Suzi Ring

October 06, 2010 | International Edition

Dewey & LeBoeuf has launched an office in Abu Dhabi, securing its fourth post in the Middle East. City corporate finance partner Stephen Jurgenson has relocated to the region to head up the new branch with a team of associates. Jurgenson will work closely with capital markets partner Camille Abousleiman and energy and infrastructure partner Jim Simpson, who will support the outfit from London.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 06, 2010 | International Edition

Allen & Overy (A&O) has bolstered its Paris arm with the hire of a tax team from CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre. Jean-Yves Charriau joined A&O as a partner last week (1 October) from Bureau Francis Lefebvre, where he was also a partner, with a team including counsel Sophie Maurel and associate David Sorel.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 06, 2010 | International Edition

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has launched a funds practice in its Dubai office following the hire of Ashurst partner Chezard Ameer. Ameer, who specialises in investment funds, including private equity, venture capital, infrastructure and real estate funds, is set to join the law firm in the coming months from the private investment funds group in Ashurst's Dubai practice.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 06, 2010 | International Edition

Nearly nine out of 10 law firms are habitually offering discounts on their headline billing rates according to new research, which casts doubt on the value for money offered by commercial law firms. The latest Big Question poll of partners found that 88% of firms are typically offering discounts on their headline rates, with 42% usually discounting by 5%-10%, while just over a third usually cut rates by 10%-20%. One in 10 respondents said that their firms were regularly discounting headline rates by 20%-30% while 12% said their firms generally avoided discounting.

By Suzi Ring

4 minute read

October 05, 2010 | International Edition

France's Veil Jourde has successfully defended Societe Generale in the high-profile €50bn (£44bn) fraud case involving rogue trader Jerome Kerviel. Founding partner Jean Veil advised SocGen on its successful recovery of the €4.9bn (£4.3bn) the bank claimed it had lost as a result of Kerviel's actions.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 05, 2010 | International Edition

DLA Piper has bulked up its capabilities in Thailand with the hire of Allen & Overy (A&O) corporate consultant Tim Dobson. Dobson has joined DLA's corporate group in Bangkok as a senior consultant, where he will work alongside the firm's three resident partners in the region. He has been based in Thailand with A&O since 2001 and leaves five partners in the office there.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 05, 2010 | International Edition

US firms Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton have taken the lead roles on a $21.5bn (£13.5bn) tie-up which will create one of the world's biggest telecom companies. Russian telecoms operator VimpelCom is set to acquire Weather Investments in the first quarter of 2011, handing the company a presence in 20 countries across the world. Akin Gump is advising VimpelCom with a team led by London partner Dan Walsh alongside corporate partners Fred Heller, Pat Dooley and Sebastian Rice.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 05, 2010 | International Edition

Proskauer Rose has elected a new chairman amid the US firm's ongoing merger talks with SJ Berwin. Corporate partner Joseph Leccese is set to replace incumbent Allen Fagin in January next year as Fagin's maximum six-year term comes to an end. Leccese is currently co-head of the firm's sports law group and a member of the executive committee.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 04, 2010 | International Edition

Weil Gotshal & Manges and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz are taking the key advisory roles as Sanofi-Aventis's multibillion-dollar bid for US biotechnology company Genzyme goes hostile. Weil Gotshal is acting for French pharma company Sanofi on its $18.5bn (£11.7bn) bid with a team including corporate partners Claude Serra in Paris and Michael Aiello in New York. Wachtell is advising Genzyme, with corporate partners Andrew Brownstein and Greg Ostling taking the key roles.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 04, 2010 | International Edition

Leading Swiss independent Pestalozzi Lachenal Patry has split in half, with two offices breaking off from the firm to set up a new network. Pestalozzi's Geneva and Brussels arms have separated from the Zurich office, a move understood to be due to differences of opinion regarding firm strategy. Partners Bernard Lachenal and Alain Le Fort will now head up the new outfit, which will be known as Lachenal & Le Fort.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read