Linklaters continues to be a market leader. Its global network, high profile mandates and quality of individuals continue to provide clients with top quality service....
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Linklaters continues to be a market leader. Its global network, high profile mandates and quality of individuals continue to provide clients with top quality service. Among the market's best are Wolfgang Deselaers and Gerwin Van Gerven.
One client says of Deselaers: "He was innovative in taking a very proactive, very strategic approach and using innovative ways of finding solutions." Another says that he was "excellent, very well connected; he does not just take into account the case but looks at where the law is going. He has very good general ecommerce knowledge [and] a good feel for the industry."
Competitors argue that the firm has not been without its problems and office closures in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the loss of some key partners in Brussels has marred its reputation, if only ephemerally. One of the market's high profile moves saw senior partner and former head of the global practice Eric Burnside leave to head the new office of US firm Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft. Johan Isavin also resigned from the partnership. The firm made no moves to replace the partners but hired an extra four juniors.
Throughout 2010-2011, Bernd Meyring and a cross-border team was advising Sanofi-Aventis on a $16.5 billion joint-venture with Merck to create the world's largest animal health company. Until it was abandoned due to opposition from regulators, London-based Gavin Robert and van Gerven were advising Rio Tinto on a $116 billion joint venture with BHP Billiton on anti-trust matters in the EU and Asia.
On the cartel side, the firm was advising BP on investigations into the fuel retail market, a global French manufacturer on cartel fines imposed by the ECC (European Competition Commission) and a global skin care company on a multi-jurisdictional cartel investigation.
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