UK companies are increasingly worried about the economy – but want to do lots of M&A deals May 9, 2016 UK businesses are increasingly pessimistic about the economy – but hungry to complete deals. A new EY study found confidence in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market has eased back on levels seen at the end of 2015, a record year for announced deals. But the 14th Global Capital Confidence Barometer found UK executives' M&A appetite [...]
EU referendum: 2015 was record year for UK-targeted deals from Europe despite approaching Brexit vote April 20, 2016 The looming referendum was not enough to put European Union countries off doing business with the UK last year, newly-compiled figures show. Some $206bn (£143bn) worth of deals in which businesses based in other EU countries acquired British counterparts were announced last year. This marked a new record, according to Dealogic, and was up from $12.3bn [...]
EU referendum and Brexit risk low priority for dealmakers in global M&A survey April 18, 2016 The prospect of a Brexit is a low-priority risk for global dealmakers, a new mergers and acquisitions (M&A) report suggests. Research by law firm Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) also found global appetite for M&A has been largely unaffected by economic volatility in 2016. Read more: Mr Kipling owner not tasty enough for McCormick after all The authors of [...]
Want to find out what your salary will be like when you enter corporate law? These are the City’s best-paying law firms April 4, 2016 Lawyers: we all know they're better paid than the rest of us, but just how much can you expect to earn if you join one of London's big-hitting firms? What's surprising is that new research suggests firms in the so-called Magic Circle – the group of London's most elite law firms – aren't necessarily the [...]
City Moves for 1 April 2016 | Who’s switching jobs April 1, 2016 Squire Patton Boggs Squire Patton Boggs has announced that Andrew Herring has been appointed partner in the London office. Andrew, a well-known rail and transportation sector lawyer, will join the firm’s real estate practice, working with the global infrastructure and construction groups. He joins from DWF. He specialises in advising public and private sector clients [...]
City Moves for 11 March 2016 | Who’s switching jobs March 11, 2016 BLM Risk and insurance law business BLM has announced the appointment of abuse claims expert Sharon Moohan. Sharon joins BLM’s abuse claims team having overseen €953m (£743m) of redress payments in her role as sole solicitor for the Irish Residential Institutions Redress Board. The board was set up in 2002 to make fair and reasonable [...]
City Moves for 10 March 2016 | Who’s switching jobs March 10, 2016 Funding Circle Global small business online lender Funding Circle has announced that former executive board member of the European Central Bank (ECB) Jorg Asmussen will join the board. Jorg, a German economist and policymaker, has held numerous high-profile positions within the public sector. Prior to the ECB, between 2008 and 2012, he was state secretary at the [...]
City Moves for 26 February 2016 | Who’s switching jobs February 26, 2016 Edmonds Marshall McMahon Private prosecution law firm Edmonds Marshall McMahon has announced the firm’s expansion into civil fraud with the appointment of leading City litigator Robert Hunter. He joins as a partner from Herbert Smith Freehills where he was head of the fraud and asset tracing group. Robert has over 25 years’ experience in the [...]
City Moves for 25 February 2016 | Who’s switching jobs February 25, 2016 Maples Teesdale Jo Preece has been appointed as a senior associate in the construction team at Maples Teesdale LLP. She has experience of working on development schemes, acquisitions and disposals, lettings and financings, having advised the likes of Almacantar, Capital & Counties, Intu Shopping Centres, Lend Lease and Standard Life. She previously worked as a [...]
Beyond boom and bust: Interview with Herbert Smith Freehills’ UK head of corporate Ben Ward December 21, 2015 Ben Ward is not cautiously optimistic about the markets in 2016. He says that’s not positive enough – he’s really very optimistic, but insists that “sustainable growth” are his watchwords for 2016. Spoken like a true lawyer. Ward has just taken over as Herbert Smith Freehills’ (HSF) head of corporate in the UK, overseeing everything [...]