Panel win: Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ announces first-ever EMEA line-up

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One of Japan’s largest banks, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) today announced its first-ever panel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with eight leading City firms appointed as preferred advisers after a process described by the bank as ‘extremely competitive.’ Allen & Overy (A&O), Linklaters and Ashurst won places on BTMU’s preferred panel alongside …

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Revolving doors: Key hires for Mayer Brown, Sullivan & Worcester, Harbottle, DWF, Irwin Mitchell and Burness Paull

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Mayer Brown is continuing to beef up its City offering with its seventh partner hire in two months, as Allen & Overy (A&O) employment and benefits partner Stefan Martin joins the firm, the top 25 Global 100 firm announced last week. The appointment of Martin – who joined A&O in 1992 and has been a …

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Quarter of in-house lawyers’ salaries frozen in past 12 months as average increase falls

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Almost a quarter of in-house lawyers suffered pay freezes in the last 12 months, double the 10% who had their pay frozen the previous year, according to recent research from Thomson Reuters. The Incomes Data Services executive compensation review found that the impact on the most senior in-house counsel was the most dramatic, with 30% …

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Wragge & Co sees H1 revenues and profits up as Metcalfe to leave after end of MP term

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Wragge & Co has named October 2013 as its highest billing month since the boom years as it joins the ranks of firms posting positive results for the first half (H1) of 2013/14, news which comes as Ian Metcalfe confirms he will be departing the firm to pursue other opportunities when he steps down as managing …

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PI consolidation – Irwin Mitchell acquires Manchester’s McCool Patterson

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After becoming the first multiple-licensed alternative business structure (ABS) last August Irwin Mitchell has acquired personal injury (PI) firm McCool Patterson Hemsi Solicitors (MPH), its fourth acquisition in 12 months as the PI market continues to consolidate. MPH – whose five directors and 24 lawyers and support staff will all join the UK top 25 law …

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Office openings: Bird & Bird to extend Middle East capability with Dubai presence

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Bird & Bird has become the latest leading UK firm to open in Dubai as it transfers Stockholm corporate partner Anders Nilsson to spearhead its new UAE offering. The 966-lawyer top 20 firm said today that it is setting its sights on expansion to support its growing client base in the emirate, where it advises clients …

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Redundancy watch: Lyons Davidson blames litigation market for letting go of 50 post AA and Admiral deals

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Having secured not one but two successive major joint ventures with Admiral and then the AA, Lyons Davidson is undoubtedly the envy of many of its personal injury (PI) peers, but the South West firm has blamed the post-Jackson reforms litigation market for the latest news that it is having to make around 50 redundancies. Just last week (5 …

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In-house: HMRC appoints DWP director Gill Aitken as new GC as Sir Hector Sants resigns from Barclays

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With a long pedigree in working for the government, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) director general Gill Aitken is to replace HM Revenue & Customs’ outgoing general counsel (GC) Anthony Inglese, the body announced today (13 November). Aitken, who will replace Inglese when he retires in January after 38 years in the government legal service, …

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Squire Sanders settles libel claim over letter before action

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Squire Sanders has settled a libel claim against the firm over the contents of a letter before action (LBA) after a judge rejected its application to have the claim struck out, finding that the LBA could be interpreted as meaning the recipient was guilty. The top 20 firm was sued for libel by Patrick Hodgins, a …

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BG Group slims down legal roster to three as CC wins a spot

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For a 6,000-plus-employee FTSE 100 energy company operating across 20 countries in five continents, BG Group’s panel of four law firm was already slim but just got slimmer, with the news that Allen & Overy and Herbert Smith Freehills have been dropped in favour of Clifford Chance, which wins a place alongside incumbents CMS Cameron …

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