Suzi Ring

August 10, 2010 | International Edition

King & Spalding is set to open in Singapore with the hire of Shearman & Sterling international arbitration partner John Savage. The firm announced yesterday (9 August) that it has applied for a licence to set up an office in the region specialising in commercial arbitration and energy work.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

August 09, 2010 | International Edition

Linklaters, Allen & Overy (A&O), Ashurst and Garrigues have all advised on the €250m (£208m) buyout of Spanish online travel agency eDreams by UK private equity firm Permira. Permira has bought the travel agency from US private equity firm TA Associates which obtained the company in 2006 for €153m (£127m). Linklaters advised Permira with a team led by private equity partner Alejandro Ortiz alongside tax partner Javier Garcia-Pita, finance partner Ben Crosse and antitrust partner Jaime Perez-Bustamante.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

August 06, 2010 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells has seen a second departure from its Moscow office this week with dispute resolution partner Dominic Pellew joining Baker Botts. Pellew is set to join the US firm as a partner in its arbitration practice on Monday (9 August). He joined legacy Lovells from Herbert Smith in 2007 as the firm's sole disputes partner in Moscow.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

August 06, 2010 | International Edition

Eversheds is to sublet 20,000 sq ft of surplus office space in its Leeds office after a 'space management' review at the firm. The firm has conducted a review in recent months and concluded that subletting the space would still allow it to achieve the target set out in its business plan of expanding the Leeds base at a rate of 3% per annum.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

August 05, 2010 | International Edition

Deutsche Telekom has appointed a new general counsel with the hire of a corporate partner from Ashurst's Frankfurt office. Claudia Junker is set to move over to Deutsche Telekom in November. She joined Ashurst from Hengeler Mueller in 2008 and specialises in corporate law and M&A.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

August 04, 2010 | International Edition

Linklaters, Baker & McKenzie and Allens Arthur Robinson have all advised on the $2bn (£1.3bn) joint venture between Rio Tinto and Chalco to build a new mine, rail and port infrastructure in Guinea. Linklaters advised Rio on UK and US law with a team led by corporate partner James Inglis alongside competition partner Gavin Robert, tax partner Elizabeth Conway and US corporate partner Tom Shropshire. Allens also acted for Rio with a team comprising energy partners Scott Langford, Nic Tole and Ted Hill, banking and finance partner Steve Pemberton and M&A partner Richard Kriedemann.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

August 03, 2010 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells has agreed a formal alliance with Mongolian law firm GTs Advocates, marking the first transatlantic firm to enter the East Asian country. The alliance comes after an existing informal referral relationship between GTs Advocates and the legacy Lovells. The practice will be headed up by Hogan Lovells partner Michael Aldrich, who has relocated to the region. Aldrich has been seconded to GTs since 2009, prior to which he was a partner in Lovells' Beijing office. He will continue his client work in China alongside his role in Mongolia.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

August 03, 2010 | International Edition

A trio of Spanish firms have taken roles on one of the largest ever corporate deals in Portugal - Telefonica's e7.5bn (£6.3bn) buyout of Portugal Telecom's (PT's) 50% stake in Brazilian mobile operator Vivo. Cuatrecasas Goncalves Pereira advised Telefonica on the Portuguese side, while Uria Menendez advised Telefonica on Spanish law and Garrigues acted for PT.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

August 03, 2010 | International Edition

International law firms' campaign to be allowed to practise in India is set to be passed to the Indian Supreme Court following last month's visit by the Indian justice minister to the UK. Moodbidri Veerappa Moily met with Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke to discuss how to improve the relationship between the two countries, with a particular focus on judicial and legal reform.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

August 03, 2010 | International Edition

The Russian legal market is set to see a surge of work in the coming months following news of the proposed sell-off of $29bn (£18.6bn) of state assets. The Russian Government set out its plans last week as a means of reducing the country's budget deficit over the next three years, with minority stakes in around 10 state-owned companies to be put up for sale.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read