Sofia Lind

March 30, 2011 | International Edition

Trowers & Hamlins and Field Fisher Waterhouse have announced their new partner promotions, with the firms making up six and nine new partners respectively. All six of Trowers' new partners are female and all are based in the firm's City headquarters. The round will see Karen Lilleyman and Merissa Martinez appointed in the dispute resolution and litigation department; Katie Dyer becoming a partner in housing projects; Yvette Bryan promoted in commercial property; Naomi Roper promoted in banking and finance and Sharron Webster becoming a partner in public sector communities and governance. The promotions take effect from 1 April.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

March 30, 2011 | International Edition

The Government has reappointed David Edmonds as chairman of the Legal Services Board (LSB) for a second three-year term. Edmonds, who was appointed as the first-ever chairman of the LSB (which was then a new body) three years ago, will take on the new term from 1 May until 30 April 2014.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

March 29, 2011 | International Edition

Clifford Chance's (CC) former senior partner Stuart Popham is set to join Citigroup as a vice-chairman of EMEA banking. Citi said that Popham's primary role will be to strengthen relationships with the bank's UK large-cap clients, working within a team of senior bankers.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

March 28, 2011 | International Edition

Simmons & Simmons is set to see six partners compete for the role of senior partner as the firm begins the process to elect David Dickinson's successor next month. The candidates' papers went out to partners last week with current managing partner Mark Dawkins competing with litigation partners Colin Passmore and Philip Vaughan, corporate partners Charles Mayo and Thierry Gontard and energy partner Patrick Wallace.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

March 28, 2011 | International Edition

CMS Cameron McKenna's former managing partner Dick Tyler has been elected as the firm's new senior partner. Tyler saw off competition from consumer products sector head Louise Wallace in the third and final round of voting which closed on Friday (25 March) to secure the appointment to replace current incumbent Richard Price on 1 May. Earlier voting rounds had seen the elimination of banking and project finance partner Andrew Ivison and energy partner Robert Lane, who heads the firm's regulated industries team.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

March 24, 2011 | International Edition

Holman Fenwick Willan has launched an aerospace and aviation practice with the hire of Barlow Lyde & Gilbert's highly-rated aviation team. The eight partner-team is joining Holman across its London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sao Paulo and Dubai offices. The partners are Sue Barham (London), Peter Coles (Hong Kong), Richard Gimblett (London and Dubai), Mert Hifzi (Singapore), Nicholas Hughes (London), Giles Kavanagh (London), Keith Richardson (Singapore) and Jeremy Shebson (London and Sao Paulo).

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

March 24, 2011 | International Edition

CMS Cameron McKenna's senior partner vote has reached the final stage, with ex-managing partner Dick Tyler and consumer products head Louise Wallace set to contest the role in a third round of voting. The second round closed yesterday (24 March), with banking and project finance partner Andrew Ivison dropping out. The election has gone to a third round because the firm's partnership deed states that one candidate requires more than 50% of votes to win.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

March 23, 2011 | International Edition

CMS Cameron McKenna is set to outsource its entire human resources (HR) team as part of its agreement to transfer its back-office support functions to Integreon from 1 April. The firm, which this week closed its consultation on the outsourcing and concluded the first in a number of rolling redundancy consultations, confirmed that its 20-strong HR team will transfer over to Integreon next month, including HR head Sarah Spillan.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

March 23, 2011 | International Edition

Deutsche Bank has expanded the number of external law firms with which it has formal relationships, with the news coming as the bank's in-house legal team prepares to set up its own low-cost legal processing centre in Berlin. The German-based investment bank has added Hogan Lovells, Simmons & Simmons, CMS Cameron McKenna and Ashurst to its EMEA roster of preferred legal advisers, with Slaughter and May, Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Allen & Overy, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and White & Case all retaining spots. A fifth firm has also won a first-time appointment.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

March 23, 2011 | International Edition

The Law Society has backed the Solicitors Regulation Authority's (SRA) application to become an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) licensing authority. The Law Society Council has voted in favour today (23 March) of approving the SRA's application to the Legal Services Board (LSB) to regulate the new business entities which will be brought in as part of the legal services reform when the Legal Services Act 2007 comes into effect 6 October this year.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read