Law Firm News

---

Law Firm News

Firm Name

News Title

News

News Date

25383 matches |  13434-13440 displayed

1  1916 1917 1918 1919 1920  3627

---

Morgenstein & Jubelirer LLP

SCHIFF HARDIN LLP WELCOMES GEORGE F.A. PARNELL AS A PARTNER IN THE NEW YORK CITY OFFICE
Schiff Hardin LLP has added George F.A. Parnell as a partner in the Corporate and Securities Group in the New York City office. He joins the firm from Holland & Knight LLP in New York City, where he was a senior counsel. His background combines particularly strong credentials in private practice, as well as in-house practice in general counsel and corporate secretary roles.

Mr. Parnell's extensive experience includes: corporate governance; private equity; Entrepreneurs; public and private companies; financial institutions in the areas of global development projects; initial public offerings; proxy solicitations; mergers and acquisitions; investments; derivatives; Regulation S, 144A, and 144K transactions; SEC disclosure requirements (1933 and 1934 Acts); and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.

He has hands-on experience leading, working within, and developing legal resources in multinational and domestic corporations. Mr. Parnell has participated in more than $100 billion of U.S., United Kingdom, German, French, Swiss, Japanese, Australian, and South African mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and divestiture transactions of public, private, and family businesses. He has a strong background in advising senior management .

Mr. Parnell has been an international lecturer on such subjects as mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, MONEYVAL, regulatory (SEC and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and disclosure) requirements, and antitrust.

Earlier in his career, he was an attorney with leading New York and Boston law firms, as well as serving in various senior management/general counsel/secretary positions at the U.S. Securities & Futures Corp., Degussa Corporation, Met-Path Inc., and Grand Metropolitan PLC.

Mr. Parnell received his undergraduate degree (B.A., International Studies, 1982) from New England College; studied abroad (Special Study: Law, Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, 1981-1982) at Saint Clare's Hall, Oxford University; attended graduate school business courses (Finance for Non-Financial Executives Course, 1999) at the Rutgers Graduate School of Business and (Focused Financial Management - Private Equity - Surviving the Down Cycle, 2002) at the Harvard Graduate School of Business, and earned his law degree (J.D., Common Law, 1985) from Tulane Law School He is admitted to practice in New York and Massachusetts.

12-13-2006

---

Saul Ewing, LLP

SAUL EWING LLP NAMES NEW DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Leslie K. Gross, Esq. has been named Director of Communications in the Firm?s Marketing Department. In this newly created position, Ms. Gross will oversee the Firm's communications initiatives, including public relations, all marketing materials and the advertising campaign.

Prior to joining Saul Ewing, Ms. Gross was an attorney with the Philadelphia firm of Fell & Spalding where she concentrated her litigation practice in the areas of defamation, healthcare, professional malpractice and employment. She also oversaw the firm's marketing efforts. Prior to her legal career, Ms. Gross worked in Comcast Corporation?s Marketing Department where she focused on marketing collateral, advertising and public relations.

"Leslie?s background as a practicing attorney and her marketing experience give her a unique perspective that will be a tremendous asset to Saul Ewing," said Marketing Partner Barry F. Levin. "Her legal skills and marketing savvy will shape Saul Ewing?s strategic marketing abilities going forward. We?re thrilled to have her."

Ms. Gross received her B.A. in Speech Communications from Penn State University and graduated cum laude from Widener University School of Law where she contributed to he Delaware Journal of Corporate Law.

12-13-2006

---

Le Boeuf, Lamb, Greene & McRae, L.L.P.

LeBoeuf Lamb Advises Equatorial Guinea on Cross-border Gas Agreement
The international law firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae LLP has advised Equatorial Guinea and its national gas company, Sonagas on their agreement with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) concerning Nigeria's allocation of 600-800 million cubic feet of gas per day for a second LNG train in Equatorial Guinea.

The transaction is significant because it is a step towards the establishment of Equatorial Guinea as a regional gas hub for the Gulf of Guinea.

The heads of agreement was signed in Abuja on 7 December 2006, by Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Equatorial Guinea's deputy Minister for Mines, Industry and Energy, and Funsho Kupolokun, the managing director of the NNPC.

The deal is a major boost to the Equatorial Guinea LNG (EGLNG) project. The first train (3.4 million tonnes per year) is likely to be completed by mid-2007, and EGLNG is now contemplating a larger second train (4.4 million tonnes per year).

Partners Derek Smith (Washington, D.C.) and Bruce Johnston (London) led the team for LeBoeuf Lamb.

12-13-2006

---

Haskell, Slaughter, Young & Gallion, L.L.C.

HASKELL SLAUGHTER'S DRIVER TO PRESENT SEMINAR ON CONDUCTING FREE LEGAL RESEARCH ON THE WEB
Haskell Slaughter Young & Rediker, LLC attorney Khristi Doss Driver will be a presenter at the National Business Institute's seminar "Find it Free and Fast on the Net: Strategies for Legal Research on the Web." The one-day event will be held December 18 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Ms. Driver and two co-presenters will teach attendees to find the best legal research and case law sites; use the "invisible Web" to track down "hidden" information; easily locate useful federal, state and local government Web sites; and search online public records. The program will also provide information on locating practice tools, tracking down missing persons and conducting due diligence on companies.

The seminar will provide in-house counsel, attorneys in private practice, paralegals, legal assistants, legal support staff and law librarians with practical skills for finding the key information they are seeking on the Internet.

"Conducting legal research can be time-consuming and expensive, unless legal professionals know a few of the special techniques and undiscovered resources used by experienced practitioners," stated Ms. Driver. "This program will provide critical information for saving time and money - enabling more efficient and accurate legal counsel.

12-13-2006

---

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

Federal Circuit Affirms that Northern Districts Patent Local Rules Have Strong Bite
In two recent decisions, the Federal Circuit has affirmed that patent holders must lay all their cards on the table in their infringement contentions served pursuant to the Northern District's Patent Local Rules, and that if they do not do so or otherwise fail to comply with the requirements of the Patent Local Rules, their infringement claims may be summarily dismissed.

These decisions are a strong indication that the Northern District's Patent Local Rules have real teeth, providing district court judges with considerable discretionary power in ensuring that parties comply with them, even when failing to do so is outcome determinative.

In 02 Micro International Limited v. Monolithic Power Systems, Inc., 467 F.3d 1355 (Fed. Cir. November 15, 2006), the Federal Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment of noninfringement and refusal to grant 02 Micro leave to amend its final infringement contentions. 02 Micro had claimed that it needed to amend its infringement contentions based on new material revealed in discovery after it had submitted its final infringement contentions. The district court denied this request, finding that, although a party's infringement contentions may be amended based on a showing of good cause, the nearly three-month delay between the purported discovery of the new infringement theory and 02 Micro's service of its proposed amended infringement contentions constituted a lack of diligence.

In affirming, the Federal Circuit agreed with the district court that "good cause" requires a showing of diligence. See id. at 1366. The Federal Circuit found that the district did not abuse its discretion in finding a lack of diligence given that (1) the basis for the "new" infringement theory had been disclosed in earlier document discovery, and (2) nearly three months passed between the time 02 Micro took a deposition where the basis for the new infringement theory was clearly disclosed before serving its proposed amended infringement contentions. See id. at 1367-68. Finding that 02 Micro had not carried its burden of establishing that it acted diligently in seeking to amend its final infringement contentions, the Federal Circuit affirmed the summary judgment of noninfringement that had resulted because 02 Micro was limited to an infringement theory that it did not support in its summary judgment papers. See id. at 1369.

Similarly, in a recent unpublished decision, Safeclick, LLC v. Visa International Service Association, 2006 WL 3017347 (Fed. Cir. Oct. 23, 2006), the Federal Circuit affirmed a grant of summary judgment of noninfringement where a theory of infringement advanced in opposition to Visa's summary judgment motion had not been set forth in Safeclick's final infringement contentions. The district court had refused to even consider Safeclick's "new" theory and enforced the Northern District's Patent Local Rules by granting summary judgment of noninfringement.

On appeal, the Federal Circuit affirmed, finding that the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to consider the "new" argument raised in opposition to Visa's summary judgment motion. See id. at *7. The Federal Circuit reached this holding even though it acknowledged that "it might have been reasonable for the district court to interpret Safeclick's latest infringement contentions as a restatement of its earlier infringement contention with a mere change of 'scope and clarity.'" Id. at *5.

These rulings, taken together, should serve as a caution to patent holders contemplating patent litigation in the Northern District to carefully analyze their infringement contentions prior to filing a complaint and to then reevaluate their infringement contentions throughout the course of litigation to ensure that they do not suffer the same fate as the patent holders in 02 Micro and Safeclick. Indeed, in both cases, the Federal Circuit rejected arguments that the sanction resulting from the failure to comply with the Patent Local Rules - effectively dismissal - was too harsh.

The decisions also underscore the fact that the district courts have considerable discretion when enforcing procedural requirements of their respective local rules, which may prove difficult to overturn on appeal. Compared to dismissals based solely on claims construction or summary judgment rulings - which are subject to de novo review by the Federal Circuit and frequently result in reversal - dismissals based on enforcement of local rules in patent cases will likely be harder to overturn on appeal because of the heightened "abuse of discretion" standard of review.

Patent holders litigating in the Northern District should therefore take seriously their obligation to disclose fully their infringement contentions and to promptly seek leave of court to amend their final infringement contentions if they learn something new in discovery. The procedural requirements of the Patent Local Rules should also make the Northern District an attractive forum for alleged infringers contemplating filing actions seeking declaratory judgment of noninfringement, as they serve as an increasingly powerful tool to force patent holders to lay all their cards on the table early in litigation.

12-13-2006

---

Brown, Raysman, Millstein, Felder & Steiner, L.L.P.

Illinois Tool Works Cleared at Federal Circuit
A federal appeals court has cleared Illinois Tool Works Inc. of patent infringement and defamation in an eight-year-old case that accused the manufacturer of improperly advertising to clients that the plaintiff had stolen the technology he asserted in the lawsuit.

Frederick L. Whitmer, ITW’s lawyer from Thelen Reid Brown Raysman& Steiner LLP, said the decision clearing his client was bound to be affirmed because it cleared the company from every angle.

12-13-2006

---

Bingham McCutchen, LLP

BINGHAM MCCUTCHEN TO ADD 22-LAWYER TOKYO FIRM
Bingham McCutchen LLP, a 950-attorney law firm with 12 offices worldwide, announces that it will enter into a joint enterprise with Sakai & Mimura, a 22-lawyer Tokyo firm known internationally for its financial restructuring strength, and merger and acquisition capabilities.
The combination with Sakai & Mimura, founded in 1995 by Hideyuki Sakai, bolsters Bingham’s renowned cross-border restructuring and insolvency practice, further expanding its on-the-ground capacity in Asia. In November, Bingham announced the opening of a Hong Kong office, effective January 1, 2007. The combination with Sakai takes effect January 31, pending a partnership vote. Bingham, through its new joint enterprise with Sakai, will have approximately 20 bengoshi (Japanese lawyers) and a total of 25 US and Japanese lawyers. Sakai will be managing partner of Bingham’s Tokyo office.
Bingham Chairman Jay Zimmerman called the relationship with Sakai “a great fit.” Noting the caliber of both firms and their complementary practices, Zimmerman said, “We’re bringing together two of the preeminent firms in cross-border financial restructuring into one.” Sakai’s reputation as a major financial restructuring talent, a prominent M&A practitioner and as a law firm leader is unparalleled in Japan, said Zimmerman. “The addition of Yuki Sakai and his strong team of lawyers in Tokyo will allow us to be that much more successful in Asia.”
Given Bingham’s prominence in high-profile cross-border insolvencies, restructurings and corporate transactions, Sakai is no stranger to Bingham attorneys in the field, including Bingham’s Financial Restructuring Practice Group co-leader Tina Brozman, former chief judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. “The combination of Bingham and Sakai in Tokyo will be a tremendous boon for our cross-border restructuring practice in Asia,” said Brozman. “Sakai is well known to and highly respected by those who practice in the field of transnational insolvency.”
For Sakai, the decision to combine with Bingham stemmed from the firms’ shared proficiency and profile in cross-border restructurings as well as his appreciation of Bingham’s far-reaching, solid platform and success.
“I respect Jay’s leadership,” said Sakai. “He sets the direction for the entire firm, and we share the same values and strategic vision.”
Both Zimmerman and Sakai said that the joint enterprise will produce tremendous opportunities to service both firms’ sophisticated client base doing business in Asia.
Bingham’s Japanese Practice Group, known in Tokyo as Bingham McCutchen Murase, handles complex cross-border transactions and legal matters involving Japan. With more than 40 years of experience, the group, led by Jiro Murase and Satoru Murase of Bingham’s New York office, provides strategic legal, business and governmental advice to major U.S. and European companies in Japan and Asia, as well as nearly 500 Japanese-affiliated companies.
On the financial restructuring front, Bingham continues to be a market leader, most recently being named the Global Insolvency and Restructuring Firm of the Year for 2006 by The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers 2006.
Since its 1995 founding, the Law Offices of Hideyuki Sakai has carved a name for itself in financial restructuring and insolvency, and also in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property, furthering its complementary fit with Bingham. In 2002, Fujiaki Mimura joined the firm, strengthening the insolvency/restructuring practice. In October 2005, Harumi Kojo joined the firm, retiring from her position as judge on the Intellectual Property Division of the Tokyo High Court. In addition to Mimura and Kojo, Hisaya Enomoto, Yoshihito Shibata and Yasuto Ishihara will become partners of Bingham as a result of the merger.
Pursuant to local Japanese bar rules for legal joint enterprises, Bingham’s Tokyo office will be officially named Bingham McCutchen Murase Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi Jimusho, Sakai & Mimura Houritsu Jimusho (Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo).

12-13-2006

---

25383 matches |  13434-13440 displayed

1  1916 1917 1918 1919 1920  3627