Herbert Smith News

Sierra Leone is aiming to increase its power capacity tenfold by 2017, a plan the energy minister said should be driven by foreign investors despite the outbreak of Ebola and a history of bureaucratic difficulties. Sierra Leone has recorded strong economic growth rates in recent years as major mining projects came online, but the broader recovery from years of conflict during the 1990s has been slow and risks being derailed by an Ebola outbreak that has gripped the country. "We are open for business," Henry Macauley told a packed conference room in the London offices of Herbert Smith Freehills, a law firm advising the government. The plan aims to increase power capacity to 1,000 MW by 2017, from a current level of 100 MW.

China's increasing regulatory influence over international mergers and acquisitions has helped to create the hottest new commodity in its legal industry: anti-trust lawyers. Six years ago, China did not even have a legal system for regulating the impact of M&A on competition. Today, its Ministry of Commerce is the biggest wildcard for dealmakers trying to get a major cross-border deal past anti-trust regulators. The ministry's decision last month to reject Danish shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk's planned alliance with Swiss and French rivals came as a "big surprise" to Maersk Chief Executive Nils Smedegaard Anderson, whose team had been in close contact with the regulator until days earlier.

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, announce the appointment of Lord Gold, who will report to the Ethics Committee of the Board. This appointment follows the previous announcement by Rolls-Royce that it has provided information to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) relating to concerns about bribery and corruption involving intermediaries in overseas markets. Lord Gold was a solicitor at Herbert Smith for 37 years, serving as its senior partner between 2005 and 2010. He is one of the UK's most senior litigators and has extensive experience working at the highest levels with corporations, governments and regulators around the world.

Three experienced shipping lawyers have moved to the 45 million GT North of England P&I club, further confirming its status as one of the major players in the international maritime insurance industry. They include two partners from leading London maritime firms and a US shipping attorney from New York. Former Lawrence Graham partner Charles Baker (54) has joined the club's freight, demurrage and defence department as a solicitor. Baker is an experienced shipping litigator who has been a partner with a number of leading London shipping practices over the past 25 years, including Holman, Fenwick and Willan and Herbert Smith. Frank Sanford (48), formerly a partner with Richards Butler, has joined as a senior claims executive focusing primarily on cargo claims.

London-based law firm Lawrence Graham has appointed Charles Baker, an experienced maritime and trade lawyer, as a new partner. Baker, who has more than 25 years experience in maritime law, had previously been with Herbert Smith where he set up the Paris office of Holman Fenwick & Willan.

London-based law firm Lawrence Graham has appointed Charles Baker, an experienced maritime and trade lawyer, as a new partner. Baker, who has more than 25 years experience in maritime law, had previously been with Herbert Smith where he set up the Paris office of Holman Fenwick & Willan.