London, he will also work with the insurance company's in-house legal team to provide strategic and legal advice to business managers.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

August 16, 2012 | International Edition

Swedish law firm Magnusson has launched a presence in Norway by sealing an exclusive alliance with local firm Kluge, a full-service practice with 37 partners across three domestic offices. The agreement, which took effect earlier this month (1 August), sees the firm set up a branch office in Oslo in association with Kluge.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

August 16, 2012 | International Edition

SJ Berwin and O'Melveny & Myers have taken the leading roles on the sale of Lloyds Banking Group's £1.03bn private equity investments portfolio to Coller Capital. The deal, which marks one of the largest completed unsyndicated secondary deals to date, saw O'Melveny reprise its role for regular client Coller, with a team comprising London office head and investment funds partner Solomon Wifa, funds partner John Daghlian, tax partner Jan Birtwell, corporate finance partner Sherri Snelson and disputes partner David Foster.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

August 16, 2012 | International Edition

Stephenson Harwood has won a key mandate advising on a new public private partnership behind a new £250m Welsh motor racing circuit. The racetrack, which will be located in Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent, South East Wales, is the largest capital investment programme in automotive infrastructure in the UK over the last 50 years.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

August 15, 2012 | International Edition

Burges Salmon, Herbert Smith and Eversheds have secured leading roles on the bidding war that today resulted in Virgin Rail Group losing control of the West Coast mainline franchise to rival rail operator FirstGroup. Herbert Smith advised Virgin on its unsuccessful attempt, with energy and infrastructure partner Adrian Clough at the helm. Virgin Rail - a collaboration between Virgin Trains and Stagecoach, a longstanding Herbert Smith client - has been operating the West Coast service since 1997 and and put the cost of its bid for the contract at £14m.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read