Sofia Lind

January 04, 2012 | International Edition

SJ Berwin has hired a City energy partner with the addition of Neil Upton from Greenberg Traurig Maher (GTM). Upton, who was a consultant at GTM, is joining SJ Berwin as a partner and will lead the development of SJ Berwin's energy and infrastructure team alongside existing City energy partner Elaine Gibson-Bolton. He was previously head of power at White & Case and global energy head at DLA Piper. He joined White & Case from DLA Piper in 2006, moving to GTM around two years ago.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

January 03, 2012 | International Edition

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has released new information on the application process to become an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) as the regulator began accepting licence applications today (3 January). The Co-operative and Irwin Mitchell have confirmed that they are among the first applicants, while the SRA has said that it is in serious talks with a total of around 15 interested parties, with more than ten first-stage applications made via the website so far today.

By Sofia Lind

4 minute read

December 21, 2011 | International Edition

Bird & Bird was one of few firms to grow headcount in 2010-11 while also increasing turnover, its annual limited liability partnership (LLP) accounts filing has highlighted. The document, published on Companies House, shows that the top 15 City firm increased fee earner count by 3% from 654 to 673, with the firm saying its European offices grew the most, including the Stockholm office which broke the 100 lawyer barrier for the first time. The firm also hired additional support staff, with the total number growing by 7% from 586 to 628.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

December 16, 2011 | International Edition

Senior City barrister David Green QC, the former director of the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO), has been appointed as the next director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). The appointment was announced today by Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC, with Green to take up the appointment when current director Richard Alderman steps down in April 2012. The appointment, which follows an open competition, is for four years.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

December 16, 2011 | International Edition

Trowers & Hamlins saw total profits fall by a third in the last financial year as its UK and Middle East practices were buffeted by economic and political uncertainty. The information, available in the firm's 2010-11 limited liability partnership accounts recently filed on Companies House, shows to what extent the top 50 UK firm was affected by market conditions during its last financial year.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

December 15, 2011 | International Edition

Slaughter and May and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have advised on a billion-dollar dual initial public offering (IPO) for China's third-largest life insurance company. New China Life Insurance expects to raise $1.9bn (£1.2bn) through the dual listing on the Hong Kong and Shanghai exchanges. The headline deal was announced 2 December with the shares going live on the exchanges today (15 December). The deal saw Freshfields acting for the Chinese insurance giant, while Slaughters advised the underwriter consortium. The key banks underwriting the deal included China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited (CICC), UBS and Goldman Sachs, with Slaughters' team led by Hong Kong corporate partner Benita Yu. Sullivan & Cromwell advised the banks on US law aspects of the deal led by Wei Chun, while King & Wood took the PRC law advisory role on the deal, led by Yang Xiaolei. On the issuer side, Freshfields floated a team led by capital markets partner Teresa Ko. Wall Street firm Davis Polk & Wardwell took the US law role, led by He Li and Chinese law firm Commerce & Finance advised on PRC law led by Wu Gang. PRC-based New China Life Insurance provides a broad range of life insurance products and services to individual and institutional customers. The company was the third-ranked life insurance company in the PRC in terms of gross premium income last year.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

December 14, 2011 | International Edition

SJ Berwin is set to lose City corporate partner Perry Yam, who is joining Reed Smith to launch a private equity practice in the US firm's London office. The venture capital-specialist private equity partner, who resigned yesterday had been at SJ Berwin for sixteen years, becoming a partner in 2001. Last autumn he unsuccessfully stood for managing partner, losing out to Rob Day in the last round voting.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

December 14, 2011 | International Edition

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has turned to Allen & Overy (A&O) for its latest hire, taking projects partner Andrei Baev. Baev joins the top 15 UK firm's finance practice today (14 December) from A&O's London office. He has worked at the firm for 11 years, including in the firm's Moscow and New York offices. At BLP, he is due to split his time between London and Moscow.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

December 14, 2011 | International Edition

Norton Rose has added to its international natural resources expertise with one partner hire each in Australia and South Africa. Baker & McKenzie construction and engineering lawyer Simon Bellas has moved to Norton Rose in Perth, while Bowman Gilfillan commodities-specialist finance partner Lodewyk Meyer has joined the firm's Johannesburg office.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

December 13, 2011 | International Edition

City finance lawyers have questioned a call by the chairman of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to change the law in order to make is easier to hold directors and board members of failed banks personally liable for the consequences of their decisions. The proposed overhaul is contained in a damning report into the failure of The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) published yesterday (12 December) by the FSA board, in the wake of the bank's £45bn rescue by the Government in 2008.

By Sofia Lind

4 minute read