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Allied Irish Banks (AIB) has acquired US bank holding company Dauphin Deposit Corporation for US$1.36 billion. The acquisition, made by Allied Irish Banks' US subsidiary First Maryland Bancorp, brings the banking group closer to its goal of owning a US bank with assets of more than US$20 billion.

Kathleen Moriarty, partner with the New York office of US firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, has joined the corporate group of Wall Street firm Carter, Ledyard & Milburn. Moriarty, who specializes in investment trusts and structured finance, earned the name 'Spider Woman' after advising the American Stock Exchange on the creation of an investment trust for the trading of SPDRs (Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts). These securities can be traded all day on the stock exchange as shares in a unit trust. Before the launch of the SPDR Trust in 1993, investors could only trade their shares in index funds once at the end of each trading day. Moriarty, who has also structured several high-profile municipal bond issues for New York landmarks, joined Carter, Ledyard as a partner on March 17. "Kathleen is an important addition to the corporate practice because of her substantial knowledge of investment companies," says chairman of the group, Robert McTamaney.

UK firms have ambitious plans for US law capability and expansion. But they are facing competition from US, regional and big six-linked firms. Samantha Wigham reports

Grimaldi & Clifford Chance has opened an office in Padua. This is the third office in Italy the firm has established since the association between Grimaldi e Associati and UK law firm Clifford Chance began in 1993. The office will initially have five lawyers led by two partners, Paolo Rulli and Gianandrea Rizzieri. Rulli has moved from the firm's Rome office and Rizzieri joins from local partnership Studio Rizzieri. Both specialize in corporate and international trade law, with Rizzieri providing experience in litigation and arbitration. Associates Federica Greggio and Susanna Rizzieri specialize in international transactions, contracts and litigation.

The recent law implementing EU financial services policy in France has introduced ‘regulated markets’, ‘market enterprises’ and other new concepts. By Antoine Maffei of De Pardieu Brocas Maffei & Associés, Paris

Privatization of mining group

In the January 1997 briefing we noted that a parliamentary committee was expected to propose amendments to the Companies Act of1975, one of which would permit Swedish companies to repurchase their own shares. This proposal has now been published (SOU 1997: 22).

Treasury Ministry Decree No. 703 of November 21 1996 setting out the criteria to be followed by the management of pension funds with regard to investments and the limits on investments and derivatives transactions has been published in the Official Gazette and is now in force.

Ken Mildwaters, group legal and trade marks director of Guinness PLC, talks to Diana Bentley

In response to the sluggishness of the Czech capital markets, the government has launched a series of legislative initiatives with the aim of creating a more stable and transparent environment for investors. Accordingly, the Czech capital markets have been undergoing major changes. However, whether the hoped-for results will materialize remains to be seen.