Suzi Ring

January 07, 2011 | International Edition

Weightmans is in formal merger talks with national firms Mace & Jones and Vizards Wyeth. RollOnFriday first reported news of the talks with Vizards earlier today (7 January), with Weightmans later confirming that it is in talks with both Vizards and Mace & Jones.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 07, 2011 | International Edition

Canada's Heenan Blaikie has launched an office in Paris with the hire of a team of ex-partners from Norton Rose's French arm. Former Norton Rose corporate partners Jean-Francois Mercadier, Pascale Gallien and Anne-Sylvie Vassenaix Paxton and dispute resolution partner Alexander Brabant launched the office this week (3 January) for the Canadian firm.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 06, 2011 | International Edition

CMS Hasche Sigle has announced its annual partner promotions round, with the firm making up more than double the number of new partners it promoted last year. The firm has promoted 11 new lawyers to its partnership across six of its German offices. The tally marks a significant increase on the five lawyers promoted in 2010.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 06, 2011 | International Edition

Allen & Overy's (A&O's) Paris corporate head Nicolas Bichot has left the firm to set up his own corporate and tax boutique. The new boutique, Bichot & Associes, sees Bichot join forces with former A&O tax partner Patrice Couturier, with A&O corporate associates Charles-Noel van den Broek and Mathieu Odet also joining as partners.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 06, 2011 | International Edition

Norton Rose has hired the head of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's Moscow dispute resolution practice, Yaroslav Klimov. Klimov, who was a counsel at Freshfields, joined Norton Rose on 1 January as a partner and the firm's first Moscow and CIS disputes head. He specialises in general commercial, corporate, regulatory and product liability litigation. The hire takes the partner count in Norton Rose's Moscow office to seven. Klimov is also set to be joined by an associate from Freshfields.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 05, 2011 | International Edition

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has outlined plans to impose financial penalties of up to £150m for licensing breaches by Alternative Business Structures (ABS). In a consultation launched in late December last year, the LSB recommended that the maximum financial penalty for ABS entities should be set at £150m and £50m for individuals.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 05, 2011 | International Edition

Gide Loyrette Nouel has announced its annual promotions with two lawyers made up to the partnership. The two promotions come in the firm's Paris and Moscow offices and mark a decrease on the four new partners the French firm made up in 2010. In Paris, Guillaume Jolly has joined the partnership in the tax practice. He specialises in the tax aspects of M&A, private equity, real estate transactions and management packages and has been with the firm since 2001.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 04, 2011 | International Edition

Holman Fenwick Willan has launched a construction practice in Hong Kong with the hire of Mayer Brown JSM partner Nick Longley. Longley joined the firm as a partner on 1 January 2011 alongside Mayer Brown associate Richard Lyons and Vincent Liu, who joins from Minter Ellison.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 04, 2011 | International Edition

Beachcroft is set to launch its first office in Asia, with the opening of a base in Singapore. City insurance partner Ben Nicholson is relocating to Singapore to lead the office, which will open in February and will advise clients on complex and high value commercial disputes, with a particular focus on insurers and reinsurers. The office will formally launch in May.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 04, 2011 | International Edition

A group of partners from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert, Latham & Watkins and Morrison & Foerster have come together to launch a technology, outsourcing and commercial law boutique. Barlows partner Andrew Giverin, Morrison & Foerster partner David Skinner and Latham & Watkins partner Alex Hamilton have left their respective firms to set up the boutique alongside Deutsche Bank senior in-house counsel Mark Millward and Barlows senior associate Jason McQuillen.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read