David Wyles

Sullivan & Cromwell sent shockwaves across London's legal scene when the news broke on Monday that it is hiring two of the City's best known corporate lawyers—Kon Amisacopoulos from Kirkland & Ellis and Mike Francies, formerly of Weil Gotshal & Manges. Amisacopoulos has acted on some of the biggest restructurings in the U.K. of the past 10 years, while Francies, though recently retired, has for nearly three decades enjoyed a reputation as one of London's most prominent private equity M&A leaders. Given the calibre and profile of the double-hire, it has given way to plenty of speculation, chiefly, whether or not Sullivan & Cromwell is going to replicate Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison's hyper-aggressive London growth strategy. Could the hires be the first step in the elite-but-conservative Sullivan & Cromwell's transformation into a major London competitor? According to sources close to the matter, the firm is going to make more big name hires. It is planning to bring on around five more high profile partners in London, one of the people said, as well as make several internal promotions, with at least three partner promotions expected in the near term. These numbers suggest that the firm isn't quite expecting to replicate Paul Weiss' much-lauded hiring spree, which began in 2023 after it enlisted Neel Sachdev and other debt finance rising stars from rivals including Kirkland & Ellis, Linklaters and others. But Sullivan & Cromwell has started from a higher base. It already has more than 50 fee-earners in London, around 17 of whom are partners. Full story from Molly Smith: https://lnkd.in/e5YkiHAe

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🚨 White & Case has added energy and infrastructure partner Serra Tar from Kirkland in London. The hire comes during a year of notable lateral activity at the US firm which lost a string of energy and infra partners to US rivals in the spring, but has strengthened in other areas - most notably in PE with three senior lawyers from Ropes & Gray. https://lnkd.in/e5qkr358

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A team led by partners Lord Peter Goldsmith KC, Catherine Amirfar and Samantha Rowe has represented Hess in its landmark victory against ExxonMobil and CNOOC, in one of the most significant arbitrations in recent years.    This is not only a major legal victory for Hess, but it also cleared the final hurdle to one of the largest and most geopolitically significant M&A transactions in the energy sector in decades, namely Chevron’s $53 billion acquisition of Hess – a transformative deal that reshapes the global energy landscape.   The merger and related proceedings have been the subject of intense public scrutiny, extensively covered in the financial press, closely followed by investors and analysts, and giving rise to billions of dollars in hedge fund positions.   See more detail here: https://lnkd.in/eVwExC_A

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In a transaction led by Andrew Mills, Katie Carter, Manahil Qadir and Olivia Pryor from our Corporate and M&A team, we advised Portugal-based Vangest Engineering Solutions, a leading European provider of integrated engineering and manufacturing solutions and portfolio company of private investment group Zeno Partners, on its acquisitions of UK-based businesses Micro Systems and Optimold. The deals expand Vangest’s medical division and mark a significant milestone in the Portuguese industrial landscape, with a domestic leader acquiring UK medtech specialists. For the full detail, read our press release: https://bsalmon.us/4mPJHmR #Medtech #Healthcare #Deals

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During London International Disputes Week 2025, Ridge and Simmons & Simmons hosted an expert panel to assess the legal risks and responsibilities that will become standard by 2035 - and crucially, what the industry can do to avoid costly legal battles. The built environment is evolving faster than our legal frameworks can keep up. Tomorrow's disputes will require today's professionals to think increasingly about risk allocation, contract drafting and the old-fashioned need for human oversight.     Construction lawyers, project managers, designers and developers who understand these emerging risks today will be better prepared for the decade ahead.     Read the full article to see how our panel tackled key issues, including:  - The impact of extreme weather  - AI-generated design errors  - Expiry of PFI contracts   - Modern Methods of Construction contracts  - Data centre construction boom 👉 https://lnkd.in/e5ce5yF3 Alice Parker | David Pope | Jonathan Spencer | Steven Walker KC | Trevor Cosgrove #LIDW25 #SimmonsAndSimmons #ConstructionLaw #ExpertWitness

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As the UK continues to lead in climate change initiatives and energy transition, project finance remains a crucial element in supporting the development of renewable energy, infrastructure, and carbon capture projects. At Latham, we are dedicated to providing our clients with innovative legal insights and solutions to navigate the complexities of project finance in this dynamic environment. For more, please read Latham’s contribution “Project Finance in the UK (England and Wales)” to Practical Law Global. https://lw.link/9XBNma Authored by JP Sweny, Salvador (JJ) Jose, Tom Glynne-Jones

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Energy Transition, Real Estate and Projects Partner John Danahy joins Stephenson Harwood today and brings nearly two decades of experience advising energy sector clients on their project and infrastructure needs, including leading players in the nuclear sector.   John’s practice includes major real estate, energy and infrastructure transactions for international fund, investor, developer and operator clients. John advises across all forms of renewables, nuclear, including new build and decommissioning, demand response, large-scale gas, distributed energy networks, infrastructure, inter-connectors and pipelines. John has advised on projects of national significance including advising on Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C new nuclear power station projects and on decommissioning projects across the whole of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s estate.   “John is a recognised expert in the nuclear industry, and his experience aligns with the firm’s strategic objectives and energy transition sector focus,” said Jonathan Cripps, Head of Energy Transition, Stephenson Harwood. “We are continually looking for ways to develop the support we are able to provide to clients, and John’s deep sector experience and expertise enables us to do that.”   “The nuclear sector is at a pivotal moment, driven by the global emphasis on low-carbon energy, energy security and rising global energy demand,” said Rebecca Carter, Head of Real Estate and Projects, Stephenson Harwood. “John’s arrival enhances our nuclear and energy sector capabilities, embedding relationships with existing clients, extending our service to new clients and furthering our international expansion in the energy and nuclear sectors.”

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We have advised Voltis, an established renewable energy developer, on the creation of a joint venture partnership with Chint Solar, a leading European developer and EPC in the renewable energy sector, for the development of a portfolio of 15+ renewable energy projects across the United Kingdom. The projects range from locally consented solar, battery and wind (up to 100MW), to 750MWp+ Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. Our multi-disciplinary team was led by Dallan Pitman. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eUv-Z36R

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