Europe

Newly found skeleton of Richard III creates winter of discontent for 2 cities vying to claim bones

Slain more than 500 years ago on a British battlefield, King Richard III was recently determined to have been unceremoniously buried in nearby Leicester without a coffin. Now that his bones have been identified after being excavated from beneath a parking lot, two cities are vying to claim possession of…

Feb 7, 2013 9:55 PM CST

Ukrainian lawyer arrested for client’s alleged crime and jailed

A 31-year-old Ukranian lawyer who was arrested and jailed two years ago when he went to the Kiev police station to visit a client accused of car theft has become a focal point in a growing controversy over the oppressive power of prosecutors fueled by a lack of judicial independence,…

Feb 7, 2013 6:50 PM CST

Report: Secret plans in place to ax or demote 20 to 50 of 189 partners at Ashurst Australia

Relying on unidentified sources, an Australian business publication says the Australian arm of Ashurst is secretly planning to cull between 20 and 50 of its 189 partners in order to meet financial projections and complete its planned merger with the United Kingdom-based law firm of the same name. Doing business…

Jan 31, 2013 10:39 PM CST

Top Chicago Litigators to Retry 2,400-Year-Old Socrates Case Before 7th Circuit’s Judge Posner

Star litigators in Chicago are preparing to retry a controversial 2,400-year-old free speech case that famously resulted in the death of Socrates, now considered the father of Greek philosophy, when he drank a cup of poisonous hemlock. Dan Webb of Winston and Strawn and plaintiffs lawyer Robert A. Clifford, a…

Jan 2, 2013 7:12 PM CST

Nixon Peabody to Close 11-Partner Paris Office Created in 2008 By Taylor Wessing Defection

Less than five years after a dozen senior lawyers from the French branch of Taylor Wessing defected to Nixon Peabody and created its Paris office, that Paris office is closing. Nixon Peabody plans to focus on its U.S. operations, and it’s not clear where the 11 partners, seven associates and…

Dec 20, 2012 8:31 PM CST

ACLU Suit in US Was Dismissed, But Euro Court Says Man Mistaken for Terrorist Was Brutalized by CIA

When a German car salesman filed suit in the U.S. claiming that he had been mistaken for an al-Qaida terrorist with a similar name and held for months and interrogated and brutalized in Macedonia and Afghanistan as part of a clandestine rendition program operated by the CIA, the case was…

Dec 13, 2012 10:50 PM CST

UK Spy Accused of Attacking Colleague to Be Tried Behind Screen, Under Pseudonym

A British spy is accused of sexually assaulting, beating and harassing a female colleague at various times last year will be tried for in a highly unusual manner next year. Because the 28-year-old’s life could be in danger if his identity is revealed, he will be tried under a pseudonym,…

Dec 10, 2012 8:19 PM CST

Partners OK Latest Mega-Merger; Dentons Will Have Nearly 2,500 Attorneys, Be Set Up as Swiss Verein

A three-way merger of major law firms was approved Wednesday by the partners involved, setting the stage for SNR Denton, Salans and Fraser Milner Casgrain to combine early next year. The new megafirm, which will be known as Dentons, will have more than 2,500 attorneys and professionals, making it the…

Nov 28, 2012 8:25 PM CST

Attorney Who Gave Up City Job for Kids Forms ‘Top Brain’ Law Firm With Other Stay-at-Home Moms

A former London lawyer who gave up a lucrative legal job in the global financial center after she had her first child is now challenging the traditional idea that skilled corporate attorneys have to work at traditional BigLaw firms if they want a challenging legal career. Eve King joined with…

Nov 27, 2012 7:03 PM CST

Ogletree Deakins to Plant Flag in Europe with Offices in London and Berlin

In what it says is the first such move by a U.S.-based firm specializing in labor and employment law, Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart has announced that it will soon be opening two offices in Europe. Its new Berlin office, which is expected to open Dec. 1, will be…

Nov 14, 2012 10:15 PM CST

Told Apple Needs 14 Days to Change ‘Untrue’ Samsung Correction Notice, UK Judge Expresses Disbelief

Ordered by the United Kingdom’s High Court of Justice last month to put a post on its website explaining that a competitor didn’t copy its iPad design, Apple Inc. tried to comply but published a notice that was “untrue” and “incorrect,” according to British judges. Then, when Apple was ordered…

Nov 1, 2012 9:53 PM CDT

Top 10 UK Law Firms Rake In Nearly Half of BigLaw Revenue, Could Gain Even More via Foreign Growth

The top 10 law firms in the United Kingdom bring in almost half of the income earned by the country’s 100 largest legal shops, and could get an even bigger share of the pie through international expansion. Already, the top 10 bring in around 40 percent of their revenue from…

Oct 29, 2012 4:05 PM CDT

Italian Court Convicts Earthquake Experts for Failing to Adequately Warn of Impending Disaster

An Italian court has convicted six scientists and a government official of manslaughter for giving “inexact, incomplete and contradictory information” about whether a series of small tremors indicated a major earthquake was likely. Scientists condemned the verdict issued on Monday, saying it represents a misunderstanding of science. The defendants were…

Oct 23, 2012 11:46 AM CDT

UK Outsourcer Announces Plans to Buy Another Law Firm

A publicly traded outsourcing company is buying a second U.K. law firm, provided it gets regulatory approval. Software and outsourcing business Quindell Portfolio is buying the Pinto Potts law firm, which specializes in personal injury claims, according to Legal Week and the Global Legal Post. The purchase is authorized by…

Oct 15, 2012 2:26 PM CDT

British Judge, a Well-Known Author, Is Temporarily Suspended After Arrest; Police Won’t State Reason

A well-known British barrister who serves as a part-time judge in London has been temporarily taken off the bench. Constance Briscoe, 55, was arrested on Saturday by Kent Police and released on bail, and subsequently has been removed from hearing cases, according to the Telegraph. The basis for her arrest…

Oct 11, 2012 8:52 PM CDT