CANDY BROTHERS SEEK ENLIGHTENMENT WITH SERENE NEW TENANTS
THE BEST things come to those who wait – and this week the Candy brothers have finally revealed two new tenants for their One Hyde Park development.
About time for the block of super-apartments that has secured just three full-time residents one year after launch. Except – unfortunately for the Knightsbridge complex that has been likened to the Marie Celeste – the property tycoons’ new lodgers are two “serene bronze profiles” created by British artist Simon Gudgeon.
The artworks have been installed by the Halcyon Gallery at the entrance to the development overlooking the park, and look a bit like the Easter Island Moai heads – although the technical term, says Gudgeon, is “peaceful and accepting”.
“This man and woman are in contemplation, absorbing great knowledge, at a point of realisation about their place in the universe,” he says of the male and female faces with hollow heads. And the name of the artwork? “Search for Enlightenment.”
The hunt at the oligarchs’ £1.2bn London playground continues…
SECOND COMING
ONE SPELL at BP just wasn’t enough for George Trefgarne.
The Capitalist hears Lord Browne’s former speechwriter is upping sticks from PR firm Maitland, which he joined as a partner in 2009, to help rebuild the troubled oil giant’s reputation in the grand-sounding role of director of external affairs.
Chief executive Bob Dudley personally requested Trefgarne take on the tough brief, after the two became acquainted when Dudley (below) ran Russian joint venture TNK-BP.
Trefgarne’s hedge fund clients, meanwhile – notably Peter Clarke of Man Group and Michael Hintze of CQS – are now in the market for a new press go-between. As are the clients of Maitland’s associate partner Richard Farnsworth, who is also jumping ship to a corporate seat – in his case, the media relations team at brewer SABMiller.
LEGAL POACHING
STEPHENSON Harwood partner John Pike has “long admired” rival Dundas & Wilson’s efforts on behalf of its FTSE 100 financial services clients.
So it was perhaps only a matter of time before Pike, a banking specialist, joined the payroll of the law firm’s London office, as announced this morning.
Four colleagues in his banking team – partner Ted Harrison and associates Ben Truman, Pauline Ho and Richard Hathaway – move with Harwood to Dundas & Wilson, adding up to something of a coup for the Scottish-founded company as it looks to become a national player.
“We are slowly moving forward to become a UK-wide law firm,” says managing partner Donald Shaw, pointing out that more of the firm’s partners are now based in the London office, which opened in 2002, than in either Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Poaching Stephenson Harwood’s banking team is only the beginning – more hires will be made over 2012 in the firm’s specialist areas of financial services, real estate, utilities, and energy and infrastructure, says Shaw. Until then, this space will be watched.
TAKEOVER TALK
THE BROKING wins continue at Numis, which has replaced Westhouse as the nominated adviser and broker to Chaarat Gold, the British Virgin Islands-registered gold developer currently busy digging up the mountains of Kyrgyzstan.
Coming on the back of stealing Amlin from RBS, EMIS from Evolution and Networkers International from Seymour Pierce since December, it is fair to say Numis is on a roll.
So can we expect an imminent takeover announcement of RBS brokerage Hoare Govett, as is the rumour in the City? “Unlikely,” says a well-placed Numis source. “The integration of the latter would negate the momentum of the former.”
SHOTGUN WEDDING
BLINK AND you missed it.
Hedge fund boss Ian Wace of Marshall Wace and his long-term model girlfriend Saffron Aldridge only got engaged in November, but the wedding has already happened – a small, family affair that took place before Christmas. Fast work – presumably The Capitalist’s invitation was lost in the festive post.
SQUIDS IN
THERE WERE “many reputable businesses” at the charity dodgeball tournament hosted by headhunter KennedyPearce: Deutsche Bank, Sarasin Investment Partners, Argenta, Octopus Investments, Invesco Perpetual and Rockspring, whose high-minded employees turned up dressed in “high volumes of neon”.
Sarasin, Deutsche and Octopus made it to the semi-finals, but it was team Octopussy that took the winning trophy home, helping to raise a few squid for charity.