Suzi Ring

November 09, 2012 | International Edition

Herbert Smith Freehills and Slaughter and May are advising on British beverage giant Diageo's £1.2bn purchase of a 53.4% stake in Indian drinks company United Spirits. Herbert Smith is acting for United Spirits and parent company United Breweries led by City corporate partners Alan Montgomery and Roddy Martin alongside India practice chairman Chris Parsons.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

November 08, 2012 | International Edition

Slaughter and May has concluded a redundancy consultation which will see 44 secretarial staff leave the firm, the vast majority of which have opted to take voluntary redundancy. The firm began the consultation last month, with around 28 full-time equivalent roles expected to be affected. However, more secretaries opted to take voluntary redundancy than were required, with 41 taking up the offer, equating to a reduction of 30.3 full-time equivalent (FTE) roles.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

November 02, 2012 | International Edition

Linklaters, Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Ashurst are among a host of firms securing appointment to the new Lloyds Banking Group panel, as the bank has moved to cut back its external legal advisers by around 10%. The trio have been re-appointed to the line-up alongside firms including Eversheds, CMS Cameron McKenna, Stephenson Harwood and Osborne Clarke, with most successful firms learning of their appointments this week.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

November 01, 2012 | International Edition

Pannone has become the latest law firm to take a role related to the Jimmy Savile scandal, with the northwest firm acting for a number of victims allegedly abused by the TV star. City personal injury partner Alan Collins, who specialises in child abuse cases, is currently investigating around 20 allegations of abuse by Savile.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 31, 2012 | International Edition

Slaughter and May has cut back the bonuses it pays to its fee earners, trainees and staff, with trainee bonuses now down to 2.5% from 8% two years ago. The firm's associates will receive a 5% bonus for 2012, down from the 8% paid out last year, while trainees and support staff will receive a 2.5% payout.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 29, 2012 | International Edition

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) is gearing up to challenge HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) over the Government's application of valued-added tax (VAT) to ebooks, in a move which could have far-reaching ramifications across Europe. BLP head of VAT Alan Sinyor is leading a bid to force the UK Government to reconsider its position on that taxation of ebooks, on which VAT is currently charged at 20% in contrast to print books, which do not have tax applied.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 23, 2012 | International Edition

Slaughter and May is making a push to tighten its links with African law firms as the magic circle firm moves to build up its practice in the region, amid growing attention from the international legal market. The firm last week teamed up with European best friends Bonelli Erede Pappalardo, Bredin Prat, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Hengeler Mueller and Uria Menendez to host a conference in Botswana attended by 27 law firms from 16 African countries.

By Suzi Ring

3 minute read

October 23, 2012 | International Edition

Taylor Hampton's Mark Lewis has filed four phone-hacking claims against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), with the claims representing the first legal action to be launched against a newspaper group other than News International (NI). Lewis filed the claims in the High Court yesterday (22 October) on behalf of former England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati, former Blackburn Rovers captain Garry Flitcroft, and the Beckham family's former nanny Abbie Gibson.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 22, 2012 | International Edition

Nationwide is gearing up to launch a panel review of its group-wide advisers in the New Year. The building society will start the review in early 2013, marking the first time it has been looked at since its launch in July 2009.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

October 18, 2012 | International Edition

Kennedys has launched a redundancy consultation involving up to 70 support staff in the firm's finance department. The consultation has been launched in a bid to consolidate the non-legal department, which is spread across the firm's offices in London, Sheffield, Chelmsford and Maidstone. Some of the 70 staff affected by the consultation are expected to keep their positions. The news was first reported today (18 October) on RollOnFriday.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read