News of the failed last ditch attempt by the nine non-executive directors of Equitable Life to have negligence claims against them struck out has sent shock waves through the ranks of non-executive directors across the country. Ironically at a time when the requirements of the new Combined Code have increased the demand for non-executive directors […]

The Corporate Group at Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP advised Sir Stanley Clarke and Northern Racing Limited, one of the UK’s leading racecourse operators, on its reverse takeover of AIM-listed The Chepstow Racecourse PLC. The transaction, which completed on 13 October 2003, was structured by way of the simultaneous acquisition by Chepstow from St.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges has advised Apax Partners, who held a 47.7% stake in metaGen Pharmaceuticals GmbH, the German biotechnology company, on the merger of metaGen and Astex Technology Limited, the Cambridge-based biotechnology company. The merged company will operate under the name of Astex Technology Limited. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. This

United States Attorney Debra W. Yang announced today the appointment of Assistant United States Attorney Cynthia Valenzuela to serve as District Election Officer for the Central District of California. In this capacity AUSA Valenzuela will lead the efforts of her office in connection with the Justice Department’s Election Day Program for the upcoming elections on

On Friday, Oct. 24, 2003, a jury in a Texas state court awarded $70.4 million to Anglo-Dutch Petroleum International Inc. and Anglo-Dutch (Tenge) LLC against Halliburton Energy Services Inc., and Scottish-based Ramco Energy plc, and Ramco Oil Ltd. for violating confidentiality contracts, causing severe damage to Anglo-Dutch. Anglo-Dutch was represented by John M. O’Quinn of

Sidley Austin Brown & Wood has acted as international counsel in relation to a US$310 million convertible bond offering by China Development Financial Holding Corporation Limited (CDFH), a Taiwan-based financial holding company. The transaction, which is CDFH’s second international convertible bond offering, was completed on September 15, 2003. Sidley’s Hong Kong-based corporate finance team, which

LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell today announced that it has reached an agreement with MSN to be the exclusive provider of content that powers the new “Locate a Lawyer” link on the MSN.com home page. With more than 84 million unique users each month, MSN is the most popular site on the Internet (Nielsen/NetRatings, September 2003) and provides

Leading commercial law firm Phillips Fox advised Melbourne-based crane company BOOM Logistics Limited on six acquisitions in the lead up to its initial public offering on October 14. Over the last five months, Phillips Fox undertook due diligence inquiries in relation to the six acquisitions of mobile crane businesses in Western Australia, Victoria, New South

Herbert Smith advised Somatra Limited, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian owned company ABT International Limited, in fending off an appeal by City law firm Sinclair Roche & Temperley (“SRT”). SRT had appealed against the award of approximately $5 million in damages to Somatra by Mr Justice Morison in July 2002. The firm’s total liability, including

Two officials of a defunct Fullerton environmental clean-up company were indicted today on federal charges of abandoning asbestos- and lead-contaminated wastes in violation of the Clean Air Act. The case involves Remtech Restoration Corporation, which engaged in the business of the removal and disposal of asbestos-containing material from commercial structures. Approximately 800 bags of illegally