Law Firms

A federal appeals court said yesterday that the Securities and Exchange Commission must produce a cost-benefit analysis to justify a rule that boards of mutual funds must have an independent chairman and at least 75 percent of directors who are independent. The ruling, by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia […]

Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s departure from the high court heats up the judicial nominations battle, while also creating a political bind — and an opportunity — for President Bush and a focal point for interest groups. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor hated being called the Court’s swing vote. And she never thought

Partners at the law firm have voted to disband the legal network, founded by Frederic Rene Coudert in New York in 1853. “After exploring various options, the partners of Coudert have authorized the firm to enter into combinations of offices and practice groups with other firms to reflect the strengths of the firm,” Coudert management

A federal judge in New York threw out the Securities and Exchange Commission’s lawsuit against Siebel Systems Inc., dealing a setback to regulators’ drive to ensure that companies share key information with all of their investors, not just favored clients and analysts. In the lawsuit filed last year, the SEC accused the software company, Chief

If recent history is any guide, Eliot Spitzer’s chances of becoming governor of New York next year are greatly enhanced by the presence of the words “attorney general” on his résumé. Since 2002, Democrats nationwide have won 18 open seats for governor or senator. Six of the winners had served either as state attorney general

Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has made an outspoken attack on the judicial process as his trial for crimes against humanity began. He and seven associates are charged with ordering the killing of 143 Shia men in 1982 in Dujail. He refused to confirm his identity, and questioned the validity of the trial and the

After a lull in growth at the 250 largest law firms in the U.S., the pace is picking up. The annual survey by The National Law Journal shows the overall number of attorneys increased by 4.4 percent this year, compared to a paltry 1.5 percent and 1.6 percent the two prior years. And although familiar

Lawyer-turned-property investor Peter Cooper vanished from New Zealand nearly 15 years ago with hardly a trace. The sharemarket crash had ruined his businesses and opportunities, so he picked up where he left off as a schoolboy. At 38, he decided to try his luck again in the United States, but this time with wife Sue

The gathering of legal big hitters present when Lord Hutton’s inquiry team begins questioning witnesses at 10.30am today also includes the barrister who represented Naomi Campbell in her legal action against the Daily Mirror last year. Andrew Caldecott QC, a leading media barrister who represented investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre in his successful libel action against