Suzi Ring

July 27, 2011 | International Edition

Slaughter and May has appointed a new Beijing office head as long-serving partner George Goulding prepares to retire after 36 years at the firm. Hong Kong corporate partner Lisa Chung is set to take up the role of Beijing head when Goulding, who has led Slaughters' Beijing arm since it opened in September 2009, steps down later this year.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

July 27, 2011 | International Edition

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert is set to ask nearly 10% of its partnership to leave if its merger with Clyde & Co is approved by both firms' partnerships this week. Around 10 of Barlows' 97 partners are expected to be asked to go as part of the terms of the tie-up. Of the remainder, at least 32 are expected to join the equity at the combined firm, compared with a current equity partner count of 64 at Barlows.

By Suzi Ring

3 minute read

July 27, 2011 | International Edition

The Supreme Court has handed down a landmark judgment today (27 July) confirming that arbitrators are not employees and therefore fall outside of UK equality laws. The judgment, which overturns a Court of Appeal decision that arbitrators were employees for the purposes of the Employment Equality Regulations, confirms London's position as a leading centre for international arbitration.

By Suzi Ring

4 minute read

July 26, 2011 | International Edition

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) corporate and commercial disputes partner Graham Shear has launched a claim against the News of the World (NoW) for phone-hacking. Shear has appointed fellow BLP commercial litigator Joby Davies to advise him on the breach of privacy claim against NoW, as well as Matrix Chambers' Hugh Tomlinson QC and David Sherborne of 5RB.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

July 26, 2011 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is set to retain almost all of its qualifying trainees this autumn, with 96% of its September intake set to stay on at the firm. Forty-eight of 50 newly-qualified lawyers (NQs) have accepted a job with the firm starting in September after 49 were asked to stay on, with one declining.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

July 25, 2011 | International Edition

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has appointed its first-ever Russia and CIS tax head with the hire of Salans' global tax co-head Evgeny Timofeev. Timofeev joined BLP earlier this month to take up the new role after four years as a partner at Salans, including three as the firm's global tax chief. His clients include L'Oreal and Russian Alcohol.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

July 25, 2011 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has been hit with a £141.96m negligence claim relating to advice it gave London Underground Ltd (LUL) in 2002. The claim was issued by LUL in the High Court in January this year and relates to advice the magic circle firm gave the company on its 2003 public-private partnership (PPP) with collapsed transport company Metronet.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

July 22, 2011 | International Edition

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has launched an investigation into the role of solicitors in events surrounding the News of the World (NoW) phone-hacking saga. The regulator confirmed today (22 July) that it will investigate lawyers' role in the scandal, including the concerns of Labour MP Tom Watson who called for the SRA to investigate News International's former legal adviser Harbottle & Lewis.

By Suzi Ring

3 minute read

July 22, 2011 | International Edition

Former News of the World (NoW) legal manager Tom Crone and the tabloid's former editor Colin Myler have called into question evidence given by News International chairman James Murdoch during Tuesday's (19 July) parliamentary committee hearing.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

July 21, 2011 | International Edition

Halliwells' administrators have launched a claim in the High Court against a group of former partners in a bid to reclaim more than £21m gained through a controversial 'reverse premium' property payout. BDO launched the claim against Halliwells' former chairman Ian Austin (pictured) and 31 other ex-partners in the Chancery Division of the High Court earlier this month (4 July).

By Suzi Ring

3 minute read