VT is spurned by Mouchel in takeover bid December 14, 2009 MOUCHEL, the highways and government services company, yesterday confirmed it had rejected two takeover approaches from its larger rival VT Group, but said the larger group was still interested in making a deal. Mouchel said the offers, which were understood to have been at around 250p per share, were “wholly inadequate”, undervalued the company, and [...]
Nokia win proves that IP is taking centre stage January 19, 2010 EARLIER this week, mobile phone maker Nokia won a legal case against German intellectual property company IPCom in the High Court in London. The court ruled that Nokia does not have to pay IPCom to use the technology for which it owns patents. IPCom is one of the intellectual property (IP) companies known as “patent [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS December 7, 2009 Reed SmithThe law firm has appointed Graham Green as a partner in its employment group in London. Green joins from rival McDermott Will & Emery, and has also worked in the employment department at Linklaters. His practice covers all types of discrimination claims, including race, sex, age and disability discrimination, as well as claims over [...]
Moving jobs at the right time boosts prospects and pay-packets February 10, 2010 HECTOR Sants’s decision to step down ahead of time from his post heading up the Financial Services Authority has been greeted with shock, not least because he has only been in the post three years. Perhaps he feels that, having headed the regulator through the downturn, he has done his stint. No doubt he will [...]
Miners push FTSE higher but M&S weighs on retail shares January 7, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares added 0.1 percent yesterday as a rally by heavyweight miners, in tandem with stronger metal prices, offset weakness in energy issues, with retailers upset by a disappointing update from M&S. At the close, the FTSE 100 index was 7.54 points higher at 5,530.04, another 16-month closing high. “It looks like the big [...]
Miners push FTSE higher but M&S weighs on retail shares January 6, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares added 0.1 percent yesterday as a rally by heavyweight miners, in tandem with stronger metal prices, offset weakness in energy issues, with retailers upset by a disappointing update from M&S. At the close, the FTSE 100 index was 7.54 points higher at 5,530.04, another 16-month closing high. “It looks like the big [...]
Eurozone economic mood rises May 28, 2009 Eurozone economic sentiment improved more than expected in May, but inflation expectations fell again, raising the threat of deflation. A monthly survey by the European Commission, released yesterday, showed economic sentiment in the 16 countries using the euro rose to 69.3 points in May from 67.2 in April. The improvement was fuelled by the retail [...]
ITV’s sale of Friends stalls November 2, 2009 ITV’s attempt to offload its social network Friends?Reunited for £25m hit a stumbling block last night, after the competition watchdog warned the deal could breach competition law. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has asked the Competition Commission to investigate the proposed sale’s impact on the family tree research sector. Brightsolid, a subsidiary of DC [...]
ITV’s sale of Friends stalls November 2, 2009 ITV’s attempt to offload its social network Friends?Reunited for £25m hit a stumbling block last night, after the competition watchdog warned the deal could breach competition law. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has asked the Competition Commission to investigate the proposed sale’s impact on the family tree research sector. Brightsolid, a subsidiary of DC [...]
Avanti raises funds to grow December 21, 2009 SATELLITE company Avanti yesterday raised £282m through a combination of shares and debt facilities to fund growth in providing broadband to inaccessible markets. The company, which sells broadband using satellite technology to remote and rural locations, will use the money to launch its second satellite in 2012. Avanti current rents space on other satellites, and [...]