United Kingdom

Man Convicted for Twitter Rant Loses Court Case, Wins Free-Speech Supporters

A British man convicted of sending a menacing communication for a Twitter rant lost a bid to overturn his conviction last week, but gained supporters who posted Twitter threats to show their solidarity. On Thursday a judge in Doncaster, England, refused to overturn the conviction of Paul Chambers, who was…

Nov 16, 2010 11:30 AM CST

Mergers in Canada, South Africa Put Norton Rose in Top Ten

U.K. law firm Norton Rose is expanding into Canada and South Africa through mergers with two other firms. In Canada, Norton Rose is merging with Ogilvy Renault, according to Legal Week, the Am Law Daily and the Toronto Globe and Mail. In South Africa, it is merging with Deneys Reitz.…

Nov 15, 2010 3:58 PM CST

Proskauer Rose and SJ Berwin Call Off Merger Talks

Proskauer Rose and British law firm SJ Berwin have ended merger talks after nine months of discussions. The law firms confirmed the end of the talks in a joint statement, Legal Week reports. SJ Berwin’s new managing partner Rob Day told The Lawyer that one of the issues hampering talks…

Nov 12, 2010 4:08 PM CST

Straight Couple Suing for Civil Union Rather Than Marriage

On the cutting edge of constitutional law, a straight couple in the United Kingdom is suing for the right to tie the knot in a civil union rather than a wedding. Tom Freeman and Katherine Doyle say a civil partnership under British law is more in keeping with their personal…

Nov 9, 2010 5:24 PM CST

Partners of Squire Sanders & Hammonds OK Megamerger; Will Keep Squire Sanders Name

Two major law firms will join the world’s 25 largest as of Jan. 1, when Cleveland-based Squire Sanders & Dempsey and London-based Hammonds have agreed to tie the knot. The melded firm will retain the Squire Sanders name, although it will be known as Squire Sanders Hammonds in areas where…

Nov 8, 2010 6:24 PM CST

Human Rights Group to Sue in UK in Effort to Prevent Export of Drug for Use in US Inmate’s Execution

In an effort to prevent, or at least postpone, the execution of a U.S. prison inmate on death row, a London-based human rights group says it has filed or will file suit in the United Kingdom to try to force a ban on the export from Britain of a scarce…

Nov 2, 2010 6:40 PM CDT

Meet Michelle Paver, Ex-Partner Whose Solo Treks Led to Best-Selling Children’s Series

Michelle Paver is still renowned for her work ethic. But now she produces on her own initiative, as the author of a critically acclaimed, best-selling series of children’s books, more than a decade after she left her job as a partner at a London law firm to try her hand…

Oct 9, 2010 12:19 AM CDT

UK Has a New Lawyer-Complaints Czar: The Legal Ombudsman

In an effort to streamline complaints about lawyers that used to be made to four different agencies and eliminate the appearance of bias in favor of the legal profession that was created by putting attorneys in charge of disciplining other attorneys, the United Kingdom has rolled out out a new…

Oct 7, 2010 5:49 PM CDT

Real Estate Chief Departs SJ Berwin Before Possible Proskauer Merger

The real estate chief of SJ Berwin is leading a four-lawyer team to another British-based law firm, Irwin Mitchell. Jon Vivian’s departure could be a plus factor for a potential merger with Proskauer Rose, however, since some real estate lawyers at Berwin have opposed the alliance, feeling that it could…

Sep 27, 2010 9:20 PM CDT

Hackers Post Law Firm E-Mail, Exposing Defendant Data, Lawyer’s ‘Lambo’ Tastes

Hackers have obtained e-mails from a U.K. law firm that sues people suspected of illegal file-sharing, according to reports on legal technology blogs. The messages have been posted on the Pirate Bay website and other file-sharing networks, where they have been downloaded and dissected in online reports. E-mails hacked from…

Sep 27, 2010 12:00 PM CDT

Legal Fees Still Too Fat, Corp Counsel Say; 1 Firm Works 3 Months for Free

For years, law firms doing work for major corporations charged hefty fees with relatively little objection from their clients. But now, despite a major pendulum swing that has seemingly shifted the balance of power in fee negotiations to corporate counsel in recent years, in-house lawyers are demanding more price concessions,…

Sep 20, 2010 4:08 PM CDT

Wham! Singer George Michael Gets 8 Weeks, Nearly $2K Fine, in ‘Drug Driving’ Case

A pop singer who rose to fame with Wham! in the 1980s will be singing the blues in jail after receiving an eight-week sentence from a British judge today for what the Associated Press terms “drug driving.” George Michael likely will have to serve only half that time before being…

Sep 14, 2010 11:52 PM CDT

ISPs Reportedly Raided in 14-Country File-Sharing Bust Targeting P2P Sites

Following a two-year investigation by Belgian police, authorities have reportedly raided Internet service providers in approximately 14 European countries, in an effort to shut down websites that violate copyright laws by facilitating illegal peer-to-peer downloading of games, software and, in particular, movies. The raids, which focused on “The Scene” in…

Sep 7, 2010 10:22 PM CDT

Woman Who Put Cat in Lidded Trash Bin is Found, Threatened on Facebook

It remains to be seen whether Mary Bale could face any legal repercussions from admittedly putting a family’s cat into a lidded outdoor trash container, where it was reportedly trapped for 15 hours but eventually rescued unharmed. However, the 45-year-old British bank worker has already been tried and found guilty…

Aug 25, 2010 11:54 PM CDT

Squire Sanders in Merger Talks with UK Law Firm Hammonds

Another transatlantic law firm merger may be in the offing, this one involving Squire, Sanders & Dempsey and British law firm Hammonds. Partners at both firms were being told of the merger talks today, according to Legal Week and the Am Law Daily. If the merger gets a green light,…

Aug 25, 2010 4:46 PM CDT