Collective turnover at UK firms increased by 8.4 per cent to a record £30.6bn last year – accounting for 7 per cent of the $650bn (£419.6bn) global legal services fee revenue in 2013/14. A new report by TheCityUK, released at the Global Law Summit in London this morning (25 February) found that UK firms experienced […]
Addleshaw Goddard, Jones Day and Travers Smith have taken the lead roles on private equity group 3i’s first investment in the UK for four years – a £105m injection into Aspen Pumps. Sussex-based Aspen Pumps is a condensate removal pumps manufacturer. 3i plans to work with Aspen Pumps to support its international growth and expand […]
Shoosmiths has been appointed to a new Mercedes-Benz UK panel alongside Nabarro after dropping off the roster in 2009. Nabarro has been on the German automotive brand’s panel since 2009, when it picked up a spot alongside legacy Wragge & Co following a beauty parade of 11 firms that saw Pinsent Masons and Shoosmiths ousted […]
Aim-listed ABS Quindell has extended the exclusivity period relating to Slater & Gordon’s potential acquisition of its professional services division to 31 March 2015. The latest statement comes amid speculation that following a due diligence process Slater & Gordon offered just £700m for the company’s legal services division, despite a top-end price tag of £1bn. […]
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), DAC Beachcroft (DACB), Nabarro, Macfarlanes, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) and Linklaters have played key roles in the £770m sovereign wealth deal expected to resurrect the Pinnacle at 22-24 Bishopsgate. Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Tamasek Holdings is understood to be the principle member of the buying consortium of four investors, lead by […]
There is a tangible air of determination around Clifford Chance these days; a sense that change is not just preferable, but vital. Guy Norman, Clifford Chance’s global practice area leader for corporate, is brutally candid about the need for change at his firm. Still, he describes what’s required as a natural progression rather than a […]
Shearman & Sterling, Slaughter and May and Sullivan & Cromwell (S&C) have played key advisory roles on today’s (17 February) £1.22bn takeover bid by Fairfax Financial Holdings for insurance company Brit. Fairfax is a Toronto-headquartered financial services holding company, which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Slaughters acted for Brit on the recommended takeover. […]
Eversheds has hired six regulatory compliance consultants in a bid to expand the remit of its financial services team under the leadership of partner David Saunders. Simon Chapman, Noreen Husain and Clive Summers have joined the firm from the specialist regulatory and compliance practice of Resources Global Professionals (RGP) in January. Jean-Paul Simoes and Jonathan […]
Eastbourne and Lewes Councils have appointed Pinsent Masons’ head of local government Celia Cullen to help establish a combined in-house team for the two Sussex councils. Cullen will join on 9 March along with two other lawyers as the two council teams consider how the combined entity with structure itself to offer contract legal services […]
Irwin Mitchell saw net debt fall 94.7 per cent from £13.5m to £713,000 at the end of the latest financial year, according to the firm’s 2013/14 Companies House accounts filing. According to the accounts, the firm had bank loans and overdrafts of £19.8m at the start of the financial year. Over the course of the […]
RPC has hired Towers Watson risk consulting and software chief Rory O’Brien to launch a management consultancy business, which will trade as RPC Consulting. O’Brien joined RPC on Monday (9 February) as a partner and a member of the firm’s management board. RPC managing partner Jonathan Watmough described O’Brien’s hire as “a statement of intent” […]
Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) partners have elected Marcus Bowman as managing partner effective 1 April, replacing George Eddings after just two years in the role. The Lawyer revealed last week that Eddings was to face a challenge to his position, at which point the firm said an election would be held in March (2 February […]