Revolving doors: Debevoise picks up second experienced HSF litigator

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US firm Debevoise & Plimpton has announced that Tony Dymond, former co-head of Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) Seoul office, will be joining its London office. Contentious construction expert Dymond (pictured) is the second high-profile HSF litigator to join Debevoise this year, with Kevin Lloyd joining the firm in July after resigning from HSF in December …

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Consolidation watch: serial acquirer Shakespeares targets City practice through Davenport Lyons merger

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It may not have attracted as much attention as DWF this year but Midlands challenger firm Shakespeares shows no sign of easing up on an acquisitive streak that has seen it pick-up a handful of firms since 2007. This time it is looking to establish a credible London presence through a merger with 80-lawyer West End …

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Commercially minded: Allen & Overy chooses BPP for business-focused LPC

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In what constitutes a major overhaul of its training programme, Allen & Overy (A&O) has announced today (16 December) that it will work with BPP law school to provide its young lawyers with an enhanced Legal Practice Course (LPC) with a Masters business component from 2015. The firm has also chosen BPP to run its …

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Clifford Chance wins double pharma mandate as Merck buys AZ Electronic Materials and Amdipharm buys Acbur

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With the pharmaceutical industry driving a number of recent high value M&A deals, Clifford Chance has won mandates on two significant instructions in the sector, including advising AZ Electronic Materials on a £1.57bn cash offer by German pharma giant Merck. The transaction was led by corporate partner Tim Lewis and includes antitrust partner Alex Nourry, Luxembourg corporate partner …

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LLPs face hike in tax bills as legislative changes target salaried partners

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Limited liability partnerships (LLPs) are facing significantly increased tax bills after HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) issued draft legislation this week confirming that salaried partners with little or no share in the equity will be classed as employees for tax purposes. The draft Finance Bill, which will come into effect in April next year, says that …

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Management overhaul for KWM SJ Berwin as dual corporate heads replace Davis

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As King & Wood Mallesons SJ Berwin beds down its $1bn merger the Sino-Australian and UK giant has announced further changes to its management line up, with the news that Steven Davis will step down as City head of corporate to be replaced by dual heads Michael Goldberg (pictured) and Richard Lever. With indications that further leadership …

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Moscow team hire: Goltsblat BLP take on real estate trio from Akin Gump

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Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has bolstered its global real estate capability with the hire of a rated three partner team from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld’s Moscow office. The team, which is set to join Goltsblat BLP in mid-January 2014, includes the current head of Akin Gump’s real estate practice in Russia, Vladislav Sourkov, who …

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A carve-out before Christmas – HSF agrees compromise to (largely) unite post-merger partner pay

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It was a long time coming but Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has finally agreed a compromise to unite equity partner pay just over a year after the union of Herbert Smith and Australian leader Freehills. The deal will see the two firms combine their partnerships under a ‘global managed lockstep’, a break from previous attempts …

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Germany: McDermott hires Ashurst Munich partner to head private equity

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Ashurst has lost a second senior partner in Germany as Nikolaus von Jacobs leaves to head up McDermott Will & Emery’s Munich private equity practice, citing a growing interest among US private equity funds in European investment opportunities. Von Jacobs, who previously headed Ashurst’s local private equity team, specialises in venture capital, public and private M&A …

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More for most or less for some? Links is latest top firm to sidle towards merit pay

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Even at the top of the market, the slow march towards performance-driven pay for associates continues with Linklaters this week becoming the second top City player to unveil changes to its associate remuneration. Linklaters is to introduce a performance-based element to salaries for its London-based associates with two years or more post-qualification experience (PQE) as …

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