JP Morgan Chase hired heavyweight counsel, and former lawyer at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, John Tribolati from Goldman Sachs to succeed Piers Le Marchant as EMEA general counsel. Le Marchant is remaining with the banking giant as global head of compliance for corporate and investment banking.
Jaishree Kalia assesses the winners and losers as the US reporting season kicks off
The broad-based economic recovery in the US proved a boon to many leading advisers in 2014, with firms enjoying a resurgence in corporate work, and robust levels of disputes and regulatory activity.
Early 2015 has seen key deals take place as the insurance sector consolidates, with Canada’s property and casualty insurer Fairfax Financial Holdings being the latest to gain a significant presence in London with its takeover of speciality insurer Brit for £1.2bn.
Within a year of being listed on the London Stock Exchange, FTSE 250 insurer Brit turned to a Slaughter and May team, including corporate heavyweight Jeff Twentyman and Richard Smith, while Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison’s London-based capital markets and securities practice head Mark Bergman represented Brit on US law.
Continue reading “Global elite firms have insurance sector consolidation covered”
The Spanish capital markets showed signs of improving last month as US firms Mayer Brown and Davis Polk & Wardwell won roles advising the world’s largest airport operator Aena on its €4.3bn float on the Madrid stock exchange.
The Spanish government’s disposal of its 49% stake in Aena, which operates some 47 airports worldwide, including Luton, gave the group a total equity value of up to €8.7bn. In what is the largest flotation on the Madrid stock market since the onset of the financial crisis, the value underscores the burgeoning confidence among investors about Spain’s rejuvenated capital markets and economy, and heralds a surge of new mandates for corporate and finance lawyers working in the country.
Continue reading “Spain prepares for IPO surge as US firms win key mandates on Aena’s €4.3bn float”
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom advised Ball Corporation on its £4.3bn acquisition of UK-based Rexam, while Slaughter and May covered EU competition aspects. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised Rexam, which boasts Coca-Cola, Red Bull and Heineken among its clients, on the deal.
Tony Lin sizes up the world’s most lawyered firm and asks what Dentons’ much-hyped tie-up with Dacheng can deliver
Size clearly matters to Joseph Andrew and Elliott Portnoy, the respective chairman and chief executive of Dentons, the international law firm that in January announced a surprise ‘combination’ with Dacheng Law Offices. After all, the tie-up with China’s largest law firm by headcount creates the world’s most lawyered firm.
Continue reading “No playbook for Dentons’ bold China tie-up”
HSF, KWM and DLA Piper invest in key South-East Asia hub
Highlighting continued law firm interest in the Singaporean economy and its potential as a hub for South-East Asia, were the announcements in February by a host of Legal Business 100 firms of plans to enhance their presence. Most notably, Withers established a formal law alliance (FLA) with Singapore law firm KhattarWong while Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) also teamed up with a local outfit, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) confirmed plans to open an office, while DLA Piper secured a coup with the hire of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Singapore partner John Viverito to lead its offering in the city state.
Continue reading “Withers leads way in major tie-up as Singapore rush continues”
If you wanted to do litigation, there was no better place than Herbert Smith. I have no idea why but it was always going to be litigation. It was all I saw on TV and in books, there were no books written about M&A lawyers.
Suddenly the City just couldn’t get enough lawyers – if you had a pulse you could get a job in those days.
Pinsents has delivered operational competence at the expense of flair and visibility. Kathryn McCann asks if a more outward-facing leadership team can energise a low-profile thoroughbred.
‘If you were to ask: “What’s Pinsents’ vision and where is it ultimately going?”, I’m not sure you will get a consistent answer. I myself would struggle to answer it.’
Continue reading “More outward-facing but does new leadership have a message for Pinsents?”
Sarah Downey talks to chief executive Joe Conroy about its high-impact City launch
‘Eight years ago, I couldn’t get anyone to talk to me – I couldn’t even get my face slapped,’ says Cooley chief executive Joe Conroy on his attempts to establish a London presence for the Palo Alto-based leader.
It’s difficult to picture such a scenario now. Despite its late entrance in the UK, Cooley is undoubtedly a major force in the US, being well-established as one of the premier names in California’s legal technology community. After much speculation and one or two false dawns, largely due to long, drawn-out negotiations with prospective laterals, the firm announced in early January it would create a 55-lawyer UK practice, including a 15-strong partner team from Edwards Wildman’s beleaguered London office and a further five from Morrison & Foerster (MoFo).
Continue reading “Can Cooley make good on its City ambitions?”
