| | | Effective PR

After half-a-a decade of widespread criticism of China for the controls it has placed on the use of the internet including access to material that, in the opinion of the Chinese government, undermines the authority of the government and courts, Australia is wondering how to achieve the same result without incurring the ire of millions and the ridicule of the global community.

CoNet Section: 

The Legal Services Board, an industry body representing and - after a fashion - regulating lawyers in England and Wales, is to propose to The Lord Chancellor that will-writing and post-mortem legal services should be "reserved" - that means only those falling within the scope of the LSB's supervision should be allowed to do them. That's going to cause a near riot. And it may be another nail in the coffin of small firms.

CoNet Section: 

New York law firm FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP specialises in class actions, especially those where it alleges misconduct in relation to securities which, it usually claims, leads to a significant fall in share prices, thereby causing losses to shareholders. It's frequent press releases call upon those who held shares in companies at relevant times to join in the action they hope to mount and to get paid on a contingency basis. But all is not rosy.

CoNet Section: 

Mexican company Grupo Mexico S.A.B. de C.V. is more than a little peeved. Its US subsidiary Americas Mining Corporation applied to the Delaware Supreme Court for "re-argument" as to legal fees in the case of Americas Mining Corporation, et al., v. Michael Theraiult, as Trustee for the Theriault Trust, No. 29, 2012. The court said "no" and in doing so has demonstrated the conflict of interest inherent in contingency fee ("no win, no fee") arrangements.

CoNet Section: 

The Law Society of England and Wales long ago began a system of registering those that wanted to demonstrate they met certain criteria. It was a voluntary quality assurance scheme. It was, at the time, seen as a bit of a waste of time by professionals who had extensive experience and new what they were doing, a way for the second rank to gain credibility that they did not, fully, deserve on merit. Gradually, the idea mutated away from a marketing tool to part of regulation and it is now a compulsory registration of specialists in certain areas. The latest to fall under the compulsory requirement is Solicitor-Advocates. And disturbingly, many have not signed up with only days to go.

CoNet Section: 

The news headlines scream about attacks on UK banks by the USA's law enforcement agencies and regulators enforcing the USA's sanctions policies. But while the focus of attention has been on Standard Chartered, HSBC and others, there is a much bigger pool of targets. Any business that has any form of footprint in the USA, or which transacts in US dollars, faces risks that are similar to those so heavily publicised in relation to banks. Nigel Morris-Cotterill, Head, The Anti Money Laundering Network, explains how this affects businesses all over the world.

Publication: 

It's probably not a great idea for me, an English solicitor (retired) to be publicly harsh about my professional body. But, seriously, is the Law Society of England and Wales contrary or comatose? It really just does not "get" money laundering risks and its latest attempt to update its guidance demonstrates that its attitude is, simply, retarded.

CoNet Section: 

A US Judicial Conference Committee has updated the model set of jury instructions federal judges use to deter jurors from using social media to research or communicate about cases on which they serve. The new guidelines provide detailed explanations of the consequences of social media use during a trial, along with recommendations for repeated reminders of the ban on social media usage.

CoNet Section: 

The Solicitors Regulation Authority, which regulates solicitors in England and Wales, is to cease development of a database of retired solicitors who wish to remain on the Roll. Apparently, the Roll a costa lot.

CoNet Section: 

In Washington's hallowed halls, the bank favoured by diplomats of many nationalities - as well as many Senators, Congressmen and government officers was an old bank with the kind of values they liked to be associated with.. Riggs Bank was nice, comfortable and did what banks do in a rather courteous and gentlemanly manner.
Except that it had a dark side...

BIScom Subsection: 

The Securities and Exchange Commission today sued AMMB Consultant Sendirian Berhad (AMC), a Malaysian investment adviser, alleging that for more than a decade, AMC charged a U.S. registered fund for advisory services that it did not request and that AMC did not provide. The total cost to the company in the USA? USD3,125,000.

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has imposed an agreed penalty of USD200 million on Barclays PLC, Barclays Bank PLC and Barclays Capital, Inc for attempting to manipulate LIBOR and Euribor rates and making false reports to obscure its financial position during the global financial crisis. But there have also been settlements with the US Department of Justice and the UK's Financial Services Authority. The total of fines and penalties is substantial. And other banks may be in the firing line, too.

BIScom Subsection: 

The bribery was the least of the worries of California lawyer Alfred Nash Villalobos, 46. It was the reason he was paid USD50,000 that really annoyed prosecutors and the Judge.

CoNet Section: 

The Securities and Exchange Commission obtained, on 25 June 2012, a temporary restraining order and asset freeze against Wayne L. Palmer and his firm, National Note of Utah, LC alleging that he operated a real estate-based Ponzi scheme that bilked USD100 million from investors nationwide. Yet banks continued dealing with him.

BIScom Subsection: 

Operation Cross Country is an FBI initiative conducted with local police forces across the USA. In the past three days, more than 100 pimps have been arrested and 79 juvenile prostitutes "recovered."

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