International Law

Woman Seeks Royalties re Botched Volunteer Restoration of Church Masterpiece, Now a Tourist Magnet

An elderly Spanish woman who was threatened with a lawsuit by descendants of an artist whose historic church fresco of Jesus she ruined in a botched effort to restore the face of Christ on the artwork is now seeking royalties. After the modified masterpiece—which is now being called “ecce mono”…

Sep 20, 2012 8:24 PM CDT

IG Report Blames DOJ Prosecutors, ATF Agents for ‘Fast and Furious,’ Seeks Discipline Probe of 14

In a scathing report made public Wednesday about the botched Operation Fast and Furious federal gun trafficking investigation, an inspector general of the U.S. Department of Justice called for disciplinary reviews of 14 current and former employees. In the report (PDF), inspector general Michael Horowitz put primary blame on what…

Sep 19, 2012 8:45 PM CDT

Royal Family Wins Initial Round in Lawsuit Over Topless Photos of Sunbathing Duchess of Cambridge

A French court has sided with the British royal family in a lawsuit filed almost immediately following the publication of photos of the topless Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing on a secluded private estate there during a vacation with her husband, Prince William. The French gossip magazine Closer must pay Kate…

Sep 18, 2012 5:25 PM CDT

4 Suspects Held in Sept. 11 Attack on US Consulate in Which American Ambassador to Libya Died

A Libyan official says four suspects have been arrested concerning a Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in which the American ambassador to the country and three others died. “Four men are in custody and we are interrogating them because they are suspected of helping instigate the…

Sep 13, 2012 8:19 PM CDT

Microsoft Suit: Some Malware Is Preinstalled; Not Just an IP Issue But a Security Issue, Lawyer Says

For years, users have been blamed when malware infects their computers and repeatedly warned not to open attachments from unknown email senders or download software from dubious sources. But a major manufacturer now says that malware sometimes is already preinstalled when purchasers first open the packaging of their new computers.…

Sep 13, 2012 7:09 PM CDT

Casino Lawyers Explain to Nevada Judge About Locally Reviewed Email They Said Was In Macau

Last year, attorney Justin Jones and other lawyers for Las Vegas Sands Corp. reviewed some emails from Macau that concerned a fired executive of a subsidiary company. But when the casino subsequently told a judge hearing a breach of contract case brought by Steven Jacobs, the former CEO of Sands…

Sep 13, 2012 5:23 PM CDT

Fatal Sept. 11 Attack on US Ambassador to Libya May Have Been Planned, Extremist Act, Officials Say

A fatal Sept. 11 attack on U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others at the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, may have been planned in advance by Muslim extremists and inspired by al-Qaida, officials say. Although many reported details of the attack have not been confirmed, and a White…

Sep 12, 2012 9:55 PM CDT

Man Convicted in Mexico-US Pot Smuggling Scheme That Ensnared Innocent Drivers Gets 20 Years

A Texas man allegedly involved in a cross-border marijuana-smuggling scheme that resulted in Mexican criminal charges against several upstanding drivers whose vehicles were used without their knowledge to smuggle the pot has been sentenced to a 20-year prison term. Jesus Chavez, 38, also must pay $140,000 in restitution to his…

Sep 12, 2012 6:02 PM CDT

US Ambassador to Libya, a Former Lawyer, Is Killed in Attack by Protesters

U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens has died in an attack by protesters reportedly angry over an anti-Muslim film. Stevens was killed along with three other Americans, report the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.), CNN, AFP and the Washington Post. CNN identified the three as security staffers. President Obama…

Sep 12, 2012 10:46 AM CDT

Maurits Barendrecht: Justice for the World

Justice for the World

Sep 6, 2012 2:05 PM CDT

European Law Firm Field Fisher Waterhouse Opens First US Office in Palo Alto

A European law firm that focuses on technology and intellectual property matters is opening its first United States office in Palo Alto, Calif., this month. However, Field Fisher Waterhouse doesn’t expect to practice locally but simply offer its existing American client base easier access for representation in European matters, the…

Sep 4, 2012 9:24 PM CDT

Name That Domain: Generic Top-Level Domains Get the Green Light

In January, ICANN, the governing body that regulates the Internet’s domain name system, announced that it would approve the use of generic top-level domains—those letters after the dot in a URL. Under the new rules, words like cars or house could end a Web address, not just com or net…

Sep 1, 2012 8:40 AM CDT

To Allay Staff Fears After Devastating Earthquake, Law Firm Leaves New Structural Support Exposed

To allay fears of some law firm staff after a devastating earthquake last year left much of Christchurch, N.Z., in ruins, Malley & Co. Lawyers left a massive new X-shaped internal structural brace exposed and painted it bright orange when it moved back to the central city from temporary quarters…

Aug 28, 2012 3:58 PM CDT

New Fireworks in Ethics Trial of Prominent Canadian Judge, as Quasi-Prosecutor Steps Down

After previously questioning the impartiality of a panel overseeing a controversial legal ethics case against a Canadian judge, a lawyer serving in something of a prosecutorial role has stepped down in the middle of the trial. Guy Pratte’s resignation followed his recent filing of a Federal Court motion contending that…

Aug 27, 2012 10:38 PM CDT

Supreme Court to Hear Army Sergeant’s Bid for the Return of His Daughter

In an unusual summertime cert grant, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a U.S. Army’s sergeant’s bid for the return of his 5-year-old daughter, who is living in Scotland with his ex-wife. At issue is whether an appeal becomes moot when a child returns to his or her…

Aug 21, 2012 11:00 AM CDT