Sofia Lind

August 03, 2011 | International Edition

Simmons & Simmons has made two partner hires, strengthening its London corporate practice and its Milan litigation team. The firm has hired Travers Smith counsel Caroline Murphy as a partner for its London corporate practice and brought in Hogan Lovells partner Cristina Pagni in Italy. Murphy, who has worked with clients including Bridgepoint Capital and 3i, becomes the fourth partner in Simmons' London private equity team. Prior to joining Travers in 2006, Murphy was general counsel at furniture retailer Habitat, becoming the first person to hold the position when she left Clifford Chance in 2004.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

July 28, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters has become one of the first major UK law firms to publish comprehensive diversity data on its website, just days after the Legal Services Board (LSB) announced that it will make such reporting compulsory as of December 2012. The statistics show that 38% of Linklaters' UK partnership were privately educated - a proportion broadly replicated across the firm's associate and trainee ranks - while a further 39% of partners went to a state or grammar school. The remainder were internationally educated, with 7% opting not to disclose.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

July 28, 2011 | International Edition

Norton Rose is set to open an office in Casablanca, making it the third top 10 UK firm to announce a Moroccan launch in the last two weeks. The office, which will open in September, marks the firm's second foray into the African continent this year, after its merger with South Africa's Deneys Reitz went live on 1 June.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

July 27, 2011 | International Edition

Bird & Bird has put international expansion and client relationships at the centre of its three-year strategic plan. The firm is earmarking Asia and the Middle East as targets for growth, with team expansion and office launches forming key parts of the plan, which will run from June 2011 to 2014.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

July 27, 2011 | International Edition

Slaughter and May and Allen & Overy (A&O) have picked up advisory roles as BHP Billiton agreed a $7.5bn (£4.6bn) financing package for its takeover of Petrohawk Energy Corporation. The Anglo-Australian mining giant announced earlier this month (14 July) that it will acquire Houston-based oil and gas producer Petrohawk in a proposed $12.1bn (£7.4bn) deal.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

July 27, 2011 | International Edition

Allen & Overy (A&O) has topped Thomson Reuters' debt capital markets (DCM) rankings for international cross-border bonds for the first half of 2011 by both manager and issuer. The firm advised managers on 238 bond deals worth $180bn (£110bn) during the period, giving it a 7.1% share of the market, ahead of Linklaters, which held a 3.5% share of the market, with roles on 117 deals worth $104bn (£63.8bn).

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

July 27, 2011 | International Edition

City capital markets partners are optimistic that last week's €109bn (£96bn) Greek bailout will help increase deal activity in Europe's markets. The package, agreed little more than a year after an initial bailout last May, saw the heads of 17 eurozone governments agree a funding package that will also see private lenders asked to contribute, as well as including measures to cut debt interest rates for Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

July 27, 2011 | International Edition

Outside ownership of law firms looks set to be delayed until the end of the year, with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) confirming that it will not be able to start licensing Alternative Business Structures (ABSs) by 6 October as initially planned. The SRA has been informed by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) that necessary parliamentary processes will not be completed in time for the October date, with the required primary legislation yet to be debated in parliament.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

July 27, 2011 | International Edition

SJ Berwin has confirmed that it is to lose two funds partners to US firm Proskauer Rose, after merger talks between the two firms were called off last year. City funds partner Nigel van Zyl has resigned to join Proskauer's London office alongside fellow partner Oliver Rochman.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

July 26, 2011 | International Edition

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has approved controversial plans to force law firms and barristers' chambers to publish internal diversity and social mobility statistics on their websites. Firms and chambers will now have to publish data on their lawyers' socio-economic background, age, race, and gender on their websites, as well as information about disabilities. However, the LSB has stepped back from earlier proposals that would have included a requirement to provide details about religion or sexuality.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read