I’ve been 27 years at Freshfields. I’m not sure where the time has gone. It’s International Women’s Day on Friday [8 March]. Thinking about my career in that context, when I was starting out, the biggest issue for me was that I was from Liverpool.
London headcount: 169 lawyers: 44 partners (26 equity, 18 non-equity) Lawyer headcount change since 2013: +29% London office management committee: Gus Black (chair) (pictured), Jason Butwick, Chris Field Office specialities: private equity; deal finance and financial regulation; litigation/investigations.
‘Initially the client was concerned, but the investment banks said: “A big tick for Gibson Dunn in public M&A in London.” Five years ago people would have said they don’t know us, now investment banks are pitching for us.’ Charlie Geffen, chair of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s London corporate practice, cites a mandate secured …
Continue reading “Global London Focus: M&A – Hunting for whales”
Kirkland & Ellis has hiked revenues by more than $500m to remain the world’s highest-earning law firm, as global turnover surged to $3.76bn. The Chicago-bred giant today (21 March) revealed results for the 2018 financial year, confirmed a 19% hike in revenues against $3.165bn the previous year. Profit per equity partner (PEP) topped $5m for the …
Dechert has taken strides to fortify its depleted London management team, adding private equity partner Chris Field and naming Gus Black as its chair. Funds specialist Black (pictured) is global co-chair of Dechert’s financial services group and has been a member of the London management committee since its inception in 2016. Corporate partner Field was hired into …
Continue reading “Dechert rebuilds City leadership with dealmaker Field as Black takes helm”
The government has proposed new legislation that would make it illegal for employers to use gagging orders to prevent the reporting of sexual misconduct in the workplace to police. The move, announced by business minister Kelly Tolhurst today (4 March), comes as #MeToo continues to rage in the legal profession and beyond after the use …
Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) is set to hire Titus Edjua, director of Clifford Chance’s (CC) Africa group, to boost its project finance capabilities. According to a source, one other lawyer is due to be joining WFW from CC as part of the same move, but this has not been confirmed by either firm. He is set …
The UK buyout market had an uncharacteristically frenetic week with City M&A counsel taking the lead on a £1.3bn unsolicited bid for doorstep lender Provident Financial and the £975m recommended offer for UK cheese and spreads stalwart Dairy Crest Group on the same day. The hostile bid for sub-prime lender Provident was launched at 7am …
The London office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has recorded a 28% revenue hike to $123.5m. The City results, with revenue up from $96.2m, mark a blistering year on the back of a swathe of big-ticket transactions in the financial restructuring space and stand out against the more muted firm-wide revenue uptick of 3% …
Taylor Wessing is entering into an alliance with Silicon Valley firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati. The UK top 20 firm confirmed to Legal Business today (18 February) that its global partnership has approved proposals for the two firms to co-operate on transactional work in tech and life sciences. It will see its lawyers work together …
Continue reading “Taylor Wessing to enter alliance with West Coast leader Wilson Sonsini”
