NYLon focus continues as Kirkland and White & Case announce promotion rounds

NYLon focus continues as Kirkland and White & Case announce promotion rounds

Elite US firms ramped up their London partner headcounts in October, with Kirkland & Ellis making up a record 97 new partners – equal to more than 10% of its existing partnership – 13 of them in its fast-growing London base, while White & Case’s more modest 31 included seven in its City arm.

The number of London promotions at Kirkland more than doubled last year’s round and its total tally is up on last year’s 81. The 2,000-lawyer US firm has an unusual model in that it makes up large ranks of salaried partners before considering promotions to its tightly-held equity, which at the end of 2016 totalled 359 of its 820 partners. Continue reading “NYLon focus continues as Kirkland and White & Case announce promotion rounds”

Litigators warn of impact on clients as ENRC wins right to appeal controversial privilege decision

Litigators warn of impact on clients as ENRC wins right to appeal controversial privilege decision

Legal professional privilege (LPP) was thrown a lifeline last month, when mining giant Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) was granted the right to appeal against a controversial order to disclose documents in a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation.

ENRC has been the subject of a long-running investigation by the SFO relating to alleged fraud, bribery and corruption. In May, the High Court ruled that certain documents prepared by ENRC in relation to the probe were not covered by LPP and therefore had to be disclosed. Continue reading “Litigators warn of impact on clients as ENRC wins right to appeal controversial privilege decision”

Autumn dealwatch: Euro mega deals keep Magic Circle busy

Autumn dealwatch: Euro mega deals keep Magic Circle busy

Freshfields and K&E act on Monarch administration

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s restructuring chief Ken Baird and finance partner Catherine Balmond led the team advising KPMG as Monarch Airlines filed for administration. Kirkland & Ellis and Reed Smith advised the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), while Stephenson Harwood acted for the Pension Protection Fund. Continue reading “Autumn dealwatch: Euro mega deals keep Magic Circle busy”

Boon for City real estate market as Eversheds Sutherland leads on largest-ever UK fund launch

Boon for City real estate market as Eversheds Sutherland leads on largest-ever UK fund launch

In a major boon to the UK property market, recent changes to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) have sparked a trend that saw Eversheds Sutherland advise on the largest-ever launch of a UK property fund for Royal London Asset Management (RLAM) in October.

The portfolio, worth over £2.7bn, seeded by the transfer of two existing Royal London property portfolios, includes central London properties in New Bond Street, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street and St Paul’s. With a minimum investment of £50m, it is designed to expose the UK’s commercial real estate market to institutional domestic and foreign investors. Continue reading “Boon for City real estate market as Eversheds Sutherland leads on largest-ever UK fund launch”

Who Represents Who: The Data Behind the Story

Monarch Airlines entered administration at the start of October, with KPMG directing corporate affairs. As Legal Business reports on which law firms have been instructed to deal with the aftermath, Who Represents Who (www.legal500.com/wrw) data shows which firms have led aviation instructions in the past 12 months, and which have lost a client due to the collapse of the low-cost airline.

Client Intelligence Report: Data View

Client Intelligence Report: Data View

The LB100: Forex flatters market leaders but most struggle to find their form in another tough year

The LB100: Forex flatters market leaders but most struggle to find their form in another tough year

LB100 firms weather initial Brexit turbulence but good times remain a distant memory

Flattered by turbulent forex markets, the UK’s largest law firms outperformed smaller rivals in the Legal Business 100 (LB100), as the group weathered economic and political headwinds through 2016/17 to eke out an ultimately indifferent performance. Continue reading “The LB100: Forex flatters market leaders but most struggle to find their form in another tough year”

‘A more modern way’: as litigation bankrollers move into portfolio investment, funding edges further into the disputes mainstream

‘A more modern way’: as litigation bankrollers move into portfolio investment, funding edges further into the disputes mainstream

Tom Baker charts the evolution of dispute funding from case-by-base institutional backers

Litigation funding has been a growing aspect of the dispute resolution sector for a decade now, but news this summer that two law firms have entered into broader partnerships with funders highlights the emergence of a more fundamental role for such bankrollers.

Continue reading “‘A more modern way’: as litigation bankrollers move into portfolio investment, funding edges further into the disputes mainstream”