Freshfields tops deals list

Magic circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised on deals worth more than $69bn (£46bn) globally in the first half of 2010, more than any other UK firm, according to the latest figures from Thomson Reuters. US firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom topped the list with more than $136bn (£90bn) of deals.

Annual cap warning
Government plans to impose a permanent annual cap on non-EU nationals entering the UK labour market could have a ‘significant detrimental impact’ on the legal sector, the Law Society has warned.

US fraud ruling
Foreign purchasers of US securities listed on foreign exchanges cannot sue for securities fraud in US courts – even if the fraud originated in the US, the US Supreme Court has ruled in Morrison v National Australia Bank. The decision means that those who purchase non-US-listed securities abroad will be limited to domestic anti-fraud provisions.