Debevoise next up as Tchenguiz drops Stephenson Harwood after €2bn claim fails

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Debevoise next up as Tchenguiz drops Stephenson Harwood after €2bn claim fails

Property tycoon Robert Tchenguiz has replaced longstanding legal adviser Stephenson Harwood with Debevoise & Plimpton after his €2bn claim against an Abu Dhabi investment company was thrown out.

A Debevoise team, led by disputes partner Kevin Lloyd, took over future Tchenguiz mandates, including a key Commercial Court case later this year. Tchenguiz had only drafted in Stephenson Harwood in 2014 to replace Shearman & Sterling in his later-settled case against the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). Continue reading “Debevoise next up as Tchenguiz drops Stephenson Harwood after €2bn claim fails”

Shearman wins McKimm from Freshfields as Penn returns to A&O from Cleary

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Shearman wins McKimm from Freshfields as Penn returns to A&O from Cleary

Two standout moves in June and July saw the Magic Circle and the Wall Street elite each lose and gain one in partner reversions in London.

Ward McKimm, one of thestra most upwardly mobile partners the City has seen, made good on a long-rumoured defection to Shearman & Sterling’s capital markets practice, having previously worked there for some 14 years, becoming partner in 2005 and co-head of its corporate group in 2010. Continue reading “Shearman wins McKimm from Freshfields as Penn returns to A&O from Cleary”

To list, or not to list? More, and much bigger, firms are asking that question

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To list, or not to list? More, and much bigger, firms are asking that question

As DWF positions to float, Hamish McNicol asks if the legal IPO is going mainstream

Eversheds Sutherland co-chief executives Lee Ranson and Mark Wasserman recently hosted more than 700 partners at the firm’s partner conference in New York. Continue reading “To list, or not to list? More, and much bigger, firms are asking that question”

City’s mid-weight elite set blistering pace as Travers and Macfarlanes surge in 2017/18

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City’s mid-weight elite set blistering pace as Travers and Macfarlanes surge in 2017/18

Marco Cillario assesses the results amid another strong year for the City’s mid-tier

The latest financial results by UK law firms show leading mid-market players once again harnessing robust commercial activity to post a series of startling results well ahead of larger rivals. Continue reading “City’s mid-weight elite set blistering pace as Travers and Macfarlanes surge in 2017/18”

Ashurst sets sights on funds and Brexit fallout work with new Luxembourg arm

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Ashurst sets sights on funds and Brexit fallout work with new Luxembourg arm

Ashurst is targeting a significant uptick in its European funds offering, having received licence approval for a new Luxembourg office from the country’s Bar association.

Corporate partner Isabelle Lentz – currently head of its Luxembourg desk in London – will take the helm at the new outpost, which is set to open in October. Continue reading “Ashurst sets sights on funds and Brexit fallout work with new Luxembourg arm”

Another big-dollar mandate for Travers as Micro Focus sells software business to EQT

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Another big-dollar mandate for Travers as Micro Focus sells software business to EQT

Extending beyond its reputation for outstanding mid-market deal work, Travers Smith has once again put its name to a multibillion-dollar deal as IT company Micro Focus sells its open-source software business SUSE for $2.5bn.

Swedish private equity group EQT Partners is on the other side of the table and turned to US giants Latham & Watkins and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy to advise on the acquisition. Continue reading “Another big-dollar mandate for Travers as Micro Focus sells software business to EQT”

Dealwatch: Europe provides rich pickings for City firms and US giants

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Dealwatch: Europe provides rich pickings for City firms and US giants
  • White & Case and a group of Italian elite independents advised CVC Capital Partners on the €3bn acquisition of a 52% stake in Italian drug maker Recordati from the family of the company’s founders. The US firm’s Milan office founder Michael Immordino (pictured), London partners Mike Weir, Steven Worthington, Martin Forbes and James Greene were part of the team alongside Milan-based Ferigo Foscari, Leonardo Graffi, Iacopo Canino and Alessandro Nolet. Italian PE firm Gattai Minoli Agostinelli & Partners also acted for CVC with founder Bruno Gattai and partners Gerardo Gabrielli, Nicola Brunetti and Lorenzo Cairo. Pedersoli advised Recordati’s shareholders, led by Carlo Pedersoli.

Continue reading “Dealwatch: Europe provides rich pickings for City firms and US giants”

Eversheds wins key Rolls-Royce mandate as Norwegian group lands marine business

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Eversheds wins key Rolls-Royce mandate as Norwegian group lands marine business

Nigel Cooke leads the team advising the UK giant on its £500m sale

Engineering giant Rolls-Royce turned to long-term adviser Eversheds Sutherland for the £500m sale of its unprofitable commercial marine division to Nordic technology company Kongsberg Gruppen. Continue reading “Eversheds wins key Rolls-Royce mandate as Norwegian group lands marine business”

Freshfields and King & Spalding secure mandates as Equitable Life completes its turnaround with £1.8bn sale

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Freshfields and King & Spalding secure mandates as Equitable Life completes its turnaround with £1.8bn sale

Equitable Life put pensions at risk when it nearly collapsed in 2000. But 18 years on it has completed its turnaround with Life Company Consolidation Group (LCCG) agreeing to acquire the UK’s oldest life assurer for £1.8bn.

Equitable Life turned to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, which fielded a team led by corporate insurance partner George Swan and included restructuring and insolvency specialists Neil Golding and Craig Montgomery. Continue reading “Freshfields and King & Spalding secure mandates as Equitable Life completes its turnaround with £1.8bn sale”