Mergers & Acquisitions

Dewey & LeBoeuf Gets Partner Approval

The deal is done. Dewey Ballantine and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae announced today that their merger won overwhelming approval from partners at the two law firms. Dewey is dissolving and operating under LeBoeuf’s partnership structure, but lawyers at both firms told TheLawyer.com that the actions should not be construed…

Sep 26, 2007 4:36 PM CDT

UK Firms Not in a US-Merging Mood

Almost half of U.S. law firms in London would consider merging with a U.K. firm—if they could find a partner willing to get hitched. A survey by Legal Week found 47 percent of U.S. firms are open to a merger, up from 39 percent last year and 29 percent in…

Sep 21, 2007 12:23 PM CDT

Dewey & LeBoeuf Is Born

It’s official: Dewey & LeBoeuf is the new mega law firm created through the merger of two New York powerhouses. The firms Dewey Ballantine and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae announced the merger yesterday, confirming early reports of the pending deal. The new firm will have 1,300 lawyers and revenues…

Aug 28, 2007 11:23 AM CDT

A Bitter Japanese Poison Pill

Japan’s Supreme Court has affirmed a company’s right to mount a poison-pill defense to a corporate takeover. The court ruled for Bull-Dog Sauce Co. in a suit by a hedge fund trying take over the company, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. In poison-pill plans, the targeted company makes…

Aug 8, 2007 3:53 PM CDT

Another Fox Rothschild Merger

Fox Rothschild continues to buck the trend, adding practice areas when other firms are eliminating them in an effort to improve lawyer revenue. As part of its growth strategy, the Philadelphia law firm has pursued a number of mergers. It has now announced its seventh since 2005, the Legal Intelligencer…

Aug 7, 2007 11:29 AM CDT

Dissenter Hits Fat Fees in WSJ Deal

An opponent of Rupert Murdoch’s $5 billion agreement to buy the company that owns the Wall Street Journal is criticizing the sweetener that helped seal the deal: News Corp.’s agreement to pick up the Bancroft family’s legal and banking tab. The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) posted a statement by…

Aug 1, 2007 5:39 PM CDT

Murdoch Can Thank Lawyers for WSJ Deal

The cost of outside advisers–including some of the biggest names in law–may have persuaded reluctant members of the Bancroft family to approve the sale of Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal to Rupert Murdoch, CNBC is reporting. Fees to legal and financial advisers could amount to at least $30…

Jul 31, 2007 5:57 PM CDT

U.S. Firms Make European Inroads

U.S. law firms are merging with European firms or snagging their top lawyers, creating tensions as the overseas firms struggle to adjust. Spurring the firm merger mania is increasing legal work available because of the boom in corporate mergers and acquisitions, the New York Times reports. The newspaper mentions several…

Jul 25, 2007 2:02 PM CDT

Dow Jones Director Faces SEC Action

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a member of the newspaper’s corporate board has been notified he will likely be sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. David Li, a Dow Jones & Co. board member, has received a “Wells notice” informing him that the SEC plans to file…

Jul 19, 2007 4:29 PM CDT

ALM Plans Post-Buyout Expansion

The CEO of American Lawyer Media, now known as ALM, says the legal publishing company is positioned to expand overseas and on the Internet after its acquisition by London-based Incisive Media. Incisive, a business publisher, will pay $630 million to buy ALM, the two companies announced yesterday, ABAJournal.com reported. The…

Jul 6, 2007 1:51 PM CDT

London Firms Earn #1 Billing in World

Record profits for the biggest London law firms reportedly make them the dominant players in the world legal market. Three London firms, headed by Clifford Chance, are at the top of the earnings list, with annual billings close to or exceeding $2 billion. For each, that represents an increase of…

Jul 5, 2007 7:25 PM CDT

American Lawyer Media Sold

Updated: American Lawyer Media has been sold to London-based Incisive Media for about $630 million, the Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog reports. Investment banker and lawyer Bruce Wasserstein bought the company for $200 million in 1997, the blog says. It is formally owned by U.S. Equity Partners, controlled by Wasserstein’s…

Jul 5, 2007 5:34 PM CDT

Sullivan & Cromwell is Top Dealmeister

Edging out London’s Clifford Chance for top honors, New York City’s Sullivan & Cromwell was once again the number one law firm overseeing the world’s biggest corporate deals in the first half of 2007. Although Clifford Chance took the lead in the first quarter of the year, Sullivan & Cromwell…

Jul 3, 2007 7:46 PM CDT

Disbanded Firm Sued for Malpractice

A disbanded Dallas law firm is facing a $20 million suit for malpractice and breach of contract filed by a former business client that claims lawyers counseled it to accept a bad merger deal. The defendant is Jenkins & Gilchrist, which closed on March 31 after signing a non-prosecution agreement…

Jun 15, 2007 1:13 PM CDT

Legal Publisher’s Offer a ‘Knockout’

Analysts say Thomson Corp.’s offer to purchase Reuters Group PLC is a “knockout.” The offer made public today values Reuters at $17.7 billion, according to the Associated Press. Thomson would pay $7.03 in cash and 0.16 in its shares for each Reuters share. AP quoted analysts who said Thomson’s offer…

May 8, 2007 1:47 PM CDT