Vargas Partners Newswatch: Europe Big Law news

Michavila Acebes Abogados hires Rocío Guerrero from Ceca Magán to lead labor

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Michavila Acebes Abogados has hired lawyer Rocío Guerrero, who comes from Ceca Magán. She will take charge of the direction and development of a strategic advisory area for companies; the headline describes it as the labor practice.

Confirmed · Europe

Freshfields advises HELM AG on sale of HELM Pharmaceuticals to Noucor

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Freshfields advised HELM AG on the sale of its finished dosage form business, HELM Pharmaceuticals, to Noucor. The team was led by Partner Steffen Kleefass (Corporate/M&A, Frankfurt), with partners from Antitrust, Tax, Commercial/IP and Employment Law, plus principal associates and associates across Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg and Düsseldorf.

Confirmed · Europe · Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf

Sources: Freshfields — news

Freshfields advises Banner Ridge on $280m acquisition of True Green Capital Fund III LP

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Freshfields advised Banner Ridge on acquiring limited partner interests representing about $280 million of capital commitments in True Green Capital Fund III, L.P., via a tender offer to existing investors. The transaction closed in September 2026. The team was led by Partner Ivet Bell; Partners Sarah Katz and David Nicolardi advised on tax and regulatory matters respectively.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Freshfields — news

Clifford Chance concentrates transactional practices in Madrid; litigation and IP stay in Barcelona

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Clifford Chance has decided to concentrate its transactional practices in the Madrid office, while the litigation and intellectual property area will continue operating from Barcelona.

Confirmed · Europe · Madrid, Barcelona

Bradley partner Buddy Cox elected to ACOEL Board of Regents

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Bradley announced that William S. "Buddy" Cox, a partner in its Birmingham office, was elected to the American College of Environmental Lawyers Board of Regents. He was inducted as an ACOEL Fellow in 2022 and will serve a two-year term on the 2026-2027 board.

Confirmed · Europe · Birmingham

Sources: Attorney at Law Magazine

Weil London corporate partner Max Oppenheimer to join Paul Weiss

hello@vargaspartners.com (Vargas Partners Newswatch) — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A single corporate partner follows a four-partner finance departure out of Weil's City office, the latest in a run of London exits.

Max Oppenheimer's move to Paul Weiss follows a four-partner finance departure at Weil

Max Oppenheimer, a corporate partner in Weil Gotshal's London office, is set to join Paul Weiss, according to Law.com International Edition, the latest in a run of departures from the firm's City practice.

His exit lands just after Tom Richards, who runs Weil's London leveraged finance practice, entered advanced talks to join Simpson Thacher & Bartlett with a team of partners, per Legal Business. Secondaries partner Charles Cooper-Isow is also moving to Simpson Thacher. Weil has seen more than 30 exits worldwide since January, with London described by Legal Business as a story in its own right.

The London departures began at senior level. Co-managing partner David Avery-Gee and UK corporate partner Sarah Flaherty are heading to Sullivan & Cromwell, with another M&A partner in exit talks, Law.com International Edition reported in September.

Paul Weiss grew its London office from three partners in 2023 to more than 40

Oppenheimer joins an office built almost entirely by lateral hiring. Paul Weiss had three partners in London in summer 2023 and has since reached roughly 35 to 52, per Scottish Legal News. Bloomberg Law put the headcount above 250 lawyers and over 40 partners, housed in 87,000 sq ft at 20 Air Street with plans to expand around 25 percent.

Neel Sachdev, who left Kirkland to co-head the office in August 2023, added more than 140 lawyers in eight months, Bloomberg Law reported. The firm has kept hiring since, taking Paul Foote from Simpson Thacher as head of European infrastructure M&A in January 2026 and Francesca Storey-Harris from Kirkland in November 2025, according to Nonbillable. Oppenheimer's corporate practice sits inside that private equity and infrastructure build-out.

Private equity, leveraged finance and corporate M&A drive the Weil exits

The departures cluster in private equity, leveraged and debt finance, and corporate M&A, the most contested practices in London, per Legal Business. Oppenheimer works in PE and corporate; Richards leads leveraged finance. Those are exactly the areas US firms have spent most to capture: private equity partner hiring nearly doubled across 2025 trackers, Scottish Legal News reported, the single biggest driver of American expansion in the City.

That spending has moved pay. Heavy US investment has distorted compensation, with some London partners doubling or tripling their numbers on a move, per Scottish Legal News. Paul Weiss has the balance sheet for it: 2023 revenue of $2 billion, up 11 percent, with average partner compensation around $3.75 million, according to Bloomberg Law. The firm runs a black box compensation system that widens the pay spread to recruit rainmakers, Scottish Legal News noted.

Weil has lost more than 30 partners since January across London and New York

The outflow isn't confined to one office. In New York, private equity co-head Christopher Machera left for Paul Weiss with five others, including Timothy Burns, Noah Beck and Amanda Rotkel, per Above the Law. Corporate department chair Michael Aiello went to Cravath with M&A co-head Matthew Gilroy and four more, Bloomberg Law reported. London finance partners Chris McLaughlin, Alastair McVeigh and Jenny Choi moved to Sullivan & Cromwell, and a restructuring trio went to Akin, per Above the Law.

Weil is backfilling, hiring PE partners from Dechert and Kirkland and welcoming back a Freshfields private credit co-leader, the same report noted. The firm has also held preliminary talks on a possible merger, though it says it "is not engaged in merger discussions with any firm," per Bloomberg Law.

Paul Weiss has been called a new apex predator targeting London's top-tier firms, mostly Kirkland, for talent, per Global Legal Post. Oppenheimer adds one more Weil partner to Paul Weiss, which earlier took the six-partner New York private equity team around Christopher Machera, while the London finance teams left for other firms. Across a market that saw 546 partner hires in 2024, up from 480 two years earlier per Scottish Legal News, citing recruiter Edwards Gibson, the Weil exits concentrate in the practices where that hiring is heaviest.

Sources: Law.com — International Edition, Legal Business, Legal Business, Law.com International Edition, Scottish Legal News, Bloomberg Law, Nonbillable, Above the Law, Bloomberg Law, Global Legal Post

Two Freshfields New York private capital partners leaving, understood to be joining Debevoise

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Two Freshfields New York private equity partners are leaving the firm, less than three years after joining from Latham & Watkins. Private capital co-head Neal Reenan and US private capital head Ian Bushner arrived from Latham in March 2024. They are understood to be moving to Debevoise.

Confirmed · Europe · New York, London

Sources: Legal Business, Law.com — The American Lawyer

Squair hires Nina Khalfi as partner in Paris

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Squair is strengthening its IT and personal data and its intellectual property, media and entertainment teams in Paris with the arrival of Nina Khalfi as partner (associée).

Confirmed · Europe · Paris

Sources: Le Monde du Droit — Nominations, Décideurs Juridiques — Nominations

Quinn Emanuel settles fee dispute with Union Bank, one of at least eight since

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Quinn Emanuel's settlement with Union Bank is one of at least eight fee disputes the firm has pursued against clients or former clients since late 2023.

Confirmed · Europe

Paul Hastings advises Blackfuel on its European launch

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Paul Hastings (Europe) LLP advised Blackfuel, an AI compute infrastructure and inference platform, from its creation and on its European launch. The team is led by partner Xavier Petet and Of Counsel Valentin Morichon, with US support and a London partner on financing.

Confirmed · Europe · London

Novara launches global disputes and regulatory practice led by new partner Tony Andriotis

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Novara launched a global disputes and regulatory practice led by newly hired partner Tony Andriotis, who will divide his time between Tokyo and New York. He joins from DLA Piper, where he spent six years and led the international arbitration practice in Japan.

Confirmed · Europe · Tokyo, New York, London

Sources: Law.asia

Irwin Mitchell faces ownership problem as departed partners hold over half its equity

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The U.K. firm laid groundwork for an IPO but later abandoned the idea. More than half of its equity is now owned largely by partners who have left. The question is how to solve this without creating a bigger problem.

Confirmed · Europe

Görg advises insolvent Vivonio on sale of fm Büromöbel to Orlando Capital

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Görg, led by Hamburg partner Jan-Henric M. Punte, advised Vivonio group on selling all shares in fm Büromöbel GmbH to Orlando Capital. The seller, Vivonio Furniture GmbH, is insolvent.

Confirmed · Europe · Hamburg, Köln

Gaona admits María Ángeles Ugalde as partner, reaching 20 equity partners

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

María Ángeles Ugalde, until now Of Counsel, joins Gaona's partnership, which reaches 20 equity partners. The decision was taken at a general partners' meeting held in Málaga. It strengthens the firm's presence in Extremadura, where it has an office in Badajoz.

Confirmed · Europe · Málaga, Sevilla, Badajoz

Sources: Lawyerpress

Freshfields advises Phoenix Tower International on Spanish-law aspects of $6.5bn financing

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Freshfields advised Phoenix Tower International (PTI) on the Spanish-law aspects of a $6.5 billion multi-jurisdictional financing. The financing is described as the largest of its kind for a privately held telecom tower company. It will refinance existing debt and fund future investments and acquisitions.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Lawyerpress

Fish & Richardson hires Noerr's Armin Kühne as principal in Munich

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Armin Kühne joins Fish & Richardson's Munich office as a principal, a role equivalent to salary partner. He joins from Noerr, where he spent ten years, most recently as associate partner. He has SEP and life sciences litigation experience.

Confirmed · Europe · Munich

Sources: JUVE Patent

Debevoise and Paul Weiss lead on Schneider Electric's $22.6bn acquisition of PTC

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Paul Weiss and Debevoise & Plimpton have taken the lead roles as Schneider Electric agrees to acquire PTC for $22.6bn in an all-cash acquisition. Debevoise is leading on the buy side. Paul Weiss head Barshay is on the sell-side team.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Legal Business

CMS Francis Lefebvre hires Christophe Pourreau as tax partner

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CMS Francis Lefebvre announced the arrival of Christophe Pourreau, a conseiller d'Etat en disponibilité and former director of tax legislation at the economy and finance ministry. He joins as partner in the tax department, advising corporate and executive clients on domestic and international tax.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Le Monde du Droit — Nominations

Clifford Chance, Freshfields and DLA Piper advise on BT's £400m TalkTalk acquisition

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Clifford Chance is advising BT on its acquisition of TalkTalk. Freshfields and DLA Piper are advising on the sell side. BT buys TalkTalk's consumer and wholesale operations out of administration for around £400m.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Legal Business

Baker Tilly adds Mayer Brown partner Carlos Robles y Zepf to Frankfurt Corporate/M&A practice

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Baker Tilly is strengthening its Corporate/M&A practice in Frankfurt. Carlos Robles y Zepf (47) is joining as a partner from Mayer Brown. The hire is described as part of a broader expansion of the firm's transaction advisory work.

Confirmed · Europe · Frankfurt

Sources: JUVE

Andersen advises Reinsberg Group on acquisition of Grupo Tedisel

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Andersen advised Reinsberg Group, BHM Group's vehicle for healthcare investment, on acquiring the companies of Grupo Tedisel, a maker of medical equipment for intensive care units, critical care areas, hospital wards and operating rooms. The team was led by Federico Belausteguigoitia, partner and co-head of Mercantil/M&A.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Lawyerpress

Big Law Weekly: Europe, 28 September – 4 October 2026

hello@vargaspartners.com (Vargas Partners Newswatch) — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Stephenson Harwood and Taylor Wessing weigh a £500m merger as US firms take London and continental partners at WilmerHale and Paul Weiss.

Stephenson Harwood and Taylor Wessing spent the week in early-stage talks over a combination, while US firms kept pulling partners out of London and the Continent. The two are discussing a single-profit-pool merger of about £500m across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, with a partnership vote targeted for the end of 2026 and completion on 1 May 2027, The Global Legal Post reported.

Across the City, WilmerHale rebuilt its disputes practice with two senior hires, a Weil corporate partner prepared to join Paul Weiss, and A&O Shearman added partners in secondaries and patents.

Stephenson Harwood and Taylor Wessing weigh a £500m merger across Europe, the Middle East and Asia

The talks come months after Taylor Wessing's own restructuring. Its UK, Dutch, Irish and Belgian arms broke away in June 2026 to form Winston Taylor, a £1.2bn, 1,400-lawyer transatlantic firm, with Winston & Strawn, RollOnFriday reported. What remained is an independent European Taylor Wessing of about 700 lawyers across 16 offices.

The financials are modest. Stephenson Harwood's revenue fell 2% to £303m in 2025/26 and profit dropped 12% to £105m, while Taylor Wessing's German offices booked €243m for 2025, Legal Business reported. Stephenson Harwood had earlier framed organic and bolt-on European growth, including a return to Madrid, as an alternative to a full US merger.

The firm is also losing people as it talks. A&O Shearman's two new global secondaries co-heads, Gabriel Boghossian and Sarah de Ste Croix, came from Stephenson Harwood, The Global Legal Post reported.

WilmerHale, Paul Weiss and Sullivan & Cromwell take London partners from Clifford Chance, Cooley and Weil

WilmerHale hired Clifford Chance's UK commercial disputes head Jeremy Kosky as its disputes practice head, alongside Cooley's arbitration chair Charlie Lightfoot, months after a disputes team left WilmerHale for King & Spalding, Legal Business reported.

Weil faced further London losses. A UK corporate partner is set to join Paul Weiss, following an impending four-partner finance departure. London co-managing partner and M&A head David Avery-Gee and a cluster of finance partners are moving to Sullivan & Cromwell, part of more than 30 exits worldwide since January 2026, LawFuel reported.

Other London hires ran the same way. Haynes Boone added Louise Woods as a partner and Chair of International Disputes, Pulse 2.0 reported. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer added a team head from Sidley, its second London lateral of the week into life sciences, and hired life sciences regulatory partner Marie Manley, Legal Desire reported.

The pattern has a longer record. US firms took 80% of 129 private equity partner moves in London since 2020, with 21 in the first half of 2025, Law.com reported, and Edwards Gibson counted 668 announced London partner moves in 2025, about 21% above the prior record, Nonbillable reported. Mayer Brown and Latham & Watkins both added London partners this year to build private equity and leveraged finance platforms.

Jones Day, Weil and DLA Piper hire in Milan, Frankfurt and Vienna

Continental hiring ran in parallel.

In Germany, Weil added David Jansen as a private equity partner in Frankfurt, extending a German build-out across financial regulation and secondaries, Legal Business reported, and CMS hired financial markets specialist Tobias Bauerfeind in Frankfurt from Ashurst, LTO reported. In Vienna, DLA Piper appointed Carmen Redmann as a finance partner from Taylor Wessing, effective 1 October, Extrajournal reported. A&O Shearman took DLA Piper's leading European patent partner Constanze Krenz, JUVE Patent reported.

France and Spain saw partner moves and new boutiques. King & Spalding hired disputes partner Julie Chapuy in Paris with her team, Le Monde du Droit reported; Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier added partners Philippe Guibert and Alexandre Eberhardt, Décideurs Juridiques reported; and Franklin added restructuring partner Arnaud Moussatoff, Le Monde du Droit reported. In Spain, Andersen Iberia integrated Martín & Parés to add litigation partners Eva López Parés and Víctor J. Martín in Barcelona, Lawyerpress reported, while Uría Menéndez alumni Rafael Sebastián and María Noguera launched the M&A and restructuring boutique Noguera Sebastián in Madrid, Lawyerpress reported.

Covington elects 15 partners including Marc Norman in Dubai, KWR promotes five in Vienna

Covington elected 15 new partners across five offices, including Marc Norman in Dubai, Pulse 2.0 reported. In Austria, KWR Karasek Wietrzyk promoted five counsel to partner in Vienna, including energy team head Sarina Illo Ortner, Extrajournal reported. Read more.

Wim Dejonghe launches flat-fee firm Falcon as CMS cuts UK business services

The week also brought a new model and a cost cut. Wim Dejonghe, former global senior partner of Allen & Overy, co-founded Falcon, a Belgium-based, AI-native firm built on flat fees that plans to charge €1,000 to review six high-friction contracts, with work checked by a lawyer; he argues technology will accelerate "the death of the billable hour", Legal Business and Legal IT Insider reported. CMS began cutting its UK business services teams as it moves toward greater use of technology, with no headcount given, Legal Business reported.

Rankings and financials showed the established order. Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and Linklaters took the most top-tier London rankings in the latest Legal 500 UK research, Legal Business reported, and Germany's 100 largest commercial firms passed €11bn in revenue, with Freshfields the leader and Gleiss Lutz and Latham recording double-digit growth, LTO reported.

The European market is moving two ways at once. Mid-sized firms are discussing consolidation under flat or falling profits, while US and global firms add partners in London, Frankfurt, Milan, Vienna and Paris, concentrated in private equity, disputes, finance and life sciences.

The full list of the week's moves is on the Europe week page.

Sources: Legal Business, Legal Business, Pulse 2.0 — Law, Legal IT Insider, Legal Business, Law.com — International Edition, JUVE Patent, Legal Business, Pulse 2.0 — Law, Décideurs Juridiques — Nominations, Le Monde du Droit — Nominations, Law.com — International Edition, LTO — Kanzleien & Unternehmen, Legal Business, Legal Desire, Lawyerpress, Extrajournal (Austria), Le Monde du Droit — Nominations, Lawyerpress, Extrajournal (Austria), Legal Business, LTO — Kanzleien & Unternehmen, The Global Legal Post, RollOnFriday, LawFuel, The Global Legal Post, Law.com, Nonbillable, Mayer Brown, Latham & Watkins

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader advised Andera Partners on its acquisition of Sotralu group

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader advised Andera Partners on the acquisition of the Sotralu group, a European maker of high-end aluminium joinery solutions. The team spanned corporate, tax, restructuring and financing, with partners Stéphane Huten, Philippe Druon and Alexander Premont named. Sotralu was founded in 1978 and has about 200 employees.

Confirmed · Europe

Gide advises CRPN on sale of Seine Saint-Germain office building to Brownfields

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Gide advised the Caisse de Retraite complémentaire du Personnel Navigant Professionnel de l'Aéronautique Civile (CRPN) on the sale to Brownfields of the Seine Saint-Germain office building in Issy-les-Moulineaux. The Gide team on the real estate aspects was Antoine Mary, associé, and Cécile Régnier, collaboratrice senior.

Confirmed · Europe · Issy-les-Moulineaux

Zadal adds José Magán Ayuso as banking and finance partner

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Zadal has added José Magán Ayuso as a partner in its banking and finance area. The department now has three partners, expanding its advice on national and international financing operations.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Economist & Jurist

WilmerHale hires Clifford Chance disputes head Kosky and a Cooley counterpart in London

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

WilmerHale made two senior hires in London to rebuild its City disputes bench after the recent exit of a large team of partners. Jeremy Kosky, Clifford Chance's UK commercial disputes head, will join as disputes practice head. The headline says the second hire comes from Cooley.

Confirmed · Europe · London

Sources: Law.com — International Edition, Legal Business

Weil's London office receives recognition in Legal 500 UK 2026

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Title states Weil receives recognition across the London office in Legal 500 UK 2026. No further details provided.

Confirmed · Europe · London

Sources: Weil — latest articles sitemap

Weil hires senior London finance partner to expand funds and capital solutions offering

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Weil has hired a senior finance partner in London. The hire is described as expanding the firm's funds and capital solutions offering. The partner's name is not given in the text.

Confirmed · Europe · London

Sources: Weil — latest articles sitemap

Weil Gotshal UK corporate partner set to join Paul Weiss

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A UK corporate partner at Weil Gotshal is set to join Paul Weiss. The exit follows news of an impending four-partner finance team departure in London.

Read the full article →

Confirmed · Europe

Weil adds David Jansen as partner in Frankfurt private equity practice

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Weil, Gotshal & Manges announced that Dr. David Jansen will join its Frankfurt office as a partner in the Private Equity practice, expanding German capabilities across financial regulation, asset management, private equity transactions and secondaries.

Confirmed · Europe · Frankfurt

Sources: The Global Legal Post, Legal Business, Pulse 2.0 — Law

Uría Menéndez lawyers launch M&A and restructuring boutique Noguera Sebastián in Madrid

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Rafael Sebastián and María Noguera, both from Uría Menéndez, founded Noguera Sebastián, an independent boutique based in Madrid. Its practice covers corporate transactions, financing, company law, real estate and financial distress situations.

Confirmed · Europe · Madrid

Sources: Lawyerpress, Economist & Jurist

Top rankings in Chambers Global Guide 2026

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The firm's own site posts a title stating top rankings in the Chambers Global guide 2026. No further detail is given.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap

Top ranking in Legal 500 EMEA 2025

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The firm's own site posts a title stating a top ranking in Legal 500 EMEA 2025. No further detail is given.

Confirmed · Europe

Top ranking in Chambers Partners High Net Worth Guide 2025

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The firm's own site posts a title stating a top ranking in the Chambers Partners High Net Worth guide 2025. No further detail is given.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap

Top ranking in Chambers Global 2024 rankings

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The firm's own site posts a title stating a top ranking in the Chambers Global 2024 rankings. No further detail is given.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap

Top ranking in Chambers Europe 2025

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The firm's own site posts a title stating a top ranking in Chambers Europe 2025. No further detail is given.

Confirmed · Europe

Tobias Bauerfeind joins CMS in Frankfurt as partner from Ashurst

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Tobias Bauerfeind is joining CMS in Frankfurt as a partner. He is a financial markets law specialist. The title describes him as a senior associate at Ashurst; the summary names his previous firm as Ashurst Perkins Coie.

Confirmed · Europe · Frankfurt

Sources: LTO — Kanzleien & Unternehmen

Stephenson Harwood in merger talks with Taylor Wessing

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Stephenson Harwood is in talks over a merger with Taylor Wessing, following the latter's breakaway from the transatlantic firm now known as Winston Taylor. Taylor Wessing became an independent European firm in June after its UK arm merged with US firm Winston & Strawn.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: JUVE, Law.com — The American Lawyer, Law.com network — Legal News (FeedBlitz), Legal Business

SBL appoints Johanna Segalis as partner in tax department

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Law firm SBL announced Johanna Segalis has been made associée (partner) in its tax department, alongside Philippe Schmidt, the firm's founding partner.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Le Monde du Droit — Nominations

Recognised in Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Guide 2024, seventh year running

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The firm's own site posts a title stating recognition in the Chambers and Partners High Net Worth guide 2024 for the seventh year in a row. No further detail is given.

Confirmed · Europe

Proskauer welcomes Edouard de Rancher as new partner in tax department

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Proskauer has taken on a new partner, Edouard de Rancher, in its tax department. The source gives no prior firm, location or date.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Le Monde du Droit — Nominations, Décideurs Juridiques — Nominations

Morgan Lewis advises Biolevate on Series A fundraising

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Morgan Lewis advises Biolevate on its Series A fundraising round.

Confirmed · Europe

Mollo acquires majority of Ruini Marco Group; legal and financial advisors named

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Pirola Pennuto Zei & Associati, Studio S.L.A. & Partners, Studio Legale Sutich Barbieri Sutich and Deloitte Legal advised on the sale of a majority of Ruini Marco Group to Mollo. Pirola Corporate Finance was exclusive financial advisor to the selling shareholder.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: TopLegal

Mills & Reeve keeps 26 of 29 autumn qualifiers

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Mills & Reeve kept 26 of 29 autumn qualifiers. The summary gives a figure of 90%.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Legal Cheek

Mérimée Avocats adds Sarah Madi as partner to create IP/IT department

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Mérimée Avocats, founded in 2021 by Pauline Borczuch, announced the arrival of Sarah Madi as a new partner (associée) to create its IP/IT department. She previously practised at Reed Smith, Simmons & Simmons and Blanche Avocats.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Décideurs Juridiques — Nominations, Le Monde du Droit — Nominations

McDermott Will & Schulte advises Shine on acquisition of Libeo

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

McDermott Will & Schulte is advising Shine in connection with its acquisition of Libeo.

Confirmed · Europe

McDermott Will & Schulte advises Schneider Electric on voluntary takeover offer for Shelly Group

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

McDermott Will & Schulte is advising Schneider Electric on its voluntary public takeover offer for Shelly Group.

Confirmed · Europe

McDermott Will & Schulte advises Mérieux NutriSciences on Certified Group acquisition

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

McDermott Will & Schulte advises Mérieux NutriSciences on its acquisition of Certified Group.

Confirmed · Europe

Maximilian Kind moves from Freshfields to Noerr's Hamburg office

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Maximilian Kind is joining Noerr and will be part of the team in its Hamburg office. He is a Rechtsanwalt (lawyer) who was previously at Freshfields. The headline says Noerr is strengthening its private equity practice.

Confirmed · Europe · Hamburg

Sources: LTO — Kanzleien & Unternehmen

Loyens Loeff in the Legal 500 2024 EMEA rankings

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The firm's own site posts a title referring to Loyens Loeff in the Legal 500 2024 EMEA rankings. No further detail is given.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap

Loyens Loeff earns top rankings in Chambers Partners HNW Guide 2023

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The firm's own site posts a title stating Loyens Loeff earns top rankings in the Chambers Partners HNW guide 2023. No further detail is given.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap

Loyens Loeff affirms leading position in Chambers Partners Europe 2023 rankings

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The firm's own site posts a title stating Loyens Loeff affirms its leading position with the Chambers Partners Europe 2023 rankings. No further detail is given.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap

Loyens & Loeff shortlisted for Chambers Europe Awards 2026

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The firm's own site states it is shortlisted for the Chambers Europe Awards 2026. No categories or further detail are given.

Confirmed · Europe

Loyens & Loeff reports top scores in Legal 500 2019 rankings

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Loyens & Loeff reports top scores in the Legal 500 2019 rankings.

Confirmed · Europe

Loyens & Loeff reports excellent results in Chambers Europe 2019 rankings

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Loyens & Loeff reports excellent results in the Chambers Europe 2019 rankings.

Confirmed · Europe

Loyens & Loeff reports excellent results in Chambers Global 2020 rankings

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Loyens & Loeff reports excellent results in the Chambers Global 2020 rankings.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap

Loyens & Loeff Belgium ranked in Legal 500 EMEA 2020

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Loyens & Loeff Belgium is ranked in the Legal 500 EMEA 2020.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Loyens & Loeff — sitemap, Loyens & Loeff — sitemap

Lieke van der Velden joins Loyens & Loeff as corporate M&A partner

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Lieke van der Velden joins Loyens & Loeff as a corporate M&A partner, per the page title. No further details are provided, including her previous firm and date.

Confirmed · Europe

Lexington's Moray McLaren on star partner pay and what partnership co-ownership means

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion piece. Lateral hiring is described as reaching new heights, with guarantees passing $40m. Lexington's Moray McLaren argues the real choice for partnerships is not how much to pay stars but what it means to be a co-owner.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: The Global Legal Post

Legal Cheek publishes data on UK top firms' 2027 newly qualified solicitor pay

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Legal Cheek published exclusive data on what the UK's top law firms are paying newly qualified solicitors in 2027. The excerpt names no firms and gives no figures.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Legal Cheek

Legal Business profiles how Sidley Austin built private capital work from insurance roots

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Perry Shwachman, a Legal 500 Hall of Famer for non-contentious insurance, was instructed in 2008 to act on the formation of a new insurance carrier aspiring to become a leading retirement services company. The transaction proved pivotal for him and Sidley Austin.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Legal Business

Legal 500 takes site down after accidentally publishing negative barrister reviews

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Legal 500 took its site down for "maintenance" after negative reviews were mistakenly published alongside its top lawyer rankings. The publisher evaluates law firms, solicitors and barristers across 100 countries. The article quotes the phrase "It's a s**t show".

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: City A.M.

Legal 500 site taken down after negative barrister review fiasco

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The Legal 500 site was taken down after a negative review fiasco. One barrister was described as 'adequate but disorganised and indecisive', while another was said to offer 'nothing of note'.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Law Society Gazette

Legal 500 apologises for publishing harsh barrister reviews in website update error

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Legal 500 apologised after publishing very harsh reviews of barristers because of an error in a website update, according to Legal Cheek.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Legal Cheek

LCA hires Francesca Villa from Chiomenti as Rome corporate M&A partner

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

LCA announces Francesca Villa as partner in its Corporate M&A department in the Rome office. She comes from Chiomenti, where she was of counsel. She has over fifteen years of experience in private equity and M&A transactions, domestic and cross-border.

Confirmed · Europe · Rome

Sources: TopLegal — Lateral

KWR Karasek Wietrzyk promotes five counsel to partner in Vienna

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

KWR Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte promotes five counsel into the partnership, including the head of the energy team. The firm says this strengthens public business law, construction and real estate, procurement, dispute resolution and energy. Sarina Illo Ortner, on the energy team since 2014, is among the new partners.

Confirmed · Europe · Vienna

KPMG names Konstantin von Busekist global head of legal services, replacing Stuart Bedford

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

KPMG appointed Konstantin von Busekist, described as a company veteran, as new global head of legal services, replacing outgoing legal head Stuart Bedford. Bedford joined KPMG in 2023 from Ahren Innovation Capital, where he was general counsel for just over a year.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Legal Business

King & Spalding hires Julie Chapuy as partner in Paris with her team

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

King & Spalding is expanding its Paris practice by recruiting Julie Chapuy as partner (associée). She specialises in complex disputes, notably financial and corporate, and joins with her team. The source gives no prior firm.

Confirmed · Europe · Paris

Sources: Le Monde du Droit — Nominations, Décideurs Juridiques — Nominations

Juve: Germany's top 100 firms exceed €11bn revenue; Freshfields leads

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

According to Juve, the 100 largest commercial law firms in Germany generated more than €11 billion in the last financial year. Freshfields remains revenue leader. Gleiss Lutz and Latham recorded double-digit growth rates.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: LTO — Kanzleien & Unternehmen, Bluesky — Big Law search

Jones Day adds Luigi Verga and Giulio Politi as Milan corporate partners

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Luigi Verga and Giulio Politi will join Jones Day as partners in the Corporate division, working from the Milan office. Both come from Freshfields. Verga's practice focuses on private equity and public and private M&A.

Confirmed · Europe · Milan

Sources: TopLegal — Lateral

Jeantet welcomes Luca Chevallier as new partner in intellectual property

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Jeantet welcomes Luca Chevallier as a new partner in its intellectual property department. The excerpt does not state his previous firm.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Décideurs Juridiques — Nominations

HSF Kramer adds Sidley team head in London, its second lateral this week

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

HSF Kramer has added a team head from Sidley in London, its second London lateral this week. The addition is the latest hire into the firm's life sciences practice. The individual is not named in the item.

Confirmed · Europe · London

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader loses tax partner to Proskauer

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader has lost a tax partner to Proskauer. It is the latest legacy Cadwalader partner to leave since the firm's merger went live at the beginning of July.

Confirmed · Europe

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader assists Credem on renewal of €1 billion commercial paper programme

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader assisted Credito Emiliano (Credem) in updating and renewing its multi-currency commercial paper programme of one billion euros. The programme was originally set up in 2023 to diversify funding sources. The title also names Chiomenti, but the summary does not describe its role.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: TopLegal

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader advises Groupe VALOREM on refinancing of 192 MW portfolio

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader is advising Groupe VALOREM on a refinancing of nearly EUR220 million for a multi-asset portfolio of 192 MW in France.

Confirmed · Europe

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader advises EDF on hybrid bond liability management; White & Case advises

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader advised EDF on a buyback offer for perpetual super-subordinated social bonds, with €150 million nominal repurchased, and a new €1 billion perpetual super-subordinated green bond issue. White & Case LLP advised the banks. The team was Sharon Lewis and Vincent Fidelle (partners) and Amandine Guillin (associate).

Confirmed · Europe

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader advises Activa on its reinvestment in Arche MC2

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader is advising Activa in connection with its reinvestment in Arche MC2.

Confirmed · Europe

Heuking hires employment partner Christian Driessen-Rolf from McDermott in Frankfurt

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Employment lawyer Dr. Christian Driessen-Rolf has been an equity partner at Heuking in Frankfurt since October. He moved from McDermott Will & Schulte, where he had been a partner since 2019.

Confirmed · Europe · Frankfurt

Sources: JUVE

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer hires life sciences regulatory partner Marie Manley in London

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (HSF Kramer) has hired Marie Manley as a life sciences regulatory partner in London. The source gives no prior firm.

Confirmed · Europe · London

Sources: Legal Desire

Haynes Boone adds Louise Woods as partner and Chair of International Disputes in London

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Haynes Boone has added Louise Woods as a partner and Chair of International Disputes in its London office, strengthening the firm's international arbitration and energy disputes capabilities.

Confirmed · Europe · London

Sources: Pulse 2.0 — Law

Goodwin advises Libeo on its acquisition by Shine

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Goodwin is advising Libeo in connection with its acquisition by Shine.

Confirmed · Europe

Gleiss Lutz advises Hornbach on purchase of six Hellweg DIY store sites

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Gleiss Lutz advised Hornbach Baumarkt AG on acquiring six store sites from insolvent German DIY chain Hellweg, per a press release. The six stores are due to open as new Hornbach locations in spring 2027.

Confirmed · Europe

Gide advises bank syndicate on Orange's €4.1 billion multi-tranche bond issue

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Gide advised the bank syndicate on Orange's multi-tranche bond issue of €4.1 billion.

Confirmed · Europe

Franklin hires Arnaud Moussatoff as partner in restructuring team

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Franklin announced the arrival of Arnaud Moussatoff as partner in its restructuring team. He is accompanied by Allan Ghosn, an associate (collaborateur).

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Le Monde du Droit — Nominations

Former A&O global senior partner Wim Dejonghe co-founds AI-native firm Falcon

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Wim Dejonghe, former global senior partner of Allen & Overy, has co-founded Falcon, a new AI-native law firm built on a flat-fee model. He argues technology will accelerate 'the death of the billable hour'. Falcon plans to charge a flat €1,000 for review of six high-friction contracts.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Legal IT Insider, Legal Business

Former A&O and Freshfields lawyers launch AI-native European firms

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Law.com reports that former A&O and Freshfields lawyers have launched AI-native European firms. Falcon's founders argue the billable hour rewards time spent rather than problems solved, making it nearly impossible for traditional firms to embrace AI-driven efficiency.

Confirmed · Europe

Ex-A&O senior partner Wim Dejonghe launches Belgium-based AI-native law firm

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Wim Dejonghe, described as an ex-A&O senior partner, has launched an AI-native law firm. The Belgium-based start-up will charge clients a flat fee for contract reviews, with work checked by a lawyer.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: The Global Legal Post

Eversheds keeps 31 of 38 autumn qualifiers

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Eversheds has kept 31 of its 38 autumn qualifiers, a retention rate of 82%.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Legal Cheek

Dorean Avocats hires Franck-Olivier Klein as partner in real estate

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Dorean Avocats is strengthening its real estate law department with the arrival of Franck-Olivier Klein as partner (associé).

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Décideurs Juridiques — Nominations

DLA Piper advises Omio on acquisition of Rail Europe

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

DLA Piper advised Omio on its acquisition of Rail Europe.

Confirmed · Europe

Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier welcomes two partners with four associates

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Philippe Guibert and Alexandre Eberhardt join Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier as partners (associés), accompanied by their four collaborateurs. The source gives no prior firm, practice area or location.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Décideurs Juridiques — Nominations, Le Monde du Droit — Nominations

Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier advises Hivest Capital Partners on sale of Rail Europe

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier advised Hivest Capital Partners on the sale of Rail Europe to Omio Group.

Confirmed · Europe

Covington promotes 15 lawyers to partner, including Marc Norman in Dubai

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Covington has promoted 15 new lawyers to its partnership. Marc Norman takes the partnership role in the firm's Dubai office. Covington chair Doug Gibson said the new partners practice across a range of areas critical to clients.

Confirmed · Europe · Dubai, Brussels, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC

Sources: The Oath (Middle East), Pulse 2.0 — Law

CMS Francis Lefebvre advises Sotralu management on acquisition by Andera Partners

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CMS Francis Lefebvre advised the management of Sotralu group on its acquisition by Andera Partners. The deal marks Bridgepoint's exit from Sotralu. The CMS team was led by counsel François Bossé-Cohic and included corporate/M&A and tax lawyers, among them partner Philippe Gosset.

Confirmed · Europe

CMS begins cuts to UK business services teams amid tech focus

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CMS has begun rolling out cuts to its business services teams in the UK as it focuses on greater use of tech. The firm aims to 'redesign' those teams to meet client demand for faster, tech-enabled advice. The source gives no headcount.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Legal Business, Law.com — International Edition

Clyde & Co advises Esyasoft on acquisition of Correla

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Clyde & Co advised Esyasoft Holding Ltd on its acquisition of 100 per cent of the share capital of Project Corvalis TopCo Limited. Through subsidiaries, the target indirectly owns Correla Limited and the wider Correla group in the United Kingdom.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: The Oath (Middle East)

Clifford Chance, HSF Kramer and Linklaters lead latest Legal 500 UK rankings

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Legal 500 released results of its latest UK legal market research. Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and Linklaters scored the most top-tier rankings in London. The research assessed over 12,000 submissions and contacted nearly 180,000 referees.

Confirmed · Europe · London

Sources: Legal Business

Clifford Chance advises Covage Infra Concessions entities on debt refinancing

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Clifford Chance is advising Covage Infra Concessions Holding and Covage Infra Concessions on the refinancing of their debt, combining floating-rate and fixed-rate instruments.

Confirmed · Europe

Clifford and Dentons named as advisers on PowerCo–Gotion battery joint ventures

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

PowerCo and Gotion High-tech are expanding their partnership, in place since 2020, with three joint ventures in Spain, Slovakia and Morocco to build a regional LFP battery supply chain in Europe. PowerCo is investing about 470 million euros by 2030 in the Slovakia and Morocco sites. Clifford and Dentons are named in the headline.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: JUVE

Chambers Europe 2026 confirms top tier rankings for Loyens Loeff

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Loyens Loeff's own site states that Chambers Europe 2026 confirms top tier rankings for the firm. No further detail is given.

Confirmed · Europe

Broseta hires Víctor Fernández as partner in litigation and insolvency

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Broseta has hired Víctor Fernández as partner in procesal y concursal. He has acted as independent expert in major restructuring processes, including those of Celsa and Duro Felguera.

Confirmed · Europe

Ashurst Perkins Coie advises lenders on limited-recourse financing of two Chad solar plants

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Ashurst Perkins Coie advised lenders including Proparco and the African Development Bank on limited-recourse financing of two solar PV plants with battery storage in Chad, developed by Qair. Team led by partner Mark Barges and counsel Cédric Gamambaye Dionmou. Kreich Avocats advised on Chadian law.

Confirmed · Europe · N'Djamena

Andersen Iberia adds two Procesal partners and team in Barcelona

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Andersen Iberia has integrated Martín & Parés Abogados to strengthen its procesal practice in Catalonia. Eva López Parés and Víctor J. Martín join as Procesal partners, together with a team of four other professionals.

Confirmed · Europe · Barcelona

Sources: Lawyerpress, Confilegal

A&O Shearman hires secondaries partners Boghossian and de Ste Croix as global co-heads

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A&O Shearman hired Band 1 secondaries partners Gabriel Boghossian and Sarah de Ste Croix as global co-heads, expanding its private capital offering. Their previous firm is not stated.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: A&O Shearman — news

A&O Shearman hires DLA Piper patent partner Constanze Krenz

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A&O Shearman has poached DLA partner Constanze Krenz (41), described as the most prominent figure in DLA Piper's European patent practice. After a number of departures she steered the practice into the UPC era and represented Dyson in its case against Dreame.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: JUVE Patent

CMS Francis Lefebvre advised Auchan Retail in Conseil d'État ruling on group-level job-protection plan

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CMS Francis Lefebvre advised Auchan Retail in litigation over a plan de sauvegarde de l'emploi arising from a collective agreement of 19 March 2025. By a ruling of 2 October 2026, the Conseil d'État confirmed the procedure's validity. Laurent Marquet de Vasselot led the team.

Confirmed · Europe

Noerr hires a Freshfields private equity partner

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Noerr has hired a private equity partner from Freshfields, LTO reported on October 2.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: LTO

Heuking hires a McDermott employment partner in Germany

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Heuking has hired an employment partner from McDermott in Germany, JUVE reported on October 2.

Confirmed · Europe · Germany

Sources: JUVE

CMS brings in an Ashurst senior associate as partner

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CMS has made a senior associate from Ashurst a partner, LTO reported on October 2.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: LTO

Legal 500 takes site offline after UK Bar 2027 testimonials published in error

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Legal 500 published its UK Bar 2027 rankings on 1 October. Some barrister profiles carried unflattering client testimonials, and the site was then 'down for maintenance'. Legal 500 says an upload error published 'a small amount of testimonial information' incorrectly.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: LawFuel

DLA Piper appoints Carmen Redmann as Finance partner in Vienna from Taylor Wessing

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

DLA Piper appoints Carmen Redmann (35) as partner in its Finance practice in the Vienna office, effective 1 October 2026, per a press release. She comes from Taylor Wessing. The firm is expanding its Finance practice in Austria.

Confirmed · Europe · Vienna

Taylor Wessing and Stephenson Harwood confirm merger talks

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Taylor Wessing and Stephenson Harwood have confirmed they are in merger talks. Law.com International, The Lawyer, RollOnFriday, Legal Business and JUVE all reported the firms’ statement on October 1.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Law.com International, Legal Business

Weil Gotshal loses London leveraged finance and private equity partners

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Weil Gotshal is losing partners from its London leveraged finance and private equity practices. Several are reported to be moving to Simpson Thacher, and one UK corporate partner to Paul Weiss.

Confirmed · Europe · London

Sources: Legal Business, Law.com International

Pinsent Masons elects a new managing partner

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Pinsent Masons has elected a new managing partner, Legal Business reported on September 30.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Legal Business

Freshfields appoints Michelle Holford Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Freshfields announced Michelle Holford as Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer. She has more than 25 years' experience and previously held senior roles at Freshfields, including Head of Client Solutions and Head of Marketing and Business Development for London. She will lead global marketing and business development strategy.

Confirmed · Europe

Sources: Freshfields — news

Legal Cheek publishes 2027 NQ pay data for 113 UK firms

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Legal Cheek’s data on what UK firms will pay newly qualified solicitors in 2027 covers 113 firms. At the top of the market Sullivan & Cromwell pays £181k and Quinn Emanuel £189k from July 1, 2026; the Magic Circle rate is £150k.

Confirmed · Europe · United Kingdom

Sources: Legal Cheek

White & Case advises banking syndicate on Soitec's €500 million ORNANE issue

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

White & Case advised the banking syndicate on Soitec's €500 million ORNANEs due 2033 and the simultaneous delta share placement via accelerated bookbuilding. The issue was completed on 25 September 2026. BNP Paribas and Goldman Sachs were global coordinators.

Confirmed · Europe

A&O Shearman advises Soitec on €500 million convertible bond issuance

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A&O Shearman advised Soitec on a €500 million issue of cash and/or share-settled convertible bonds (ORNANEs) due September 2033. Settlement took place on 25 September 2026. The Paris-based team was led by partner Olivier Thébault.

Confirmed · Europe · Paris

KWR advises Porr AG on €150m hybrid convertible bond; Dorda, Linklaters act for banks

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

KWR advised listed Porr AG as issuer's counsel on its first hybrid convertible bond, nominal €150 million, offered to institutional investors via accelerated bookbuilding (Reg S only) on 22 September 2026. Dorda Rechtsanwälte (Vienna) and Linklaters (Frankfurt) advised the joint global coordinators and bookrunners. Christian Temmel and Christian Knauder-Sima led for KWR.

Confirmed · Europe · Vienna, Frankfurt