Simon Petersen

October 14, 2011 | International Edition

Leading Chinese firm Jun He Law Offices has bolstered its Beijing corporate practice with a hire from Weil Gotshal & Manges, marking the firm's fourth new partner addition since August. Jasson Han is set to rejoin Jun He as a partner, after leaving in 1993 to pursue a degree in commercial law. Since then, he has worked at Simmons & Simmons in London and Hong Kong, and then in Weil Gotshal's Beijing and Hong Kong offices as a partner-level senior consultant.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

October 13, 2011 | International Edition

Ince & Co has announced plans to launch a London market desk in the Lloyd's building at the same time as strengthening its insurance and reinsurance practice with a double partner hire from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG). The firm will open the market desk on the eighth floor of the Lloyd's building on 1 November as a workspace and a place to meet clients. Partners and associates from practices including insurance and reinsurance, political risk and marine will comes to the office every day on rotation.

By Simon Petersen

3 minute read

October 13, 2011 | International Edition

Beachcroft financial services chairman Lord David Hunt has been appointed the next chairman of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC). Hunt, the former Conservative cabinet minister and MP for Wirral and Wirral West, is set to take up the position on 17 October, succeeding Baroness Peta Buscombe.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

October 12, 2011 | International Edition

Norton Rose and Linklaters have advised on BMW's €700m (£604m) acquisition of ING's car leasing and fleet management business. The deal, which received competition clearance last month, will see ING Car Lease become part of BMW's own multi-brand fleet management division, Alphabet, increasing its company car fleet to roughly 540,000, with operations across 16 countries in Europe.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

October 12, 2011 | International Edition

Eversheds is set to enter the fast-growing contract lawyer market with the pilot of its own 'on demand' legal business. Graham Richardson, who leads the firm's consultancy business, is heading up the pilot, dubbed 'Eversheds Agile', which began last month and has already seen contract lawyers hired out to GE's Watford arm as well as a global financial services firm in Hong Kong and a financial services company in the UK. The service will offer Eversheds' clients a temporary alternative to additional permanent recruitment, as well as helping to manage unforeseen cost pressures and fluctuating workloads.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

October 12, 2011 | International Edition

Senior lawyers remain unconvinced that the Government is doing enough to support UK legal services, despite justice secretary Kenneth Clarke's recent pledge to 'go into bat' for the industry. Legal Week's latest Big Question survey found that 59% of respondents believe the industry receives 'not much' or no support from the Government. Only 7% of respondents said the industry receives a considerable amount of support or more, while 34% believed that they received 'a little' support.

By Simon Petersen

4 minute read

October 12, 2011 | International Edition

SJ Berwin and LG have picked up lead roles as high street retailer Debenhams signed up to space from British Land for its new London headquarters. British Land has agreed to pre-let 145,000 sq ft of office space to the retailer in a new office building in Regent's Place due to be completed in 2013. Debenhams will occupy around 40% of 10 Brock Street, which is being developed as part of British Land's 500,000 sq ft North East Quadrant (NEQ) mixed use site.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

October 12, 2011 | International Edition

Addleshaw Goddard has pushed up salaries for its newly-qualified (NQ) lawyers, with those in the firm's regional offices seeing pay increase by 4%, against a rise of under 2% in London. The increase, which took effect last month, saw salaries for NQs in Leeds and Manchester increase from £36,500 to £38,000, while London counterparts saw pay nudge up from £58,000 to £59,000.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

October 05, 2011 | International Edition

Addleshaw Goddard has grown the number of paralegals in its recently-formed transaction services team (TST) in Manchester to more than 40 as the national law firm prepares to send more chargeable work to the centre in a bid to keep costs down for clients. The firm has increased staff in the team from five at the time it was piloted in November last year to 42, with the intention of boosting numbers to more than 60 as it is used by more practice areas.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

October 05, 2011 | International Edition

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), Nabarro and DLA Piper have picked up lead roles on a £400m refinancing for airport real estate investor Airport Property Partnership (APP). The deal saw APP, a joint venture between commercial property investors SEGRO and Aviva Investors, agree a five-year refinancing package to replace maturing debt facilities due to expire in March 2012.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read