International

Facing Multiple Suits re $32M in Client Funds, K&L Gates Sues Ex-Partner in Custody in Hong Kong

A former partner in the Hong Kong office of K&L Gates is in custody, charged with theft and forgery. Navin Kumar Aggarwal, 44, resigned from the law firm in mid-June, after being confronted with the allegations, K&L Gates tells Bloomberg. He is accused of stealing approximately $2 million from the…

Aug 8, 2011 10:01 AM CDT

The ABA and Canadian Bar Put Their Special Relationship into Writing

The U.S. and Canada share perhaps the longest unguarded border of any two countries in the world, running from the Atlantic Ocean across the North American continent. There is an arch spanning one of the many border crossings in sight of the Pacific Ocean south of Vancouver. A message is…

Aug 7, 2011 2:08 AM CDT

Squire Sanders Raids Major Australia Firm; 15 of 19 Minter Partners in Perth Likely to Join US Firm

Squire Sanders & Dempsey has has raided the Perth office of a major Australia-based law firm, where it plans to set up its first office on the continent. Only 4 of 19 Minter Ellison partners in Perth are expected to stay with the firm, moving to a new office in…

Aug 5, 2011 10:04 AM CDT

Paul McCartney Says His Voice Mail May Have Been Hacked by UK Paper Competing with News Corp.

Ratcheting up an ongoing scandal over claimed widespread hacking into the voice mail of celebrities and others by British journalists, famed pop singer and songwriter Paul McCartney says he was apparently victimized and plans to pursue the issue when he completes his current U.S. tour. However, the former Beatle says…

Aug 4, 2011 10:31 PM CDT

Some Firms Housing Busy Lawyers On Site in Sleeping Pods

Lawyers working night and day on big corporate cases in London have little time for personal routines, including going home for a good night’s rest or a few minutes of shuteye. Instead, many are taking up residence in rooms at their firms, some of them reportedly in the style of…

Aug 4, 2011 3:00 PM CDT

Family Wary of Russia’s Decision to Reopen Tax Case of Lawyer Who Died in Custody

Russian officials announced they are reopening a criminal tax evasion case against a lawyer who died in custody two years ago after he accused police officials of corruption. Prosecutors in Russia say the decision could result in clearing Sergei L. Magnitsky’s name. But Magnitsky’s family is wary of the news.…

Aug 4, 2011 12:56 PM CDT

South Korea Fines Apple $2,800 Over iPhone Location Data Collection

The fine—3 million won or $2,800 U.S. dollars—might be a drop in the bucket for a company that earned $7.31 billion in its third quarter, but South Korea’s decision to penalize Apple for allegedly collecting and storing private location data may have an influence on regulators elsewhere. So reports the…

Aug 4, 2011 12:26 PM CDT

Firms Chase White-Collar Defense Work in Asia as U.S. Investigations Persist

While federal prosecutors in the U.S. are pursuing dozens of cases under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in an effort to root out bribery in Asia and beyond, law firms are beefing up practices to advise clients who can face millions of dollars in fines to resolve claims of wrongdoing.…

Aug 4, 2011 10:26 AM CDT

Partner Exits Over Alleged Financial Irregularities Involving as Much as $1M

Another partner has left a major London-based law firm in the wake of alleged financial irregularities. Peter Lloyd-Cooper, a London commercial litigator, was suspended from Kennedys in May, reports Legal Week. As much as $1 million may be at issue. Hat tip: New York Lawyer (reg. req.) Related coverage: ABAJournal.com:…

Aug 2, 2011 7:35 PM CDT

We Won’t Ask Any Other Students to Work All Night Long, UK Law Firm Says

The U.K. law firm SJ Berwin is taking an apologetic stance for asking a student intern to work all night long. The law firm responded after the Lawyer raised questions about the invitation. According to its story, a female student intern worked until 5 a.m. after being asked to help…

Aug 2, 2011 11:00 AM CDT

With Law Firm’s Aid, Studio Strikes Back by IDing Alleged Culprit in Hacking of ‘Twilight’ Images

Heartbroken to see images on the Internet earlier this year from its latest, as-yet-unreleased film in the Twilight Saga vampire romance series, a movie studio went the extra mile. Summit Entertainment put the Kroll Inc. private investigator and law firm Keats McFarland & Wilson on the case to try to…

Aug 1, 2011 6:20 PM CDT

Love Hurts: Mich. Law Prof Explores Love and Heartache in Japanese Culture

By any measure, the murder of the Japanese woman named Yuriko and her two children was a grisly one. Yuriko endured an abusive marriage that included a forced abortion and a philandering husband who repeatedly left her and threatened her with divorce. The two fought continuously over Yuriko’s demand that…

Aug 1, 2011 7:40 AM CDT

New Outrage at News of the World After Scotland Yard Says Mom of Slain Girl, 8, May Have Been Hacked

Although celebrities, politicians and even members of the British royal family allegedly might have been victims of telephone voicemail hacking by the now-defunct News of the World, public outrage was ignited when the tabloid was accused of targeting the cellphone of a missing teen who was later found dead. Now…

Jul 28, 2011 10:11 PM CDT

Morocco Is Suddenly Hot: For 3rd Time in 2 Weeks, British BigLaw Firm Announces Planned Office There

For the third time in two weeks, one of the top London-based international law firms has announced plans to open an office in Morocco. This time, it’s Norton Rose. The firm expects to open its doors in Casablanca in September, staffing the new site with three lawyers from its Paris…

Jul 28, 2011 9:35 PM CDT

Lawyer for Strauss-Kahn Accuser Says She Didn’t Raise Money Issue in Recorded Prisoner Call

A lawyer for the hotel maid who accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault is disputing leaked assertions that she told an imprisoned friend about the financial benefits of pursuing charges. Lawyer Kenneth Thompson says his client, housekeeper Nafissatou Diallo, wasn’t the first to raise the issue and she had told…

Jul 28, 2011 11:46 AM CDT