Legal Business

DWF in acquisition mode as it swoops on legal cost business NeoLaw

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DWF

DWF has bought up legal costs specialist NeoLaw in a deal which will see 21 people join DWF’s London and Birmingham offices, after it it acquired claims manager Triton this January.

The bolt-on will be added to DWF’s existing 36-strong in-house costs department and will provide capability in delivering specialist legal costs and private client services including the drafting of bills of costs, costs budgets and points of dispute, through to advocacy at costs management and assessment hearings.

Shared clients for both DWF and NeoLaw include insurers Aviva and Direct Line Group. NeoLaw’s team has experience acting across sectors including financial services, public sector, real estate, technology and transport.

NeoLaw’s chief executive officer (CEO) Simon Murray will join DWF as a partner and head of the firm’s costs business.

DWF’s managing partner and CEO Andrew Leaitherland said the firm aims to offer clients a comprehensive approach to costs management in core sectors.

‘Our team has been growing organically over the past few years, and with this acquisition we will take a significant step forward in expanding our capability.’

Simon Murray, CEO of NeoLaw added: ‘As independent legal costs advisers we have experience working with a number of law firms, and from our previous collaborations with DWF we have seen first-hand not only their legal expertise, but their dedicated approach to service delivery that complements our own focus on providing flexible and commercially-focused services to clients.’

The deal comes a week after L DWF announced that it was setting up in Asia after hiring a four-partner team which had previously departed Eversheds Sutherland.

Former Singapore managing partner Oommen Mathew, alongside arbitration and construction partner Iain Black lead the team from Eversheds.Associates Charis Tan and Kate Lan completethe launch team.

Meanwhile, DWF purchased claims management firm Triton Global for 30% of its value, according to a FRP Advisory report on Triton’s administration. The report revealed that DWF bought the firm for £1.1m, taking on pension arrears of £345,000.

kathryn.mccann@legalbusiness.co.uk

 

Legal Business

‘Most important strategic step’: DWF breaks into Asia with Singapore start-up

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Asia DWF

DWF is set to break into Asia for the first time by opening a Singapore office, picking up a four-lawyer team which left Eversheds Sutherland in the city earlier this month, to expand on DWF’s growing regional client base.

Leading the team joining from Eversheds is former Singapore managing partner Oommen Mathew, alongside arbitration and construction partner Iain Black. Associates Charis Tan and Kate Lan make up the launch team.

The former Eversheds team specialises in commercial and investment treaty arbitration and also brings significant expertise in the construction, transport and energy sectors.

DWF managing partner Andrew Leaitherland said that securing a base in the ‘rapidly growing ASEAN region is currently the most important strategic step for us in the development of our international business.’ The firm is continuing its expansive  the start to this year. 

It was also necessary to open in Singapore due to the high number of their clients operating there and ‘growing demand’ in the region, he said.  

Leaitherland also described Singapore as the ‘regional hub for financial services and insurance’, two of the firm’s sector specialisms, and vowed to add teams that focus on these sectors ‘shortly.’

Mathew has a strong history of representing sovereigns, state trading companies and multinationals in international arbitrations, while Black is experienced in litigation and arbitration across Europe. Earlier in his career, Black was instrumental in establishing Pinsent Masons’ Singapore office. Mathew and Black both decided against joining a combination between Eversheds and Harry Elias in Singapore in early June. 

Black said he would build the firm a strong base in Singapore to help clients in the ‘rapidly growing region.’

The Singapore launch is DWF’s first office opening since March of this year, when the firm set up in Berlin.

DWF hired DLA Piper’s financial services partner Nina Siedler and real estate lawyer Irene Schmid to the Berlin office, alongside Wolfgang Richter, who joined DWF Germany following the firm’s 2016 merger with BridgehouseLaw.

In January this year, DWF opened an office in Paris after acquiring four-partner local firm Heenan Paris.

The buyout gave DWF access to Heenan’s expertise in corporate, private equity, commercial, IP/IT and litigation.

Despite the recent geographic expansion, DWF posted patchy results in its most recent financial statements, with global revenue down 2% and profit per equity partner (PEP) up to £331,000 from £325,000.

DWF now employs over 2,600 members of staff over 23 commercial centres globally.

tom.baker@legalease.co.uk

http://www.legalbusiness.co.uk/legal-business/blogs/49308-dla-to-close-berlin-as-sole-partner-moves-to-launch-dwf-offering/

http://www.legalbusiness.co.uk/26893-our-growing-european-footprint-dwf-launches-in-paris-with-four-partner-firm/

Legal Business

Revolving doors: National recruits for Eversheds and TLT, while Ashurst and DWF bulk up in Europe

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Strategic recruitment AshurstDWFEversheds Sutherland

In a busy week for both UK-based lateral hires and those further afield in Europe, Eversheds Sutherland has strengthened its education sector group in Leeds, while Ashurst has appointed a new banking partner in Italy.

Eversheds Sutherland has hired from Pinsent Masons with the appointment of employment partner Chris Mordue, who led the firm’s national university employment and industrial relations teams.

Mordue has spent over 19 years in the higher education sector and has comprehensive experience across the full range of employment work for universities. He has particular expertise in working on the reform of dismissal and grievance procedures of chartered universities as well as handling high-profile employment disputes, senior level exits, industrial relations issues and restructures, and the employment aspects of international ventures and mergers.

Meanwhile, national law firm TLT has bolstered its real estate group in Manchester with the appointment of John Hyde. Hyde, who joins in May 2017 from Weightmans has over 25 years’ experience in the commercial property sector acting for a wide range of clients including IKEA (pension fund), JJB, and Total Fitness. He has also acted on significant transactions including the refinancing of the MEN arena and is noted by the Legal 500 as ‘responsive and technically excellent.’

Further afield, Ashurst has appointed partner Mario Lisanti to lead the firm’s banking practice in Milan. He will be joined by two senior lawyers, Alberto Castelli and Domenico Petrone. Lisanti joins from Norton Rose Fulbright and has almost 20 years’ experience of acting for banks, asset managers and investors on a wide range of banking and finance transactions.

Stephen Edlmann, managing partner of Ashurst in Italy, said that the move complemented the firm’s strategy to grow its offering in globally strategic areas and enhances Ashurst’s breadth and depth of practice in Milan.

Finally, DWF has appointed litigation partner Romain Dupeyré to its Paris team following the firm’s recent merger with French firm Heenan Paris. Dupeyré joins from litigation boutique BOPS and specialises in international arbitration and insurance litigation.

Jean-François Mercadier, DWF France managing partner, said: ‘Romain’s appointment is the first step of DWF France’s development post-merger, consolidating the firm’s profile in the African market as one of the leading firms in Paris.’

kathryn.mccann@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

DLA to close Berlin as sole partner moves to launch DWF offering

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Germany DLA PiperDWF

DLA Piper is to close its Berlin office as its sole partner moves, alongside an of counsel, to launch DWF‘s offering in the German capital.

Financial services partner Nina Siedler and real estate lawyer Irene Schmid will join DWF’s office alongside Wolfgang Richter, who joined DWF Germany following the firm’s 2016 merger with German commercial law firm BridgehouseLaw. He will head the new Berlin office as an executive partner alongside five other lawyers.

In a statement DWF said a Berlin office will strengthen the firm’s financial services, real estate and corporate/M&A service lines and enhance the firm’s existing capability in Germany where it already has offices in Cologne and Munich.

Andrew Leaitherland (pictured) managing partner and chief executive of DWF added: ‘Opening in Berlin presents a strategic opportunity in its own right, offering significant opportunities in the financial services and real estate markets, along with being a key piece of our wider international growth plans. Building our German presence, combined with our recent opening in Paris, allows us to really bed in our European offering and continuing extending our international links into key geographic markets globally, including the Middle East and Africa.’

A DLA Piper spokesperson said: ‘The firm’s German practice continues to strengthen and grow, however, it has become clear that there is no longer the client demand, and therefore the need, for us to have an office in Berlin. As a full service business law firm, we operate seamlessly across jurisdictions and borders and we will continue to service our clients from our four other German offices’

Just last week, Gowling WLG launched a second German outpost in Stuttgart, in addition to the firm’s existing office in Munich.

While Gowlings’ existing office in Munich focuses on IP and IT, the new office will focus on corporate law including capital markets.

kathryn.mccann@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

A good deal: DWF picked up claims firm Triton Global for 30% of its value, report reveals

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Legal mergers DWF

An FRP Advisory report on the administration of Triton Global has revealed that DWF purchased the claims management firm for 30% of its value when it bought the firm for £1.1m. It also took on pension arrears of £345,000.

The report states: ‘The achievement of 30p/£ is considered to represent a good value given the nature of the debt and general expectations of asset realisations within legal firms. Deferred consideration was accepted due to the good covenant of the purchasers and the fact it was able to provide a greater realisable value of the assets.’

Additionally DWF may enter into a repayment agreement with Wesleyan Bank, which is owed £1.2m as a creditor to Triton Global. Pinsent Masons acted as legal counsel and picked up £64,442 for its part in the administration.

DWF’s bolt-on sees 215 members of Triton’s staff join DWF, as the firm continues expanding its fast-growing global insurance practice.

Triton’s pre-existing offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, London, Manchester and Dublin will be absorbed, strengthening DWF’s presence in the UK and Ireland.

DWF has also acquired Triton’s technology business, 3Sixty, as part of the deal. Offering advice to the insurance, legal, logistics and public sectors, 3Sixty will complement DWF’s legal innovation subsidiary 15squared. The two businesses will combine on developing technology for the insurance and health and safety sectors.

The acquisition of Triton follows a pro-active start to 2017 for DWF. The firm announced on 3 January the acquisition of four partner law firm Heenan Paris, its first venture in the French capital.

DWF merged with former German commercial law firm BridgeHouseLaw on 1 January, adding offices in Munich and Cologne to the firms’ European network.

A merger with 20-partner Belfast firm C&H Jefferson in December 2016 saw DWF extend its Northern Ireland presence.

kathryn.mccann@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

DWF adds 200 staff with claims management acquisition

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ABS DWF

DWF has continued its expansion by acquiring claim managers Triton, saving them from administration. The bolt-on will see 215 members of Triton’s staff join DWF, as the firm continues expanding its fast-growing global insurance practice.

Triton’s pre-existing offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, London, Manchester and Dublin will be absorbed, strengthening DWF’s presence in the UK and Ireland.

DWF managing partner Andrew Leaitherland said: “There are clear synergies between our two businesses in terms of our client bases and industry sector knowledge.

Leaitherland (pictured) added: ‘This acquisition will allow us to diversify our international network while also strengthening some of our key locations in the UK. We look forward to welcoming Triton’s people to DWF.’

DWF has also acquired Triton’s technology business, 3Sixty, as part of the deal. Offering advice to the insurance, legal, logistics and public sectors, 3Sixty will complement DWF’s legal innovation subsidiary 15squared. The two businesses will combine on developing technology for the insurance and health and safety sectors.

The acquisition of Triton follows a pro-active start to 2017 for DWF. The firm announced on 3 January the acquisition of four partner law firm Heenan Paris, its first venture in the French capital.

DWF merged with former German commercial law firm BridgeHouseLaw on 1 January, adding offices in Munich and Cologne to the firms’ European network.

A merger with 20-partner Belfast firm C&H Jefferson in December 2016 saw DWF extend its Northern Ireland presence.

tom.baker@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

‘Our growing European footprint’: DWF launches in Paris with four partner firm

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Europe DWF

Following its Belfast merger at the end of 2016, DWF has launched in Paris with the acquisition of four partner law firm Heenan Paris.

DWF will benefit from Heenan’s particular focus on corporate, private equity, commercial, IP/IT and litigation. The French firm also services Sub-Saharan French speaking Africa and holds an exclusive strategic alliance with South African law firm Thomson Wilks which has seven offices throughout the country.

DWF managing partner Andrew Leaitherland (pictured) said: ‘France is a key market for us, both in terms of its size and importance within Europe and because our clients are instructing us on an increasing amount of work with a significant French legal component. As one of Germany’s largest and most significant trading partners, the merger also complements our growing European footprint.’

DWF posted mixed results for the 2015/16 financial year, with global top-line revenue down 2% to £187.1m from £191m, while profit per equity partner was up 2% to £331,000 from £325,000. This was a better performance than last year when the firm’s PEP dropped 16%.

On 1 January 2016, DWF merged with former German commercial law firm BridgeHouseLaw giving the firm offices in Munich and Cologne. The firm also merged with niche insurance practice Fox Hartley in May last year to enhance the firm’s Lloyds market expertise and help secure new domestic and international insurer clients. It was revealed in November that DWF had secured a merger in Northern Ireland with Belfast firm C&H Jefferson. The 20-partner firm joined at the end of last year.

Major client wins and panel appointments for the firm last year included Serco, Pearson, and Tate Chemicals Europe.

madeleine.farman@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

‘Rapidly changing’: DWF enters Northern Ireland market through Belfast merger

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Legal mergers DWF
legal-business-default

National firm DWF has secured a merger in Northern Ireland with Belfast firm C&H Jefferson as the 20-partner firm prepares to join on 1 December.

C&H Jefferson specialises in commercial work with a focus on banking and finance in Northern Ireland as well as insolvency work. The firm acts for property developers, retailers and renewable energy providers.

The firm joins DWF under C&H Jefferson managing partner Ken Rutherford. The merger adds to DWF’s UK presence, giving it 12 offices as well as offices outside the UK in Brussels, Cologne, Dubai, Dublin and Munich.

C&H Jefferson has 20 partners in its Belfast office and is ranked tier 2 in the Legal 500 for commercial property and dispute resolution for its reputation in professional negligence.

DWF has set its sights on international growth in recent years. The 1000-lawyer firm has had a presence in Dublin following a merger with Fishburns in 2013. It further added to its international offices by launching in Dubai, Brussels and Cologne in 2015 through a series of local mergers.

In Ireland the firm has looked to expand its offering, launching a corporate practice with the hire of partner Ross Little from William Fry, who was appointed as the firm’s executive partner for Ireland in August.

DWF managing partner Andrew Leaitherland said: ‘The legal market in Northern Ireland is vibrant, and rapidly changing, and this merger makes us well-equipped to take advantage of the growing number of opportunities it presents for our clients in target sectors.’

The firm saw turnover fall slightly in the latest LB100. DWF’s revenues dropped slightly, down 2% to £187.1m. Profit per equity partner also fell 2%, down to £319,000 for the year.

matthew.field@legalease.co.uk

 

Legal Business

Eversheds and DWF appointed to West Midlands first regional legal panel

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Adviser reviews DWFEversheds Sutherland
legal-business-default

Eversheds, DWF, Trowers & Hamlins and Manchester law firm Pannone Corporate have been appointed as advisers on the newly-formed West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) legal panel.

The WMCA was formed this summer from 17 local authorities and three local enterprise partnerships to create jobs and drive economic growth in the West Midlands.

The authority’s first legal roster includes four law firms across three legal frameworks. The authority tendered for three lots, in full service provision, regulatory advice and parliamentary agency. Eversheds has been appointed across all three frameworks, while DWF were appointed to the full service lot. According to tender documents, the panel is worth about £5m over four years.

Firms will provide advice for the initial four year period while the WMCA has been granted an £8bn investment programme over a 30 year period for the region.

Eversheds Birmingham senior partner David Beswick said: ‘We are pleased to support the range of services that WMCA provide. We are committed to the rejuvenation of the local area and look forward to supporting and enhancing the work that is already underway to rebalance the UK economy through the Midlands Engine.’

DWF head of real estate Toby Askin said: ‘We have a Birmingham-led team of legal experts whose knowledge and experience combined will offer the authority the best possible legal support allowing them to meet their vision, values and objectives.’

The combined authority is responsible delivering on an improved transport network, including in the areas around the planned HS2 rail service.

The WMCA will also have access to a number of other local authority panels in its regional remit, such as Wolverhampton City Council’s legal panel of ten law firms.

Another recent panel review saw Transport for London (TfL) confirm it would renew its four-year legal panel. The transport authority’s current legal panel includes 11 firms, with Dentons, Trowers & Hamlins, Lewis Silkin, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Eversheds, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills, K&L Gates and Gowling WLG all on the roster.

matthew.field@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

DWF latest to post lacklustre financials as global revenue falls

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Financial results 2016 DWF
legal-business-default

DWF has posted mixed results this financial year, with global top-line revenue down 2% to £187.1m from £191m, while profit per equity partner (PEP) is up 2% to £331,000 from £325,000. This is a better performance than last year when the firm’s PEP dropped 16%.

Major client wins and panel appointments for the firm this year include Serco, Pearson, and Tate Chemicals Europe. According to DWF’s managing partner and chief executive Andrew Leaitherland, the firm’s corporate practice has performed well, as has national real estate.

Speaking to Legal Business Leaitherland (pictured) added: ‘The insurance sector remains a focus for us, and we continue to work with the major insurers such as RSA, Aviva and Chubb; we’ve won new clients through our merger activity and we’re increasingly focusing on delivering higher value services to those insurers.’

The firm has also invested in new offices in Brussels, as well as growing its Dubai and Dublin operations. On 1 January this year, DWF merged with the former German commercial law firm BridgeHouseLaw giving the firm offices in Munich and Cologne. The firm also merged with niche insurance practice Fox Hartley on 1 May 2016 to enhance the firm’s Lloyds market expertise and help secure new domestic and international insurer clients

In December, DWF opened in Brussels to provide greater competition and regulatory support to its major UK and international clients, particularly in the central and local government; retail, food and hospitality; transport; and energy & industrials sectors.

Additionally, in Dublin the firm recruited Ross Little from William Fry as executive partner with responsibility for growing DWF’s Dublin operations and capitalising on growing client demand following Brexit. DWF is looking to further increase its focus on Ireland and is exploring commercial services growth opportunities across all sectors, including financial services, insurance and retail, food & hospitality and further senior appointments are in the pipeline.

In a statement Leaitherland said: ‘DWF is in a good position post-Brexit because we’re still at the very early stages of our international growth plans meaning that we’re not needing to retrench as some other firms are, and we’re able to learn from others in determining the best route for growth. Changing markets are presenting us with opportunities which didn’t exist before, such as the merger with BridgehouseLaw which simply wasn’t on the cards 12 months prior because they weren’t at that stage where they were looking for a merger partner.’

Earlier today (12 July), Gowling WLG posted essentially flat revenue and PEP for its UK arm, with turnover up 2% from £180.4m to £184.7m, while PEP remained static at £383,000.

kathryn.mccann@legalease.co.uk