International Law

Robed Lawyers Join Protests and March in Egypt, Calling for a Trial of Mubarak

Updated: Thousands of lawyers and doctors joined protests in Egypt’s Tahrir Square on Thursday amid calls for Hosni Mubarak to resign. On Friday, the protest turned to a celebration when Mubarak stepped down, leaving the announcement to his recently named vice president, Omar Suleiman, according to the Washington Post and…

Feb 10, 2011 5:57 PM CST

US Judge Grants TRO to Block Enforcement of Potential Ecuador Verdict Against Chevron

In the latest twist in a hard-fought international environmental case that reportedly could win a megabillions verdict for the plaintiffs, a federal judge in New York has granted a temporary restraining order banning enforcement of any judgment that might be awarded in the future by a court in Ecuador. The…

Feb 9, 2011 8:20 PM CST

IRS Announces New Amnesty Program for Those Evading Taxes Via Offshore Accounts

The Internal Revenue Service is giving those who missed their chance to come clean about evading taxes in offshore accounts during a previous amnesty program a second bite at the apple as it simultaneously continues to investigate overseas banks and new reporting requirements loom that could expose more to potential…

Feb 8, 2011 10:12 PM CST

Patton Firm Seeks to Sue Chevron, Gibson Dunn, Claims Tortious Interference with Client Relationship

Last week, Chevron Corp. filed a federal civil racketeering lawsuit in New York against the plaintiffs in a hard-fought multi-billion-dollar Ecuador environmental case, alleging that they conspired to manufacture and withhold evidence. Among the defendants is one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, Steven Donziger. This week, another plaintiffs law…

Feb 8, 2011 4:34 PM CST

Mom in Spotlight for Hot Sauce and Cold Shower Discipline Is Charged with Child Abuse

An Alaska mother who sought help from a national television show in disciplining a difficult child has now been charged with abusing a 7-year-old boy she and her husband adopted from Russia. Jessica Beagley, 36, faces a misdemeanor case in Anchorage city court, reports WLTX. She is expected to plead…

Feb 4, 2011 9:40 PM CST

Top UK Court OKs Tweets and Live-Texting Under Most Circumstances

Journalists, legal teams and the public are all permitted to use Twitter to send live tweets from the United Kingdom’s highest court, according to guidance provided today. Because its proceedings don’t involve jurors or witnesses, says the U.K. Supreme Court in a press release (PDF) concerning “live text based communications,”…

Feb 3, 2011 6:24 PM CST

Chevron Shifts Gears, Files Civil RICO Suit Against Plaintiffs

Corrected: Upping the ante in a hard-fought legal battle over megabillions in environmental damage allegedly caused to a South American rain forest by a predecessor of Chevron Corp., the oil company has filed a civil racketeering lawsuit against the plaintiffs. The suit accuses the plaintiffs, their lawyers and other members…

Feb 3, 2011 5:13 PM CST

As Unrest in Egypt Unfolds, BigLaw Firms Keep Wary Eye on Offices There

Despite reported turmoil in Egypt, it appears that the relatively small number of major international law firms with offices there have stayed out of the worst of the fray. “Our paramount concern is for the safety and welfare of all our people,” says Howard Morris, the CEO of SNR Denton,…

Feb 2, 2011 7:50 PM CST

British BigLaw Firm A&O Plans to Shift Back-Office & Legal Support Workers to Distant Location

In the latest signpost pointing the way toward a new approach to BigLaw practice that is rapidly gaining traction, a London-based international firm has announced it is shifting its back-office and legal support functions to a distant location. Allen & Overy expects to have some 300 staffers working in Belfast,…

Feb 2, 2011 5:46 PM CST

Law Prof Nominates Imprisoned Gov. for Nobel Peace Prize, Sees Message in No. 167

Imprisoned former Illinois Gov. George Ryan deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for halting executions in the state, according to a University of Illinois law professor who nominated him for the honor. Francis Boyle is allowed to make nominations for the prize because he is an international law professor, according to…

Feb 2, 2011 1:17 PM CST

Oxford Grad Blames UK Law School for Failing NY Bar Exam, Sues for $162K

A graduate of Oriel College at the renowned University of Oxford blames her law school for her failure to pass both the New York state bar exam and comparable tests in the United Kingdom that would have qualified her to work as a solicitor there, the Daily Mail reported. Now…

Feb 2, 2011 10:58 AM CST

US Citizen ‘Jihad Jane’ Pleads Guilty in Alleged Plot to Kill Swede Over Cartoon of Prophet Muhammad

An American woman who has called herself Jihad Jane has now pleaded guilty in federal court in Philadelphia concerning her role in an alleged plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist. In a bizarre scenario that largely took place on the Internet, prosecutors say Colleen LaRose, 47, conspired with jihadist fighters,…

Feb 2, 2011 10:58 AM CST

Jury Acquits Suspended Top Cop Accused of Framing BigLaw Litigation Chief for Car Arson

A jury has acquitted a suspended top cop accused of torching his own car to get the insurance money and framing his lover’s husband—who happens to head the litigation department of a major London-based law firm—for the crime. Chief Superintendent Jim Trotman of the Thames Valley Police was accused due…

Feb 1, 2011 6:30 PM CST

Lawyer in Megabucks Chevron Enviro Case Must Turn Over Hard Drive Mirror Images, Judge Rules

After persuading a federal judge that a plaintiff’s lawyer waived privilege by operating as a “political operative” in conjunction with the making of a documentary film, a corporate defendant in a megabucks South American environmental case has scored a follow-up victory. Initially, based on the “political operative” finding, a federal…

Jan 27, 2011 9:18 PM CST

ABA President Urges India Bar to Maintain Status Quo While It Debates Foreign Law Offices

ABA President Stephen N. Zack is urging the Bar Council of India to maintain the status quo as it considers whether to allow foreign lawyers to establish law firms in the country. Currently, U.S. lawyers may travel to India on an “in-and-out basis” to advise their clients on non-Indian laws.…

Jan 27, 2011 7:06 PM CST