Edwin Coe forges global alliance of law firms

NETWORKING: Taylor Wessing keys into Dubai practice

London law firm Edwin Coe is spearheading a new international alliance of law firms which has been set up by accountants.

The group, AG Legal, was founded by accounting and consulting company Alliot Group, following proposals made to a world-wide conference it staged in Mexico last year.

The other five founder members are based in Barcelona, Mexico City, and Aarau in Switzerland, with two in Germany, one in Dortmund and the other in Dillingen.

Russel Shear, Edwin Coe's head of company and commercial, who chairs AG Legal's steering committee, said: 'This will be a network for exchanging information and referring clients.

We have been aware of the need to build up closer ties internationally.

The group will be of use across the range sectors Edwin Coe is active in, from litigation to company and commercial work.'

He said discussions relating to the division of fees on referrals were ongoing, and that the group would seek to add more members.

Meanwhile, Anglo-German venture Taylor Wessing has entered an exclusive agreement with Dubai-based English firm Key & Dixon, with which it has close ties.

Key & Dixon was set up in 1996, when Jeremy Key - who had launched a firm that year in association with Nabarro Nathanson - took in Christopher Dixon from Fox & Gibbons, which in 1998 was swallowed up by Denton Wilde Sapte.

Both are former managing partners of the Dubai office of Fox & Gibbons.

Taylor Wessing's managing partner, Gary Moss, said: 'We view this move as opening particular opportunities for our finance and projects, IT and arbitration groups, given the significant investment and infrastructure developments currently taking place in the Gulf states.'

Jeremy Fleming