JD Journal » international law firms

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Hires Veteran Attorney for English Law Practice

jim — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:32:25 +0000

A practice focusing on English law in the London office of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is being launched by the firm. It will be led by a new employee, Simon Witty, who is joining the firm from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. The news was announced by the law firm Friday.

“We have seen Simon’s work firsthand in handling some of the most complex equity transactions in Europe,” Thomas J. Reid, the managing partner for Davis Polk, explained in a statement released on Friday. “He is ideally suited to help us launch our English law practice in London and to develop our existing English law capabilities in China and Brazil.”

Witty worked with Freshfields since 1996 and said that he enjoyed his time with the firm. He also said that the chance to operate his practice with Davis Polk brought on a brand new challenge for him that would also be exciting.

Witty was involved in multiple international public offerings, according to his biography from Freshfields. Those offerings include Virgin Mobile, Eircom Ltd (an Irish telecommunications firm), and Premier Foods PLC (the largest producer of food for the United Kingdom).

According to his Freshfields biography, Witty received his education at Balliol College at the University of Oxford.

Davis Polk already offers securities services for the world in Europe, Asia and Latin American but the expansion of its London office will only help to strengthen those services for the firm, according to Reid.

“We expect to make additional senior strategic hires in our London office like Simon, who fit well in our collaborative culture and practice in our core areas,” Reid said.

English legal services are already offered by Davis Polk in the firm’s offices in Sao Paulo and Hong Kong.

The Davis Polk office in London opened back in 1973 and it serves as the headquarters for the practice in Europe. The firm has previously worked on mergers and acquisition cases in Europe over the past couple of years.

Swiss electronic connector makers TE Connectivity Ltd. was represented by Davis Polk when it acquired Deutsch Group SAS, which is an electronics company from France. The deal was for $2.1 billion and it was announced back in November. In May, the law firm was able to hire Jacques Naquet-Radiguet from the firm of Shearman & Sterling LLP to lead the Paris office of Davis Polk.

Naquet-Radiguet worked on deals including selling the Lutetia Hotel from the Starwood Capital Group Global LLC to Alrov Properties & Lodgings Ltd. He also worked on selling the Hotel de Crillon to an investor from Saudi Arabia.

China’s Zhong Lun Boosts its Hong Kong Operations

marvins — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:50:40 +0000

Zhong Lun Law Firm, a premiere international law firm in China with over 300 lawyers, is now leveling-up its international presence with a new merger deal in Hong Kong effective in February. The firm’s six-lawyer Hong Kong affiliate, Roger Ho & Co, has sealed its deal with another Hong Kong firm, Boughton, Peterson, Young, Anderson (BPYA), which has 21 lawyers. The merger is expected to triple the size of Zhong Lun’s operations in Hong Kong. Once the merger takes place, Zhong Lun will have the biggest Hong Kong office of any mainland Chinese firm, with nine partners and 18 associates. Zhong Lun will be second in rank next to King & Wood, which has over 60 lawyers in Hong Kong.

Zhang Xuebing, Zhong Lun managing partner, explained that the expansion is in direct response to the fact that Hong Kong is now one of the most competitive markets in the world. She said that expanding in Hong Kong is major step to strengthen the firm’s worldwide presence. “This is a significant expansion for us. Hong Kong will be that bridge that links us to the international market.” She added that the new merger deal will further bolster the firm’s areas of practice and services. “Our association with Roger Ho & Co was aimed at tackling the Hong Kong capital markets work, and the association with BPYA will help us focus more on cross-border M&A work.” Zhang also said that given the competitive market in Hong Kong, rivals like Jun He Law Offices and Grandall, will surely launch their own expansion in the country soon.

Zhang also disclosed that Zhong Lun is now looking for partners to expand in New York. She added that the firm wants to broaden its scope to attract more US-based clients.

Troutman Sanders Announces New Managing Partner

marvins — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:56:20 +0000

Troutman Sanders LLP, a leading international law firm with over 650 lawyers and 16 offices worldwide, named Stephen E. Lewis, the firm’s former corporate section chief, to be the new Managing Partner as of January 1, 2011. Lewis replaced Robert W. Webb Jr. who served as the firm’s Managing Partner for over 17 years. Webb remains at Troutman Sanders as the firms’ chairman.

Lewis expressed his excitement over his new role in Troutman Sanders. “I’m excited to be working closely with Bob Webb and the rest of the Troutman Sanders management team as we look for ways to grow our practice areas and offices in a manner designed to better serve our clients. At Troutman Sanders our clients always come first, which means we must continue to deliver excellent client service, outstanding legal work and great value to our clients.”

Lewis has been with the firm since 1991. He became a partner in 1999 and elected to the firm’s executive committee in 2003. His areas of practice includes mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and general business matters. Lewis received numerous legal honors throughout his career. He has been recognized among the top lawyers by the Legal Elite magazine and the Atlanta Magazine and Law & Politics. Lewis is an alumnus of the University of North Carolina where he earned both his undergraduate and law degrees.

Winston & Strawn Lures Transactional Team from Cadwalader

joshua — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:32:19 +0000

Winston & Strawn LLP has expanded its transactional capabilities in China with a three-person team from Cadwalader. Joining the firm are corporate and M&A attorney Jem Li, who will be managing partner of Winston & Strawn’s Beijing office, and corporate associates Haihang (Helen) Zhang and Na (April) Wang.

Li has practiced at international law firms for more than a decade in New York as well as mainland China. Speaking native Chinese and fluent in English, Li’s experience includes complex cross-border commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, private equity investment, venture capital investment, and foreign direct investment in China. He has practiced in China since 2004.

“We’re delighted that Jem has joined our Beijing office because he gives additional quality and breadth,” said Thomas Fitzgerald, Winston & Strawn’s managing partner. “China clearly plays an important role to our strategic vision of expanding the firm’s footprint in Asia and we are excited about the opportunity to provide even stronger service to our clients there.”

Li obtained his M.I.A. from Columbia University, and his J.D. from Pace University.

Winston & Strawn LLP is an international commercial law firm with 14 offices in America, Asia and Europe.

Crowell & Moring Announces Launch of New Top-Level Domain and Domain Name Practice

joshua — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:39:49 +0000

Today, the international law firm Crowell & Moring LLP announced the launch of its new TLD (Top-Level Domain) and Domain Name practice.

As the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) prepares for the 2011 introduction of what may be the most significant extension of the domain name system since the introduction of .com, the TLD and Domain Name practice will counsel brand owners about strategies for protecting and enhancing their brands and preventing infringement in this new and uncertain online environment, including whether and how to seek registration of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

Brussels-based partner Flip Petillion and Washington, DC-based partner John I. Stewart, Jr. will co lead the practice, which is comprised of a comprehensive team of intellectual property, Internet law, and dispute resolution lawyers.

In the press release at the firm’s website, Stewart was quoted as saying: “The introduction of generic top-level domains offers a wealth of opportunities, but it also presents great challenges, as companies and operators around the world seek to use the new regime to their advantage. Our practice leverages the firm’s extensive experience to counsel our clients through all phases of the gTLD process, from initial assessment to application to launch. We are uniquely placed to help clients as they make strategic decisions, structure agreements, and resolve any disputes as they negotiate their way through the process.”

To further bolster the practice, Crowell & Moring has brought on new Brussels-based counsel Bart Lieben, who offers extensive experience in international commercial law, with a particular focus on intellectual property, telecommunications, media, and technology law.

Crowell & Moring’s international team of lawyers are engaged in counseling, transactional, and contracting work on intellectual property, policy, strategy and liability issues as clients develop and evolve their Internet brand presence, and can handle all aspects of litigation related to new gTLD applications.

In addition to Lieben, the Brussels office also gained two new associates, Sarah van den Brande and Christian Dekoninck, who will practice in the Intellectual Property Group and the TLD and Domain Name practice.

The firm invites all brand owners to attend a live webinar, “ICANN’s New gTLD Program: Considerations for Brand Owners,” on October 27, 2010 at 12:00 pm EDT. The webinar will feature Crowell & Moring Intellectual Property and Dispute Resolution lawyers who will highlight the new ICANN process and offer insight on the opportunities and challenges involved in securing a generic top-level domain name.

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with more than 500 lawyers representing clients in litigation and arbitration, regulatory, and transactional matters. The firm is internationally recognized for its representation of Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation, as well as its ongoing commitment to pro bono service and diversity.

Former Merrill Lynch Counsel Joins Fulbright

joshua — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:44:50 +0000

Fulbright & Jaworski has acquired John Bevilacqua, formerly first vice president and senior counsel at Merrill Lynch, for its global litigation practice in New York.

A securities litigator, Bevilacqua worked at Merrill Lynch for eight years. In the role he worked with senior management to analyze exposure and to set reserves. Prior to Merrill Lynch, Bevilacqua served 10 years at Salomon Smith Barney as director and associated general counsel and was an enforcement attorney for the SEC.

“Fulbright’s strong disputes practice is well-regarded internationally and known for its work with those in the financial services and energy industries,” Bevilacqua said in a press release. “My experience aligned nicely with Fulbright’s practice making it a nice fit all around.

Founded in 1919, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is a full-service international law firm with nearly 900 lawyers in 16 locations.

Revenue Decreases at DLA Piper

sara — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:32:15 +0000

DLA Piper reports that gross revenue declined by almost 14% in 2009 to just over a billion dollars. Revenue per lawyer and profits per partner decreased only 5%, due to reductions in the firm’s head count. The headcount fell by 89 associates (11.6%), 24 equity partners (10.1%), and 16 non-equity partners (4.3%), for a total loss of 129 lawyers (9.3%). Firm chairman Frank Burch said that DLA “weathered the economic storm well…and our overall performance during this period was solid.” Burch said that the firm broadly cut expenses and improved its balance sheet by increasing its reliance on paid-in partner capital while attracting high profile laterals.

DLA Piper is one of the world’s largest international law firms. It has over 3,500 attorneys in 67 locations globally.

Vinson & Elkins Adds to Middle East Practice

joshua — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:57:53 +0000

International law firm Vinson & Elkins has expanded its Middle East practice with the addition of two new partners, Sami Al-Louzi and Ahmed T. el Gaili. The duo has been enlisted to strengthen the firm’s ability to represent public and private corporations and financial institutions throughout the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Managing partner Joseph Dilg said the additions “underscore V&E’s strong commitment to the Middle East.” Vinson & Etkins opened its UAE office in Dubai in 2003.

Al-Louzi joins Vinson & Elkins from White & Case, where he was a partner. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, privatization and projected finance.

El-Gaili joins the firm from Sullivan & Cromwell where he was an attorney in its London office. He brings experience in energy project development and financing, according to a press release.

Vinson & Elkins LLP is an international law firm with more than 770 lawyers across 14 offices worldwide, including 19 lawyers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Mischon de Reya Goes International with New Office

joshua — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:13:01 +0000

London-based firm Mischon de Reya opened the doors to its first international office in New York City Tuesday. James McGuire will serve as managing partner of the new office and oversee a staff of 15.

“Opening our first international office in one of the major financial centres of the world is an exciting opportunity for both our business and for our clients, said Kevin Gold, managing partner of Mischcon de Reya. “It is also timely. There has been a rise in the level of regulation globally. A presence in two of the world’s leading financial centres is exactly what clients of the expanded firm need. ”

McGuire previously was a founding partner of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton’s New York office and formerly was a partner at international firm White & Case.

Walkers Announces Appointment of Carol Hall as Head of Investment Funds Group

joshua — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:29:22 +0000

Walkers, a leading International Financial Centre law firm, announced the appointment of Carol Hall as head of its newly established Investment Funds Group in Hong Kong. The group offers expertise covering a broad range of investment funds, including hedge funds, private equity and distressed funds.

“Asia and Hong Kong in particular have been considerable focal points for Walkers’ growth in recent years and we have received an excellent response from our clients in this region,” said Ms. Hall. “The combination of specialist hedge fund and private equity attorneys within Walkers’ Investment Funds Group will ensure we continue to provide advice that is commercially aware and technically excellent.”

Ms. Hall has 17 plus years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance and investment funds.

Walkers focuses principally on corporate and international finance law with an emphasis on investment funds, private equity and capital markets and structured finance.

Salary Thaw at Akin Gump

joshua — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:57:20 +0000

Akin Gump has lifted its salary freeze and is planning to pay out bonuses, according to a memo sent out by firm chairman, Bruce McLean. Of course, that’s based on Akin Gump’s compensation system which isn’t strictly a base salary. To earn market level salaries, associates must meet quarterly billed hour quotas. That said, even the base salary isn’t bad, compared to some of the salary cuts we’ve been seeing lately.

If anyone has information on the Akin Gump bonuses, we’re anxious to hear it. You can send us an anonymous tip here.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP was founded in Dallas in 1945 by Robert Strauss and Richard Gump. The firm now numbers more than 900 attorneys and advisers in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Voluntary Deferral Extension at Mayer Brown

joshua — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:43:31 +0000

The incoming class of associates at Mayer Brown is scheduled to begin work in January after being deferred back in April. Later that same month the firm offered voluntary extension to October of 2010 with a $5000 per month stipend plus benefits, along with assistance securing public service experience in the meantime. Now we’ve learned that the firm is once again asking 18 of its 119 incoming associates to push back their start date until October, although it’s still being called a voluntary deferral. It’s unclear how voluntary the deferment actually is. If you have any specific information on the options available to those being asked to hold off starting work, please send us an anonymous tip here.

Mayer Brown is one of the largest global law firms both by number of lawyers and revenue. The firm has over 1,800 lawyers in key business centers across the Americas, Asia and Europe.

Davis Polk Bonuses

joshua — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:46:47 +0000

Davis Polk has announced its year end bonus schedule and, surprise!, it looks all too familiar. Yup, it matches the bonuses put out by Cravath, which match the bonuses of every biglaw firm to announce bonuses in the days after Cravath set the bar. New associates are receiving $7500, with seniors making $30,000 and everyone else sliding in the middle.

Davis Polk & Wardwell is an international law firm headquartered in New York. The firm employs more than 700 attorneys and is primarily known for its corporate, litigation and tax practices.

Former Jones Day Partner Rejoins Firm After a Stint at DoJ

joshua — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:31:11 +0000

For the past eight years, Gregory Katsas has held high level posts at the Justice Department. Mr. Katsas served as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from June 2008 to January 2009. Between 2001 and 2008, Mr. Katsas also served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General, and Acting Associate Attorney General. Prior to that, he was an issues and appeals partner with Jones Day, and today the firm announced that he is rejoining Jones Day as a partner in the same practice group. Read the full press release here.

Jones Day is an international law firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1893 by Judge Edwin J. Blandin and William Lowe Rice. Jones Day is the 8th largest law firm in the world by revenue. It is currently the second largest law firm in the United States, with approximately 2,400 lawyers and gross annual revenue in excess of $1.5 billion.

Merger Update, As Promised

joshua — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:56:09 +0000

A scant few hours ago I promised to bring you any updates on the Hogan & Hartson/Lovells merger talks, and so here it is…

The two firms issued a joint press release this morning announcing that the management of both firms unanimously supports the merger. If the partner vote scheduled for mid December goes as expected, the merger could be finalized as early as May of next year.

Mergers between US and UK law firms are rare, in part because of different accounting systems used. The firms have not yet released details of how those differences will be resolved, but the partners in each firm will be receiving documents next week setting out the terms of the deal. If finalized, this will be the first transatlantic merger between between two top tier firms, and may trigger other US/UK merger negotiations.

The combined firm would instantly become one of the world’s largest with over 2,500 attorneys around the globe and revenues in the range of $2 billion. No report yet on what the new name would be.

Another One for Ropes & Gray in London

joshua — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:57:13 +0000

We told you last week that Ropes & Gray is opening a new office in London. The office is being setup with two partners who moved from White & Case and two partners from the US. Now Ropes & Gray has a fifth partner in London. Jonathan Bloom, also formerly of White & Case, will join his former colleagues in Ropes & Gray’s new office.

Ropes & Gray LLP is an international law firm with offices located in Boston, New York City, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, Hong Kong,Tokyo and soon in London. The firm has over 1,000 lawyers worldwide.

Foley & Lardner Layoffs Confirmed

joshua — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:57 +0000

Last Friday we reported on tips we had received indicating that Foley & Lardner was laying off as many as 39 lawyers. The firm has now confirmed that number, saying 39 lawyers across its 21 offices. The layoffs were blamed on the falling demand for legal services.

Foley & Lardner LLP is an international general practice law firm started in 1842 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It employs 1,000 attorneys, and is the 24th largest firm in the United States

Holme Roberts & Owen is First US Firm in Dublin

joshua — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:44:24 +0000

Salt Lake City’s Holme Roberts & Owen has opened an office in Dublin, their third in the European Union, and the first US firm in Dublin. The office opened with 3 lawyers, 2 partners and an Irish lawyer, and plans to build a practice around corporate and commercial clients.

Holme Roberts & Owen LLP is an international law firm established in 1898. It has 250 lawyers practicing in ten offices, including Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and now, Dublin.

Hogan & Hartson in Merger Talks with Lovells

joshua — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:51:42 +0000

Hogan & Hartson has begun negotiating a merger with UK firm Lovells. Talks are still in the early stages and obviously when two firms of this size merge, there are a large number of issues to discuss. In particular, US and UK firms use very different account methods and different partnership distribution schemes, which will have to be reconciled before a merger can go forward.

Founded in 1904, Hogan & Hartson is the oldest major law firm headquartered in Washington, DC. It is a global firm with more than 1,100 lawyers in 27 offices worldwide, including offices in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Lovells is an international law firm with over 300 partners and around 3,200 employees operating from 26 offices in Europe, Asia and the United States. It is one of the largest international legal business practices in the world.

Ten Partnership Promotions at Covington & Burling

joshua — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:01:34 +0000

Covington & Burling announced its new partners, nine in Washington and one in London. Last year’s class had twelve new partners, but two years ago there were only six. Congratulations to Marney Cheek, David Fagan and Kimberly Strosnider in the international practice group, IP lawyers Kevin Collins and Lucinda Osborne, litigators Sarah Wilson and Matthew O’Connor, Yaron Dori in communications and media, Miriam Guggenheim in the food and drug practice group and Seth Safra who does employment law.

Covington & Burling LLP is an international law firm with offices in Beijing, Brussels, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Washington, DC. It consistently ranks among the top 20 on The American Lawyer’s prestigious “A-List.”

World’s Law Offices Head To Dubai — Canada Stays Put

todd — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:26:19 +0000

In the past few years, international law firms have been opening up offices in Dubai. Now, US firms, like Weil Gotshal Manges, and Kilpatrick Stockton, have announced plans to open up offices there.

They join other prominent firms such as Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy, DLA Piper, Linklaters, and Latham & Watkins, who all have offices in places like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

However, as oil prices near $30 a barrel, and Dubai’s real estate market collapses, prices on real estate have dropped by 30%. That drop has hurt those firms who have set up office in the United Arab Emirate country.

Dubai has the largest population among the UAE and is determined to become the financial center of the Middle East. Dubai set up the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in 2002 in order to benefit economic development in the region. Essentially, the DIFC is a 110-acre tax haven that encourages foreign investment. There is a zero rate tax on income and profits.

William Tuer, managing partner of Macleod Dixon, said that Dubai is a “well-saturated market, featuring the biggest firms in the world. It’s highly competitive…[and] a very expensive market.”

Tuer also called it a “very expensive market” and noted that this may keep Canadian firms from ever opening up there.

Hugh MacKinnon, chairman and CEO of Bennett Jones in Toronto, claimed that Canadian law firms tend to stick to their core markets like London or New York. He also noted that a law firm needn’t possess a foreign office to do work in a particular region. He claimed that Canadians excel at working offshore.

“We get work from the entire Arabian gulf, usually energy-related stuff,” said MacKinnon. “We do pretty well just carpet bagging.”