From pavements to sidewalks: PE star Mahon’s move to Simpson Thacher melts CC hearts to stone

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From pavements to sidewalks: PE star Mahon’s move to Simpson Thacher melts CC hearts to stone

The success of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett where others have failed in luring Clifford Chance (CC)’s Amy Mahon to the other side has dealt a blow to CC’s corporate practice and other US firms vying to hire her.

Mahon – who in Legal Business last year told of her long-standing grievance with popstar Adele after a row over a nanny – told CC words to the effect of ‘that’s it, I quit, I’m moving on’ and surfaced at Simpson Thacher in January. Continue reading “From pavements to sidewalks: PE star Mahon’s move to Simpson Thacher melts CC hearts to stone”

Post-merger chemistry and an absence of crisis mark BCLP launch but firm is yet to settle into its stride

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Post-merger chemistry and an absence of crisis mark BCLP launch but firm is yet to settle into its stride

Thomas Alan finds mixed omens in the wake of BCLP’s high-stakes union. A solid start cannot obscure that 2019 will be a crucial period for the Anglo-American challenger

When indications of a merger between legacy firms Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Bryan Cave first emerged in late 2017, there were mixed reactions about the potential union. As Legal Business noted last summer: ‘Confirmation earlier this year that BLP was uniting with a solid US operator, but one whose brand had limited potency in Europe, did not quicken the pulse.’ Continue reading “Post-merger chemistry and an absence of crisis mark BCLP launch but firm is yet to settle into its stride”

New Law meets Big Four – Has Deloitte got the conviction to match its free-thinking legal pitch?

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New Law meets Big Four – Has Deloitte got the conviction to match its free-thinking legal pitch?

Thomas Alan asks if Deloitte can find a new angle on legal services

The often cited but seldom-seen legal arrival of the Big Four has long passed into a professional joke, though renewed investment from the major accountancy groups in the last three years has given the debate fresh urgency. But, truly, something must have changed in the wind, as even that traditional hold-out, Deloitte, has signalled its intention to build a significant law presence. Continue reading “New Law meets Big Four – Has Deloitte got the conviction to match its free-thinking legal pitch?”

Third German office and trio of Dublin hires the latest moves in Pinsents’ international odyssey

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Third German office and trio of Dublin hires the latest moves in Pinsents’ international odyssey

Pinsent Masons has kicked off 2019 in expansionist mode, opening a new office in Frankfurt, right after finishing 2018 with three partner hires for its Irish base.

Three years after opening in Düsseldorf, Pinsents announced at the beginning of January it had hired six partners from a range of independent and international firms to spearhead the new German branch. Continue reading “Third German office and trio of Dublin hires the latest moves in Pinsents’ international odyssey”

Dentons risks Venezuelan instability to secure Norton Rose Caracas business

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Dentons risks Venezuelan instability to secure Norton Rose Caracas business

Dentons has acquired Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF)’s 26-lawyer Caracas office, coinciding with Venezuela’s acute economic and political crisis.

As part of the acquisition, Dentons hired eight partners with a sector focus on energy and natural resources, as well as employment. Currently led by labour partner Juan Carlos Pró-Rísquez, who became NRF managing partner in the country last year, the office is set to become Despacho de Abogados miembros de Dentons, after a transition period that sees it associated with Dentons’ Colombian business in Bogotá. Continue reading “Dentons risks Venezuelan instability to secure Norton Rose Caracas business”

M&A focus: A sign of things to come? Europe’s deal market ends 2018 with a whimper after a forceful start

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M&A focus: A sign of things to come? Europe’s deal market ends 2018 with a whimper after a forceful start

The ghost of political turmoil did little to hinder deal-doing in Europe in the first half of 2018 but its presence appears to have made itself increasingly felt as the year wore on. With plcs wary of major investments ahead of the threat of mounting Brexit-related convulsions, not to mention a mainland European economy that lost some pace through 2018, it was an uneven run for corporate takeovers.

Globally, the latest figures from Mergermarket show the volume of deals completed in 2018 fell for the first time since 2010 to 19,232, after a decade of steadily rising. However, if overall activity was subdued, there was more cause for cheer with marquee deals; average deal value rose to $384.8m, the second-highest value on record, falling just short of the $400.3m notched up in 2015. Continue reading “M&A focus: A sign of things to come? Europe’s deal market ends 2018 with a whimper after a forceful start”

Significant hires

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Significant hires
  • In its most significant hire since David Higgins’ move to Kirkland & Ellis in 2017, the US leader tapped Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer again by acquiring another of its private equity veterans, Adrian Maguire. The move for Kirkland further strengthens the firm’s ambitions to bulk up its European M&A practice, while for Freshfields the departure raises further concerns over its ability to retain top City talent (see comment).
  • Kirkland & Ellis also expanded in the City through the hire of tax partner David Irvine from US rival Weil, Gotshal & Manges. With particular experience of tax issues on a range of financing and restructuring transactions, Irvine now rejoins former Weil Gotshal partners Jonathan Kandel, Ian Ferreira and Frixos Hatjantonas.
    Continue reading “Significant hires”

Life during law: Jeremy Drew

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Life during law: Jeremy Drew

My mother was always convinced I was going to be a barrister. She used to watch TV dramas involving barristers. My father, a much more practical man, was desperately trying to convince me I should do a subject that was useful. So I went into the law and really enjoyed it.

I started at Edwards Geldard, one of the ‘big four’ in Cardiff. I joined the IP group because I loved the tech side. Contentious and non-contentious surrounding tech: being paid to do what I enjoyed seemed amazing. Continue reading “Life during law: Jeremy Drew”