Sofia Lind

March 04, 2011 | International Edition

A raft of City law firms have taken roles on the £3bn debt restructuring of troubled financial services group Cattles. The restructuring has handed roles to six City law firms during two years of complex negotiations after a 2009 accounting scandal pushed the subprime lender to the brink of insolvency.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

March 03, 2011 | International Edition

SNR Denton has launched a UK construction litigation team with the hire of two partners from HBJ Gateley Wareing. The transatlantic firm has recruited HBJ construction head Alastair Young and construction litigation partner Andrew Jones, who will split their time between SNR Denton's London and Milton Keynes offices. The duo advise on engineering and construction disputes, both domestically and internationally. Young was formerly a barrister at Birmingham set St Philips Chambers before joining HBJ in 2007, while Jones moved to the national firm from Wragge & Co in 2000.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

March 03, 2011 | International Edition

SNR Denton co-chief executive Howard Morris has stepped down from his leadership role to focus on integration at the newly-merged transatlantic firm as it prepares to align partner pay structures. The move, which takes effect immediately, will see Washington DC-based Elliott Portnoy become the firm's sole chief executive. The pair have co-managed the firm since the merger between US firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and Denton Wilde Sapte went live on 30 September last year.

By Sofia Lind

4 minute read

March 02, 2011 | International Edition

Invest Northern Ireland (NI) is actively targeting other UK law firms about setting up their own offshore centres in Belfast in the wake of Allen & Overy (A&O) and Herbert Smith announcing plans to open in the region. The development agency is targeting the wider UK legal sector for inbound investment after securing both top 10 City law firms in recent months, with partners at other top 20 firms stating they had been approached by the agency, which confirmed that it is now contacting other law firms about investment opportunities in Northern Ireland.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

March 02, 2011 | International Edition

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) is to restructure its finance practice in a move which could see a number of partners leave the firm or join other practices. Finance head Matthew Kellett is leading the review, which is expected to last around three months.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

March 02, 2011 | International Edition

Companies offering legal services under sweeping reforms this year could be hit by fines of up to £250m in the event of regulatory breaches, under recommendations from the Legal Services Board (LSB). The proposals, published this week (1 March), come in light of a recently-closed consultation on the fines that could be levied on alternative business structures (ABS) - the regime to be introduced under the Legal Services Act to allow business other than traditional law firms to provide legal services.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

March 01, 2011 | International Edition

Norton Rose has partnered with a not-for-profit organisation to help the firm sign up more black and ethnic minority (BME) candidates for its summer vacation scheme. The UK top 10 firm has signed an agreement to work with Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), an organisation which arranges placements with London professional services firms, including law firms and banks. The move is part of a diversity push at Norton Rose, with the firm hoping that the cooperation will help it identify BME interns for its two summer vacation schemes, which between them offer a total of 30 places.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

March 01, 2011 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC) is closing two European data centres as the firm consolidates its data storage across the continent from a total of four locations to just two. The magic circle firm is in the process of closing its Paris and Amsterdam data centres, and will now instead use just two existing European bases in London and Germany. The consolidation will not result in any job cuts, as both the Paris and Amsterdam centres are outsourced to data specialists Redbus and KPN respectively, but the move marks the end of the outsourcing contracts for both bases.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

March 01, 2011 | International Edition

SNR Denton has taken a lead role advising on a $517m (£319m) contract that will see a UK company develop zeppelin-style airships for the US military. The transatlantic firm advised UK-based specialist air technology company Hybrid Air Vehicles on a contract with the US military to develop the state-of-the-art hybrid airships, which are the size of football fields.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

February 28, 2011 | International Edition

SNR Denton co-chief executive Howard Morris has stepped down from his leadership role to focus on integration at the newly-merged transatlantic firm. His decision, which takes effect immediately, will see the Washington DC-based Elliott Portnoy become the firm's sole chief executive. The pair have co-managed the firm since the merger between legacy US firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and legacy Denton Wilde Sapte went live on 30 September last year.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read