Until very recently, the respiratory virus known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) appears to have spread in the United States only to those who have traveled to Asia and to family members and health care workers who have come in contact with travelers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now reported […]

Freehills chairman, Geoff McClellan, has announced the appointment of two new board members from outside the firm. This is the first time external members have been appointed to the Freehills. Dr Helen Nugent and John Harvey join the board following an extensive search for two suitable candidates, and bring with them experience in professional and

Online pricing blunders are causing problems for etailers. Thai Airways is the latest etailer to back track on a customer’s order following incorrect pricing on its website. Thai Airways advertised first class flights from London to Bangkok on its website for the price of the flight tax. Customers taking advantage of this incredible offer were

STURGEON-GARCIA JOINS FINANCIAL SERVICES TEAM REED SMITH CROSBY HEAFEY ADDS KEY PLAYER IN CA Reed Smith Crosby Heafey LLP today announced the addition of David Sturgeon-Garcia as a partner in the firm’s San Francisco office. He specializes in financial services litigation, with a focus on defending lenders and other businesses in class actions and claims

Ashurst Morris Crisp has elected nine new partners with effect from 1 May 2003, bringing the total number of partners in the firm to 150. Five of the new partners are based in London, two in Paris, one in Brussels and one in Frankfurt. The new partners in London are: Jeremy Drew (IP/IT litigation), David

As efforts to rebuild Iraq’s infrastructure begin, numerous Middle East experts converged on the Washington office of Baker Botts L.L.P. to focus on the country’s reconstruction efforts and its economic future. Baker Botts and The National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) hosted an international briefing on April 30, 2003. Steven Miles, head of Baker Botts’

Finning International Inc. today announced the acquisition by Finning (UK) Ltd. from RAC Plc of the business of Lex Harvey Limited, a leading provider of materials handling solutions in the UK. International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised Finning on the acquisition. The purchase price of the business is £98.455m subject to certain post completion

Ross & Hardies’ partners, Barbara Baran, Richard J. Rappaport and Darren J. Hunter assisted by associate Samantha Gordon, won a motion to dismiss disposing of a federal antitrust class-action complaint against client, The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company and North Shore Gas Company. The plaintiffs claimed that the utilities’ practice of providing natural gas

A specialist banking and insurance deal team from Pinsent Curtis Biddle has advised Bank of Scotland on a £147 million management buyout from health insurer Royal & Sun Alliance (RSA). The high profile deal has seen RSA continue its disposal programme by selling its healthcare business, which provides private medical, personal accident, travel and legal

In July, Cleary Gottlieb closed 20 Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMIC) transactions, representing a total of more than $34 billion of mortgage-backed securities. The firm represented the underwriters, including Countrywide, Lehman, JP Morgan, UBS, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Credit Suisse First Boston, Greenwich and Nomura. To