Following a string of hires to expand its London office this year, Goodwin Procter has again added to its City technology and life sciences practice with the hire of partner Ali Ramadan from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe.

Ramadan has experience in venture capital, cross-border M&A and private equity transactions for technology businesses. He acts for start-ups, high-growth companies and investors operating in the technology, fintech, proptech and digital media industries.

Goodwin has been in full-on expansion mode in the City in recent months, in July adding a significant string to its bow in the form of a four-partner technology and life sciences team from Taylor Wessing.

That team hire of Taylor Wessing’s head of life sciences Malcolm Bates, David Mardle, Tim Worden and Adrian Rainey was another step in Goodwin’s stated ambition to bolster its London bench in this specialist sector.

Ramadan told Legal Business: ‘The attraction to Goodwin was really their technology platform. It’s a great firm with a great reputation in tech, at the cutting edge of all these deals. I’m looking forward to working together with UK and US teams in terms of helping to build out the lifecycle tech practice here in London.’

Co-chair of Goodwin’s technology practice Anthony McCusker told Legal Business: ‘We’ve seen the lifecycle practice in London and Europe develop closely to how we see it in the US.

‘We think we’re well positioned to gain market share and continue to be active. Investors and companies look to the people that are best positioned to help them. Our expectation is that if there’s less work to spread around, they’ll continue to work with a firm like ours. Whether there’s a slowdown in the market or not we think that not being aggressive to build for what the market needs would be a big mistake,’ McCusker added.

Also acquisitive recently has been Dechert, with the Philadelphia-headquartered outfit hiring Philip Dowsett to its private equity, corporate and investment funds practice in Dubai.

Dowsett was previously a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Dubai and is a seasoned lawyer in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity investments, disposals, restructuring and takeovers, as well as corporate governance and investment fund structuring.

He has represented and advised numerous private equity groups in the region over the last ten years, with clients including Dubai International Capital, NBK Capital Partners, Abraaj, Amanat Holdings, Greenstone Equity Partners and Sico Trucial.

Dowsett told Legal Business: ‘On the private equity, M&A and funds side, there’s really no better firm on those practices than Dechert in the region. The real estate practice is one of the leading ones in the region.’

Regional managing partner Chris Sioufi told Legal Business: ‘The market has been more difficult for the last two years in the region because of the geopolitical tensions. We have seen a slowdown in foreign money coming into the region but we have positioned ourselves to be able to take advantage of outflows of money and assist our regional clients who are either setting up or investing in funds in other jurisdictions or doing acquisitions out of the region.’

The hire of Dowsett follows those of real estate partners Stephen Kelly and Sarah Mahood last year in Dubai.

Elsewhere, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has hired international arbitration partner Mark McNeill in New York at the expense of the London office of Shearman & Sterling.

McNeill has experience in advocacy and representing companies and states in numerous commercial and investment treaty arbitrations. He focuses on intellectual property, technology, nuclear construction, pharmaceuticals, business combinations, oil & gas, taxation, mining, insurance, and reinsurance.

McNeill told Legal Business: ‘Quinn Emanuel has some of the best trial lawyers in the world. If you like going to trial then it’s just a great place to be.

‘There’s a remarkable geographic shift to Asia in particular. You have more disputes arising from parties based in Asia. More cases in Africa and a lot of infrastructure projects which inevitably are giving rise to disputes. I see mining claims and still very high oil & gas claims,’ McNeill added.

Shoosmiths also grew its real estate team with the hire of planning and development partner Karen Howard from DLA Piper. She has experience in strategic planning on large regeneration schemes and advises across sectors including residential, offices, industrial, retail, hotels and leisure.

Howard commented: ‘I joined Shoosmiths because what motivates me is the ethos of teamwork here and pulling together with my colleagues across the UK. The people here are super-friendly and it’s inspiring to join Shoosmiths at a time when the firm is growing.’

By Legal Business.

Ten firms have secured spots on FTSE 100 insurer Aviva’s refreshed legal panel, with RPC, Eversheds Sutherland and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner winning new appointments.

The two-lot panel covering the group and investor businesses came into effect on 1 July after the previous panel, last reviewed in 2013, ran its course. It will run on an initial three-year term.

Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy (A&O), DLA Piper, Eversheds, Pinsent Masons and RPC have been appointed to the group panel, while Ashurst, Addleshaw Goddard, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner and CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang were assigned to the insurer’s investors panel.

Aviva’s head of legal operations Caroline Brown told Legal Business the legal team is increasingly looking at its advisers’ approach to diversity and inclusion as well as firms’ abilities to support the legal team around innovation.

Group general counsel (GC) Kirsty Cooper (pictured) said in this year’s GC Powerlist the company was looking to streamline its external panel: ‘Everyone is focused on the bottom line and wants to make sure we are getting a quality service and value for money. It’s not about headcount in legal, it’s about overall value and cost.’

Slaughters, A&O, Ashurst, DLA , Pinsents and Addleshaws all featured on Aviva’s 2013 panel, the review of which was led by former Aviva UK Life GC Monica Risam and included international and UK work and lower-cost national work.

By Legal Business.

The rundown of this week’s top news stories.

1. Facebook letter fails to satisfy DCMS chair Damian Collins [via BBC News]
2. Registered European lawyers given until 2021 to requalify [via The Law Society Gazette]
3. Law and order: Extra £85m for CPS to tackle violent crime [via BBC News]
4. SRA recruits candidates for second super-exam pilot [via The Law Society Gazette]
5. Irwin Mitchell’s profit boost as firm joins brand big-league [via The Law Society Gazette]
6. Media giants Viacom and CBS to merge in latest mega-deal [via BBC News]
7. Trump delays some tariffs on Chinese imports [via BBC News]
8. Are the markets signalling that a recession is due? [via BBC News]
9. New High Court judges all Oxbridge barristers [via The Law Society Gazette]
10. 5 of the world’s biggest economies are at risk or recession [via CNN]
11. ‘We can’t reach the women who need us’: LGBT YouTubers suing the tech giant for discrimination [via The Guardian]
12. Members join queue of collapsed Ince creditors [via The Law Society Gazette]
13. ‘Depressing’ super-exam reports fail the test, say law teachers [via The Law Society Gazette]

US firm White & Case has announced an 89% autumn retention score.

The London office will be keeping on 16 of its 18 trainees this September, who will qualify into antitrust/competition, capital markets, commercial litigation, international arbitration, mergers & acquisitions, asset finance, banking, project development and finance.

This year’s retention score is higher than the previous rounds of 75%, 84% and 81%.

Partner Inigo Esteve commented, ‘with continuing strong client demand for English law services in London and across our offices globally, the business need for English law qualified lawyers continues to increase despite ongoing economic and political uncertainties, including Brexit’.

The 16 newly-qualified solicitors will receive a starting salary of £105,000.

Melissa Butler, White & Case office executive partner in London, adds: ‘White & Case trainees join a firm with a reputation for supporting its lawyers throughout their careers and a strong track record for internal promotions to partner’.

Recently departed Deliveroo legal chief Rob Miller has been named Skyscanner’s general counsel (GC) and company secretary following Carolyn Jameson’s departure from the high-profile travel metasearch company earlier this year.

Miller (pictured) will oversee Skyscanner’s global legal, regulatory and public affairs function, leading a team of 12 lawyers, and comes as the Scotland-based company embarks on a strategic shift. GC Powerlist-regular Jameson was at the company for six years and was involved in the company’s £1.4bn acquisition by Chinese online travel giant ctrip.com in 2016.

Miller is a seasoned senior in-house lawyer, and was most recently chief legal officer at takeaway delivery service Deliveroo. Prior to that, he was legal chief at London-based tech firm Improbable, where he led the $502m Series B Funding from Softbank, the largest-ever venture financing round for a private British company and the largest Series B investment in Europe.

Between 2012 and 2017 he was chief legal officer and company secretary at video game developer King, where he led its $7.2bn IPO on the New York Stock Exchange and eventual sale to Activision Blizzard for $5.9bn.

Bryan Dove, Skyscanner’s chief executive, said: ‘[Miller’s] experience of working with fast-growing companies as they evolve will help us to create amazing experiences that offer unique value for travellers. We’re excited to have him on board and I’m confident he will play a pivotal role in helping to shape Skyscanner’s future.’

Miller added: ‘Skyscanner is one of the UK’s pre-eminent tech companies and without a doubt one of the global leaders in the travel industry and has been on an incredible trajectory over the past number of years.’

Miller left Deliveroo in January and was replaced by Chantelle Zemba, who was previously corporate and compliance chief at the start-up.

Written by  Legal Business

Irwin Mitchell has hiked profit 76% to £21.3m in a ninth consecutive year of growth that has also seen 9% added to its top line.

The pace-setting results compare with last year’s slight fall in profit to £12.1m and modest 3% increase in turnover to £241.8m, meaning the firm has added £21.4m to its top line to hit £263.2m in 2018/19.

Andrew Tucker (pictured), chief executive of Irwin Mitchell, attributes the firm’s strong financial performance to client engagement. [Clients] tell us our service is consistently good and distinctive. We have an extensive programme to enable us to really understand what our clients value which helps us deliver our services more effectively.’

Tucker said the firm is investing in its people with initiatives such as flexible working patterns and mental health training. ‘These and other initiatives are driving our growth in revenue and profit,’ he said.

During the financial year the firm added non-lawyer directors from IT, HR, marketing and operations to the executive board and promoted eight people to the partnership. The firm boasts a better gender balance than many, with 43% of Irwin Mitchell’s partnership now female.

The firm, which became an alternative business structure in 2012, also has a fast-growing Business Legal Services division which advises individuals, senior executives, growing businesses, sector leaders and overseas businesses in sectors including consumer business, education, manufacturing and technology.

Irwin Mitchell recently opened an office in Reading, growing its number of UK locations to 15, with the firm intending to invest in marketing and technology to grow further.

In May it was reported that the firm fired at least a dozen partners across the business. At the time a spokesperson said that following a review of the business, a small number of partners would be leaving the firm but did not confirm specific numbers.

Irwin Mitchell’s group companies include Ascent, a specialist law firm and financial services business focusing on debt recovery for banks and SMEs as well as IM Asset Management which provides financial planning and investment advice and has over £700m in funds under its management.

The rundown of this week’s top news stories.

1. Stock markets drop on new Trump China traffic [via BBC News]
2. Emma Watson launches workplace harassment legal advice line [via The Guardian]
3. Tesco to cut 4,500 jobs across 153 Metro stores [via BBC News]
4. Capital One data breach: Arrest after details of 106m people stolen [via BBC News
5. Barclays, RBS and other banks face £1bn forex rigging lawsuit [via The Guardian]
6. Just Eat agrees to combine with Takeaway.com in £8.2bn deal [via BBC News]
7. Mike Ashley wins race to buy Jack Wills [BBC News]
8. Boohoo buys Karen Millen and Coast for £18m [via BBC News]
9. Corporate raider speaks out on targeting UK firms [via BBC News]
10. HSF becomes latest Western firm to gain Chinese law capability through new Shanghai alliance
11. Dealwatch: US and UK outfits line up on Jack Wills sale, BT fleet group buy-out and Majestic Wine

Student survey Universum has rated The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as the number one employer for law students in the UK.

Universum surveyed 39,900 UK students across 97 universities. The results were gathered between September 2018 – February 2019 and 3,000 of the total respondents were law students.

The CPS earned five Lex 100 Winner medals in the 2018/19 survey for living up to expectations, work/life balance, confidence in being kept on, approachability and inclusivity. Lex 100 survey respondents praised their approachable colleagues and the inclusive culture: ‘everyone is approachable and willing to help, advise and support’. The fact that ‘there is flexibility within the CPS’, with recruits able to ‘choose which firm to spend the secondment period’ and occasionally ‘work from home’ also pleased the solicitors-in-training.

The CPS beat all five Magic Circle firms to claim the top spot. Clifford Chance, Slaughter and May and Allen & Overy were ranked fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, while Linklaters came seventh. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer did not make the top ten.

The Lex 100 2019/20 survey will be published in print and online on 25 September 2019. Sign up to our newsletter to be alerted when the results go live.

Ten-time Lex 100 Winner Mills & Reeve has seen another solid year of growth as revenue grew by 4.3%.

The firm announced a record turnover of £110.9 million this year, and is rewarding all full-time employees who have been with the firm for at least a year a £1,500 bonus.

The strong financial results top a successful year of accolades for Mills & Reeve, which included two awards for Law Firm of the Year.

The firm also launched a new website which unveiled a new visual brand identity, the aim of which is to showcase the firm’s collaborative and inclusive culture, as well as its cross-sector expertise.  

Managing partner Claire Clarke said: ‘It’s been another great year for Mills & Reeve and we are delighted that the hard work of everyone who works at the firm has been formally recognised through a number of major award wins and accolades.

‘The growth of the firm would not be possible without the hard work of our people in delivering outstanding service to our clients. We are also proud that our people and our culture remain front and centre of everything we do and are key to our success.’

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, RPC, Mayer Brown and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner were among the firms to enjoy a pre-summer deal rush this week as Sports Direct bought Jack Wills and private equity player Aurelius acquired BT’s fleet business.

Fried Frank advised high street clothing retailer Jack Wills on the buy-out of its UK businesses with a team led by restructuring and insolvency partner Ashley Katz and including corporate partner Dan Oates, finance partner Neil Caddy, real estate partner Patrick Williams and restructuring and insolvency partner Gary Kaplan.

The deal was the result of a restructuring and pre-packaged administration after Jack Wills fell into administration on Monday (August 5) and a team of KPMG administrators led by partners Will Wright and Chris Pole was appointed.

The £12.75m acquisition by Sports Direct includes acquiring stock, a distribution centre and 100 stores across the UK and Ireland. Owner Mike Ashley agreed to the takeover after winning the bid against Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group owner Philip Day. Last year House of Fraser was acquired in a similar pre-packaged administration deal by Sports Direct for £90m when it out-bid Philip Day.

Sports Direct is a long-standing client of RPC which advised on the takeover.

A Mayer Brown team led by Perry Yam advised Aurelius Equity Opportunities, the equity investment entity of Aurelius Group, on the acquisition of commercial fleet management operator BT Fleet Solutions from BT Group Plc.

Mayer Brown and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner worked on the transitional arrangements which will ensure that the carve-out from BT is successful, as well as the long-term outsourcing agreement between BT Group and BT Fleet Solutions. BT Fleet Solutions will continue to manage BT’s vehicle fleet nationally after the acquisition.

Co-leader of the global corporate & securities practice and private equity partner Perry Yam told Legal Business, ‘It’s an exciting opportunity for Auerelius to take on a non-core asset from BT and to retain BT as a customer.’

The BCLP team led by BT relationship partner Marcus Pearl and M&A partner Ben Lee advised BT Group.

Pearl, told Legal Business: ‘BT is seeking to focus more and more on investing in the best fixed and mobile networks in the UK and therefore the divestment of this non-core part of BT Group is very much part of its ongoing commitment to the core of its strategy.’

BCLP is a prominent member of BT’s panel and advises both BT and Openreach on strategic M&A, outsourcing, regulatory investigations and litigation and competition matters.

Meanwhile Allen & Overy and Hogan Lovells advised as Majestic Wine Plc agreed to sell its retail and commercial businesses to investment manager Fortress Investment Group.

The deal will see Fortress, which is owned by SoftBank, pay £95m for the businesses, which will continue to trade under the Majestic name. The deal is subject to European Commission antitrust clearance and Majestic shareholder approval. It is part of Majestic’s plan to focus on driving growth in its Naked Wines business.

The A&O team was led by corporate M&A partner Seth Jones with partners Alasdair Balfour and Nigel Parker advising on antitrust and commercial matters respectively. Tom Whelan, Hogan Lovells’ global head of private equity, advised Fortress on the deal.

Corporate partner Seth Jones told Legal Business ‘It’s a sector that is seeing rapidly changing consumer behaviour which is driving some of the deal activity we are seeing. 2019 has also seen an increase in private equity capital being deployed both in private M&A but also public takeovers. We’ve really seen private equity go after UK listed companies and deploy the capital that they’ve raised over the last few years and that’s really the stand-out trend for the first half of the year in the UK.’

Finally, Shoomiths is advising Malvern Group administrators KPMG following the announcement of the Group’s collapse last week (July 31). The corporate restructuring and advisory team is led by partner Sarah Teal and headed up nationally by James Keates. Malvern Group owns holiday brands Late Rooms and Super Break.