Harbottle & Lewis added a new string to its TMT bow this year when it hired a commercial technology team formerly of The Legal 500 top-ranked tech boutique Kemp Little.
The team, led by Emma Wright, telecoms and tech regulatory star, includes data privacy partner Anita Bapat and tech partner Rupam Davé, who adds technology transformation projects and digital platforms expertise.
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Harbottle & Lewis maintained its status as one of London’s fastest growing law firms last year, with the West End firm continuing its recent trend of double-digit growth and proving itself as a Legal Business 100 (LB100) standout. Overall revenue increased by 26% to £35.5m, up from £28.1m last year, while profit per equity partner (PEP) increased by 32% to £670,000 from £509,000 last year when the PEP figure suffered 2% decrease. Over the last five years, the firm has seen revenues grow 48% and profit by 86%. The favourable figures also saw Harbottles hustle its way into the top ten fastest-growing LB100 firms in both PEP and overall turnover, no mean feat considering the sharp-elbowed nature of London’s legal market.
The tip of Harbottles’ spear remains its private client and media and entertainment practices, recently strengthening the latter with the hire of ex-Barclays managing director Jonathan Burt from Harcus Sinclair, as the two practices saw a significant pick-up over the last 12 months contributing to strong growth at the firm.
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Ropes & Gray has strengthened in the City as Harbottle & Lewis has made a major private client play. Meanwhile, at the Bar, Essex Court Chambers has made several appointments.
Last week Ropes hired leading finance lawyer Malcolm Hitching as a partner in its London office. Hitching is HSF’s former UK and EMEA finance head and had been a partner since 2003. He specialises in corporate financings, restructurings and debt finance, recent credentials include acting for Virgin Group, Lonmin and Yell Group. The departure was the second exit from HSF in a week after HSF financial regulation partner Nick Bradbury also left for Allen & Overy.
Meanwhile, media firm Harbottle & Lewis has expanded into private client with the hire of Lee & Thompson’s family team, including partners Catherine Bedford, Nicholas Westley and Mark Irving and their associates. Bedford, who will head the family law team, joined Lee & Thompson in 2007 and founded the firm’s family group. According to The Legal 500 she has ‘propelled the firm into the front line of niche family law firms’.
Finally at the Bar, Lucas Bastin is joining Essex Court Chambers from Latham & Watkins. Bastin specialises in investment treaty arbitration, international commercial arbitration and public international law and has been named leading junior in the Legal 500. The set also added Maitland Chambers banking and finance duo Ciaran Keller and James Sheehan last week.
Richard Jacobs QC, co-Head of Essex Court Chambers, said: ‘We are delighted to be welcoming Ciaran and James as new tenants. They are outstanding juniors with established reputations in the commercial/chancery arena, a great fit for the profile of disputes handled by members of chambers here and abroad.’
georgiana.tudor@legalease.co.uk
Following a BBC investigation that alleged bribery at British American Tobacco (BAT), the FTSE 100 firm has turned to media boutique Harbottle & Lewis to ‘deal with the matter’.
An episode of Panorama aired on Monday night (30 November) alleged that the tobacco conglomerate had made illegal payments to politicians and civil servants in countries in East Africa, which the BBC claims came to light when a whistleblower shared hundreds of secret documents with the editorial team.
It is understood BAT spoke to several firms to potentially advise on the matter, including traditional preferred adviser Baker & McKenzie.
Despite a list of advisers that includes Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), Hogan Lovells and King & Spalding, that BAT gave the instructions Harbottle & Lewis is not surprising. The firm’s well-established media team has previously won damages from The Sun on behalf of Russell Brand over allegations about his private life, and assisted Kevin Pietersen in securing an apology from the managing director of the England cricket team, Paul Downton, following a breach of a confidentiality agreement.
The BBC said its in-house legal team, headed by group general counsel Sarah Jones handled all legal issues relating to the Panorama episode without instructing external counsel. The broadcaster said it had no plans to instruct external counsel following BAT’s appointment of Harbottle & Lewis.
A BAT spokesperson said: ‘We are disappointed that the BBC has broadcast historic allegations from 2012 made by rogue former employees whose employment was terminated in acrimonious circumstances and who have a clear vendetta against us. We have instructed a specialist media lawyer to deal with this matter.’
‘Any company can fall victim to an employee acting inappropriately, but what is most important is how it responds. BAT, with over 57,000 employees, is no different and we are rightly proud that any alleged breach of our very high expectations of transparency and honesty is swiftly investigated. Any proven transgression results in disciplinary action and may lead to dismissal. We do not tolerate corruption in our business, no matter where it takes place.’
Earlier this year, BAT instructed HSF in its challenge to the UK government’s plans to bring in plain cigarette packaging, after parliament approved the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
For more on British American Tobacco’s in-house legal team, subscribers can read: Client profile: Benoit Belhomme, British American Tobacco
