Search results for

The London-based law firm Linklaters has completed a merger with German legal group Oppenhoff & Rädler. The merger adds impetus to the firm's ambitious plan to create one of the largest legal firms in the world through a "multi-merger" between Linklaters and four other European firms.

Andrew Hickman Andrew Hickman, a senior member of the UK Inland Revenue's International Division, has joined the global transfer pricing group of KPMG. His decision to leave the Inland Revenue was prompted by a desire to undertake fresh challenges within the private sector.

The world's largest private bank, the Swiss financial group UBS, has bought PaineWebber, the fourth-largest client bank in the US, for $10.8 billion. The deal allows UBS to access PaineWebber's client assets, worth $475 billion.

Baker & McKenzie opens office in Guadalajara

Thomas Glynn Thomas Glynn, formerly a partner at Battle Fowler, has joined Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen in New York as partner. Glynn says his decision to leave Battle Fowler in June was prompted by its upcoming merger with Paul Hastings. He approached Wolf, Block at a time when they were actively recruiting senior tax advisers for the expansion of the New York office, and was impressed by the "vision of leadership and the character of integrity of the partners". He is particularly attracted by the breadth of work he will be undertaking, especially the challenges of predicting the changing rules of e-commerce. Glynn brings with him expertise across areas as diverse as complex mergers and acquisitions; corporate, municipal and real estate finance; public and private investment funds development; and corporate and real estate acquisitions, joint ventures and dispositions. At Wolf, Block he will concentrate on communications law, in particular the hi-tech aspects of real estate and internet incubator funds.

Ford cars has acquired Land Rover from German manufacturers BMW for Euro3 billion ($2.7 billion). Richard Ballard and Robert Kent of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer provided tax advice for Ford on the deal, while BMW turned to Isla Smith and John Challoner of Norton Rose.

The UK media group Pearson has appointed international law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius to represent it in the $2.5 billion acquisition of National Computer Systems. National Computer Systems (NCS) is a US educational services company that is the largest commercial processor of student assessment tests in the US, providing curriculum and financial management software to schools and online testing services. It will become a unit of Pearson Education in what is the largest-ever rights issue in the UK. Charles Engros led the Morgan Lewis team that advised Pearson in the negotiations, the tender offer for NCS shares and the US securities law aspects of the rights offering. Partners Greer Phillips and Richard Zarin, and associate Marco Belej provided tax advice.

Hannes Snellman Attorneys at Law

A & L Goodbody Solicitors

Managing the group treasury and tax for a plc is no mean task, but Darren Mee of David S Smith (Holdings) explains to Sharon Cunningham how he has achieved this while still maintaining a balance with his private life