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Seven partners have defected from the Gothenburg office of leading Swedish firm Lagerlöf & Leman to form a new firm, KPMG Wahlin Advokatbyrå. However, the new firm will not continue to be called that for long because the Swedish Bar Association has forced the firm to drop KPMG from its name as of November 1 1997. The Bar said the name gave the impression the firm was not an independent law firm. "We think it is the wrong decision," says name partner Tryggve Wahlin. "The Swedish Bar Association needs to adapt to the market trend. We do not agree with the view that the name gives the appearance that we are not independent. What is important is that we are independent." The firm is a member of the KPMG-aligned international network of law firms, and has a cooperation agreement with KPMG Bohlins, the Swedish accounting, tax and consulting arm of the big six firm. But it is, Wahlin insists, an independently-owned law firm.

The big six have already made significant inroads into the French and Spanish legal markets, but so far the Portuguese have managed to keep them at bay, with some very stiff regulation. Nick Ferguson reports

Davis & Company have become the first Canadian firm to open an office in Japan. The Tokyo office is the firm's first outside Canada. The office is staffed by two Canadian lawyers and there are plans to increase the number of lawyers to over 10, including Japanese lawyers (bengoshi), if the Japanese Bar Association removes restrictions (see International Financial Law Review, September 1997, page 27).

In June 1997 the Danish Parliament adopted a new Act on Competition (No. 384), bringing Danish competition law into line with EU competition principles. The provisions of the new Act come into force on January 1 1998.

Dr Peter Derendinger, general counsel at Credit Suisse Group, Zurich, talks to Paul Lee

The Hungarian privatization and state holding company (APV Rt) and Hungary-based pharmaceuticals manufacturer Gedeon Richter have completed a US$220 million global and domestic offering of Richter shares and GDSs. In conjunction with the offerings, Richter also increased its share capital by US$50 million. The transaction is one of the largest secondary offerings in central and eastern Europe.

German sportswear company Adidas is acquiring French rival Salomon, best known for skiing equipment, for Ffr8 billion (US$1.3 billion). The first part of the transaction is the purchase of 100% of Sport Developpement, a private family company owning 39% of Salomon shares representing 56% of the company's voting rights. A public offer will follow. Adidas will become the second largest sportswear manufacturer, behind US rival Nike.

UK firms Clifford Chance and Freshfields have both added to their US law capabilities, each hiring a senior US-qualified lawyer in September. US lawyer Peter Cleary has joined Freshfields from Chadbourne & Parke. A project finance specialist with over 15 years of experience in Asia, he joined the UK firm's Hong Kong office on September 1.

The Perth office of Australian firm Freehill Hollingdale & Page has completed its merger with Perth rival Parker & Parker. The office will use the Freehill name. "There was a very strong business case for our firms to merge," says Peter Mansell, managing partner of Freehill Hollingdale & Page Perth. "Our aim is to provide eastern states expertise and depth at Western Australian rates. There will no longer be the need for Western Australia corporates to take legal advice in the east."

The Prague office of UK firm Cameron McKenna has expanded with the addition of four Czech lawyers. This brings the total to 20 and four paralegals. The office's new senior Czech partner is Petr Skacel, formerly of UK rival Lovell White Durrant and most recently of his own firm. Skacel is a former London consul for Czechoslavakia, and specializes in company and commercial law and commercial litigation. He is joined by three other Czech lawyers: Veronika Nezvalova, Milos Mastny and Lucie Motejzikova.