International Arbitration Centre launches: the City finally gets the world-class disputes space it has been waiting for

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International Arbitration Centre launches: the City finally gets the world-class disputes space it has been waiting for

For years, seasoned practitioners have bemoaned the lack of top-notch arbitration facilities in London, casting an envious eye at the polished offerings in rival hubs like Singapore, even as the City has boomed as a global centre for dispute resolution. Now advisers sick of arguing about venues and decamping to hotels for major disputes are about to have their wishes granted with the launch last month of a world-class arbitration centre from Legalease.

Following more than two years of development – including extensive consultation with senior arbitrators to refine its bespoke design – the new International Arbitration Centre (IAC) covers four floors at 190 Fleet Street, right in the heart of London’s legal community. Continue reading “International Arbitration Centre launches: the City finally gets the world-class disputes space it has been waiting for”

Apollo hamstrung as Freshfields helps Berry complete eleventh-hour bid for UK plastics group

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Apollo hamstrung as Freshfields helps Berry complete eleventh-hour bid for UK plastics group

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer successfully advised US manufacturing company Berry Global as it completed a late bid for UK-headquartered RPC Group, after private equity house Apollo Global Management cornered itself with a best and final offer.

The £3.43bn Berry bid only slightly surpassed the previous £3.3bn bid from Apollo, but was approved in early March by RPC’s board. Apollo made its final bid for RPC in a no-increase statement, leaving out the necessary caveats to return with an improved offer. Continue reading “Apollo hamstrung as Freshfields helps Berry complete eleventh-hour bid for UK plastics group”

Dealwatch: Global 100 firms share spoils on flurry of private equity and public M&A mandates

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Dealwatch: Global 100 firms share spoils on flurry of private equity and public M&A mandates
  • Slaughter and May is acting on the £1.3bn unsolicited bid for doorstep lender Provident Financial. Corporate head Andy Ryde (pictured) is joined by Paul Mudie in advising the bid from Non-Standard Finance. Provident, meanwhile, has enlisted Clifford Chance corporate partners Lee Coney and Mark Poulton.
  • Eversheds Sutherland fielded a team led by partner Aleen Gulvanessian on Dairy Crest’s £975m sale to Canadian dairy company Saputo. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer acted for the buyer, with energy and natural resources head Laurie McFadden and corporate partner Stephen Hewes at the helm. Ashurst advised Lazard as buy-side financial adviser.

Continue reading “Dealwatch: Global 100 firms share spoils on flurry of private equity and public M&A mandates”

Sponsored briefing: Tracing assets – what you need to know

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Sponsored briefing: Tracing assets – what you need to know

K2 Intelligence’s Darren Matthews on what successful asset search and recovery looks like

Understanding the form, value and recoverability of an adversary’s assets is an essential part of legal strategy in any dispute. What may appear relatively simple – locating material assets and determining their value – invariably turns complex when assets are held through multi-level corporate structures layered over multiple jurisdictions. Methods used to hide assets are becoming more sophisticated and asset-recovery experts must keep up to date with the latest asset-searching techniques, practices and technologies. Understanding the form, value and recoverability of an adversary’s assets is an essential part of legal strategy in any dispute. What may appear relatively simple – locating material assets and determining their value – invariably turns complex when assets are held through multi-level corporate structures layered over multiple jurisdictions. Methods used to hide assets are becoming more sophisticated and asset-recovery experts must keep up to date with the latest asset-searching techniques, practices and technologies. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Tracing assets – what you need to know”

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?”