The Legal 500

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

TELEPHONE HOUSE, 2-4 TEMPLE AVENUE, LONDON, EC4Y 0HB, ENGLAND
Tel:
Work 020 7071 4000
Fax:
Fax 020 7071 4244
Web:
www.gibsondunn.com

What we say about the firm's legal practice in London

Corporate and commercial

Within EU and competition EU and competition

Within Flotations: small and mid-cap, tier 4

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP fields an ‘outstanding’ team rated for its ‘consistent quality’. Notable mandates included assisting Vallar on its IPO on the London Stock Exchange. Kenneth Lamb is ‘among the best’, and Selina Sagayam is also recommended. Jefferey Roberts joined from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in 2010.

Within M&A: lower mid-market, £50m-£250m, tier 4

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is regularly involved on high-end cross-border deals, and beefed up its English law capability with the addition of Jeffery Roberts from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. Roberts advised the Expro Group on its $120m acquisition of the Production Testers International business, a leading well services business based in Asia.

Within Private equity: transactions , tier 6

The relatively small team at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is able to leverage off a significant international footprint, and provides an ‘excellent’ service to a growing cadre of sponsor clients including Doughty Hanson, Farallon Capital and Investcorp. Paul Harter heads the team, which was recently strengthened by the arrival of Jeffery Roberts from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.

Within VAT and indirect tax VAT and indirect tax

Dispute resolution

Within Commercial litigation, tier 6

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s commercial litigation practice extends to insolvency, employment, regulatory investigations and investigations by the SEC and DoJ. Philip Rocher and Lord Charles Falconer QC are recommended; Falconer represents clients before regulatory bodies and foreign courts.

Within International arbitration, tier 4

Focused on big-ticket arbitrations, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP counts Yukos International and Telecom Egypt as clients. The team successfully defended a petition to stay a BIT arbitration. Cyrus Benson is recommended.

Finance

Within Debt capital markets, tier 5

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP has a team of versatile partners including Selina Sagayam and Gregory Campbell, providing ‘business-minded, commercial advice’ on debt as part of complex deals such as the Almatis Group restructuring.

Human resources

Within Employment,

The following US firms all have high-level practices, but generally smaller teams than their City counterparts: Arnold & Porter (UK) LLP, where the ‘commercial and professionalHenry Clinton-Davis advises clients such as SpaceNK; Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, which has notable employment and pensions capability; Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge UK LLP, where Neil Adams specialises in team moves in the financial services sector; Faegre & Benson LLP, which acts for 3M, GE and Hearst publishing; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where James Cox advises a number of global players; Greenberg Traurig Maher LLP, where Naomi Feinstein is recommended; K&L Gates, where Paul Callegari is valued for his ‘direct and pragmatic approach’; McGuireWoods London LLP, which took on Jonathan Maude from Hogan Lovells International LLP in 2011; Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP, recommended for its outsourcing, privatisation, and data protection expertise; Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP, which hired Suzanne Horne from Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP; Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe) LLP, where ‘great communicatorNicola Whiteley has experience ranging from grievances to acquisition issues; Weil, Gotshal & Manges, notable for its insolvency-related experience; and WilmerHale, where David Andrews impresses.

Public sector

Within Civil liberties and human rights,

With ‘hugely impressive attention to detail’, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP advises on corporate human rights and the right to property. The ‘careful, thorough and thoughtful’ Paul Lomas continues to advise the All Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition. The team is also active in defending claims in the ECHR. Associate Deba Das is ‘hardworking and committed’. Patrick Doris joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in 2010.

Real estate

Within Commercial property, tier 4

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s small, partner-led team demonstrates ‘business sense’. It advised Development Securities on a joint venture with Patron Capital to acquire the MEN Arena. Alan Samson is ‘very smart, productive, and reliable’, Wayne McArdle is ‘very knowledgeable’, and Tom Budd is also recommended.

Within Property finance, tier 4

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s Tom Budd, Alan Samson and Wayne McArdle are highly regarded by clients – ‘their service is excellent, and they are extremely knowledgeable’. The team advised the owner of Paris skyscraper Coeur Defense on the €2.1bn CMBS restructuring – Europe’s largest for a single asset – and related proceedings.


Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
  • HOUSING

    In Nzinga Maswaku v Westminster City Council [2012] EWCA Civ 669 the Court of Appeal clarified that in offering a homeless person with alternative temporary accommodation the local authority is obliged to point that if the offer is refused it has discharged its Part VII duties under the Housing Act 1996.
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  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW
  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW
  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW
  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW
  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
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  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW
  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW
  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
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  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue: