Law firm highlights – June 2015

·        Dentons’ Middle East TMT team was recognised for its regional strength in the TMT sector by being named 'TMT Legal Adviser of the Year' at the TMT Finance & Investment MENA 2015 Awards, held in Dubai or=rganised by international publishing group TMT Finance. This is the second time that Dentons has won this prestigious award in recognition of its involvement in major and innovative telecoms, media and IT projects across the MENA region. This included drafting new telecommunication and postal laws in Qatar, major ground-breaking arbitrations, negotiating multi-million dollar IT and telecom supply agreements and ‎advising on new licence bids and other licensing matters, including in Algeria. 

·        Shakespeares and SGH Martineau have confirmed they will complete their merger on June 15, less than three months after the two announced they were in talks. The new top 50-firm will trade as Shakespeare Martineau and will have a turnover of around £75m. It will employ over 900 people including 150 partners.The two firms announced that they were in merger talks in March this year. Shakespeares CEO Andy Raynor will continue in his current leadership position at the new firm. It is unknown which position SGH Martineau managing partner Emma Shipp will hold going forward.

·        Bird & Bird has announced that it has applied to the Luxembourg bar for approval to launch in the Grand Duchy, its 28th office worldwide.The planned Luxembourg office is aimed at supporting the firm’s work with the new Unified Patent Court (UPC), which will be based in the jurisdiction, as well as litigation before the Court of Justice of the EU.

·        White & Case has entered into an association with Jakarta-based firm Witara Cakra Advocates (WCA) after ending its relationship with MD & Partners.The previous association ended after two partners left MD & Partners for rival firms. Mita Djajadiredja has joined Baker & McKenzie associated firm Hadiputranto, Hadinoto & Partners within its corporate and securities practice. Finance and corporate transaction specialist Nadia Soraya has joined Norton Rose Fulbright.

·        DLA Piper has launched a new corporate finance arm operating under the name Noble Street. The new arm will focus on media, technology and sports sectors and aims to create opportunities for the firm in areas it believes have suffered from a chronic shortage of capital. The group will be based in London but will have a focus on the firm’s international clients who are spread across the Middle East and Asia. Noble Street will be co-led by the firm’s global co-chairman Sir Nigel Knowles, head of media and entertainment Chris Hanson and film financier Anthony Mosawi. Mosawi joined DLA to launch the venture after founding and working as CEO of Mayhem Entertainment.