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Paul Hastings LLP

TEN BISHOPS SQUARE, EIGHTH FLOOR, LONDON, E1 6EG, ENGLAND
Washington DC, Tokyo, Shanghai, San Francisco, San Diego, Paris and 12 more

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

Corporate and commercial

Within Corporate tax Corporate tax

Within Financial services, tier 6

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP focuses on the regulatory side of domestic and international finance. Thomas O’Riordan is valued for his ‘insightful contributions’.

Within M&A: lower mid-market, £50m-£250m, tier 5

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP’s London team is praised for its ‘intense work ethic’, and practice head and newly appointed office head Ronan O’Sullivan has ‘a great style’ and ‘a quick, analytical mind’. The firm represented Jacobs Engineering on its $913m acquisition of Oslo-listed Aker Solutions. The group was strengthened recently by the arrival of Garrett Hayes from Macfarlanes LLP.

Crime, fraud and licensing

Within Fraud: civil , tier 5

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP often acts for financial services clients in relation to loan and regulatory fraud.

Dispute resolution

Within Commercial litigation Commercial litigation

Finance

Within Asset finance and leasing, tier 7

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP is recommended, although it was weakened by the recent departure of aviation finance specialist Keith Wilson to Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP.

Within Corporate restructuring and insolvency, tier 4

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP’s four-partner team delivers ‘excellent service at good value for money’. Karl Clowry is highly recommended; he provides ‘clear and commercial advice, and does not sit on the fence’.

Within Investment funds Investment funds

Within Securitisation, Paul Hastings LLP is a third tier firm,

‘The go-to firm for CMBS restructurings’, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP ‘outshines many other firms on practicality, technical creativity and honesty’. Charles Roberts is ‘the standard-bearer for the industry’; and Conor Downey ‘gives advice that clients can trust, and which reflects commercial realities’. The team advised a European bank on a £300m CMBS backed by a single large office property in London, and represented the special servicer on the £1.2bn Fleet Street 2 deal.

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 professional’ Henry 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 communicator’ Nicola Whiteley has experience ranging from grievances to acquisition issues; Weil, Gotshal & Manges, notable for its insolvency-related experience; and WilmerHale, where David Andrews impresses.

Real estate

Within Commercial property, tier 5

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP has a strong emphasis on joint ventures, financings and restructurings, often in a cross-border context. Recent highlights include representing AREA Property Partners on its joint venture with Sovereign Land and Shepherd Construction for the acquisition of Wakefield’s Trinity Walk shopping centre. Mark Eagan and Emma Bucknall are recommended.

Within Property finance, tier 4

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP, which ‘provides excellent service and advice’, is well known for cross-border lender work for clients such as Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank. It acted for CB Richard Ellis Loan Servicing on the £1.15bn White Tower commercial mortgage securitisation. Justin Jowitt is recommended.

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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.
    - 11KBW

  • 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:
    - 11KBW

  • 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:
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP
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