International

Clifford Chance MP Predicts a Firm Future Less Focused on London

London’s top billing as an international financial and legal center could lose some of its luster in the foreseeable future, according to the global managing partner of Clifford Chance. “If I could wave my magic wand, in three to five years I would want to have three hubs and, if…

Jun 2, 2008 5:50 PM CDT

Closet-Dweller Arrested in Japan

A homeless woman who reportedly has been living for more than a year in the closet of a stranger’s home was arrested in Japan yesterday. The unnamed 58-year-old woman apparently entered the home through an unlocked door, and was eventually discovered after the male resident—who thought he was living there…

May 30, 2008 10:48 PM CDT

Long & Winding Road to UK Law Partnership is Getting Longer

For the third year in a row, it’s taking a little longer to make partner at major United Kingdom law firms. The average wait for the gold ring for those who succeed in grabbing it is now 8.8 years, compared to 8.2 years in 2006, reports Legal Week. In the…

May 30, 2008 6:56 PM CDT

Growing Number of Law Firms Contribute to China Relief Efforts

More than a dozen law firms are contributing money to help earthquake victims in China. While the firms were certainly motivated by the urge to help the devastated region, business considerations may also have been a factor, the AmLaw Daily suggests. “Is it sheer coincidence that many of the American…

May 30, 2008 3:00 PM CDT

Did China Copy U.S. Commerce Secretary’s Laptop Computer?

A U.S. investigation is under way to determine whether China secretly copied a top American official’s government laptop computer during a trip late last year, subsequently using the information in attempts to hack into Commerce Department computers. “Surreptitious copying is believed to have occurred when a laptop was left unattended…

May 30, 2008 12:34 AM CDT

Man Faces Beheading in Saudi Arabia for Swearing

A man who reportedly took God’s name in vain during an argument with a neighbor in Saudi Arabia is in prison and sentenced to be beheaded. “This nation is ruled by a strict Wahhabi brand of Islamic justice that doles out lashings and public beheadings for crimes including murder, rape…

May 29, 2008 11:17 PM CDT

Clifford Chance FY Revenue up 11%, Hits $2.623 Billion

Corrected: Clifford Chance has started the British law firm earnings reporting season with a bang, announcing a hefty revenue increase regardless of the economic slowdown that began last year. The London-based international firm is the first magic circle firm to report its earnings for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. “Despite its…

May 29, 2008 5:16 PM CDT

Trial Judge’s Treatment of ‘Invisible’ Man Was Wrong, Appeals Court Says

When David Battah showed up without a lawyer at the Superior Court of Justice in Canada last year, “it was as if he suddenly became invisible,” a newspaper recounts. Battah had lined up an attorney to help him protest a $463,000 payment being sought from an aunt’s estate, but his…

May 29, 2008 3:18 PM CDT

Blind Lawyer to Sue AmEx Over Unreadable Credit Card Statements?

A blind lawyer in the U.K. is threatening to sue American Express Co. if the credit card issuer doesn’t take action to make its online credit card statements more user-friendly to those with vision problems. Previously, Richard Godfrey-McKay, a 53-year-old solicitor in Perth, could review his Internet statements with the…

May 28, 2008 11:02 PM CDT

Sent Home With Wrong Family, Now-Adult Twin Sues

An identical twin who discovered, as an adult, that she had been sent home from a Canary Islands hospital in Spain with the wrong family has sued over the alleged mix-up. Now 35, the unnamed woman discovered she had a twin when she was mistaken for her sister by a…

May 28, 2008 3:34 PM CDT

Would-Be Suicide Bomber, 14, Explains Why

After his first (and only) four months of schooling, at an Islamic madrassa in Pakistan, Shauker Ullah was ready, at 14, to pursue what religious leaders reportedly told him was his true vocation in life: Becoming a suicide bomber. He didn’t know how to drive a car or read a…

May 27, 2008 6:46 PM CDT

Teen Violence Up in London; ‘Harry Potter’ Actor is Killed

It isn’t just in major cities in the U.S. that recent spates of violence, often attributed to teens and young adults, have sparked concern. A top official at Scotland Yard has warned British parents to find out whether their children are carrying knives, after attacks killed 14 teens in London…

May 27, 2008 5:24 PM CDT

UK Wealth Mgmt. Co. Wants to Buy British Law Firm

Right now, the Formation Group looks to two outside law firms, Halliwells and DLA Piper, to handle the legal needs of its well-heeled clients. But, thanks to new legislation, the U.K. wealth management company for entertainers and professional sports figures is now looking to buy a law firm to service…

May 27, 2008 4:10 PM CDT

Partner’s Wife Stole $160K to Fund Slots Addiction

The 63-year-old spouse of a former senior partner at a British law firm has been jailed, and her husband has lost his job over the nearly $160,000 she reportedly stole from clients to fund a gambling addiction. Although solicitor Kim Orton repaid all the money stolen by his wife, Susanne,…

May 27, 2008 3:47 PM CDT

Gay BigLaw Partner: Coming Out Helped My Career

Coming out of the closet about his sexual orientation has helped his career, says a London partner at one of the world’s biggest and best-known law firms. Stephen Shea, a tax partner at Clifford Chance, says he is more relaxed with colleagues and clients and willing to take on new…

May 27, 2008 2:43 PM CDT