Profile: Simmons & Simmons

Simmons & Simmons - Who's Who Legal '70'

What is the Who's Who Legal '70'?

Simmons & Simmons is evidently strong on the regulatory issues relating to the communications industry; two partners appear in our chapter dealing with that area of law. Lisbon-based Octávio Castelo Paulo is “very good” according to rivals with one noting: “He’s my main contact in Portugal.” Prior to joining the firm, he served as legal adviser on telecoms issues for the Portuguese communications secretary of state. Recent highlights include advising on the rollout of a CDMA telecoms network in Portugal. Tom Wheadon is a leading name in the London market and works extensively in Dubai and Africa. Among other matters he acted for Ericsson on its successful bid to supply goods and services for BT’s 21st Century Network. Wheadon and Alexander Shepherd also appear in the internet and e-commerce chapter, a new chapter in this year’s publication. Alex Brown also features in the London section and he recently led a team advising Virgin Media on a £98 million network maintenance and support outsourcing project to BT Managed Services. Italo De Feo in Rome comes recommended for his work on behalf of Yahoo! and Telecom Italia Mobile.

LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT
The firm’s employment and benefits department has a great deal of quality and depth of expertise – four individuals, from London, Hong Kong and Lisbon make the grade. Simon Watson serves as the managing partner of the London employment practice. Mark Hewland is recommended for his advice to financial institutions as well as his knowledge of the labour and employment implications of major transactions. César Sá Esteves heads the employment department in Lisbon and is “great for international secondment issues” on both the contentious and non-contentious sides. Fiona Loughrey is “undoubtedly a leader in Hong Kong”, something reflected in the results of our survey.

CORPORATE
A trio of lawyers from the firm appear in the private funds chapter. Praised in particular for the strength of their hedge funds practice, the group has represented clients such as F&C Management Limited, Altin and Deutsche Bank. Richard Perry, Steven Whittaker and Iain Cullen (“a fantastic hedge funds lawyer”) all feature. Lisbon-based William Smithson features in the capital markets chapter and has advised banks including Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas and HSBC on more than 30 securitisations by Portuguese originators. Gerhard Gispen in Amsterdam represents the firm in the insolvency and restructuring chapter. Gispen heads the firm’s finance practice in the city and has a “great reputation”, according to sources. Recent highlights include advising Citibank as agent of a consortium of lenders on every aspect of the KPNQwest insolvency.

COMPETITION
Three partners were sufficiently nominated to be included in the competition chapter. Martin Smith is a key contact in London and advised Interbrew on its transaction with the German brewer, Gabriel Sedlmayr Spaten-Franziskaner Brau KgaA. The transaction was cleared by the European Commission and re-enforced Interbrew’s position as one of the leaders in the all-important German beer market. Anthony Woodgate is another leading light in London with sources marking him out as “really very good”. Woodgate is currently managing partner of the EC & competition practice in London. Gonçalo Anastácio heads the Portuguese EU & competition practice and was consistently recommended by some of the practice area’s leading names. Highlights include advising BASF on the clearance of its acquisition of the PU business of Crompton before the Portuguese Competition Authority.

DISPUTES
The firm’s business crime defence capabilities were boosted in October 2006 by the hire of Louise Delahunty from Peters & Peters. “Highly recommended” and “really very good” she advises on anti-money laundering procedures and assists in investigations of in-house procedures, and submissions to the FSA. Ed Van Liere in Rotterdam also features and highlights include representing a former CFO in a high-profile multi-jurisdictional case. He also represented a Dutch premier league football club.

Simmons & Simmons is also evidently strong in the products liability arena with two entries in the chapter. Miles Alexander in London drew admiring comment from a number of sources and among other matters recently advised a medical device manufacturer on the defence of claims alleging product defects. Jacques-Antoine Robert in Paris was also consistently endorsed and works extensively for high-tech and pharmaceutical clients.

ENVIRONMENT, REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION
Jacqui O’Keeffe joined the firm from Denton Wilde Sapte at the beginning of 2006 and brought with her a “superlative” energy and environment practice. Sources noted her particular strengths on contaminated land and waste management issues. London partner Alan Butler performed well in our real estate research. Butler increasingly works on projects overseas, in Ireland, Spain and Hungary, and advised a number of overseas investors in relation to their acquisitions, developments and financings, including the acquisition of Four Millbank for £75 million. The firm also boasts a strong contingent in the construction chapter with Sjoerd Rutten and Jos van de Vijver both making the grade in the Netherlands.
Simmons & Simmons also boasts two entries in the patents chapter – Rowan Freeland and Kevin Mooney in London. Mooney appears in our breakdown of the practice area’s high-flyers and comes recommended as “great for pharmaceuticals”. Freeland is an “excellent litigator” according to sources and comes recommended for multi-jurisdictional patent litigation for clients in the pharmaceutical, telecommunications, oil-drilling equipment and chemicals industries.

Christophe Asselineau in Paris brings the firm’s entry to a distinguished close. Asselineau is recognised as one of France’s premier mining lawyers with a practice that spans Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia. Highlights include advising the French government on two mining projects in New Caledonia.