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 by Slaughters, agreeing the terms of a recommended offer. The acquiring consortium comprises Kirkbi – the investment vehicle for Lego’s founding family – alongside private equity houses The Blackstone Group and the CPP Investment Board (CPPIB). Continue reading “City and US heavyweights line up on Lego owner’s £4.8bn offer for Merlin”

Dealwatch: US firms enjoy marquee run of deals with Kirkland and Goodwin leading the way

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Dealwatch: US firms enjoy marquee run of deals with Kirkland and Goodwin leading the way
  • Kirkland & Ellis advised investment adviser and repeat customer GLP Investment Services on the $18.7bn sale of its US logistics business to The Blackstone Group. The Chicago-bred juggernaut fielded corporate partners Michael Steele in London and Michael Brueck in New York. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett advised longstanding client Blackstone out of New York with real estate partner Davis Coen leading the team.

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  • Eversheds Sutherland advised Legal & General (L&G) on its £4.6bn buy-in to buy-out with the Rolls-Royce UK Pension Fund, with corporate partner Hugo Laing and pensions specialist Mark Latimour leading the team. The deal is billed as the UK’s largest-ever annuity transfer and saw CMS advise L&G with partner Thomas Lockley at the helm, while Linklaters acted for the trustees with global head of pensions Claire Petheram and derivatives partner Mark Brown advising. Continue reading “Dealwatch: US firms enjoy marquee run of deals with Kirkland and Goodwin leading the way”

Significant hires

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Significant hires
  • Ashurst has lost former managing partner James Collis to Squire Patton Boggs. Collis succeeded Ashurst litigation managing partner Simon Bromwich in May 2012, before becoming inaugural managing partner following the firm’s merger with Australia’s Blake Dawson until stepping down in June 2016. However, Ashurst recently grew its project finance team with the hire of Adrian Lawrence, who joins from White & Case.
  • Norton Rose Fulbright has lost ten lawyers to insurance and shipping specialist Kennedys. This includes insurance and marine disputes partners Patrick Foss and Chris Zavos, who joined the firm from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert after its merger with Clyde & Co in 2011.

Continue reading “Significant hires”

Life during law: Andy Ryde

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Life during law: Andy Ryde

It never occurred to me to be a lawyer until sixth form. I went to a regular comprehensive school and there wasn’t much career advice. I was a teenager who just wanted to be a footballer or rockstar.

My parents hadn’t been to university. I’m from Nottinghamshire, born in Mansfield. My grandad was a miner and the one thing he wanted was for his son not to be a miner, so my dad imaginatively went to the coal board as an accounts clerk. Continue reading “Life during law: Andy Ryde”

Sponsored briefing: Lawyers in Dublin – How to find a good solicitor in Dublin

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Sponsored briefing: Lawyers in Dublin – How to find a good solicitor in Dublin

Picking the right solicitor for you can be a daunting experience, particularly when there are so many to choose from, with most claiming to be experts or specialists in a certain field of law. Your legal issue is important to you and you will want to ensure you get it right the first time. Just like purchasing a car, you will not buy it from the first auto shop you come across. You will want to shop around and ascertain that the level of service is unparalleled, the price is right and the after-sales team will be able to take care of your ongoing needs. In the legal world, you will want a solicitor that can do the same.

Most people pick their solicitor just for convenience, or just have a habit of going back to them after a previous issue. This can be compared to a doctor; they will deal with most of your medical complaints and symptoms in general practice, but if your matter calls for a specialist opinion, they will then refer you to a specialist. Sometimes, this means that you may have to travel in order to get the best opinions and results, and that is no exception in law. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Lawyers in Dublin – How to find a good solicitor in Dublin”

Sponsored briefing: Claims and compensation review | Personal injury claims solicitors in Dublin

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Sponsored briefing: Claims and compensation review | Personal injury claims solicitors in Dublin

If you need a solicitor to represent your interests in court, or just require one for a personal consultation on a negotiation that is ongoing, it is best to hire a good personal injury solicitor instead of an ordinary one. This allows you to build adequate confidence to ensure a comfortable legal process on your personal injury case.

Nowadays, there are numerous solicitors with adequate knowledge to successfully handle a personal injury claim, but you should take time to pick one with the proper experience and skills to stand for your interests in the case. Regardless of the years of experience, avoid choosing a lawyer who works with an insurance firm as it is only normal for them to put the interest of the insurance firm first before yours. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Claims and compensation review | Personal injury claims solicitors in Dublin”