Hogan & Hartson is preparing to move its market-leading US real estate investment trusts (Reits) practice to London. The 16-partner practice is based primarily in Washington DC, although it has partners based in New York, North Virginia, Warsaw and Berlin. With this strategic move, Hogan & Hartson is aiming to take advantage of the fact that listed property investment companies are now being introduced in the UK. In the US, the firm has handled some of the largest Reits cases including the $8.9 billion acquisition of Trizec by Brookfield Properties.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Foley & Lardner Opens in Downtown L.A.
Foley & Lardner has expanded its Los Angeles operation with the addition of a downtown office to its existing Century City location. The new 53,000 square-foot office is located at 555 S. Flower St. in City National Plaza. The firm now has 20 offices worldwide with seven located in California. While the Century City office continues work in intellectual property and the entertainment industry, the downtown office will focus on its growing corporate and litigation practices.
Source: www.globest.com
ADR Providers’ Asia Alliance
Two large arbitration and mediation providers, California-based JAMS and the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, are joining forces to handle the increasingly international nature of disputes. JAMS is a for-profit company out of Irvine, CA and has more than 200 full-time neutrals in offices nationwide. Allied with the Hong Kong group, it will have access to more than 250 arbitrators and more than 200 accredited mediators on the Hong Kong nonprofit organization’s panels. The alliance will emphasize promoting the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Asia where it currently is not widely used.
Source: www.law.com
Canadian Firm Shuts Its Doors
Canadian firm Goodman and Carr decided to shut down operations after losing a number of partners last month. Over the past two years the firm has lost attorneys to competitors, but the failed merger talks with Baker & McKenzie that prompted several senior partners to leave seemed to be the last straw. The closing of this 90-lawyer firm is said to be Canada’s largest law firm closing, and possibly indicative of the stress on many mid-size firms. Large firms are increasing recruiting efforts of talent in mid-size firms, putting pressure on these firms to stay competitive and focused.
Source: www.theglobeandmail.com
Atlanta Firm Forms Green Business Group
Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP has formed a new legal group focusing on serving businesses in “green industries” including renewable energy, clean technology and green building and development. The Atlanta-based firm will focus its energies in serving businesses in capital formation, tax structuring, financing, patent and trademark, technology licensing and distribution, government contracting and sustainable development. Bruce Wobeck will serve as the Chair of the new group. Morris, Manning & Martin has offices in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and Princeton.
Source: www.primenewswire.com
Bingham Financial Restructuring Partners Move to Bracewell
Two partners from Bingham McCutchen’s Financial Restructuring group are moving to Bracewell & Giuliani. Robert D. Flaschen and Gregory W. Nye join the firm as partners in its New York office, and it is rumored that more Bingham financial restructuring attorneys will follow their lead. Flaschen and Nye represent hedge and private equity funds, institutional investors, secured lenders, insurance companies and other financial institutions, as well as acquirers of distressed assets in complex workouts and insolvency matters. Flaschen has been named twice to Euromoney’s list of the Top 25 “Best of the Best” insolvency lawyers in the world; he also was the only U.S. restructuring lawyer included in Asialaw’s “Leading Lawyers 2006.”
Source: www.lawfuel.com
Thelen Reid Hires in Shanghai
Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner has made another lateral hire in its Shanghai office, bringing its numbers there to 11. David Tang, a corporate of counsel, joins from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, and specializes in real estate finance and corporate work for foreign and Chinese companies. Other recent additions to the Shanghai office include Richard Chao, from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, and three new Chinese legal consultants. In order to accomodate the new hires, the firm has moved from a small temporary office to the Bund Center in the old financial district.
Source: www.law.com
Winstead Gains 12 More Jenkens’ Lawyers
Winstead has acquired 12 more Jenkens & Gilchrist lawyers, adding to the 18 they already hired from the San Antonio and Austin offices. Six of the new additions come from Winston’s Dallas headquarters; the other half are leaving the Austin office. Jenkens’ numbers have dropped to under 200 attorneys in recent weeks; it is rumored that most of the remaining Dallas lawyers will move to Hunton & Williams.
Source: www.law.com
Salary Increases in Delaware
Four firms in Wilmington, Delaware have recently increased their first-year associate salary. Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell and Potter Anderson & Corroon increased starting salaries across-the-board; first-year associates now make $145,000, up from $135,000. Richards Layton & Finger and Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor matched the $145,000 first-year salary, in addition to raising pay for all other full-time associates by $10,000. Potter Anderson also implemented at $10,000 raise for all assoicates; Morris Nichols’ pay increases were slightly more than $10,000 for more senior associates. The last time that salaries have increased in Wilmington was in April or 2006.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Ex-Congressman Joins Baker Hostelter in D.C.
Baker Hostelter has a new addition to its D.C. office. Former Ohio Representative, Michael Oxley, joins the firm’s government policy group as of counsel. Oxley served as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee from 2001 to 2006, and is known for his role as the co-author of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the 2002 corporate reform law Congress passed in response to the accounting scandals at Enron, WorldCom, and other companies. Oxley’s former chief of staff, James Conzelman, and his former speechwriter, Peggy Peterson, also are joining Oxley at Baker.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
