Suzi Ring

November 08, 2011 | International Edition

Olswang has made an out-of-season partner promotion in response to an upturn in work in the outsourcing sector. Matthew Bennett has joined the partnership as of 1 November in the firm's commercial group.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

November 08, 2011 | International Edition

The News of the World (NoW) hired an ex-police officer to follow two lawyers acting for victims of phone-hacking, according to a report by the BBC's Newsnight. Taylor Hampton solicitor advocate Mark Lewis and Mishcon de Reya media lawyer Charlotte Harris are both understood to have been followed by private investigator Derek Webb during the past 18 months in a bid to prove that they were in a relationship and sharing confidential information.

By Suzi Ring

3 minute read

November 07, 2011 | International Edition

LG is to lose a trio of finance and restructuring partners to Pinsent Masons, taking the number of London partners to hand in their notice since September to eight. Head of finance and restructuring Nicholas Pike, head of restructuring and insolvency Tom Withyman and restructuring and insolvency partner Steven Cottee are all set to join Pinsents' London banking and restructuring practice in the coming months.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

November 04, 2011 | International Edition

Gomez-Acebo & Pombo founding partner Fernando Pombo has died at the age 68 in Madrid today (4 November). The news comes just eight months after the Iberian firm's fellow co-founder Ignacio Gomez-Acebo passed away in March this year.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

November 04, 2011 | International Edition

Slaughter and May and Baker & McKenzie are advising on Lufthansa's sale of British Midland International (BMI) to British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG). Bakers is acting for Lufthansa, the owner of BMI, which operates flights to Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

November 02, 2011 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC) and Baker & McKenzie have advised on the second phase of financing for a $10.8bn (£6.8bn) aluminium development in Saudi Arabia. CC advised a consortium led by 15 banks, including the Arab National Bank and The Saudi Investment Bank, providing $2.15bn (£1.3bn) of financing for a $3.58bn (£2.2bn) bauxite mine and alumina refinery to be developed at Al Ba'itha in Saudi Arabia.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

November 02, 2011 | International Edition

Holman Fenwick Willan has been handed around 100 new client relationships – including BAE Systems and Cathay Pacific – with the firm's hire of an eight-partner aerospace team from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert earlier this year. The team, which joined Holman last month, has brought a host of high-profile clients to the firm as well as broadening the range of work Holman can handle for its existing clients.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

November 02, 2011 | International Edition

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has bulked up its competition arm with a new partner from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and a senior in-house counsel from BG Group. Elaine Whiteford joined BLP's City competition, European Union and trade group this week from her role at Freshfields, where she was of counsel. Whiteford specialises in competition litigation and is also a qualified barrister.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

November 02, 2011 | International Edition

Dechert is to further bulk up its City arm with the hire of LG banking and finance partner Charles Malpass, with the recruitment marking Dechert's fifth partner hire in London since April. The highly-regarded partner is set to join Dechert's London banking and finance team in January next year along with associate Catherine Gooding.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

November 02, 2011 | International Edition

Herbert Smith has put a potential merger with alliance firms Gleiss Lutz and Stibbe at the heart of its ongoing Project Blue Sky strategy review, it has emerged. The top 10 City firm is considering whether it should push for a merger with its longstanding alliance partners, with a Swiss verein structure allowing all three firms to maintain separate profit pools one option under consideration.

By Suzi Ring

5 minute read