Written by John on 15 April 2013.
♦ Recent Deals ♦ Hong Kong, London, New York
Davis Polk is advising affiliates of Warburg Pincus and Alliance Tire Group in connection with the sale of Alliance Tire Group to affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., a global private equity firm. Certain existing shareholders, including the founding Mahansaria family, will continue to maintain an ownership stake in Alliance Tire Group. The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. Headquartered in Mumbai, Alliance Tire Group is a global developer, manufacturer and supplier of a wide range of off-highway tires. Founded in Israel in 1950, it employs more than 2,500 people worldwide and specializes in the development, manufacturing and marketing of tires for agriculture, forestry, construction, industrial, earth moving and OEM applications. Alliance Tire’s products are available in more than 120 countries and it sells under the brand names Alliance, Galaxy and Primex. Headquartered in New York, Warburg Pincus is a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing. The firm has more than $30 billion in assets under management and has raised 13 private equity funds, which have invested more than $40 billion in over 650 companies in more than 30 countries. The Davis Polk corporate team includes partners Kirtee Kapoor and Simon Witty and associate Winnie Ling. Partner John D. Paton and counsel Alon Gurfinkel are providing tax advice. Counsel Stephen M. Pepper and associate Rebecca Tracy Rotem are providing antitrust and competition advice. John T. Wright and associate Jessica Lutrin are providing executive compensation advice. Counsel Hayden S. Baker is providing environmental advice. Members of the Davis Polk team are based in the Hong Kong, New York, London and Washington DC offices.
Written by Editor on 09 September 2012.
♦ Moves News ♦ FCPA, London
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP is pleased to announce that the head of the U.K. Serious Fraud Office's (SFO) Bribery and Corruption and International Assistance Departments, Satnam Tumani, will join the litigation and dispute resolution practice of the Firm's London office, effective 24 September 2012. Mr. Tumani has more than 17 years of experience at the SFO, the lead U.K. prosecutor of major domestic and international fraud matters, including his most recent role as head of the bribery and corruption and international assistance departments. "Satnam is a fantastic addition to our London office and to our global government investigations and white collar defense practice. With the addition of Satnam, we will have former senior government enforcement officials and prosecutors across our offices in Europe, Asia and the United States; regions that are increasingly active and coordinated in global corruption and bribery investigations that may impact our clients," said Jeffrey C. Hammes, Chairman of Kirkland's Global Management Executive Committee. During his time at the SFO, Mr. Tumani has been closely involved in some of the most complex criminal fraud and corruption matters in the United Kingdom, including international and domestic corruption, investment fraud, company fraud, insider dealing, sanctions offences and market manipulation. He was responsible for dealing with concurrent jurisdiction cases pursuant to the protocol between the U.K. and U.S. Attorneys General and more generally with European and Australian enforcement agencies. He was also responsible for strategic engagement with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the City of London Police Overseas Anti-Corruption Unit. More recently, Satnam has been the joint SFO lead in respect of the U.K.'s criminal investigations into the alleged manipulation of LIBOR and related interest rates. "I am pleased to join Kirkland's renowned litigation and dispute resolution practice. The Firm's commitment to the global expansion of its government investigations, regulatory and enforcement practice was very attractive to me," said Mr. Tumani. "I am sorry to see Satnam leave the SFO. I greatly appreciate the significant contribution that Satnam has made to the SFO over many years. He leaves with my encouragement and support for his future career and I am sure he will be a great asset to Kirkland & Ellis," said Director of the SFO, David Green CB QC. Mr. Tumani is recognized as a leading authority on extradition, corporate and individual plea negotiations, concurrent jurisdiction, international joint investigation teams, the use of serious crime prevention orders and the cooperating defendant provisions of the Serious Organised Crime & Police Act. "The prosecution of corporate bribery and corruption is a relatively recent development in the U.K., and there are few prosecutors with Satnam's range of experience. We enthusiastically welcome him to Kirkland," said Chris Colbridge, a partner in Kirkland's dispute resolution practice in London. Mr. Tumani holds a law degree from Brunel University in London. After completing law school, he commenced his training contract at the SFO in 1998. Kirkland's Government, Regulatory and Internal Investigations Practice Group consists of nationally recognized attorneys in London, Shanghai and all six U.S. offices. The Firm regularly represents corporations and their executives in matters involving FCPA, securities, health care, environmental, tax, public corruption, antitrust and related areas, in addition to having conducted hundreds of comprehensive internal investigations. Kirkland attorneys have represented clients before international governing agencies, including the SFO, the FSA, the European Commission, and nearly every U.S. federal and state agency, including the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Association of Securities Dealers, and before administrative agencies and judicial and congressional review committees.
Written by Editor on 03 May 2012.
♦ Economic News, Market Updates ♦ Indonesia, Jakarta, London
As the global economy continues to improve, it has become more apparent than ever that businesses need savvy individuals to take care of international relations. Domestic law corporations are realizing that maximum profits rely on interactions with other countries, and due to the wide variety of cultural and professional differences, they are using legal recruitment agencies to hire international experts. This trend can be seen in many of the top international firms. For example, City A.M. reported on some of the biggest moves in the legal industry over the past few months. BNY Mellon hired a new head of marketing management for treasury services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while Asian law firm Minter Ellison appointed a new partner and leader of its London finance team. These were just two of many international relocations listed by the news source. Top-level executives were also being moved to other branches, which in turn led to openings in some very high-experience positions. In addition, Yahoo News affiliate The West reported Australian law firm Allens Arthur Robinson and UK-based Linklaters are considering several deals that will mutually benefit both organizations. One of the most important proposals involves expanding Allens Arthur Robinson's relationship with Indonesian firm Widyawan & Partners. According to the source, this will improve joint venture capacity in energy, resources and infrastructure in the greater Asian region. If you are targeting an opportunity abroad, consider finding an attorney headhunter to help you search the latest job postings. As evidenced by the proposed Allens-Linklaters deals, Asia is currently a hotbed of activity for the legal industry. If you are an expert in either Asian culture, law or politics, you should search the job listings offered by Kinney Recruiting to find a position that is right for you.
Written by Editor on 23 April 2012.
♦ Breaking BigLaw News ♦ Australia, London
In the legal profession, many partners decide to combine forces to deal with rapidly emerging markets. This could be due to a number of reasons - maybe a firm needs expertise in a complicated matter, or perhaps the added financial capital will allow for penetration in more diverse areas. Recently, several large law firms in Asia and Australia are mulling expansions of their business relationships to take advantage of the lucrative conditions in the Asian legal community. The Wall Street Journal reported Australia’s Allens Arthur Robinson and the U.K. Magic Circle firm Linklaters recently announced a business alliance designed to establish dominance in shared resources in the Asian market. "Arrangements will always be driven by our clients' wishes — they want access to the best people and teams," said Allens chief executive partner Michael Rose, according to the news source. "We believe our relationship with Linklaters will expand their options. Under this agreement clients will have access to the best expertise around the world through our extended teams and networks. In the next 20 years or so, the significant part of the world for growth is going to be Asia. Our clients are connecting Australia and Asia more than they ever have before." It is likely that these two firms will be looking for professionals that are experts in the intricacies of Asian law. Therefore, they will most likely be employing the assistance of Asia legal recruiting when searching for new employees. If you believe that you would classify as such a lawyer, contact a reliable attorney headhunter for the latest job postings and prerequisites for employment. These people can be instrumental in securing an interview or phone call, and this might be the difference between a successful application and a failed employment bid.
Written by John on 12 August 2011.
♦ Moves News ♦ London, Perth
International oil and gas specialist Anthony Patten will join Allens' growing Perth practice as a partner. Mr Patten, whose experience includes senior in-house counsel roles for Shell Gas and Power in London and Dubai, has been a London-based energy partner for Ashurst since 2008. 'Joining Allens is an opportunity to work in one of the most active energy markets in the world with a world-class energy and resources team,' Mr Patten said. 'With A$100 billion in expenditure already committed in the oil, gas and liquefied natural gas industries in Australia alone, the variety, complexity and quality of work is second to none in the Asia region.' Mr Patten said that while he was looking forward to growing the practice, he would be joining one that's already busy on a number of key projects. 'Allens is working on some of the largest oil and gas projects in Western Australia and on the groundbreaking development of floating LNG projects in South-East Asia. While I'm looking forward to working out of Perth, it's very much a practice with a regional and, indeed, a global outlook that fits perfectly my background and international experience.' Allens Chairman Ewen Crouch said Mr Patten is one of 14 internal and lateral partners already appointed to the firm this year. 'We've been investing in growth areas such as Western Australia, Queensland and Vietnam and our strategic practice areas such as resources,' Mr Crouch said. Allens Perth Practice Leader Andrew Pascoe said Mr Patten is the third partner appointed to the office within the past three months. 'Anthony joins resources specialist Jodi Reinmuth and litigation and insolvency expert Phillip Blaxill as recent partner appointments, along with recent senior lawyer appointments including projects Senior Associate Jeremy Quan-Sing,' Mr Pascoe said. The firm also recently appointed Special Counsel Debra Counsell from Clifford Chance to work in its Energy and Resources group, based in Melbourne. 'We've undertaken a global recruitment campaign for top talent and Anthony's quality and experience in the oil and gas sector will see us continue to grow one of the largest energy teams in the region,' said Mr Pascoe. Mr Patten began his career in the Allens Melbourne office before working for firms in the UK. He went on to an in-house role with Shell in London and then Dubai, before joining Ashurst in 2006. Allens has one of the largest energy and resources practices in Asia, with more than 20 partners advising on resources, mining, oil, gas, LNG and major projects.
