South America

Pursuit of Happiness Could Become a Constitutional Right in Brazil

Legislators in Brazil are considering a constitutional amendment to make the “pursuit of happiness” one of the social rights of citizens. The document now lists social rights that include education, health, food, work, housing, leisure and security, the Associated Press reports. The Senate could approve the happiness amendment as soon…

Feb 2, 2011 12:09 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

Doc Film Helped Chevron Subpoena Plaintiffs’ US Legal Files in $113B Ecuador Enviro Case

A documentary film encouraged by the lead plaintiff’s lawyer in a $113 billion case concerning alleged damage to a South American rain forest apparently didn’t achieve the result attorney Steve Donziger anticipated. Lawyers for Chevron Corp. used the documentary, Crude, to persuade a federal judge in New York both to…

Dec 23, 2010 9:09 PM CST

Chevron Claims Patton Boggs Conflict, Due to Lobbying Link, in $27B Environmental Case

In the latest unusual twist in a hard-fought legal battle between Chevron Corp. and individuals in Ecuador who allege environmental damage in a $27 billion class action, the oil company is contending that a new attorney for the plaintiffs is conflicted out because his law firm recently acquired a lobbying…

Nov 30, 2010 3:54 PM CST

Brazilian Court Orders McDonald’s to Compensate Overeating Manager

A Brazilian court has ordered McDonald’s to pay $17,500 to a former restaurant manager who gained 65 pounds during his 12 years on the job. The 32-year-old manager had alleged he felt he had to sample the food to make sure it was of high quality, the Associated Press reports.…

Oct 29, 2010 11:10 AM CDT

Littler Mendelson Opens Office in Venezuela

Employer-side labor law firm Littler Mendelson opened its 50th office and first international office yesterday in Caracas, Venezuela. The office will be led by Juan Carlos Varela, who left his position as head partner of Squire Sanders & Dempsey’s Latin American labor practice to take this job, according to a…

Oct 19, 2010 4:53 PM CDT

Peru Court Revokes Parole of Lori Berenson, American Jailed for Claimed Marxist Ties

An American woman who recently won parole after being jailed for nearly 15 years in Peru for her alleged cooperation with Marxist revolutionaries has been ordered to return to prison. The revocation of Lori Berenson’s parole by a Peruvian court was attributed to an unverified address for her residence in…

Aug 18, 2010 8:35 PM CDT

Morgue Photos Prompt Court-Ordered Ban, Civil Suit

Prompted by a morgue photo, a Venezuelan court has banned newspapers in the South American country from publishing violent images. But an editor for the El Nacional newspaper that published the photo said the ban was political and suggested that the publication might violate it, reports the Associated Press. The…

Aug 17, 2010 10:48 PM CDT

Meet Eduardo Leite: Brazil-Based Energy Lawyer Set to Lead Baker & McKenzie

In an unusual move for a United States-based law firm, Baker & McKenzie has appointed a Brazilian energy lawyer as its global chairman. Eduardo Leite will take up his position at the helm of the Chicago-based international megafirm at the end of October. He presently works out of the Sao…

Jun 3, 2010 5:19 PM CDT

American Lori Berenson Paroled in Peru

In a controversial decision, a judge in Peru has granted parole to American Lori Berenson. Originally sentenced to life by a military court as an accomplice to revolutionary activities there, Berenson, who is now 40, is serving a 20-year term after being convicted of lesser charges by a civilian court,…

May 26, 2010 7:06 PM CDT

Milbank Is the Latest BigLaw Firm to Open a New Office in Brazil

Milbank Tweed Hadley McCloy has become the latest well-known American law firm to open an office in Brazil, luring the former head of Shearman & Sterling’s practice to oversee its new Sao Paulo outpost. Joining Andrew Janszky there will be another Shearman & Sterling attorney, Tobias Stirnberg, Bloomberg reports. Brazil,…

Apr 21, 2010 8:54 PM CDT

Law International Style: Steptoe to Ramp Up in Beijing, DLA in Brazil, K&L Gates in Warsaw

Announcing a new step forward in its strategic plan for Latin America, DLA Piper says it has formed an alliance with Campos Mello Advogados in Brazil. The firm currently has 60 professionals and is expected to expand in Sao Paulo soon. “This arrangement is a great beginning for us in…

Mar 1, 2010 9:47 PM CST

Brazil Chief Judge Rules Boy Should Be Returned to US Dad

The chief judge of Brazil’s Supreme Court has ruled a 9-year-old boy in an international custody battle should be returned to his father in the United States. The ruling by Judge Gilmar Mendes appears to bring the case of the boy in accord with the Hague Convention, the Associated Press…

Dec 23, 2009 1:03 PM CST

Man Who Gave Judge Video to Chevron in $27B Ecuador Case a Convicted Felon

One of two men who made a secret videotape seemingly showing an Ecuador judge in a $27 billion environmental case discussing his upcoming ruling is a convicted drug felon, the New York Times reports. Wayne Hansen, an American, was convicted of conspiring to traffic 275,000 pounds of marijuana from Colombia…

Oct 29, 2009 11:55 PM CDT

After Chevron Posts YouTube Video, Ecuador Judge Steps Down in $27B Case

Saying that he did nothing wrong but doesn’t want to impede an ongoing investigation, a judge in Ecuador has recused himself in a $27 billion environmental case following a claim by Chevron Corp. that he discussed his planned upcoming ruling in the ongoing litigation with two businessmen. In a highly…

Sep 4, 2009 8:58 PM CDT