Disputes heavyweights weigh in as Burford Capital alleges ‘illegal manipulation’ of shares after Muddy Waters attack

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Disputes heavyweights weigh in as Burford Capital alleges ‘illegal manipulation’ of shares after Muddy Waters attack

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Morrison & Foester have all been enlisted by litigation funder Burford Capital to pursue claims of illegal market manipulation by short-seller Muddy Waters. Burford today (12 August) said in a statement that a preliminary finding of its analysis of trading shares last week displayed ‘evidence consistent with …

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Insurance business sale reduces Hill Dicks revenue 7% as shrinking partnership boosts profit

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Insurance business sale reduces Hill Dicks revenue 7% as shrinking partnership boosts profit

Profit and profit per equity partner (PEP) increased at shipping specialists Hill Dickinson last year but revenue dived following the sale of its insurance business to Keoghs. PEP was up 26% to £370,000 from £294,000 last year, as distributable profits likewise grew 7%, from £15.7m to £16.8m. Turnover, however, saw a contraction of 7% from £96.8m …

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Prestige, cash and a bit of spin: how to get ahead in trainee recruitment

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Prestige, cash and a bit of spin: how to get ahead in trainee recruitment

As the associate pay war rages, Thomas Alan finds major firms are falling back on cultural tropes in the expensive jostle for trainee talent When Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer announced in May a pay hike for newly-qualified salaries, rising from £85,000 to £100,000 with bonuses on top, new battle lines were drawn in the war for …

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Brexit vs Dicey – The constitutional lawyer’s view on these strange days

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Brexit vs Dicey – The constitutional lawyer’s view on these strange days

With Brexit entrenching divisions, Britain’s patchwork constitution is being increasingly pitted against political upheaval. Do legal experts see crisis brewing? Britain has developed an uncharacteristically laid-back attitude to constitutional change, with once-rare reforms to the UK’s ad hoc democratic settlement coming at a startling pace in recent years. The previous Labour administration ushered in varying …

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City and US heavyweights line up on Lego owner’s £4.8bn offer for Merlin

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City and US heavyweights line up on Lego owner’s £4.8bn offer for Merlin

Slaughter and May and Clifford Chance (CC) are representing the City elite on a £4.8bn offer for Merlin Entertainments, in a deal that brought together a line-up of heavy hitters with Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins also fielding veteran partners. The deal was announced on 28 June with Merlin, which is being advised …

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Deal View: A niche within a finance niche gives Simmons that much-needed edge after years of drift

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Deal View: A niche within a finance niche gives Simmons that much-needed edge after years of drift

While some law firms claim to be all things to all clients, for almost a decade Simmons & Simmons has focused its efforts with increasing rigour on a select number of sectors. Given its unhappy period of drift as a generalist corporate finance player, recent years have delivered far better results. And nowhere is that …

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SRA report reveals money laundering and #MeToo cases driving increases in workload

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SRA report reveals money laundering and #MeToo cases driving increases in workload

Money laundering and workplace harassment cases are increasingly occupying the workload of the profession’s regulator, according to data from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The report released today (25 July) reveals the breakdown of cases the SRA has worked on and its enforcement activity between November 2017 and October 2018. The report suggests money laundering; …

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