SECRET ESCAPES Industry/sector: Travel Founded: 2010 Founders: Tom Valentine, Alex Saint Head of legal: Christine Cordon Heralded as one of the UK’s runaway tech success stories, members-only British travel company Secret Escapes has made its mark in the travel industry selling heavily discounted luxury hotel stays and trips through its website and mobile app.
‘We will continue to hire lawyers we see as adding something. That continues to be the mantra: hire great lawyers and your practice will grow.’ Richard East, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan As our Global London report hits desks, the leadership at US law firms in the City weigh up the challenges ahead MISSION STATEMENT …
HSF AND BLP ADVISE ON £1.1BN CHEESEGRATER SALE Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Mayer Brown led as the owners of London’s tallest tower, known as the Cheesegrater, agreed to its sale for £1.1bn. HSF and Mayer Brown advised joint owners British Land and Oxford Properties Group, while BLP assisted buyer CC …
Continue reading “Deal watch: Corporate activity in April 2017”
The 20th annual Legal Business Awards were presented in front of 900 guests in a gala ceremony on 23 March, hosted by respected newscaster Alastair Stewart. The event was preceded by a reception to mark the launch of our fifth annual GC Powerlist which, under the unifying title The Clients of Tomorrow, looked at both …
Continue reading “Standing tall – The Legal Business Awards 2017”
FRESHFIELDS SIGNS 20-YEAR LEASE ON NEW HQ Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has signed a pre-let agreement on a 20-year lease in February to move from existing premises in Fleet Street to 100 Bishopsgate in 2021. The Magic Circle firm will reduce its London real estate by roughly a third when it takes out 255,000 sq ft …
SLAUGHTERS TAKES LEAD ON PHARMA MEGA DEAL Slaughter and May has acted opposite Cravath, Swaine & Moore as Johnson & Johnson made a $30bn offer to buy Swiss-based biopharma company Actelion Pharmaceuticals earlier this year. Slaughters advised along with Zürich-based Niederer Kraft & Frey and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz for the takeover target, as …
Continue reading “Deal watch: Corporate activity in March 2017”
‘Everyone is on their own voyage of discovery. But is any law firm leveraging AI in a material way? I don’t think they are – yet.’ Derek Southall, Gowling WLG Can legal AI match the hype? Legal Business asks key figures about the future for law technology PUBLICITY KING ‘Of course they’ll have prices, but …
The collapse of KWM, cyber threats and Brexit have all come together to cause unease among City law firms. Our annual risk survey asks if risk managers can help avoid a domino effect. There is little debate about what is dominating discussion among law firm managers right now. Not article 50 and not Donald Trump’s …
PARTNERSHIPS AT RISK IN AUTUMN STATEMENT Chancellor Philip Hammond signalled a change to partnership taxation in November’s Autumn Statement, which is expected to impact law firm pay. Hammond said he will shake up profit-sharing arrangements, and according to UHY Hacker Young tax partner Roy Maugham, the government will propose that partnerships must decide their profit-sharing …
TRAVERS AND W&C LEAD ON LATEST BRIDGEPOINT DEAL Travers Smith advised long-time client Bridgepoint as it sold off Oasis Dental Care to White & Case client Bupa for £835m. DLA Piper also acted on the deal, advising the dental firm’s management team.
