Pui Guan Man

July 30, 2012 | International Edition

Norton Rose has hired its first corporate and white collar crime partner, with the addition of Bindmans criminal law chief Neil O'May. O'May, who will join the firm in October, will be part of Norton Rose's business ethics and anti-corruption group which sits within the firm's wider disputes practice.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

July 30, 2012 | International Edition

Allen & Overy (A&O) has boosted its nascent Washington DC base with a senior antitrust hire from the US Department of Justice (DoJ). John Terzaken, formerly the DoJ director of criminal enforcement in its antitrust division, is joining A&O's nine-partner Washington practice from 1 August as a partner and head of its US cartel defence practice.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

July 26, 2012 | International Edition

DWF, Kennedys and Mishcon de Reya have emerged as the fastest-growing firms in the UK top 50 over the past five years, according to research compiled by Legal Week.

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

July 26, 2012 | International Edition

Clifford Chance's (CC) recovery picked up pace in 2011-12, holding its position as the UK's largest law firm in revenue terms. It reached turnover of £1.303bn for 2011-12, and saw profit per equity partner (PEP) rise 7% to £1.078m.

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

July 26, 2012 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC), Reynolds Porter Chamberlain and Stephenson Harwood have all posted their autumn trainee retention rates, with all three seeing percentage decreases. CC is keeping on 77% of its intake of newly-qualified (NQ) lawyers this September. Of 62 incoming trainees at the magic circle firm, 50 were offered positions, of which 48 accepted.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

July 26, 2012 | International Edition

Linklaters and Simmons & Simmons have both turned to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for new partner hires in Europe. Belgium banking and capital markets partner Charles-Antoine Leunen will join Linklaters' Brussels finance practice on 1 August, where he will mainly focus on transactional, project and infrastructure finance, insolvency work and company and debt restructuring.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

July 26, 2012 | International Edition

Plans to introduce an aptitude test for budding barristers have been given the go-ahead by the Legal Services Board (LSB). The proposed Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) would be compulsory for prospective Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) students, in an effort to tighten entry requirements by setting a minimum required standard.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

July 26, 2012 | International Edition

Linklaters and CMS Cameron McKenna have taken lead roles on the £645m acquisition of Wales and West Utilities (WWU) by a Hong Kong consortium headed up by billionaire Li Ka-shing. The consortium, which is led by Ka-shing's investment vehicle Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings (CKI), also includes Power Assets Holdings and the Li-Ka Shing Foundation.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

July 25, 2012 | International Edition

The former chief financial officer (CFO) of Minter Ellison's Adelaide arm has been sentenced to ten-and-a-half years in jail after admitting that he stole nearly A$2.7m (£1.8m) from the top-tier Australian law firm. Craig Raneberg, who was CFO of the firm's Adelaide and Darwin offices, pleaded guilty in March to 70 counts of theft between 2004 and 2011. The former CFO, who was made redundant in June 2011 after almost ten years at the firm, will face a non-parole period of six years and four months.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

July 24, 2012 | International Edition

Australian airline group Qantas has turned to Sydney firm Allens for its new general counsel after longstanding legal head Brett Johnson announced his intention to retire. Allens corporate partner Andrew Finch is set to join the airline in November to take up the general counsel role. He has been a partner at the Australian firm for more than a decade and counts Qantas among his major clients.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read