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Law Firm Merger - Reed Smith and Richards Butler
Law Firm News |
2007/01/04 00:03
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For Reed Smith and Richards Butler, there were no surprises this holiday season as the well-planned merger of the two firms proceeded according to plan, culminating in a New Year's Day launch of combined operations in the U.S., the UK, Europe and the Middle East. The union creates one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, with more than 1,300 lawyers across three continents.
"Today is truly an historic occasion as we mark the combination of two successful firms," said Gregory B. Jordan, Reed Smith's firmwide managing partner. "We are now exceptionally well-positioned to meet our clients' needs around the globe with an expanded presence in London and Paris, and new capabilities in the Middle East added to our already strong and still growing U.S. operations."
Roger Parker, former managing partner of Richards Butler, noted that the combination's progress from announcement to completion was a smooth one.
"It is evident that the time, energy and resource we have devoted to planning for this day have resulted in a smooth transition across the board," he said. "Everything we hoped to achieve with this launch is developing as expected. Our focus now is on ensuring every current client and all potential clients are aware of the tremendous array of services, people and supports we are now able to provide in 20 locations around the world."
Accompanying the celebration of the merger are former Richards Butler personnel announcements that reflect the significant integration of leadership and management roles the combined firms have already achieved.
Mr. Parker will serve as managing partner for Europe and the Middle East, and will join the firm's senior management team. Paul F. Johnston and Richard Swinburn, formerly of Richards Butler, will join Reed Smith's Ian B. Fagelson in representing the firm's European offices on the Executive Committee. Scott Pearman becomes a deputy department head in the firm's Business & Regulatory Department, and Charles Hewetson becomes a deputy department head in the Litigation Department.
Kyri Evagora in Energy, Trade & Commodities; Nick J. Shaw in Shipping; Stephen Edwards in Advertising, Media & Technology; and Belinda Paisley in European Litigation become firmwide practice group leaders.
New office managing partners in markets outside the U.S. include Vincent R. Gordon in Abu Dhabi, Sean L. Angle in Dubai, and John L. Reece in Piraeus.
Reed Smith personnel who continue as office and market managing partners include Chris A. Hill in Birmingham, England; Tim G. Foster in London; Benoit Charot in Paris; and Stefan Kugler in Munich.
Plans are currently underway for strengthening the relationship between the firm's two offices in London, which includes the Reed Smith office in Minerva House and the Richards Butler office in Beaufort House, both of which will operate in London as Reed Smith Richards Butler. Pending the final decision on future space for the firm, personnel from both offices will change locations to create a mix in each.
The merger transition and integration was led by Michael Pollack, Reed Smith's Director of Strategic Planning and a member of the senior management team who has relocated to London, and Mr. Parker. With the Richards Butler merger complete, the firm turns its attention to achieving the same seamless combination with Chicago-based Sachnoff & Weaver, already approved by the partners of both firms and scheduled to go into effect March 1. |
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The American Lawyer - The Young Litigators Fab Fifty
Attorneys in the News |
2007/01/03 23:57
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The "American Lawyer" list of rising litigators in the US contains a concentration of appellate, intellectual property, public interest, and products liability lawyers.
Others have made a mark as criminal defenders or labor lawyers or securities specialists. All of them have worked relentlessly to get where they are. The list carries the biographies of 50 litigators the magazine expect to see leading the field for years to come.
Click here for the full story.
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Ex-Enron Executive Causey Reports To Jail
Breaking Legal News |
2007/01/03 23:46
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| Richard Causey, former Enron chief accounting officer, has reported to the Bastrop Federal Correction Institution, a low-security facility in Texas, to begin serving his prison sentence for his role in the Enron accounting scandal. Causey was sentenced to 66 months last November after accepting a plea deal and was required to turn himself in to begin serving his sentence by Tuesday. In addition to the prison sentence, he will forfeit $1.25 million to the US government and a claim to deferred compensation, which amounts to almost $250,000. Causey's plea deal came just days before the scheduled trial of fellow ex-Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, who were both later convicted of conspiracy and fraud. Lay's conviction was vacated after he died before sentencing and Skilling began serving his 24-year sentence last month. Former Enron CFO Andrew Fastow was sentenced to six years in prison in September 2006 for his role in the accounting fraud. |
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US sends mixed messages on Saddam's execution
Politics |
2007/01/03 23:45
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US forces left security during Saddam Hussein's execution to Iraqi authorities Saturday but would have handled the hanging "differently", US Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said during a press conference in Baghdad Wednesday.
Caldwell said that US-led coalition forces transported Saddam to the execution site, left him in the care of Iraqi authorities, and then withdrew from the premises, and had no part in the searching of witnesses for unauthorized media equipment, including mobile phones and video devices: “We were not involved in any search of any people, we had nobody present, we did not dictate any requirements that had to be followed. … The multinational force had absolutely no direct involvement with that whatsoever.â€
The release of an unofficial video of the hanging, allegedly taken by a witness with a camera phone, has prompted protests from Sunnis, outrage outside of Iraq, and an investigation by the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki into its taping and distribution. The video shows that Saddam was taunted by his guards before the hanging took place. |
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Godfrey & Kahn Elects Eight New Shareholders
Law Firm News |
2007/01/03 14:36
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The law firm of Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. announced the election of eight new shareholders. They include:
Milwaukee Office
Anthony S. Baish, Litigation Ellen R. Drought, Securities Thomas R. Homberg, Financial Institutions Mark E. O’Neill, Real Estate Madison Office (LaFollette Godfrey & Kahn) Rochelle H. Klaskin, Corporate and Labor & Employment James D. Peterson, Intellectual Property and Litigation Waukesha Office Founded in 1957, Godfrey & Kahn maintains offices in Milwaukee, Madison (La Follette Godfrey & Kahn), Appleton, Green Bay, and Waukesha, WI; Washington, DC; and Shanghai, PRC. With more than 200 attorneys, Godfrey & Kahn provides legal and business advice to clients ranging from small businesses and governmental entities to large privately and publicly held national and international companies.
http://www.gklaw.com |
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U.S. law firm again at center of big CEO payout
Legal Business |
2007/01/03 13:49
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Law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is again at the center of a massive and controversial CEO payout, representing the board of Home Depot Inc.that gave its departing boss a $210 million goodbye. Wachtell's work for Home Depot marks the third time in recent years that it gave advice to boards during other large payout controversies, including executive ousters at Morgan Stanley and the New York Stock Exchange. Home Depot confirmed Wachtell is representing its board. Wachtell, a respected New York city corporate law firm led by prominent takeover attorney Martin Lipton, did not respond to a call seeking comment on Home Depot. The home improvement retailer said on Wednesday that Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Nardelli had resigned after a year of heavy criticism of the company's underperformance and Nardelli's pay package. The company also found past problems with its stock option grants. Nardelli's $210 million exit package sparked widespread criticism and thrust Wachtell back in the CEO pay spotlight. Martin Lipton was also chairman of the legal-advisory committee of the NYSE, where former Chairman Richard Grasso was forced out in 2003 after a furor over his $187.5 million pay package.
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Mexico moves to protect illegal immigrants
Human Rights |
2007/01/03 11:46
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| Mexicans planning to cross the border into the United States will be issued with satellite tracking devices by their Government to make sure they arrive safely. Government officials in Mexico have approved a plan to issue Mexicans crossing the US border illegally satellite tracking devices to ensure their safe arrival in the United States. Even with a knowledgeable guide called a "coyote" paid to lead the way, it is believed that hundreds of migrants die during the arduous four-day trek across the desert. The tracking device will alert border patrol forces on both sides of the frontier of those who get lost or fall behind. Approximately, 200,000 devices are expected to be assigned this year. Two volunteers for the US-based No More Deaths faced prosecution last year for aiding illegal immigrants they found in need of emergency medical attention in the Arizona desert, though the charges were dismissed in September. The advocacy group works to reduce the number of migrant deaths in the desert and the two workers were arrested while attempting to transport sick migrants to a medical clinic; the workers said they were following a protocol approved by the US Border Patrol when they were arrested which involved checking with a lawyer and a doctor before transporting migrants to medical facilities. |
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Class action or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued. This form of collective lawsuit originated in the United States and is still predominantly a U.S. phenomenon, at least the U.S. variant of it. In the United States federal courts, class actions are governed by Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule. Since 1938, many states have adopted rules similar to the FRCP. However, some states like California have civil procedure systems which deviate significantly from the federal rules; the California Codes provide for four separate types of class actions. As a result, there are two separate treatises devoted solely to the complex topic of California class actions. Some states, such as Virginia, do not provide for any class actions, while others, such as New York, limit the types of claims that may be brought as class actions. They can construct your law firm a brand new website, lawyer website templates and help you redesign your existing law firm site to secure your place in the internet. |
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