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1. 美国联邦检方称，一些大型律所账户被用于存放“数亿美元”非法转移资金。美国司法部目前正在没收超过10亿美元资产，该资产与一个涉及马来西亚主权基金1MDB的所谓全球洗钱计划有关。据称该基金有数十亿美元被掠夺侵占，用于腐败官员的奢靡生活，包括购买美国和欧洲的奢侈资产，购买莫奈和梵高的艺术品，以及资助好莱坞电影如2013年的《华尔街之狼》。虽然目前尚没有律所被指控有非法行为，但上周在洛杉矶提起一个资产没收案件称，一些大型律师事务所的账户被用于存转来自1MDB的非法资金，该案件也是美国政府根据美国司法部贪腐政府高层资产追回行动（Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative）提起的最大一宗单独案件。被卷入的律所包括美国谢尔曼·思特灵律师事务所、英国欧华律师事务所、美国Greenberg Traurig律师事务所和美国苏利文·克伦威尔律师事务所。在2009年和2010年，美国政府称大约3.68亿美元被转移到谢尔曼·思特灵的利息账户，而后被用于奢侈购买，包括资助《华尔街之狼》。

 

（图片来源：www.morningwhistle.com）

Law firm accounts housed 'hundreds of millions' in laundered money, say federal prosecutors

The US Department of Justice is currently seeking to recoup more than $1 billion in assets related to an alleged global money-laundering scheme involving 1MDB. According to US attorney general Loretta Lynch, billions of dollars were skimmed and misappropriated from the fund to support the lavish lifestyles of corrupt officials, including the purchase of luxury properties in the US and Europe, artworks by Monet and Van Gogh, and funding Hollywood film projects such as 2013’sThe Wolf of Wall Street.

Though no law firms have been accused of illegal activity, a civil asset forfeiture case filed in Los Angeles this week – the government’s largest single action brought under the DoJ Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative – alleges that the accounts of several major law firms have played host to laundered money from 1MDB. In 2009 and 2010, the government claims that around $368m was transferred to the interest account of Sherman & Sterling and later used for luxury purchases, including funding?The Wolf of Wall Street. The firm represented individuals and organisations making the purchases. DLA Piper, Greenberg Traurig and Sullivan & Cromwell have also been named in the court papers. (Global Legal Post)

2. 律所出纳因从律所盗窃70万英镑被判监禁。现年46岁的女子Juliette Holland被发现于2013年3月至2015年10月在英国英士律师事务所工作期间，至少侵占了727597英镑律所资金。警方确认Holland已经认罪，被判处3年零4个月监禁，并根据《1974年律师法案》（Solicitors Act 1974）第43节被实质上禁止在任何受监管的律所工作。

Cashier jailed after stealing ￡700,000 from law firm

Juliette Holland, 46, was found to have misappropriated at least ￡727,597 of office money between March 2013 and October 2015 while working at Ince & Co.

The Met Police confirmed Ms Holland had pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced to three years and four months in jail at Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday. She has also been made the subject of a Section 43 order, which effectively bars her from working for any regulated solicitors’ firm. 

Ms Holland committed the fraud by ordering foreign currency using the firm's in-house exchange service, which she would then take to a local foreign exchange and transfer back into sterling. She made 349 separate foreign currency orders before the fraud was discovered by another Ince & Co employee. (Global Legal Post)

3. 调查发现，在获得第一份法律工作时，性格比技能更重要。美国法律制度进步协会的研究者对2.4万名律师进行询问，调查他们在招聘法学院毕业的新人时关注什么。被调查的律师被要求在法律技能（如法律研究和案情分析）、专业能力（如聆听能力和团队合作）和性格特征（如正直和可信）中选择，哪些特征或技能是律所招聘新人时的关键特质，哪些是可以逐步学习或培养的。有意思的是，仅有40%的法律技能被一半或以上的被调查者选中，而选择性格特征的比例却达到了76%。许多律所觉得诸如适应力、职业道德和常识等性格从第一天开始就非常重要，而法律技能方面的不足可以在工作中逐步弥补。

 

（图片来源：www.taopic.com）

Character more important than skills for scoring first legal job, survey finds

Integrity, punctuality and trustworthiness rank higher than legal skills when looking for a job after law school, according to a recent survey of US attorneys.

Researchers from the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System asked 24,000 attorneys what they look for in new recruits. Survey respondents were given lists of legal skills (such as legal research and issue spotting), professional competencies (such as listening skills and teamwork) and character traits (like integrity and trustworthiness) and asked to select which traits and skills were essential in new recruits to their firm, and which could be learned or developed later.

Interestingly, while just 40 per cent of legal skills options were selected by half or more of the respondents, the proportion grew to 76 per cent for character traits. While many legal employers appear willing to fill in a recruit’s legal skills deficit on the job, most feel that characteristics like resilience, work ethic and common sense are essential from day one. ‘It is not the granular, practical knowledge that new lawyers need to have to hand immediately; rather it is the characteristics that allow them to succeed and allow them to learn those practical skills over time,’ the report reads. (Sources:?Law.com;?IAALS)

4. 会计师和律师之间的收入差距正在逐步缩小。新的研究显示，随着律师供给过剩和更多使用律师助理导致法律行业薪水不景气，英国会计师和律师之间的收入差距正在逐步缩小。承包商会计服务机构Nixon Williams的数据显示，2015年律师和特许注册会计师之间的平均报酬差别为13.7%，相比在2009年则为20%。而且，2015年会计师的平均收入增长2.8%至35,923英镑，比2007年的金融危机前最高值还高出3%，而2015年法律专业人员的平均收入为41,602英镑，仍然低于2009年最高值2.4%。此外，会计师事务所（包括四大）也正在强劲迈向法律市场，并且由于其提供固定价格定价方式，相比律所的小时收费更受市场欢迎。

Accountants narrow the pay gap on lawyers

New research suggests that accountants are closing the pay gap on lawyers, as oversupply and the growing use of paralegals cause salary depression in the legal sector.

Figures from accountancy contractors Nixon Williams show that in 2015 the difference in average earnings between lawyers and chartered and certified accountants was 13.7 per cent, down from 20 per cent in 2009. Furthermore, average pay for accountants rose by 2.8 per cent in 2015 to ￡35,923 – 3 per cent higher than the pre-recession peak in 2007, while average 2015 pay for legal professionals of ￡41,602 remains 2.4 per cent below its 2009 peak.

Accountancy firms (including the Big Four) are also making stronger moves into the legal market, with Mr Curry commenting that they are ‘increasingly able to undercut law firms by offering a fixed-fee pricing model. This is appealing in a market which has become less willing to accept the billable hours charged by many law firms.’ ?(Global Legal Post)

5. 英国律师监管局称假冒律所数量不断增加。英国律师监管局（SRA）警告称，使用“律所”名号来从事诈骗活动的骗子数量急剧增加。SRA的一份新报告发现，自从2012年以来，每年涌现的骗子律所数量几乎翻倍，现在每年大约识别出700家假律所。而且SRA发现，所有律所欺诈报告案例中，至少半数都涉及使用真实的SRA监管律所或律师名义，骗子通过在网上伪造一个已经存在的真实律所，来从潜在客户手中骗取钱财或信息。

Fake law firms on the rise, says SRA

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned of a sharp increase in the number of scammers using a 'law firm' front to conduct fraudulent activities.

A new report from the SRA has found that the number of bogus law firms springing up per year has almost doubled since 2012, with around 700 fake firms now identified each year in the UK. Moreover, the SRA found that at least half of all reported cases of firm fraud involved identity theft of a genuine SRA-regulated law firm or solicitor, wherein scammers recreate the online presence of an existing firm in order to solicit money or information from prospective clients. But it’s not just clients who are being targeted –?impersonating senior lawyers by using information available online and then requesting cash from an accounts team for unpaid invoices is also commonplace, the watchdog warned. ?(Global Legal Post)

6. Verizon以48亿美元收购雅虎的交易中，美国精英律所担任法律顾问。当年的行业领导者雅虎，如今日益衰弱，在与后起的巨头Google和Facebook的竞争中苦苦挣扎，前途堪忧。目前雅虎最主要的资产是阿里巴巴的股票，以至于被人调侃是一家持有阿里巴巴股票的基金，顺带做点互联网业务，而这点互联网业务已经从之前几百亿美元的估值变成现在几十亿美元的估值。7月25日，Verizon以48亿美元收购雅虎的交易正式宣布。而在去年，Verizon曾以44亿美元收购AOL internet。现在收了雅虎，除了邮箱和通讯服务外，雅虎还将为Verizon提供广告技术和搜索功能。在该交易中，美国Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz律师事务所、科文顿·柏灵律师事务所和温斯顿律师事务所担任Verizon的法律顾问；美国世达律师事务所、威尔逊·桑西尼·古奇·罗沙迪律师事务所和威嘉律师事务所担任雅虎的法律顾问。此外，美国Cravath, Swaine & Moore律师事务所担任雅虎战略评估委员会的独立法律顾问。

 

US elite take roles as Verizon emerges as Yahoo! buyer in $4.8bn deal

A handful of US elite firms including Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom?and?Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz?have taken roles in the much speculated sale of Yahoo! to Verizon.

The deal, announced today (25 July) comes after uncertainty over the internet company's future as Yahoo! struggled to compete with giants like Google and Facebook.

Wachtell, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Covington & Burling and Winston & Strawn acted for Verizon. Covington's team on the deal was led by Miranda Cole, Tom Barnett and Jim O'Connell.

Skadden, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Weil, Gotshal & Manges are legal advisers to Yahoo!. Weil's team included Silicon Valley tech partner Karen Ballack and litigation partner Christopher Cox.

Meanwhile Cravath, Swaine & Moore acted for the strategic review committee of Yahoo! as its independent legal adviser. The company appointed the US firm as legal advisers back in February this year to explore options for its sale, with head of M&A Faiza Saeed and corporate partner Eric Schiele both advising.

Verizon's acquisition of Yahoo! follows its purchase of AOL internet, which it bought last year for $4.4bn. Yahoo! will give Verizon access to its advertising technology and search functions alongside mail and messenger services. (Legal Business)

7. 路威酩轩集团（LVMH）将旗下亏损的Donna Karan出售给服装公司G-III集团，交易金额为6.5亿美元。被出售的Donna Karan International是美国品牌DKNY的母公司，而就在一年前还刚组建了一个新的设计团队，可见LVMH在当前严峻的贸易环境下对表现不佳的业务简直毫无耐心。

LVMH sells loss-making Donna Karan to G-III in $650 million deal

French luxury group LVMH is selling Donna Karan International, the parent of New York label DKNY, to U.S. clothing firm G-III Apparel Group in a deal valuing the loss-making fashion brand at $650 million.

The sale comes just over a year after a new design team had been put in place, showing how little patience LVMH has for underperforming businesses in the current tough trading environment. (CNBC)