Tom Baker speaks to corporate crime specialists as Freshfields advises supermarket on UK’s fourth-ever DPA and hires top SFO lawyer
Last month the fourth deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in UK history was approved by judge Sir Brian Leveson, enabling Tesco to pay a £129m fine and escape criminal charges relating to the false accounting scandal of 2014.
Senior management discuss closures in non-essential markets
Simon Levine, DLA Piper’s global co-chief executive, has said that the firm’s recent office closures in Berlin, Tbilisi and Canberra are a result of ‘nothing more than a mature business reviewing strategically where it needs to be from time to time’.
Continue reading “DLA Piper resolute as it shuts down three minor offices in a month”
Clifford Chance (CC) has picked up its first significant deal for Prudential Capital Group in the UK government’s £11.8bn sale of buy-to-let mortgages from failed lender Bradford & Bingley.
Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy (A&O) and CC all picked up advisory roles on the disposal of loans purchased at the height of the financial crisis.
In response to a pair of competing takeover bids, Linklaters won the mandate to advise the target Bovis Homes, taking the role from regular adviser Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
CMS Cameron McKenna advised prospective buyer Galliford Try, while Slaughter and May won a place acting for rival bidder Redrow.
Victoria Young assesses the advisers targeting the alt lending crowd
‘Almost every partner in our team is working on a direct lending mandate right now and that’s reflective of where markets are moving,’ notes White & Case partner Gareth Eagles. ‘It began as a niche, but it’s now a regular part of the funding mix. It’s not alternative finance. People said the Beatles were alternative in 1962 but they didn’t by 1966!’
PINSENTS LAUNCHES IN MADRID
Pinsent Masons has launched in Madrid, the firm’s third international office in less than a year. The new office comprises six partners, four from local Madrid firm Ramón y Cajal Abogados. The firm has also hired from contractor OHL and promoted a Pinsents associate to partner.
MAGIC CIRCLE ADVISE ON VODAFONE’S INDIA MERGER
Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy (A&O) and local advisers S&R Associates, Vaish Associates Advocates and Bharucha & Partners all gained mandates as Vodafone struck a deal to acquire Indian rival Idea Cellular. The merger will create India’s largest communications business by revenue, valued at more than $23bn. Slaughters and S&R represented Vodafone and Vodafone India, while A&O, Vaish and Bharucha advised Idea.
Continue reading “Deal watch: Corporate activity in May 2017”
My father, who sadly died last year, did his articles. Absolutely hated it. Left as soon as he could. He did briefly work in London and then went to Edinburgh, and carried out his career as a fund manager. He was always much more interested in stock markets than the law. He was a very kind, calm and perceptive man.
I joined SJ Berwin in 1991, qualified in 1993, became a partner in 1999, left in 2004. Came back in 2006. Until the bitter end.
Linklaters has undertaken a review of equity points in its finance practice, as banking groups continue to move toward sponsors and away from traditional lenders.
Continue reading “‘Needed a degree of reinvigoration’ – Linklaters reviews banking equity points”
Around 25 associates across Freshfields are part of the initiative, which began when a client invited associate Adam Ryan to pitch alongside another associate, Claire Harrop. The pair now lead the fintech associate initiative.
Continue reading “Freshfields gives power to associates to pitch for fintech clients”
