Month: March 2015

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Withers leads way in major tie-up as Singapore rush continues

HSF, KWM and DLA Piper invest in key South-East Asia hub

Highlighting continued law firm interest in the Singaporean economy and its potential as a hub for South-East Asia, were the announcements in February by a host of Legal Business 100 firms of plans to enhance their presence. Most notably, Withers established a formal law alliance (FLA) with Singapore law firm KhattarWong while Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) also teamed up with a local outfit, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) confirmed plans to open an office, while DLA Piper secured a coup with the hire of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Singapore partner John Viverito to lead its offering in the city state.

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So much for the rule of law – court fees and undermining the City

Quinn Emanuel disputes veteran Ted Greeno argues that a self-defeating stance on hiking court fees will undermine London

In their piece entitled ‘Strangling the golden goose’ last month, Nigel Boardman, James Shirbin and Andrew Blake of Slaughter and May bemoaned the cost of commercial litigation in England and suggested London’s pre-eminence as a dispute resolution centre might be under threat as a result. In making this argument, they drew upon a report from the World Bank which compared the cost and ease of doing business in 189 countries around the world. One of the activities assessed was enforcing contracts and, for this purpose, the report compares and scores the cost, time and procedures involved in enforcing a claim under a sale of goods contract around the world. The UK is ranked in 36th place, suggesting our courts are relatively uncompetitive.

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Good sports – the in-house counsel getting on the pitch in top-flight sports

Tough regulation and increasingly lucrative commercial deals have allowed in-house lawyers to flourish in sport. Legal Business scouts out the most promising performances

Trying to pin down an interview with the in-house counsel at a sports organisation is like trying to tackle Eden Hazard in full flight. Despite repeated attempts, requests for interviews with legal counsel were rebuffed by a number of big Premier League clubs – with Chelsea, for example, stating that no-one except the club’s board, manager, assistant coach and the players speak to the media.

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Human nature – cutting edge legal work looms for the drugs revolutionising healthcare

As patents for pioneering biotech drugs near expiry, life sciences companies are hunting new and controversial products. Can law firms help clients win the race?

For those close to the biotech industry, the events of a 2006 clinical trial at Northwick Park Hospital in London are etched firmly in the memory. In what was later dubbed the ‘Elephant Man’ trial, six healthy young men suffered catastrophic multiple organ failures within hours of testing a biologic – a drug created by a biological process – intended to treat leukaemia and rheumatoid arthritis. The volunteers became critically ill, including the loss of fingers and toes, after the monoclonal antibody TGN1412 caused near-fatal side effects. The drug was immediately withdrawn from development and its German-based creator TeGenero filed for insolvency four months later.

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Simon says – DLA Piper gears up for a life after Nigel

DLA Piper pushed its regional brands to unprecedented heights under a trailblazing leader only to hit the inevitable grind of global integration. Legal Business meets the man charged with finishing what Sir Nigel started.

‘I had to ask Nigel to stop referring to his standing down as the firm’s Sir Alex Ferguson moment,’ laughs Simon Levine, the man tasked with replacing one Sir Nigel Knowles. ‘I didn’t want to go the way of Moysey.’

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In court: Gibson Dunn partner could face disbarment after submitting incorrect documents in Djibouti case

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher referred itself to the Solicitors Regulation Authority last week [6 March] after it was alleged that disputes partner Peter Gray submitted incorrectly dated documents to the UK courts in a case between the Djibouti government and one of its wealthiest citizens Abdourahman Boreh.

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No more weak links – elite law firms unite to fight cyber security threat

It has long been a gripe among major clients – in particular banks – that law firms are the chink in the armour against the growing barrage of cyber attacks. In response, some of the world’s top law firms are banding together to form a cyber security alliance to share intelligence on threats, specific attacks and best practice.

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Mishcon, Latham and OC up against City elite as shortlists announced for 2015 Legal Business Awards

Clifford Chance (CC), Mishcon de Reya, Osborne Clarke and DLA Piper are among those vying to win prizes at what promises to be the largest-ever Legal Business Awards.

The firms are among those nominated as we unveil the shortlists today (9 March) for the awards ahead of the ceremony, which will be held on 24 March at the Grosvenor House Hotel in central London. Continue reading “Mishcon, Latham and OC up against City elite as shortlists announced for 2015 Legal Business Awards”