Linklaters has stormed to the top of Mergermarket’s 2008 deal rankings, heading the value tables globally as well as in Europe, the U.K. and the Asia-Pacific region. The firm also boosted its position in the volume rankings — leading the tables in Europe and coming within the top three in the U.K. and globally, where DLA Piper topped the listings. The Magic Circle firm worked on 267 deals globally worth $728.5 billion to knock Sullivan & Cromwell off the top of the worldwide value rankings.
Posts on ‘January 8th, 2009’
New Jersey’s Sills Cummis Merges With New York’s Silverberg Goldsmith
Sills Cummis & Gross is merging with Silverberg Stonehill Goldsmith & Haber, another step in Sills Cummis’ plan to expand in New York. Silverberg Stonehill’s nine attorneys have moved into Sills Cummis’ New York office, bringing the attorney headcount there to 30, and to 165 throughout all three of the firm’s offices.
Three Corporate Partners From Dreier Stein Jump to Wildman Harrold
Three corporate partners at Dreier Stein Kahan Browne Woods George joined Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon this week, following the departures of 20 other Dreier Stein lawyers to form their own firm, and Dreier LLP’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Dec. 16. Federal prosecutors and the SEC claim that Marc Dreier masterminded an investment fraud of more than $100 million involving three hedge funds. Another 35 Dreier Stein attorneys are in discussions to merge with another firm.
Investor Running Out of Options to Avoid Paying $108 Million Judgment
A Florida court has handed a loss to socialite and real estate investor Thomas Kramer in his effort to stave off a $108 million judgment in Switzerland. The case centers on a dispute over an investment deal with Kramer’s former father-in-law, whom Kramer agreed to repay under an installment plan that included a Swiss forum selection clause. But the Swiss action straddled a change in law. Now, the Florida court has found that a judgment issued in Switzerland and affirmed by an appellate court “is stamped as final.”
Feds Seize $425,000 From Former DA Linked to Judicial Bribery Probe
Federal authorities have seized $425,000 from a former DA linked to the most sweeping judicial bribery investigation in Mississippi in years. While no formal charges have been made public against former Hinds County District Attorney Ed Peters, prosecutors have spelled out his alleged involvement in court documents. The federal investigation has already snagged several politically connected attorneys, including Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, who made a name for himself in the tobacco settlements of the 1990s.
Specter Says Obama Did Not Consult Him on DOJ Nominees
Key members of the Senate Intelligence Committee complained this week that they had no advance notice of President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. Sen. Arlen Specter, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, says Obama was equally tight-lipped with him about nominees for the Department of Justice. “You ought to seek the ranking member’s advice,” Specter said in an interview, noting that the DOJ nominations announced Monday took him by surprise.