Herbert Smith Freehills

With Christmas less than a month away, we're kicking off our countdown to the holidays with predictions from our lawyers. Looking ahead to 2025, venture/growth capital expert Dylan Doran Kennett foresees an uptick in deal-making activity driven partly by lower interest rates. For more information on our venture capital and growth offerings, please see here: https://lnkd.in/eAq3MBH6 #privatecapital #venturecapital #growthcapital #2025legalpredictions

We are deeply saddened to share that Dorothy Livingston, our dear friend and former colleague, has passed away. Her passing is a significant loss to the legal profession and to us, her colleagues and friends. Dorothy was a pioneer in the legal industry. She retired from legal practice last year after celebrating over 53 years with our firm, including as a partner for nearly 30 years and an international authority on both competition and finance law. Dorothy graduated from Oxford University in 1969 – one of only a dozen women in her year reading law alongside over 150 men. When she joined Herbert Smith the following year, Dorothy was one of only a handful of women in City law firms. From that point onward, Dorothy forged a career as one of the most distinguished lawyers in Europe. When promoted to the partnership, Dorothy became Herbert Smith's second-ever woman partner and our only woman partner for the next three years. She was also the first woman partner to return to work after having her children, Katherine and Alice. She became the inspiration for the First 100 Years project, charting the journey of women in law since 1919. She was a role model for many, particularly for women in law, and her legacy will continue to inspire future generations of lawyers. Dorothy had a tireless enthusiasm for the law, as well as an unmatched depth and breadth of legal and technical expertise. After the UK joined the EEC/EU, Dorothy was among those who recognised the importance of competition law as a practice area, and played a major role in its development, founding our competition practice. Indeed, Dorothy advised clients on the UK joining the EEC/EU in the 1970s right up to and after Brexit. She took great pleasure in her role as a judge for the King's College London Competition Law Moot, the world's leading moot court competition focused on EU competition law.  She was also a founder of our finance practice and chaired the City of London Law Society Financial Law Committee for 25 years, contributing to the development of financial law. It was this ability to adapt her skillset, to expand her expertise and take on challenges, that marked Dorothy out as a true pioneer. In 2013, in recognition of these accomplishments – and more – Dorothy received one of the UK's most prestigious awards for individual lawyers: the City of London Law Society's Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Legal Awards. Beyond the many professional achievements, we will remember Dorothy best for the genuine interest she showed in people inside and outside the firm, borne out in her many acts of kindness, large and small. She was a human and supportive colleague, mentor and above all friend to so many of us, and we will miss her greatly. Our thoughts are with Dorothy's family and the many people who were privileged to call her a friend. A memorial service will take place in London in the new year: please contact [email protected] if you would like to be updated.

In the final chapter of Chasing Zero, our series exploring the trade-offs of the energy transition, we size up Australia’s nuclear power debate. With federal and state bans in place, a non-existent local industry and high costs, nuclear faces significant hurdles. Despite vast uranium reserves, Australia’s immediate energy strategy is focused on deploying renewables to replace retiring coal plants. Find out more from David Ryan here - https://lnkd.in/e4Xdjfud #ChasingZero #EnergyTransition #NuclearEnergy #Renewables #NetZero

As banks evolve, legal teams face the challenge of balancing risk management with agility. Streamlining operations is essential for boosting productivity and supporting strategic transformation. In this article, Tuna Kutsal, Eiméar Mullan, Alexander Amato-Cravero, Susannah Wilkinson, Lisa McLaughlin and Emily Coghlan explore how legal functions can adapt to meet changing business priorities and drive lasting change. Find out more in our 2024 Global Bank Review. https://lnkd.in/ekiYG7Pb #banking #bankinginnovation #bankingindustry #GlobalBankReview

The Class Actions Radar. From consumer protection disputes to financial services, environmental and human rights breaches, and cyber risks, the impetus for litigation is broadening. Our series covers key jurisdictions including Australia, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, and the UK. Equip your organisation with the knowledge to navigate this complex landscape. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gPCvihBZ #ClassActions #LegalTrends #RiskManagement

This morning, our own Peter Dalton took the stage at the FT Live Cyber Resilience Summit, joining a panel of experts to tackle the industry's most critical cybersecurity challenges. From quantifying cyber risk to aligning cybersecurity with corporate governance and navigating an evolving regulatory landscape, the discussion offered invaluable insights for building a more secure digital future. As proud sponsors of this important event, it’s great to see so many leaders come together to shape the future of cyber resilience. If you’re at the event today, stop by our stand - we’d love to connect! Andrew Moir Miriam Everett #CyberResilience #FTLive #CybersecurityLeadership #CorporateGovernance #HSFglobalcyber #FTCyber

Our China team has advised Asia's largest logistics company, SF Holding Co., on its Hong Kong IPO – the second-largest offering on the exchange in 2024. The team - Jason Sung, Jeremy Shen, Jin Kong and Stanley Xie ­– is delighted to have helped our established client to achieve another important milestone. #SFExpress #HongKongIPO #HongKongExchange #asiacapitalmarkets #asialegal #asialawfirm https://lnkd.in/g6WB96Fg

We are delighted to announce that we will be opening an office in Luxembourg to be led by Joanna Pecenik Vergès d’Espagne, Marc Tkatcheff and Jean-Dominique Morelli who will be joining us as partners. Private capital is one of our key strategic growth areas. Establishing our presence in Luxembourg underlines our commitment to investing in the relevant markets and strengthening our private capital offering for clients globally. We look forward to welcoming Joanna, Marc and Jean-Dominique! https://lnkd.in/eFvZ_z-a #privatecapital

Banking demands are evolving fast. Some customers want digital-first solutions, others still prefer in-person services. The challenge? Personalising experiences while balancing innovation, trust, and privacy. Tamanna Islam, Shan-Verne Liew, Madeline Muddle, Michelle Virgiany Hannah Cassidy, Chee Hian Kwah, Charlotte Henry and Alice Molan discuss how banks are adapting to digitisation, data-driven services, and new partnerships in our 2024 Global Bank Review. #bankinginnovation #digitalbanking #dataprivacy #GlobalBankReview   https://lnkd.in/eXC_7Nm7

With cyber threats escalating and the cost of data breaches soaring, cyber resilience has become an urgent leadership priority. As attackers exploit emerging technologies and vulnerabilities, organisations must navigate an increasingly complex digital and regulatory landscape to protect their people, assets, and reputation.   Don’t miss Peter Dalton as he joins a panel of experts to discuss how organisations can quantify cyber risk, align cybersecurity with corporate governance, and ensure compliance in an evolving regulatory landscape.   Find out more about the FT Live Cyber Resilience Summit and register your place here - https://cyber.live.ft.com/   #FTcyber #cyberresilience #cyberlaw #digitalgovernance #cybersecurity #HSFglobalcyber