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1. House Votes to Give Former Presidents a Pension Cut （美国国会通过议案削减前任总统退休金）
President Obama could soon get a bill on his desk limiting his post-presidential pay.
The House has approved a measure to curb the taxpayer-funded benefits former presidents receive each year after leaving the White House in order to tamp down on benefits afforded to those who make a considerable salary in the private sector.
The bill from House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, would limit yearly presidential pensions to $200,000 -- slightly less than they're allowed now -- but would cut that amount by a dollar for every dollar they earn over $400,000 a year in the private sector. (ABC News)
学霸词汇：curb：（ 英 [kɜːb] ，美 [kɝb] ）n. 抑制，路边，勒马绳；vt. 控制，勒住。tamp down：向下压紧。
小编解码：奥巴马总统很快就会收到一份议案，要求限制他卸任总统后的退休金。
国会已经批准了一项措施，来削减前任总统在离开白宫后每年收到的退休金福利（这些福利都是由纳税人提供的），从而减少提供给那些在私营部门赚到可观收入的退休总统的国家福利。
这一议案来自众议院监管委员会主席Jason Chaffetz，其将年度养老金限制在20万美元，虽然只比现在允许的金额稍小些，但会扣除在私营部门收入中超过40万美元的部分。
其实能当得上总统的，有几个不是家室显赫或财团支撑，这点退休金又算得上什么，更何况随便做些演讲啥的（人家可是前任美国总统），都能拿不少报酬。因此削减无关大碍的退休金这种政绩工程和道德工程，想必奥巴马是非常乐意去做的，彷如让历史在面前终止般有成就感。
2. Briggs review backs online court that cuts out lawyers（英国法官报告支持建立一个排除律师参与的在线法院）
An interim report from a landmark review of civil justice has backed the creation of an online court for claims worth up to £25,000.
Lord Justice Briggs, the author of the report, was tasked in July to review the civil justice court structure and says that he had found a ‘clear and pressing need’ to create an online court. He acknowledges it would be the first court ever to be designed in England and Wales for use by litigants without lawyers. The report says online dispute resolution will give litigants ‘effective access to justice without having to incur the disproportionate cost of using lawyers’. (The Law Society Gazette)
学霸词汇：interim report：中期报告，临时报告。landmark：（英 ['læn(d)mɑːk]，美 ['lændmɑrk] ）n. [航]陆标，地标，界标，里程碑，纪念碑，地界标，划时代的事；adj. 有重大意义或影响的。 disproportionate：（ [,dɪsprə'pɔːʃ(ə)nət] ）adj. 不成比例的。
小编解码：Briggs法官主导在2015年7月受托对民事审判法院系统进行检查评估，并起草了一份临时报告，该报告支持建立一个在线法院来审理金额不超过2.5万英镑的民事请求案件。Briggs法官表示有非常“明确和迫切的需要”来建立一个在线法院，并称这将是英格兰和威尔士首个没有律师参与的法院，使得诉讼当事人能够“有效获得司法公正而无需发生高额的律师费用”。
专门的在线法院，这个理念比目前国内的在线庭审又进了一步，不过效果如何还有待观察。但至少对于律师来说，尤其是参与小额诉讼的律师来说，真是直接打脸啊。
3. Dalian Wanda to buy Hollywood studio stake for $3.5bn（大连万达将以35亿美元购买好莱坞电影制作公司控股权）
China's Dalian Wanda Group will buy a controlling stake in Hollywood film studio Legendary Entertainment in a deal valued at $3.5bn (£2.4bn). The announcement, made at a press conference by both firms in Beijing, comes after a week of rumours about a possible deal.
Wanda is the world's biggest movie theatre operator with a majority stake in the US chain AMC. The rapidly growing group is led by China's richest man Wang Jianlin. Mr Wang has been looking to buy a Hollywood studio for several years and was reported to be in talks with DreamWorks Animation last year, but a deal was not announced.
Legendary is the maker of blockbuster hits such as Jurassic World, the Dark Knight Batman trilogy and Godzilla. (BBC)
学霸词汇：rumour：（英 ['ruːmə] ）n. 谣言；vt. 传闻。blockbuster：（ 英 ['blɒkbʌstə] ，美 ['blɑkbʌstɚ]）n. 轰动；巨型炸弹；一鸣惊人者。trilogy：（ ['trɪlədʒɪ]）n. 三部曲，三部剧。
小编解码：中国大连万达集团将购买美国好莱坞电影制作公司传奇娱乐（Legendary Entertainment）的控股权，交易价格为35亿美元。传奇娱乐制作的大片包括侏罗纪世界（Jurassic World）、黑暗骑士蝙蝠侠（Dark Knight Batman）三部曲和哥斯拉（Godzilla）等（还有《超人归来》、《盗梦空间》等）。两家公司在北京的记者发布会上宣布了上述交易。据称传奇娱乐的其他投资者如日本软银等已同意出售手中持有的股权，而万达将持有传奇娱乐略超过50%的股权，其余股权由后者的创始人和执行长ThomasTull以及其他管理层持有。
2012年万达成功收购美国连锁影院巨头AMC后，成为世界上最大的影院公司，而这一快速增长的集团由中国首富王健林执掌。王健林数年来一直在寻求购买一家好莱坞电影制作公司，据说2015年和梦工厂动画公司（DreamWorks Animation ）在商谈，但并没有宣布任何交易。梦工厂动画公司的作品包括《怪物史莱克》系列、《马达加斯加》系列、《功夫熊猫》系列、《驯龙高手》和《疯狂原始人》等。
说到美国电影，小编不得不吐槽鱼龙混杂，各种烂片太多，诸如《星球大战》、《黑客帝国》、《终结者》等自然是公认的经典成功电影，然而诸如《美国队长》、《XX侠》（太多侠了，基本大同小异）之类的狗血片，虽然票房成功，但小编实在觉得和抗战神剧有的一拼。不过对世界电影市场来说，美国电影（主要是好莱坞）实在是霸占了绝对的话语权，一者是大英帝国打下的语言江山，二者是美帝的经济影响力和文化输出实在过于强大，以至于各种烂片都成为大家趋之若鹜的对象。
小编隐隐地无奈中，想到了将中国武侠电影推向世界的老一辈导演胡金铨先生的评价，据说提及中国电影与世界市场、国际电影节时，胡金铨曾说：“想打进国际市场的话，非常困难，当今世界最大的电影市场是美国和加拿大。不单是中国电影，就算是日本电影、甚至法国电影，那边也没有市场，这与作品好坏无关，已不是文化层面的问题了。”
资本玩家的背后，必然是利润的驱逐。然而仅仅靠这些影院收购、电影制作公司收购，能对中国电影事业有多大提高，恐怕实在难以确定。相信小伙伴们肯定能感受到隐藏在美国电影的很多日本元素，变形金刚、无敌战舰、哥斯拉等，最近的如超能陆战队、像素大战、忍者神龟等，非常之多。一方面，这可能是索尼、日本软银这些商业和资本推手的作用，另一方面，也是最根本的，人性、内心、创造力，这些才是电影和文化发展的根基，我们这几代人看了多少日本的动画片长大，到现在还在看海贼王之类的成人动画片，还有根据日本动画片改变的电影。虽然小编从历史角度非常不喜欢日本人，但别人能够顽强地让美国电影市场接受自己的文化口味，靠的又是什么？
4.Raif Badawi supporters to give petition to Saudi embassy in London （Raif Badawi支持者将向沙特在伦敦的大使馆提交请愿）
Supporters of Raif Badawi, the jailed Saudi activist and blogger, plan to hand over a petition with 250,000 signatures to the Saudi embassy in London on Friday calling for his release.
A separate petition for the release of Badawi’s lawyer, Waleed Abu al-Khair, will also be handed over to mark a year since Badawi received 50 lashes in a public square in Jeddah. He was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for insulting Islam.
Human rights groups around the world have taken up Badawi’s case. He was awarded the EU’s Sakharov prize in October, an event that drew a standing ovation at the European parliament in Strasbourg. (Guardian)
学霸词汇：lash：（ [læʃ]）vt. 鞭打，冲击，摆动，扎捆，煽动，讽刺；vi. 鞭打，猛击，急速甩动；n. 鞭打，睫毛，鞭子，责骂，讽刺。 Jeddah：吉达（沙特阿拉伯地名）。take up：拿起；开始从事；占据(时间,地方)。 ovation：（英 [ə(ʊ)'veɪʃ(ə)n]，美 [o'veʃən] ）n. 热烈欢迎；大喝采。 Strasbourg：（ ['stæsbə:ɡ; 'strɑ:z-] ）n. 斯特拉斯堡（法国东北部城市）。
小编解码：Raif Badawi是一名沙特活动分子和博客者，因侮辱伊斯兰教而被判处1000次鞭刑和10年监禁。2015年的1月份，Raif Badawi被执行了50下鞭刑，其后剩余鞭刑一直被推迟执行。
Raif Badawi被授予了欧盟的萨哈罗夫奖。Raif Badawi的支持者们计划向沙特在伦敦的大使馆提交有25万人签名的请愿书，要求释放Raif Badawi，同时也单独提出释放Raif Badawi律师Waleed Abu al-Khair的请求。
据称，当初Raif Badawi甚至被建议以叛教罪名论处，这意味着可能判决后被立即执行死刑。小编顿时觉得，在伊斯兰国家言行需要多么地谨慎，稍有不留神，轻则刑鞭加身，重则人头不保啊……不过其实只要遵纪守法，做个良民，也是会过得很滋润的，比如那些在迪拜的土豪们……
5. Jakarta attacks: Convicted militant named as attacker （雅加达袭击：被判刑的激进分子被指认为袭击者）
Police in Indonesia have identified four out of five of the Jakarta attackers. Two were previously convicted militants. Police named one - Afif Sunakim, seen carrying a gun and rucksack during the attacks. He was given a seven-year jail term for attending a militant camp.
All five died in Thursday's attacks, which left two civilians dead and were claimed by Islamic State (IS). Following recent IS threats, the country, which had been attacked by Islamist militants several times in the past, had been on high alert. (BBC)
学霸词汇：Jakarta：（美 [dʒə'kɑrtə] ）n. 雅加达（印尼首都）。 militant：（ ['mɪlɪt(ə)nt] ）adj. 好战的；n. 富有战斗性的人，好斗者，激进分子。 rucksack：（英 ['rʌksæk; 'rʊk-] ，美 ['rʊksæk]）n. 帆布背包。
小编解码：印尼警方已经辨识出雅加达恐怖袭击事件五名袭击者当中的四人的身份，其中两人是之前被判刑的激进分子。警方公布了一人的姓名Afif Sunakim，此人被看见在袭击中携带有枪支和帆布背包，而之前其因参加一个激进分子团体而被判处七年监禁。
在2016年1月14日发生的雅加达恐怖袭击事件中，这五名袭击者全部死亡，另有两名平民死亡。恐怖组织伊斯兰国宣称对此事负责。印尼过去已经多次遭受过伊斯兰激进分子袭击，随着近期伊斯兰国的威胁，该国一直处于高度戒备状态。
6. California Fair Pay Act poses new compliance challenges （美国加州《公平报酬法案》给企业带来新的合规挑战）
Californian businesses are now required to demonstrate 'equal pay for similar work' among their employees. The state's Fair Pay Act, which came into effect on 1 January, is designed to close the gender pay gap in California. Where previously the onus of proof fell on employees to demonstrate unequal pay practices, it is now the job of business managers (and their lawyers) to demonstrate that their company complies with the Act by maintaining equal remuneration for 'substantially similar' work between male and female employees. The shift from 'equal' to 'similar' work is significant, as it was felt that the Fair Pay Act's predecessor, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, left too much wriggle room around the narrow definition of 'equal' jobs. (Wall Street Journal)
学霸词汇：predecessor：（英 ['priːdɪsesə]，美 ['prɛdəsɛsɚ]）n. 前任，前辈。 wiggle：（英 ['rɪg(ə)l]，美 ['rɪɡl]）vi. 蠕动，蜿蜒而行；vt. 使蠕动，蠕动到，不知不觉地潜入；n. 蠕动，扭动。
小编解码：美国加州的《公平报酬法案》（Fair Pay Act）从2016年1月1日起生效，旨在结束该州的性别收入差异，现在加州企业需要在员工中实行“相似工作相同报酬”。其和之前的《1963年同等报酬法案》（Equal Pay Act of 1963）相比，显著的变化在于从“同等”工作（相同报酬）变为“相似”工作（相同报酬），因为前者的定义过于狭窄，使得企业有机会钻各种空子。并且在此之前，证明存在不公平报酬行为的举证责任在于员工，而现在则是由企业管理者（和其律师）证明其公司遵守《公平收入法案》，对于男性和女性员工在“实质相似”工作上提供相同报酬。
显然这些对加州企业的（劳动）合规提出了新的挑战。小编觉得加州这个思路是对的，毕竟“同工同酬”听起来很美，实际上很酸，什么叫做“同工”？企业太好做文章了。不过即便按照加州的思路，操作起来估计也是有一定困难，什么叫做“相似”？恐怕又陷入一个定义陷阱，看来人类的思维和规则可能永远会败给自己。
7. Student builds robot lawyer for challenging fines（学生建造机器人律师来帮助消费者挑战罚金）
A student entrepreneur who created a website to enable people to challenge fines and claim compensation has created a free robot lawyer to make claims on behalf of customers.
After successfully challenging Camden council over a series of fines, Joshua Browder launched donotpay.co.uk to help other consumers. As the site became more popular, he was inundated with questions from people looking for compensation or for help challenging fines and decided to create an automated system to provide legal advice and make claims on people’s behalf. (The Telegraph)
学霸词汇：entrepreneur：（英 [ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜː(r)] ，美 [ˌɑːntrəprəˈnɜːr]）n. 企业家；承包人；主办者。inundate：（英 ['ɪnʌndeɪt] ，美 ['ɪnʌndet] ）vt. 淹没；泛滥；浸水；（洪水般的）扑来。
小编解码：一名学生Joshua Browder成功挑战了伦敦北部卡姆登地方议会，而免于交纳一系列罚金。于是他启动了一家网站donotpay.co.uk，来帮助其他受到类似处罚的消费者。随着网站越来越火，寻求赔偿或罚金帮助的人越来越多，于是他决定创造一个自动系统——机器人律师，来为这些需要帮助的民众提供法律咨询和提出索赔，而这一切都是免费的。
8. One third of UK legal sector risks information with poor cybersecurity（三分之一的英国法律行业由于网络安全隐患而存在信息泄密风险）
A new report by security software provider IS Decisions has found that the lack of unique logins, manual logoffs and concurrent logins is putting confidential information in the legal sector at risk.
The report, “Legal and Law Enforcement: Information Access Compliance”, found that despite requirements by regulatory bodies, only 28 per cent of employees at law firms and law enforcement agencies in the UK are prevented from concurrent logins on multiple machines. This not only puts information at risk, it also narrows the options for investigation should something go wrong. Furthermore, one third (34 per cent) do not have a unique user login for their employer’s network and 24 per cent do not require a login for access at all, despite this basic information security process being a requirement of any security standard, including Lexcel and ISO 27001. (IS Decisions)
学霸词汇：cybersecurity：网络安全。concurrent：（英 [kən'kʌr(ə)nt]，美 [kən'kɝənt] ）adj. 并发的，一致的，同时发生的；n. [数] 共点；同时发生的事件。
小编解码：IS Decisions是一家安全软件供应商，主要专注于软件安全和访问管理。其一份最新的报告显示，由于存在缺少唯一登录、手工登出、同时登录等情况，法律行业的保密信息普遍存在泄密风险。
这份名为“法律与执法：信息访问合规”的报告，发现尽管监管机构有相关要求，在英国的律所和执法机构的员工中，只有28%的员工不能在多台设备上同时登录。这不仅会给保密信息带来风险，而且在发生问题时也会给调查带来困难。而且，尽管相关安全标准（例如Lexcel和ISO 27001）要求具备基本的信息安全程序，却仍有34%的机构没有为其雇员分配一个唯一用户登录账号，还有24%压根不需要登录。
Lexcel是英国律协的法律业务质量管理认证体系，ISO 27001是信息安全质量管理体系。
9.Call of Duty publisher sued by family of Angolan rebel（《使命召唤》发行商被安哥拉反叛军首领家人起诉）
Video game publisher Activision is being sued by the family of Angolan rebel chief Jonas Savimbi, who have objected to his depiction in the game Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
Three of Savimbi’s children, who are now based in France, contend that the game depicted their father – the founder and leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) – as a “barbarian”. They are seeking €1m in damages from the French branch of Activision Blizzard. (The Guardian)
学霸词汇：Angolan：（ [æŋ'ɡəulən]）adj. 安哥拉的；n. 安哥拉人。depiction：（英 [dɪ'pɪkʃn] ，美 [dɪ'pɪkʃən]）n. 描写，叙述。barbarian：（英 [bɑː'beərɪən] ，美 [bɑr'bɛrɪən]）adj. 野蛮的，未开化的；n. 野蛮人。
小编解码：一名安哥拉反叛军首领Jonas Savimbi的家人正在起诉视频游戏公司动视暴雪，其家人对游戏《使命召唤：黑色行动2》中对Savimbi的描述一直表示抗议。
Savimbi是安哥拉彻底独立全国联盟（National Union for the Total Independence of Angola，Unita）的创始人和领导者。Savimbi的子女中，有三名目前常驻在法国，他们声称此游戏将他们的父亲描述成“野蛮人”。他们正在向动视暴雪的法国分支机构索赔一百万欧元。
动视暴雪公司想必玩游戏的基本都知道，《使命的召唤》、《魔兽世界》、《暗黑破坏神》等都是他们家的。
10. Yahoo Agrees to Settle Email Privacy Suit（雅虎同意就邮件隐私诉讼案件进行和解）
Yahoo Inc. has agreed to settle a class action challenging the way the company analyzes email messages to serve targeted ads to users of its popular Yahoo Mail service.
The deal, outlined in court papers filed Thursday evening, would settle claims brought on behalf of non-Yahoo subscribers who claimed their messages were intercepted, scanned and stored as part of communications with Yahoo Mail users. The settlement is subject to approval from U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh who has been overseeing In re Yahoo Mail Litigation, 13-4980.
The proposed settlement doesn't include a cash payout to class members. However, the company has pledged to make changes to its privacy disclosures and the architecture of its email system. Plaintiffs counsel at Girard Gibbs and Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer intend to ask for up to $4 million in fees and costs. (The Recorder)
学霸词汇：outline：（英 ['aʊtlaɪn]，美 ['aʊtlaɪn] ）vt. 概述，略述，描画…轮廓；n. 轮廓，大纲，概要，略图。subscriber：（ [səb'skraɪbə(r)]）订阅者，用户。oversee：（ 英 [əʊvə'siː]，美 ['ovɚ'si] ）vt. 监督；审查；俯瞰；偷看到，无意中看到。payout：（英 ['peɪaʊt]，美 ['peaʊt]）n. 支出；花费。
小编解码：雅虎通过分析邮件信息，来向其雅虎邮箱服务的用户提供定向广告。为此，用户们向雅虎提起了集体诉讼，来挑战该种行为。
现在雅虎已经同意就该集体诉讼进行和解。根据法院文件显示，该和解协议将用于解决那些非雅虎订阅用户的主张，他们称自己的信息被作为与雅虎邮箱用户沟通内容的一部分，受到拦截、扫描和存储。该和解将需要获得地区法院法官的准许。
雅虎提议的和解并不包括对集体诉讼成员的现金赔付，但雅虎承诺将改变其隐私披露和邮件系统架构；而原告代理律师则想要获得最多400万美元的费用和成本赔偿。
小编觉得雅虎的商业模式在实践中应用得很普遍，不仅在邮箱里，还有网页、其他网络平台等，尤其网络浏览痕迹（如cookies），比如在淘宝上买了某个东西后，后续各种网页都会出现针对性你的广告，让人觉得背后有点发凉……用户是否有权要求信息不被存储、搜集、整理、加工？邮箱使用协议等格式合同相关同意条款是否有效？如何确保用户的隐私不被泄露？用户是否有权不受广告邮件的骚扰？能否状告老在你朋友圈刷屏发营销广告者？这些恐怕都需要法官的细功夫。
11. Twitter takes legal action against 'terrorist propaganda' fine in Turkey（Twitter在土耳其针对“恐怖分子宣传”罚金提起诉讼）
Social media giant Twitter has filed a lawsuit in opposition to a $50,000 fine issued by Turkish authorities for 'terrorist propaganda' hosted on its micro-blogging platform.
Twitter has confirmed that it is pursuing legal action, but has not yet confirmed the details. It is understood that the lawsuit will seek to annul a 150,000 lira ($50,000) fine handed to the social media group over material relating to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which the Turkish government has classified as a terrorist organisation. The fine was issued when Twitter failed to remove tweets relating to the PKK after several government requests that they be taken down. The PKK is also classified as a terrorist organisation by the EU and the US. (Reuters)
学霸词汇：propaganda：（英 [prɒpə'gændə] ，美 ['prɑpə'gændə]）n. 宣传；传道总会。annul：（英 [ə'nʌl] ）vt. 取消；废除；宣告无效。lira：（英 ['lɪərə]，美 ['lɪrə]）n. 里拉（意大利、土耳其货币单位）。Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)：库尔德工人党。
小编解码：社交媒体巨头Twitter已经就土耳其当局对其社交平台上“恐怖分子宣传”开出的5万美元罚金提起诉讼。Twitter确认已经开始诉讼，但并未确认相关细节。目前所知道的是，该诉讼将会寻求取消土耳其当局的5万美元罚金，而该罚金针对的是其网络平台上库尔德工人党相关的资料，土耳其当局要求Twitter移除相关推特信息，而Twitter则未能按要求移除。库尔德工人党不仅被土耳其政府归为恐怖组织，而且也被欧盟和美国视为恐怖组织。
这涉及到一个既新型又“古老”的法律问题：网络社交媒体如何为用户内容承担法律责任？这其中，有政府管控的要求、企业商业模式的需要、科技发展的方向以及民间自由分享的呼声等等，并且现在西方社会在ISIS崛起后也逐渐意识到网络散播极端意识形态带来的安全问题。
不过Twitter的做法确实也是显得有些执着，据Twitter最近的透明度报告显示，土耳其当局仅在2015年上半年就向Twitter提出了718份移除请求，而这次则是第一次要求支付罚金（而且金额只有5万美元）。相比之下，大家都在关注的快播案件就显得实在有些过于……
12. Another day, another Dentons acquisition（又是一个德同收购的日子）
Dentons has confirmed it is hiring Matthew Arnold & Baldwin's (MAB) banking and finance litigation team, made up of 11 partners and 64 fee-earners.
The team is to join Dentons, the largest law firm in the world by headcount, at the beginning of next month and will remain in its offices in Watford for the time being. The banking litigation team brings with it close relationships with a number of banks and financial institutions, including Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland. (Global Legal Post)
学霸词汇：headcount：（英 ['hedkaʊnt]，美 ['hɛdkaʊnt] ）n. 点人头数；总人数。
小编解码：说到德同（Dentons）律师事务所，大家并不陌生，其与大成所的合并让小编觉得原来中国律所的国际地位也不低嘛。而德同扩张的步伐根本停不下来，其已经是全球人数最多的律所，现在其又确认将Matthew Arnold & Baldwin律所的银行和金融诉讼团队纳入囊中，共计11名合伙人和64名计费律师。该团队将在下个月初加入德同，但仍将留在目前所在的沃特福德办公室。该银行诉讼团队将带来与诸多银行和金融机构的密切关系，包括巴克莱和苏格兰皇家银行（RBS）。
13. Banks appoint advisory firm to examine Slater & Gordon's books（银行指定咨询公司检查Slater & Gordon律所财务账簿）
National Australia Bank and Westpac, Slater & Gordon's lead financiers, have installed McGrathNicol as investigating accountants to make a forensic examination of the law firm's books.
The move comes after a disastrous year for the company, during which debt increased by $623 million to help fund the purchase of UK firm Quindell’s professional services division.
Although the appointment of an investigating accountant often precedes the appointment of a liquidator, the strength of its existing franchise means this is unlikely to be the case for Slater & Gordon. Instead, the appointment has been made to give the banks a clearer picture of the company’s finances. (The Australian)
学霸词汇：forensic：（英 [fə'rensɪk] ，美 [fə'rɛnsɪk] ）adj. 法院的；辩论的；适于法庭的。liquidator：（英 ['lɪkwɪdeɪtə] ，美 ['lɪkwɪ'detɚ] ）n. 清算人；公司资产清理人。franchise：（英 ['fræn(t)ʃaɪz]，美 ['fræntʃaɪz]）n. 特权，公民权，经销权，管辖权；vt. 给…以特许（或特权），赋予公民权。
小编解码：Slater & Gordon律所号称全球第一家上市的律所，而2015年对于Slater & Gordon来说是灾难性的一年。其选择的快速扩张道路最终导致自食恶果，尤其是2015年收购了英国Quindell所的专业服务部门，导致负债激增6.23亿澳元。此外由于澳大利亚和英国监管机构的调查、英国政府收紧道路赔偿规定等各种因素影响，该所股价几乎已经跌至最高点时的零头，未来前景非常堪忧。
作为Slater & Gordon律所的主融资人，澳大利亚国家银行和西太平洋银行聘请了McGrathNicol咨询公司作为调查会计，来对该家律所的账簿进行法务会计检查。不过尽管指定调查会计通常是指定破产清算人的前一步骤，但对于Slater & Gordon来说可能未必糟糕到这种程度，主要是为了给银行提供该所财务的清晰面貌。
沉舟侧畔千帆过，病树前头万木春。虽然Slater & Gordon沦落到今天有其特定的并购和业务原因，但是否“大”就一定好，确实是追求快速扩大规模的律所需要好好思考的。
14. Allen & Overy hands out thicker pay packets in 2015（英国安理律师事务所2015年发放丰厚薪酬）
Allen & Overy has reported strong financial results for 2015 and is rewarding its team of partners, lawyers and legal staff with more generous remuneration.
According to its 2015 Annual Report, international law firm Allen & Overy enjoyed a 3.8 per cent hike in revenue during the 2015 financial year to just under £1.3 billion, up significantly from the 1.8 per cent increase recorded for fiscal-2014. Profit for the financial year was also up, from £532 million in the 2014 financial year to £570 million last year, translating into an 8 per cent growth in profit per full partner to £1.21 million. Though total staff costs increased by £9 million during the course of the year, this in part reflects Allen & Overy's decision to expand staff bonuses by 21.6 per cent to a total bonus pool of £38 million.
The more junior members of Allen & Overy's team also enjoyed a remuneration kick. Though it was not included in the annuals figures, the firm recently absorbed bonuses for associates into salaries, expanding pay packets for associates with one-to-three years' post-qualification experience by an average of £20,000 per year. (Allen & Overy, The Lawyer)
学霸词汇：hike：（英 [haɪk]，美 [haɪk] ）vi. 远足，徒步旅行，上升；vt. 提高，拉起，使…高涨；n. 远足，徒步旅行，涨价。
小编解码：英国魔法圈的安理律师事务所（Allen & Overy）2015年收入增长强劲，将向其合伙人、律师和法律人员提供更丰厚的报酬。根据2015年安理的年度报告，2015财年收入上涨3.8%（大幅高于2014财年的1.8%），接近13亿英镑；利润由2014年的5.32亿英镑上涨到5.7亿英镑。今年员工的奖金池也扩大到了3800万英镑。更初级的员工也将得到高额报酬，对于1-3年PQE的associate，给出的平均年薪为2万英镑。
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