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International Edition

Alien encounters - global companies must be wary of the controversial US Alien Tort Claims Act

In recent years, non-US plaintiffs have increasingly turned to American courts – and a rarely used statute called the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) – in an attempt to hold multinational corporations liable for their alleged responsibility for conduct committed outside the US by others, including genocide, torture, war crimes and other human rights abuses. Recent US court decisions, including an important ruling by a federal appellate court in New York, have signalled what may be a sharp restriction on the ability of plaintiffs to stretch the ATCA to cover alleged violations of international law by corporate defendants. These decisions, however, are far from uniform in their treatment of corporate defendants, strongly suggesting that corporations remain at substantial risk of being hauled to the US courts for alleged human rights abuses committed by others outside the US.
5 minute read

International Edition

Class war, Euro style - the controversial push for tougher collective redress

Once thought of as a purely US phenomenon, class actions, otherwise known as collective redress, have spread rapidly around the world over the last decade. Despite this, the actual system adopted – where there is one – varies enormously. Some countries, such as France, have an objection on public policy grounds to opt-out regimes ('opt-out' being where all potential claimants are bound by a collective redress decision, regardless of whether they ever participate in the proceedings, unless they have expressly chosen to opt-out).
8 minute read

International Edition

Herbert Smith Paris partner trio join A&O as disputes chief quits new role

Allen & Overy (A&O) has hired a three-partner dispute resolution team from Herbert Smith in Paris, including the firm's newly-appointed head of disputes for Continental Europe, the Middle East and Africa (CEMEA), Denis Chemla. Chemla is set to join A&O's Paris office alongside arbitration partner Michael Young and litigation partner Erwan Poisson to launch a full service disputes practice for the magic circle firm.
2 minute read

International Edition

Outgoing DLA partner faces dispute with firm over terms of exit

DLA Piper's former global co-head of litigation Neil Gerrard has become embroiled in a dispute with his former firm over the terms of his departure to Dechert, it has emerged. Gerrard, who handed in his notice in late March, has been served notice of arbitration by DLA over the dispute, which centres on his departure date and whether he should have had to serve a period of gardening leave.
2 minute read

International Edition

Herbert Smith Paris litigation head to take on new cross-Continental role

Herbert Smith has appointed Paris litigation head Denis Chemla to the new role of disputes chief for Continental Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Chemla took up the role on 1 May this year after the firm's litigation conference in Paris at the end of last month. There is no fixed term for the position. The appointment has been made in light of a wider strategy for the firm's disputes practice that will see individual offices work more closely together to share clients around the world.
2 minute read

International Edition

Eversheds ramps up Middle East presence with merger deal

Eversheds has merged with Middle Eastern law consortium KSLG, handing the firm new bases in Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Dubai. The consortium, which comprises Dhabaan & Partners, Khasawneh & Associates and Sanad Law Group, has offices in Amman, Baghdad, Riyadh and Dubai. The merger, which went live today (25 May), follows a six-year working relationship between Eversheds and KSLG.
2 minute read

International Edition

Dealmaker: Simon Davis

Clifford Chance head of commercial litigation Simon Davis on padlock combinations and dark museums
4 minute read

International Edition

King & Spalding enters City disputes market with Steptoe UK partner hire

King & Spalding is set to launch a dispute resolution practice in its London office with the hire of litigation partner Tom Sprange from the City base of US firm Steptoe & Johnson. Sprange, who joined the firm this week (16 May), focuses on multijurisdictional disputes and has advised on arbitration proceedings in centres including the International Court of Arbitration and the American Arbitration Association.
2 minute read

International Edition

Raft of firms and chambers advise as Sienna Miller wins £100k 'Hackgate' damages

Matrix and Doughty Street Chambers are among a raft of law firms and barristers' sets to have acted on the high-profile phone-hacking dispute between Sienna Miller and the News of the World (NoW). Matrix Chambers' Hugh Tomlinson QC, David Sherborne of 5RB and media partner Mark Thomson from Atkins Thomson have advised Miller on her case, with the latest development in the 'Hackgate' saga seeing the actress last week (13 May) awarded £100,000 in damages.
3 minute read

Legal Week

Hogan Lovells fires litigation partner for £1m false expenses claims

Hogan Lovells litigation partner Christopher Grierson has been dismissed from the firm after wrongly claiming more than £1m in expenses. Grierson, who is best known for working on the high-profile BCCI litigation battle with the Bank of England, was dismissed last Wednesday (11 May) following an internal investigation led by the transatlantic firm's finance team.
12 minute read

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