USA
"What Firms Can Learn From the Great Recession as They Confront the Next Crisis"
May 18, 2020
By: Samantha Stokes
"Los Angeles-based Buchalter has grown its head count every year since 2012, and debuted on the Am Law 200 at No. 174 after earning $157 million in gross revenue in 2017. It was up to $184.5 million in 2019, and ranked 159th
Australia
In a positive sign that COVID-19 restrictions are not adversely affecting the completion of deals, the sale of 75% of Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre in Brisbane has successfully completed. MinterEllison advised US based investment manager, Nuveen Global on the sale to existing co-owner YFG Shopping Centres Pty Ltd as trustee for the Fu Family Trust for $285 million. The deal was negotiated in March 2020, just prior to the commencement of COVID-19 restrictions and settled on 12 May 2020
Austria
UBM Development, a leading European real estate developer, and ARE Austrian Real Estate GmbH, a subsidiary of Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft (BIG) specialising in office and residential properties, are jointly developing part of the Aspanggründe in Vienna's 3rd district and a project area in Munich-Moosach. The cooperation is a joint venture in Austria and in Germany through mutual shareholdings in the property-owning project companies
USA
Bradley attorney David Pratt was quoted in The Texas Lawbook on recently transitioning his practice to Bradley's Dallas office to expand his client relationships.
“Bradley provides a platform to serve my clients across the country,” he said. “I can expand my existing client relationships by working with Bradley attorneys in other states where clients have properties
Germany
With a team led by Dirk W. Kolvenbach, the globally operating WuXi Biologics group acquired a sterile filling and freeze-drying plant from Bayer AG. The transaction has now been successfully concluded. The plant is designed for filling and freeze-drying the blood clotting agent Kovaltry®. The plant is operated on the Chempark site in Leverkusen
USA
Bradley attorney Steve Snyder was quoted in HousingWire on who’s liable when money disappears due to wire fraud. While mortgage companies are at risk due to vulnerabilities surrounding the closing table, borrowers are vulnerable to email scams that could have them directing their banks to wire money to the wrong place. It’s still unclear in the legal system who has more liability in such cases
USA
Bradley is pleased to announce that Lela Hollabaugh, Managing Partner of the firm’s Nashville office, has been named chair of the 2020 Campaign for Equal Justice of the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (LAS).
Held annually since 1987, the Campaign for Equal Justice raises funds for the LAS, which is Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm
Germany
With a team led by Prof. Dr. Georg Streit, Partner at its Munich office, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised the insolvency administrators of online auto parts dealer www.atp-autoteile.de, Volker Böhm and Dr. Elske Fehl-Weileder, both from Schultze & Braun, on the sale of the company to SAG Group. SAG will take over ATP’s entire business operations and all of the about 250 remaining jobs will be saved
USA
Roanoke, Va. — Spilman Thomas & Battle (Spilman) announced that Risa S. Katz-Albert has joined the firm as an associate.
At Spilman, Katz-Albert's practice will focus on general litigation. She has experience representing clients with a wide variety of legal needs, particularly issues in consumer protection law, landlord/tenant law, employment law, contract law, and family law
Germany
A team led by Dr. Peter Zimmermann and Dr. Marc Scheunemann, both Partners at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek in Düsseldorf, legally advised Art-Invest on the acquisition of the “Urban Village” residential project in Dresden. Sold by Dresdner Wohnbau, the transaction was structured as a forward deal and is intended for a special housing fund. The acquisition was brokered by Ideal Wohnen GmbH & Co. KG, which was also entrusted with project management and project control
Germany
Dr. Frank Mitzkus, Partner at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, successfully represented his client – a Societas Europaea (SE) – before the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court. After the April 26, 2019 judgement, which has now become final, the SE successfully filed a claim for damages against a shareholder
China
Han Kun Law Offices has advised the underwriters as the PRC counsel in connection with the U.S. initial public offering and listing of Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (“Kingsoft Cloud”) on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “KC”. Kingsoft Cloud is a leading cloud service provider in China, providing cloud infrastructure, cloud products and industry-specific solutions across cloud services, and other related services
Russia
The global spread of COVID-19 coronavirus infection has led to significant changes in social, political and economic processes in Russia and around the world. Government authorities are responding and introducing measures to combat the spread of coronavirus infection to ensure sustainable economic development and support to citizens in the face of the pandemic
Illinois, USA
Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that Steven Mroczkowski, Chicago-based Senior Counsel in the firm’s Financial Services Litigation Practice Group, was appointed by the incoming Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) President to serve as Vice-Chair of the ISBA Construction Law Section Council and as a Member of the ISBA Commercial Banking, Collections & Bankruptcy Law Section Council for 2020-21
Estonia
COBALT successfully represented Starbucks Corporation in a trademark case, where a local entrepreneur wanted to register a trademark that was confusingly similar to Starbucks Corporation’s trademark. Starbucks Corporation was successful in the County Court as well as the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court did not accept the claim to the proceeding
Estonia
COBALT advised Change Ventures on investing in a fintech startup askRobin. In addition to Change Ventures, the $1.7 million seed round was backed by VC funds Vereeni Early Stage Fund, BENE Asia Capital, and Lemonade Stand. Also, several tech entrepreneurs from Estonia participated, such as Ragnar Sass, co-founder of Pipedrive, and Taavi Tamkivi, founder of the anti-money laundering platform Salv
England
UK law firm Shoosmiths has announced eight new partners in its May promotions round. The promotions cover a wide range of practice areas; corporate, real estate, business advisory and personal advisory, across five locations
USA
DSNew.com
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: Getting From Here to There
By: Phil Britt
May 6, 2020
"Even that scenario is dependent on the outcome of the coming election, said Michael Flynn co-chair of the Mortgage Banking and Financial Services Regulatory Industry Groups at the Buchalter law firm, who previously served as Acting General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and as General Counsel of Flagstar Bank and PNC Mortgage
Texas, USA
Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that Donna McElroy, Member of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, was elected to serve as Secretary of the San Antonio Bar Association’s Board of Directors for 2020-21. The San Antonio Bar Association was established in 1898 to provide members with opportunities to expand their professional knowledge and network with other legal professionals
British Virgin Islands
O’Neal Webster has advised on a JPY 3.8 billion British Virgin Islands plan of arrangement which was recently approved by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (British Virgin Islands) on April 6, 2020. Articles of arrangement were subsequently filed with the BVI Registry of Corporate Affairs, giving effect to the plan of arrangement. The deal is the most recent BVI approved plan of arrangement and one of only a handful ever approved in the BVI
USA
Bradley attorney Dan Murphy was quoted in the Birmingham Business Journal on the effect of COVID-19 on health insurance providers.
Murphy said one big question is how the reduction in costs insurers are paying out as patient volumes decline balances out with all of the emergency care being provided
Germany
After the overall restructuring of ARWE Group, that was intended when the insolvency petition was filed, no longer appeared feasible, management withdrew its petitions for self-administration. Augsburg Insolvency Court consequently initiated insolvency proceedings with respect to ARWE Holding GmbH, arwe Automotive Service GmbH, arwe CarRental Service GmbH, and arwe Mobility Service GmbH in regular proceedings on May 1, 2020 and appointed Dr
Germany
A team led by Dr. Jörg Schewe and Dr. Michael Dröge, both Partners at Heuking’s Hamburg office, legally advised BÖAG Börsen AG on the acquisition of a majority stake in ICF BANK AG from the bank’s founders. As part of the transaction, BÖAG Börsen AG, which is operating the stock exchanges in Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Hanover, also secured an option to acquire additional stock in ICF BANK AG
Germany
A team led by Dr. Oliver von Rosenberg, Partner at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek’s Cologne office, legally advised Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG (HGK) on the acquisition of the European inland shipping business of Imperial Logistics Limited (IPL). The acquisition occurred within the scope of a bidding process. Imperial Logistics International B.V. & Co KG (ILI) had already announced the sale in December 2019
Panama
Panama, April 27, 2020. On April 23, during a ceremony presided by South Korean President Moon Jae-In, among other South Korean authorities, was officially launched the "HMM ALGECIRAS" - the world's biggest containership. The new vessel is registered under the flag of the Republic of Panama, and we are pleased to share that the Ship Finance and Registration team of Morgan & Morgan participated as local counsel in the financing for a total amount of over US$1