Sofia Lind

January 27, 2010 | International Edition

Bird & Bird has appointed a joint head of its growing French practice, with longstanding Paris IT partner Stephane Lemarchand stepping into the role last week (12 January). Lemarchand will lead the firm's French practice alongside Frederique Dupuis-Toubol. He also heads the Paris IT team as well as the firmwide IT sector group and has a practice focused on IT law and copy- right-related matters.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

January 27, 2010 | International Edition

Linklaters and White & Case have won lead roles on a $3bn (£2bn) merger that has created the ninth-largest company listed in Qatar. The deal sees Barwa Real Estate Company take over Qatar Real Estate Investment Company (Alaqaria). The merger, which was approved earlier this month, has been backed by the Qatari Government.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

January 27, 2010 | International Edition

Herbert Smith has won a high-profile mandate to advise airport operator BAA on the controversial third runway at Heathrow and a £4.3bn development project at the airport. The top 10 City law firm saw off competition from more than 50 firms to secure the coveted instruction at the end of last year, after BAA publicly advertised for a legal adviser for the projects.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

January 26, 2010 | International Edition

SJ Berwin paid out £1.23m to its top-earning partner in 2008-09, even though average profits per equity partner for the same year fell by almost 50% to £410,000. Details of the payout, which is only £40,000 less than the amount the firm's highest-paid member received the previous year, are contained within the firm's limited liability partnership (LLP) accounts filed with Companies House.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

January 25, 2010 | International Edition

Simmons & Simmons did not pay any of its London non-equity partners a bonus last year, with the firm opting to overhaul its bonus system as a result. None of the firm's 41 City-based salaried partners qualified for a payout in 2008-09, as the bonus scheme was linked to the firm as a whole reaching its target budget, which was missed.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

January 22, 2010 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC) and Latham & Watkins have taken lead roles as Tiger Airways becomes the first Asian airline to complete an initial public offering (IPO) for five years. The IPO, reportedly the first listing of a low-cost air carrier on the Singapore Exchange, raised a total of S$248m (£109m), with the deal widely viewed as a boost for market confidence.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

January 21, 2010 | International Edition

Simmons & Simmons looks set to press ahead with an overhaul of its associate pay model with plans to abandon the post-qualification experience system in favour of a merit-driven regime. The proposals will be put before the firm's management committee for approval later this month, following a full consultation with associates that finished in December.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

January 19, 2010 | International Edition

Swedish law firm Magnusson has appointed a new managing partner in its Stockholm office, with corporate partner Carl Oestring set to take on the role. Oestring will succeed the firm's founding partner, Per Magnusson, who has stepped down from the post in a bid to encourage new managers to come through. Magnusson will remain the firm's senior partner and chairman of the management board.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

January 19, 2010 | International Edition

Simmons & Simmons, Withers and Linklaters are among a raft of firms advising in connection with a multibillion-pound fraud case in Saudi Arabia. The case, which has prompted mounting criticism from creditors of the two defaulting Saudi conglomerates at the heart of the scandal, is threatening to further dent business confidence in the Middle East region.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read

January 19, 2010 | International Edition

K&L Gates has announced the launch of two new offices with the expansive US firm opening in both Moscow and Tokyo today (19 January). The firm has launched in Japan with the hire of three corporate partners - Ryan Dwyer, Takahiro Kawaguchi and Robert Melson - from Latham & Watkins, where they were counsel.

By Sofia Lind

2 minute read