International

BigLaw Relaxing Bank Suit Standards?

As the subprime mortgage meltdown and a resulting global credit crunch have created a surge of litigation against lenders, some of the world’s major law firms are caught in a quandary. Traditionally, they have represented banks. But now that litigating against banks is a hot practice area, many are relaxing,…

Nov 5, 2007 11:18 PM CST

Pakistan Fires Top Court, Lawyers Protest There and Elsewhere

The protesters wore conservative business suits today as thousands of lawyers throughout Pakistan clashed with authorities over the suspension of the constitution and the firing of the country’s chief judge, along with numerous other supreme court and appellate judges. Many of the 17 supreme court judges, including fired Chief Judge…

Nov 5, 2007 10:07 PM CST

Survey: Associate Loyalty at All-Time Low

Despite a year of hefty salary increases for BigLaw associate attorneys, their loyalty has never been lower. Fewer than one in five junior associates with less than two years’ experience at major law firms in the U.S. and the U.K. expects to stay another five years, reports the London Times,…

Nov 5, 2007 8:37 PM CST

Experts: Share-the-Spoils Model Better Than ‘Eat What You Kill’

Although an eat-what-you-kill approach to law practice has gained popularity in recent years, a share-the-spoils model is the better pathway to follow for future law firm success, experts say. Otherwise, according to Doug Moore of accountant Grant Thornton, the law firm “promotes stars and rainmakers, those who bring in the…

Nov 5, 2007 7:11 PM CST

Aussie Lawyer to Clients: Don’t Flush Fees Down the Gurgler

An Australian lawyer has written a book about the top 10 mistakes that small and medium-size businesses frequently make in their legal matters. And among the mega-mistakes, he says, is spending money on litigation. For the best-represented clients, the focus should be on talk rather than legal action, writes Paul…

Nov 5, 2007 6:35 PM CST

Oops: Top Lateral Lured from UK Rival is Retiring

The London office of Hogan & Hartson reportedly has been stunned by the news that the head of its city corporate team—a partner it stole from rival Shearman & Sterling’s London office less than 18 months ago—is leaving law practice. Although Jonathan Coppin announced last month that he planned to…

Nov 5, 2007 5:44 PM CST

UK-Based Lawyer Heads ABA Section

A lawyer based in Allen & Overy’s London office is chair of the ABA’s Section of International Law and Practice. He is the first lawyer outside the United States to lead the group. “Our sense is that I won’t be the last chair overseas—quite the contrary,” section chair Jeffrey Golden…

Nov 5, 2007 4:26 PM CST

Pakistan Fires Chief Justice, Arrests Attorneys

Updated: Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, invoked emergency powers on Saturday, suspending the country’s constitution and firing the chief justice of its supreme court, who reportedly is under virtual house arrest. Numerous lawyers who protested the move were arrested, and some were also reportedly beaten and sprayed with tear gas…

Nov 5, 2007 9:34 AM CST

Legal Reality TV: Too Boring to Broadcast

Legal TV, a two-year-old station in the U.K., is finding the job of programming for attorneys tough going. The station has recently cancelled two “legal reality” programs. The first, which involved sending a camera crew with a lawyer to film his or her daily work, was too boring to broadcast,…

Nov 2, 2007 4:29 PM CDT

‘Lotto Rapist’ Win Creates Limitations Issue

A convicted sex criminal who won 7 million pounds in the lottery as he was about to be released from prison in the U.K. after 15 years has created a quandary for the country’s legal system. His victim didn’t sue the so-called “Lotto rapist” for civil damages after the 1988…

Nov 2, 2007 3:58 PM CDT

Still-Quirky Garage Law Firm Grows Up

A law firm in South Wales that started out in business in a one-room office over a garage five years ago has grown up since then and now has what many might consider a “real” law office. However, SRBlegal still opts to operate in a nontraditional setting, setting up shop…

Oct 31, 2007 4:58 PM CDT

Mixed Verdicts in Madrid Train Bombings

A Spanish court has convicted 21 people in the 2004 Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people. Seven others, including an alleged mastermind, were acquitted. Spain’s National Court sentenced three of the defendants to prison terms amounting to tens of thousands of years, the New York Times reports. Many of…

Oct 31, 2007 2:14 PM CDT

Security Contractors in Iraq Face More Oversight

Iraq and the United States are both taking action to increase oversight of private contractors after a September incident in which security guards with Blackwater Worldwide were accused of killing 17 Iraqis. Iraq’s cabinet has approved legislation that would allow private security contractors to face prosecution for wrongdoing, Reuters reports.…

Oct 31, 2007 1:52 PM CDT

China Cracks Down on Poor Product Quality With 774 Arrests

China has announced 774 arrests in a crackdown on substandard goods designed to allay international fears about the nation’s food and product safety. The arrests were the result of investigations into the sale of fake or poor-quality food, medicine or agricultural products, the Associated Press reports. The country’s General Administration…

Oct 31, 2007 1:14 PM CDT

Edwards Angell to Merge with UK Firm

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, which has offices in 10 U.S. cities, has announced a merger with a London law firm. After the Jan. 1 merger with Kendall Freeman, the new firm will have 600 lawyers, Legal Week reports. Both firms have strong insurance and reinsurance practices. They also share…

Oct 31, 2007 11:33 AM CDT