Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl, rescued by US through Gitmo prisoner swap, is charged with desertion

Captured by the Taliban in 2009 after disappearing from his post in Afghanistan, an American soldier was then rescued last year in a controversial prisoner exchange. Now he has been charged with desertion by the U.S. Army. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was a private first class when he disappeared, also…

Mar 25, 2015 3:30 PM CDT

Jenner & Block to open first overseas office; seeks to hire lawyers in London

Known for its litigation, insurance coverage and regulatory enforcement and white-collar defense work, Jenner & Block is opening its first overseas office in London, home of the famed Lloyd’s insurance market. The 400-lawyer Chicago-based firm is starting in London with two U.S.-based practitioners. It has rented an entire floor of…

Mar 24, 2015 4:00 PM CDT

Lawyer for doctor who helped US track down and kill Osama bin Laden is assassinated in Pakistan

A lawyer for a Pakistani physician who helped U.S. military forces track down and kill Osama bin Laden in 2011 has himself been killed in a vehicle ambush in Pakistan. Attorney Samiullah Afridi died of his injuries while being treated at a hospital in Peshawar after the Tuesday shooting, according…

Mar 17, 2015 4:10 PM CDT

8 Pillsbury partners exit for Winston & Strawn; will other departures follow?

Winston & Strawn announced Wednesday the acquisition of an 8-partner group from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, and news reports say observers expect more Pillsbury lawyers to exit for Winston. Following Winston’s announcement last week that Pillsbury structured finance chief Jeffrey Stern is joining the Chicago-based international firm, another eight partners…

Mar 12, 2015 9:50 AM CDT

Winston Churchill wanted to give rare Magna Carta manuscript to US, documents show

Great Britain’s prime minister and other officials wanted to give the U.S. a rare historic manuscript of the Magna Carta during World War II, as a thank-you for America’s anticipated help during the war effort. However, the would-be donation discussed by Winston Churchill in documents unearthed less than a decade…

Mar 11, 2015 1:10 PM CDT

Did GOP authors of Iran letter get international law wrong?

The lesson isn’t so clear in the wake of a controversial letter–signed by 47 Republican lawmakers—advising Iran’s leaders that any nuclear agreement with the United States could be short-lived under the nation’s constitutional system. U.S. legal scholars are debating the letter’s claims, while Iran’s foreign minister is offering to “enrich…

Mar 11, 2015 8:27 AM CDT

Colorado lawyer wins $150K libel award against UK Internet troll who criticized his law firm

Angry and upset by an online attack that seemed to be coming from a disgruntled client, Colorado lawyer Timothy Bussey retained counsel to find out who was behind the criticism of his law firm on a Google page. The answer, a U.K. High Court judge ruled, was Jason “Jay” Page,…

Mar 6, 2015 1:55 PM CST

Paul Hastings hiring spree includes new Brazil office overseen by 3 former Allen & Overy partners

Following news of a record $1 billion in gross revenue in 2014, Paul Hastings is on a hiring spree. The approximately 875-attorney firm brought in two BigLaw practice leaders this week, and is opening a new office in Brazil overseen by three partners from a Magic Circle firm in the…

Mar 6, 2015 12:55 PM CST

Harvard, Northwestern help Qatar open law school that will award a JD degree

With help from two venerable U.S. law schools, a Middle Eastern university is creating the region’s first juris doctor degree program. Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar, will open its doors this fall to students pursuing JD degrees, with a law professor from Northwestern University School of Law at…

Mar 3, 2015 4:15 PM CST

Chicago lawyer pieces together a missing couple’s story to obtain a court ruling that they died

When Malaysia Airlines flight 370 vanished after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, it never occurred to Richard Campbell that he'd be involved in some of the earliest litigation over the disaster—or any missing-plane-related litigation, for that matter.

Mar 1, 2015 6:20 AM CST

ABA Rule of Law Initiative helps advance legal reforms in more than 50 countries

Mar 1, 2015 4:50 AM CST

Should law firms seeking a base in Asia set up shop in Singapore or Hong Kong?

Mar 1, 2015 2:40 AM CST

US offers $3M bounty for alleged Russian hacker, a record reward for a cybersecurity case

Federal officials announced this week that they are offering a $3 million bounty for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Evgeniy Bogachev, a Russian national believed to be somewhere in his home country. The reward by the State Department and the FBI is the highest ever offered in…

Feb 26, 2015 4:05 PM CST

Fake law firm websites using real lawyers’ profiles are increasing, bar group says

A growing number of fake law firm websites are potentially scamming “clients” and gathering their confidential financial information, a European regulator is warning the public. Additionally, since fake law firm websites are often using real attorneys’ profiles and branding, law firms need to be watchful to prevent their advertising efforts…

Feb 23, 2015 9:55 AM CST

Foreign companies losing discovery battles when their in-house counsel don’t meet US standards

In China, among other countries, in-house counsel aren’t required to have a law license. Nonetheless, lawyers say, it would be highly unusual for communications between in-house counsel and a client to be produced in litigation. However, the discovery rules change for foreign companies when they are involved in litigation in…

Feb 17, 2015 9:30 AM CST