International

Hackers Penetrated at Least 4 Major Canadian Law Firms in Recent Months, Expert Says

Sophisticated hackers seemingly based in China have penetrated four major Canadian law firms in a little over six months, in attacks intended to destroy sensitive data or obtain information related to mergers and acquisitions, a security expert tells the Globe and Mail. While it isn’t certain the hackers’ efforts were…

Apr 5, 2011 11:40 PM CDT

With Weeks Remaining Until Highly Anticipated Royal Wedding, Will Prenup be Signed?

With millions at stake and countless failed royal marriages serving as a reminder of the possibility of divorce, will Prince William and his fiancée Kate Middleton sign a prenuptial agreement? Prince William’s office has refused to comment on whether the second-in-line to the throne may be signing a such a…

Apr 4, 2011 5:35 PM CDT

Will GE Be Liable in Design of Japanese Nuclear Plants? Law Prof Questions Traditional Wisdom

The traditional wisdom is that General Electric won’t face liability for its design of the containment systems used at the 1970s-era nuclear reactors damaged in the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. GE may be protected by Japanese law that limits liability to the plant operator, which is obligated to carry…

Apr 4, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

Secession: How the South Nearly Won

The issue at the heart of the Civil War always was slavery. But at the start of the conflict, neither side was ready to acknowledge that reality. In the 11 Southern states that left the Union between December 1860 and June 1861, leaders talked vaguely about the need to preserve…

Apr 1, 2011 9:34 AM CDT

Exxon Mobil’s Dispute with Venezuela Has Global Implications

Exxon Mobil Corp. has been involved in some pretty big lawsuits. The oil giant has been regularly painted as the bad guy in connection with events like the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off the Alaskan coast and states’ claims that it has stolen billions of dollars in mineral rights…

Apr 1, 2011 7:40 AM CDT

Tesla Sues BBC for Libel re ‘Top Gear’ Segment in Which Electric Supercar Seems to Run Out of Juice

The manufacturer of the electric Tesla Roadster is suing the BBC for libel over a three-year-old segment on its Top Gear program. A humorous review of the vehicle by Jeremy Clarkson made it seem as though the Tesla had run out of juice during a race with another high-performance car…

Mar 30, 2011 3:55 PM CDT

2 Ex-Partners Battle Former Law Firm Over 300 Allegedly Swiped Case Files

Two former senior partners are battling their well-known former law firm in Scotland over more than 300 lucrative Legal Aid case files that they are accused of swiping when they exited to form a competing entity directly across the street from their old offices. So far, the Ross Harper firm…

Mar 29, 2011 12:39 AM CDT

Lawyer Apologizes to His Wife, a Prominent Judge, for Pressuring Ex-Client to Have Sex with Her

A Canadian lawyer says he can never apologize enough to his wife, Queen’s Bench Justice Lori Douglas, for pressuring a then-client to have sex with her eight years ago when she was still in practice. Jack King says his wife, who is being investigated by the Canadian Judicial Council over…

Mar 28, 2011 7:45 PM CDT

Thomson Reuters Adds Asian Legal Business to Its Portfolio

Thomson Reuters has announced in a press release that it is acquiring Asian Legal Business on undisclosed terms. The 30-employee publication was founded in 2002 and has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney. “Our strategic focus is to provide legal practitioners with the tools to best support their practice…

Mar 25, 2011 5:30 PM CDT

Aussie Researcher to Study Whether Extended Leave, Flexible Hours Affect Partnership Chances

Does an extended leave or a flexible work schedule affect an associate’s chances of winning partnership? Australian doctoral candidate Elisabeth Hetterich hopes to learn the answers to those questions by researching the factors that influence law firm partnership decisions, report the New Lawyer and Queensland University of Technology. Hetterich, a…

Mar 25, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

Harvard Law Fellow Is Likely Winner of Election to Lead Tibetan Exile Government

Harvard Law School fellow Lobsang Sangay may soon have a new position—as leader of the Tibetan government in exile. Sangay is favored to win the election for Tibetan prime minister that was held Sunday, the Boston Globe reports. The results won’t be announced until late April. Sangay has never been…

Mar 24, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

Live Tweets of Biker Murder Trial and Others Raise Issues of Balance and Fairness

Especially when cameras aren’t allowed in the courtroom, live tweets are the next best thing to being at a trial for those with an interest in the case. But the stream-of-consciousness reportage of the ongoing courtroom drama can raise issues of exploitation and fairness, as was demonstrated on a daily…

Mar 22, 2011 8:04 PM CDT

Blame Yourself, Not Law School, for Failing NY Bar Exam, Judge Tells Plaintiff Paralegal

By suing her United Kingdom law school, Maria Abramova had apparently hoped to recoup some of the $162,000 or so that she says she wasted on a failed education. However, the would-be attorney, who at last report was working as a paralegal after failing both the New York state bar…

Mar 21, 2011 6:25 PM CDT

Several BigLaw Firms Close Their Tokyo Offices for Now; Others Embrace Telecommuting

Several large U.S. law firms have temporarily closed their offices in Tokyo, while others that didn’t formally shut down are helping their personnel who want to work elsewhere. Executives at several large banks and law firms are renting space in cities such as Osaka or Fukuoka that are even farther…

Mar 18, 2011 12:05 PM CDT

‘Blood Money’ Wins Release of CIA Contractor Detained on Suspicion of Murder

A CIA contractor detained in Pakistan on suspicion of murder has won his freedom after the payment of “blood money” to families of the victims. Raymond Allen Davis was charged with murder and then immediately pardoned in exchange for the compensation, the Associated Press, the New York Times and MSNBC.com…

Mar 16, 2011 1:14 PM CDT