Sofia Lind

April 10, 2012 | International Edition

SJ Berwin is taking a lead role for an action group campaigning against the planned high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham, after not-for-profit organisation HS2 Action Alliance (HS2AA) last week took its protest to the High Court. City planning partner Simon Ricketts is advising protest group HS2AA, which which is seeking two judicial reviews of the Government's plans.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

April 05, 2012 | International Edition

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a legal disciplinary body should have struck off a solicitor that had been found to have acted dishonestly. The closely watched judgment from Lord Justices Moore-Bick, Maurice Kay and Hooper handed down this week (3 April) found the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) should have struck off solicitor Anthony Dennison.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

April 04, 2012 | International Edition

Allen & Overy (A&O) has launched a conflicts checking unit in Belfast as the magic circle firm looks at using the hub to support international offices as well as London. The new eight-person business acceptance unit will support an existing team in London checking for conflicts at the point of instruction.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

April 04, 2012 | International Edition

Simmons & Simmons has set out a new three-year strategy focused around building on the firm's strengths and fostering a high-performance culture alongside plans to open a new low-cost base in Bristol. Partners at the top 15 City firm are expected to approve the plans at a partner meeting in mid-April, rubber-stamping ambitious targets to establish the firm as a credible global player and significantly boost profitability.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

April 04, 2012 | International Edition

Allen & Overy (A&O) and Simmons & Simmons have advised on a €7.3bn (£6.1bn) Italian sovereign bond issue linked to domestic inflation. The deal saw A&O take a lead underwriter role, advising Banca IMI and UniCredit on the structuring and documentation of the deal. Simmons advised the same banks on administrative and compliance aspects, while the Italian Treasury used its own in-house legal team.

By Sofia Lind

1 minute read

April 04, 2012 | International Edition

Bird & Bird and Clyde & Co are among a select band of firms expecting to post double-digit revenue growth for 2011-12 after a challenging year for the UK's top law firms. The duo are joined by Olswang and Watson Farley & Williams predicting growth of at least 10%, with the vast majority of the UK's largest firms expecting to see modest single-digit increases amid a prolonged lull in transactional work levels.

By Sofia Lind

4 minute read

April 03, 2012 | International Edition

Riverview Chambers has hired a director of operations, with 3 Verulam Buildings (3VB) practice manager Jeremy Hopkins set to take on the role. The chambers is one arm of the DLA Piper-backed venture Riverview Law, the new-look legal services business which launched earlier this year.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

April 03, 2012 | International Edition

Simmons & Simmons is set to launch in Bristol to offer an alternative lower-cost option for its UK clients. The new office - the firm's first UK base outside of London - will focus on projects, real estate and dispute resolution work, with the firm stating that it will not be a support office but will instead focus on high end advice in close co-operation with London.

By Sofia Lind

3 minute read

April 02, 2012 | International Edition

SJ Berwin has replaced Tony Angel as non-executive director on its partnership board with the appointment of former senior UBS banker Lucinda Riches. Riches was a board member of UBS Investment Bank and managing director and global head of equity capital markets until 2008.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

April 02, 2012 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC) has added a partner to its Beijing base with the hire of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld's local investment funds practice head. Ying White, whose practice has strong focus on fund formation, is joining CC as the second funds partner in the magic circle firm's Beijing office alongside TieCheng Yang, who has more of a regulatory focus.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read