International Law

‘Grandpa’ Graduates, at 88, from Thai Law School

After 12 years of study, a retired veterinarian in Thailand has earned his law degree, at age 88. A special graduation ceremony was held for Sa-nguan Sunthornwong, who is affectionately known as “Grandfather” to his classmates, reports the Bangkok Post. He had hoped to attend the regular ceremony on Jan.…

Feb 9, 2009 7:51 PM CST

Nearly 200 Dead in Australian Fires; Top Official Cites ‘Mass Murder’

As residents fled for their lives and Australian firefighters battled more than 30 blazes in Victoria in the country’s worst-ever bushfires, authorities say some of the deadly conflagrations that have burned at least 741,000 acres were intentionally set. “Police declared incinerated towns crime scenes Monday, and the prime minister spoke…

Feb 9, 2009 7:15 PM CST

NY Times Calls for Change in ‘Warped Crackdown on Illegal Immigration’

A perp walk on Wednesday featured more than 200 individuals in shackles and prison stripes headed to a new tent city for illegal immigrants in Phoenix. The tent city, which is surrounded by an electrified fence, is just for illegal immigrants, notes a recent article in the Phoenix Business Journal.…

Feb 6, 2009 8:36 PM CST

Grad Student Threatens to Sue Over Destruction of Rare Lizard Dung

Offered $750 in compensation and an apology after Leeds University mistakenly discarded an unmarked bag full of 75 pounds or so of rare lizard dung during an office cleanout, a graduate student isn’t buying. Daniel Bennett plans to sue over the loss of the collection, which he had put together…

Feb 6, 2009 6:41 PM CST

NY Times: ‘Most-Wanted Nazi War Criminal’ Died in 1992

A physician accused of atrocities while working as a concentration camp doctor at a during World War II was believed to be still alive and in hiding in South America. But it is now clear that Aribert Heim died in Egypt in 1992, reports the New York Times. Known as…

Feb 4, 2009 11:01 PM CST

Fired Over Personal Website, Ex-Associate of Major UK Firm Mulls Options

Fired on Friday from her plum position as an associate in the Moscow office of a major London-based law firm, Deidre Dare spent the weekend recuperating. But now the 40-something former Allen & Overy associate is already exploring other options, including but not limited to writing a “Sexpat” column for…

Feb 4, 2009 4:23 AM CST

‘Limited Turnover’ at Paul Hastings in Atlanta Office

Some lawyers have been let go at the Atlanta office of Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker, but the layoffs are nothing unusual, the firm says. In a one-sentence response to a request for information from Above the Law concerning tips that a substantial number of associates have been given their…

Feb 4, 2009 1:27 AM CST

Alleged $50B Madoff Fraud is Keeping a Lot of Law Firms Busy

More than 30 law firms around the world are representing an estimated 3 million alleged victims of the claimed $50 billion Ponzi scheme that Bernard Madoff is accused of running as a purported hedge fund. “Our calculations are that at least 3 million people were affected by the Madoff affair,…

Feb 3, 2009 8:39 PM CST

Same-Sex Spouse Inherits Estate, NY Judge Rules

A New York man who married his longtime same-sex partner in Canada last year is entitled to inherit his estate as his spouse, a New York probate judge has held in what a law professor says is a historic ruling likely to have significant impact. Because the marriage was valid…

Feb 3, 2009 7:24 PM CST

German Town to Test Dog DNA to Enforce Pooper-Scooper Law

A small town in Germany is planning to perform a DNA test on every licensed dog to make it easier to enforce a pooper-scooper law. Owners who don’t pick up after pets can then be matched to the evidence that scofflaws leave behind, which a dog warden will collect, reports…

Feb 2, 2009 5:32 PM CST

It’s Official: K&L Gates and Bell Boyd OK Merger; Firm to Have Nearly 2K Lawyers

An “overwhelming” yes vote today by partners of both firms has made it official: Pittsburgh-based K&L Gates and Chicago’s Bell Boyd & Lloyd will merge March 1. With the addition of Bell Boyd’s approximately 250 attorneys, K&L Gates will have about 1,900 lawyers in 31 offices, according to the Pittsburgh…

Jan 31, 2009 1:16 AM CST

Former CIA Chief in Algeria Investigated in Claimed Rapes There

An unidentified former CIA station chief in Algeria is being investigated by the U.S. Department of State and Department of Justice in at least two potential rape cases. The investigation, which was initially based on complaints by two Algerian women that they had been raped by the official, began last…

Jan 29, 2009 1:40 AM CST

Spanish Bank Seeks Settlement With Its Customers in Madoff-Related Case

Sued by private banking clients who contend the Banco Santander SA was grossly negligent in investing their money in an alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme of which Bernard Madoff is accused of being the architect, the Spanish bank is reportedly seeking to settle with its customers. The proposed deal, which…

Jan 29, 2009 12:03 AM CST

China Plaintiffs in Milk Case Turn Backs on Custom, Look to US-Style Civil Litigation

As Chinese judges condemned two people to death and three others to life in prison last week in one of the worst food safety scandals in China in decades, more than 200 families of children sickened by tainted milk last August are still waiting to hear if Chinese courts will…

Jan 28, 2009 10:58 PM CST

Accounting Firm Can Be Liable for Foreign Affiliate’s Work, Federal Judge Rules

In a U.S. District Court decision trumpeted by a press release (PDF) for the winning law firm as “a seismic ruling for the accounting profession,” a federal judge has held the Deloitte financial firm potentially liable for alleged malfeasance by an Italian affiliate concerning the collapse of Parmalat Finanziaria SpA…

Jan 28, 2009 8:40 PM CST