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News round-up In November, Helsinki firm Heikki Haapaniemi failed to save itself from collapse as partners agreed to go their separate ways. The partnership's decision to disband came at the end of a series of defections that rocked the firm throughout 2000.

The EU Committee of Wise Men chaired by Alexandre Lamfalussy has issued its final report on the regulation of European securities markets.

Kevin Muzilla US firms Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy and Weil, Gotshal & Manges have advised on the first refinancing this year of a leveraged buy-out (LBO). The firms acted for lead manager Deutsche Bank and United Biscuits respectively on the $326 million refinancing of last year's LBO of UK biscuit maker by the Finalream consortium, which included Cinven, Paribas Affaire Industrielles, DB Capital Partners and Nabisco The refinancing of the United Biscuits LBO was done through a high-yield bond issue of two of senior subordinated notes, one of £120 million ($173 million) at 10% and redeemable in 2011 and the other of euro 160 million ($143 million) also due in 2011.

The US water infrastructure needs billions of dollars of investment. As concern mounts that many towns and cities may struggle in the not-too-distant future to provide citizens with clean, safe water, IFLR invited a panel of industry specialists to discuss the obstacles and opportunities created by what may be the US’s next great infrastructure challenge

The Hart-Scott-Rodino Act has been the cornerstone of merger control in the US for 25 years. But revisions made to the Act this year will change the threshold at which mergers need to be reported in an attempt to bring more consolidations in the high-tech sector under the control of the federal authorities. James Lowe of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, Washington, DC examines the changes to the notification regime

Wall Street firm Cravath, Swain & Moore had a bumper start to the Spring season in March, successful negotiating two deals totalling $15.5 billion. Also involved in the transactions were Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and Californian firm Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe. Cravath, Swaine & Moore acted for healthcare product maker Johnson & Johnson in April on its agreed a $10.5 billion merger with research-based pharmaceuticals company ALZA. Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe acted for ALZA in a transaction which saw ALZA shareholders receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.49 shares of Johnson & Johnson common stock for each share of ALZA in a tax-free transaction.

Shearman & Sterling has advised global coordinators Merrill Lynch and Banco Santander Central Hispanico on the controversial listing of Iberia, Spain's flag carrier airline. The US firm's Paris-based corporate partner Manuel Orillac worked on the deal while Cuatrecasas capital markets specialist Fernando Torrente advised on Spanish law. UK firm Simmons & Simmons acted for the selling shareholder, Sociedad Estatal de Participiciones Industriales (SEPI), the government industrial holding company responsible for the country's privatization programme.

Andersen Legal is re-entering the Hong Kong market after its failed association with Ede Charlton. It will return to the Hong Kong market through a merger with Kwok & Yih, a local firm comprising five partners and 16 associates that is strong in capital markets, corporate finance and M&A.

Lovells is to strengthen its capability in Tokyo, with plans to focus on expanding its mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and securitization teams by adding lawyers from its London office and by looking to bring in new hires. Lovells has kick-started its plans to grow in Japan by relocating new partner Tim Lester, a securitization specialist, from London to Tokyo. Lester, who is one of 24 partners who were made up by Lovells on May 1, moved to Tokyo to join Rupert Lewi (corporate finance) and Michael Hancock (structured and project finance), the firm's two locally-based partners.

"A cocktail of Kafkaesque inefficiency"