Hogan Lovells hires ten-strong associate team and acquires new office space for Birmingham nearshoring venture

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Having confirmed in early spring the launch of a new cost-efficient legal services centre in Birmingham, Hogan Lovells has hired a ten-strong associate team across multiple practice areas and from national firms, including Pinsent Masons, Clarke Willmott and Shoosmiths, to spearhead the venture as well as acquiring new office space within Birmingham’s central business district.

The nearshoring venture, dubbed the Legal Service Centre and led by London partner Alan Greenough, who will relocate to Birmingham to manage the office, will now house teams comprising three associates within the practice areas of corporate, disputes and real estate, and a tenth specialist in real estate finance. Hires include the real estate lawyers, Shoosmiths’ senior associate Mark Saunders, Clarke Willmott associate Balraj Kaur and Pinsent Masons associate Abigail Gisbourne, who are all set to join in early November. The trio will initially start working out of the London office before relocating in order to integrate with the real estate team. All associates are expected to join by January at the latest.

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‘A step backwards’: Home Secretary weighs in on SFO’s future with proposal to abolish

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When Legal Business queried in September whether the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) was finally turning a corner after a year of embarrassing lows – including misplacing investigation documents and the chaotic collapse of the Victor Dahdaleh trial – the agency appeared to still be mired in controversy and questions over its future. Last month, the Home Secretary Theresa May appeared to provide an answer, as it was revealed she was considering abolishing the SFO and rolling it into the National Crime Agency (NCA), a move that some consider will ultimately dilute the attempts by the body to project a tougher image.

‘It’s not a good idea,’ said Stephenson Harwood commercial litigation partner Tony Woodcock. ‘The focus has got to be on serious and complex fraud, and properly resourcing that. I fear putting it into a far bigger organisation with a number of different responsibilities could dilute that, both as a matter of perception and as a matter of resourcing.’

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Focus: Charlie and the deal factory: can Geffen help Gibson Dunn reach new heights in the City?

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Jaishree Kalia reports on the Los Angeles firm’s recent London hiring spree

Although relatively late to the game, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher is the latest US firm with aggressive expansion plans in London, with its recently announced hire of former Ashurst senior partner Charlie Geffen attracting much attention last month.

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Q&A with Clifford Chance’s Jonny Myers and Oliver Felsenstein

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Jonny Myers and Oliver Felsenstein (pictured), global co-heads of private equity at Clifford Chance (CC) speak to Legal Business about nurturing young talent, client relationships, and the strategy behind competitive US players.

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Jonny, you’re a seasoned private equity lawyer, why did you take a management role?

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Linklaters, Freshfields and Travers Smith fix RAC deal with Singapore’s GIC

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Carlyle abandons flotation to sell half of its majority stake

Since the summer, London’s IPO market has seen postponements, cancellations and low pricings as confidence ebbed. Feeling the effects, US private equity giant Carlyle, advised by Linklaters corporate partners Charlie Jacobs and Alex Woodward, recently abandoned plans to exit roadside recovery service company RAC through a flotation, in favour of a sale to Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC.

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Top firms help Heathrow’s £1bn airport sale take off

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Last month, Allen & Overy (A&O), Hogan Lovells and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer led on Heathrow Airport Holdings’ final airport disposal as Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports were sold to a consortium formed by Ferrovial and Macquarie for £1.05bn.

Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA) agreed to sell its 100% stake in all three airports, though the deal is still subject to EU approval. Closing is expected before the end of January 2015, with the consideration expected to increase to compensate Heathrow for the delay.

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Deal watch: Corporate activity in October 2014

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MAGIC CIRCLE DUO TAKE KEY ROLES ON MULTIBILLION TRAIN LEASE COMPANY SALE

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer acted for the sellers, a consortium of asset management firms, in the sale of Porterbrook Rail Finance, one of the three major train leasing companies in the UK. Linklaters advised the buyers, which included Hastings Funds Management and Allianz Capital Partners.

 

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Allen & Overy becomes the first Magic Circle firm to set up in South Africa

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Firm opens Johannesburg office after hire of Bowman Gilfillan finance team

Allen & Overy (A&O) finally put its stamp on South Africa with the launch of office number 45 in Johannesburg last month. The move sees A&O become the first Magic Circle firm to establish a presence on the ground, with the hire of a banking and finance team from local firm Bowman Gilfillan.

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Life during law: Matthew Cottis

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I grew up in a small town where nobody’s dad I knew worked in London. The fast train to London didn’t exist – my parents worked in local government. They’re peace campaigners and not City-type people. They have different values and so I grew up in a very different world to this. There are some benefits in having that background – it gives you a bit of perspective.

Back in those days there was very little daytime TV, so on rainy days during the summer holidays there was a programme we watched called Crown Court. They had actors dramatise a criminal trial with a real jury. It was fascinating to me and, although it’s the other branch of the profession, it really stimulated my interest in being a lawyer.

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