Fast-growing UK legal services firm expands north and south… Law firms warn of coronavirus lawsuit risk for businesses…
Clifford Chance hires US government lawyer as partner
International firm Clifford Chance has hired a lawyer from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) as a partner in its Americas Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice.
Peter J. Mucchetti was with the DOJ for 19 years, initially as a trial attorney, and most recently led its 25-lawyer healthcare and consumer products team.
"His depth of knowledge on the US regulatory landscape derives from more than two decades of antitrust litigation, investigations and merger clearance experience," said David DiBari, head of the Americas Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice.
Last year the firm hired General Electric competition lawyer Sharis Pozen to co-lead its global antitrust practice.
Fast-growing UK legal services firm expands north and south
UK publicly-listed legal services firm Knights Group Holdings has announced two acquisitions as it expands its power base.
The firm has added law firms in both the southeast and north of the country following recent acquisitions in the central region. These acquisitions fit with the firm’s stated strategy to be the UK’s leading legal and professional services business outside London.
Since listing on the stock market in 2018, the firm has seen its share value grow 254%.
Law firms warn of coronavirus lawsuit risk for businesses
With several coronavirus related lawsuits already filed, there are likely to be more businesses facing allegations that they haven’t done enough to protect customers and staff.
There could also be shareholder claims against firms that may not have responded adequately and litigation relating to supply chain issues.
One area likely to be challenged is the use of force majeure or ‘act of God’ clauses.
“Someone can say they can’t perform under a contract because they can’t get supplies from China or their people wouldn’t come to work,” Michael Hurst, a partner at Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst in Texas told Bloomberg. “The other side might say you’re being too cautious or you’re just using that as an excuse.”
