1. 英国富而德律师事务所禁止该所员工在全球任何沟通和文件中使用“Dear Sirs”的表述

 

在英国“魔法圈”律所中，富而德是第一家正式禁止在该所的所有沟通和法律文件中使用“Dear Sirs”的律所，以体现性别平等。在该所全球各地的办公室，“Dear Sirs”这一隐含男性中心主义的称呼将被其他一些更加性别平等的用语所取代，比如在英国将使用“Dear Sir or Madam”，在美国将使用“Dear Ladies and Gentlemen”，还有相应的广东话、普通话和欧洲语言等。据报道，此前富而德伦敦办公室的一名律师对最近10起IPO的法律文件进行研究，发现81家律所、银行和公司在过程中全部都使用“Dear Sirs”这一称呼，之后富而德在本月开始执行这一称谓要求。

 

（图片来源：nigelmorton.co.uk）

Freshfields bans “Dear Sirs” from all communications worldwide

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has become the first magic circle firm to officially ban “Dear Sirs” from all of its communications and legal documents, The Lawyer can reveal.

The male-oriented salutation has been replaced by a number of gender neutral equivalents across its global network.

In the UK the firm will now address all communications to “Dear Sir or Madam”, while in the US all correspondence internally and to clients will start with “Dear Ladies and Gentlemen”. Equivalents in Cantonese, Mandarin and the European languages have also been agreed across Freshfields’ global network.

Freshfields implemented the change this month after an associate in the firm’s London office researched legal documents from the last 10 IPOs and found 81 law firms, banks and corporates exclusively used “Dear Sirs” during the process. (The Lawyer)

2. 英国欧华律师事务所将建立“红牌”制度，打击偷懒的律师。

 

据报道，按照提议的“红牌”制度，如果权益合伙人每天录入工作时间少于7.5小时，将可能被扣留季度利润分配；如果反复低于最低工作小时要求，则甚至可能由于其“懈怠行为”而被减少月度分配金额。

DLA Piper to crack down on slackers with 'red card' system

Lawyers who don't log enough hours each day may find their quarterly drawings withheld under a new disciplinary system at DLA Piper.

Under the proposed ‘red card’ system, equity partners who fail to log at least seven-and-a-half work hours each day are going to feel the wrath of management right where it hurts most – in their bank accounts. Failing to hit the daily work quota may result in partners’ quarterly drawings being withheld by the firm, while partners who repeatedly fail to lodge timesheets with the minimum number of work hours may even have their monthly drawings reduced as a result of their ‘delinquent behaviour’, according to an exclusive report in?The Lawyer. The changes are an update on a system introduced by DLA Piper in 2010 to ‘improve productivity’, which requires partners to account for how they use their time and punishes those who consistently miss work targets with sanctions. (Global Legal Post)

3. 全球第一家上市律所Slater & Gordon将就此前收购Quindell的账目错误起诉

 

Watchstone。Slater & Gordon是澳大利亚一家大型律所，也是全球第一家上市律所，在澳大利亚证券交易所上市交易，此前不断进行并购、扩张，在资本市场和扩大规模上非常激进。2015年，Slater & Gordon以6.37亿英镑（大部分资金来自债务融资）收购了Quindell的主体专业服务板块，之后剩下的部分改名为Watchstone Group。在收购后不久，英国金融行为监管局就对Quindell的正式利润数据进行调查，其后该调查结束，以便英国严重欺诈办公室（Serious Fraud Office，SFO）介入调查，而SFO的调查仍然在进行中。

 

该调查导致2013年和2014年的账目重整，并使得Slater & Gordon在2015/16财年的前六个月录得4.93亿英镑的损失。对此，近日Slater & Gordon宣布计划起诉Watchstone Group。如果Slater & Gordon胜诉的话，其可能拿回收购Quindell价款中的5000万英镑，在收购中这5000万英镑被存放在托管账户中，并原定于11月29日放款。如果该争议在11月底前不能解决，则这5000万英镑将继续存放在托管账户中直至争议解决。而对于Slater & Gordon来说，在收购后不久也是股价狂跌，从去年4月份以来股价就骤然下跌了95%，股价下跌的原因既包括收购Quindell这一场巨大的失败交易，也包括英国提议的立法改革将可能对其在英国的道路交通事故这块主要业务造成重大影响。Slater & Gordon自己也因向市场披露该项收购信息的时间和准确性而面临诉讼。澳大利亚另一家律所Maurice Blackburn，也正在代表那些在2015年4月1日至2016年2月24日期间购买Slater & Gordon股票的股东，对Slater & Gordon提起集团诉讼。

 

（图片来源：smh.com.au）

Slater & Gordon to sue Watchstone over Quindell accounts errors

Slater & Gordon has announced it plans to sue Watchstone Group for losses associated with its acquisition of Quindell’s professional services arm.

The claim follows Slater & Gordon purchasing Quindell’s professional services division for ￡637m last year.

Watchstone Group was previously named Quindell prior to the sale.

Shortly after the acquisition the FCA launched an investigation into Quindell’s official profit figures. The FCA’s case subsequently closed to make room for an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office, which is still on going.

The investigation led to Quindell’s 2013 and 2014 accounts being restated and caused Slater & Gordon to post a loss of A$958.3m (￡493m) during the first six months of 2015/16.

Should the claim prove successful Slater & Gordon may be able to recover ￡50m of the purchase price of Quindell. The ￡50m was held in escrow during the acquisition and is due to be released on 29 November.

If the claim cannot be resolved before the end of November then the ￡50m will remain in escrow until the claim has been resolved.

Slater & Gordon is itself facing a lawsuit over the timing and accuracy of the information the firm released to the market regarding the acquisition. Australian firm Maurice Blackburn is launching a class action against Slater & Gordon on behalf of those who acquired shares in the business between 1 April 2015 ad 24 February 2016.

Slater & Gordon, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, has seen its shares plummet 95 per cent since April last year. The value of the shares depreciated due to the acquisition of Quindell but also due to proposed legislative changes in the UK that could overhaul the way road accidents are handled. (The Lawyer)

4. 全球并购减速导致律所盈利能力承压

 

根据汤森路透法律业务的最新数据显示，100强律所的财务经理中，有24%现在认为减弱的并购市场是其所在律所的一个主要盈利威胁，比去年的数据提高了8个百分点。而此前，汤森路透在今年早些时候发布的另一个研究显示，2016年第一季度的并购交易量比去年同期减少了18%。此外，和全球经济衰退以来的历次调查一样，客户压减费用仍然是律所财务经理们最主要的利润担忧，2010年有60%的调查对象认为这是“高风险”因素，而今年是72%。固定费用工作是第二大担忧，比例达到40%。不过对于客户拖延付款的担忧倒是在过去5年里有所缓解，2010年是27%，今年降到12%。

Law firm profitability under pressure amid M&A slowdown

Concern is mounting that a decline in M&A activity may place a drag on law firm profits this year.

According to fresh data from Thomson Reuters Legal Business, 24 per cent of finance directors at Top 100 law firms now believe that a subdued M&A market is a major threat to profitability at their firm, up 8 per cent on last year’s figures. The finding comes in the wake of other research published by Thomson Reuters earlier this year that found M&A volumes were down 18 per cent in the first quarter of 2016 when compared with the same quarter last year.

‘M&A transactions are a vital source of work for law firms, both in themselves and because they generate a significant amount of workflow across a range of other practice areas,’ explains Samantha Steer, director of the Large Law Segment for Thomson Reuters UK&I Legal Business. ‘If fears that corporate finance activity is weakening are realised that could rattle the sector.’

As with all previous surveys since the global recession, downward pressure on fees from clients was the most cited source of profit anxiety among the FDs in Thomson Reuters’ survey. Around 72 per cent of respondents saw pressure on fees as a ‘high risk’ factor, up from 60 per cent in 2010. Fixed-fee work was the second biggest concern among the survey pool, named by 40 per cent of respondents. However, concern about late payments from clients have eased over the last five years, with the number of FDs citing this as a ‘high risk’ concern dropping from 27 per cent in 2010 to 12 per cent this year. (Global Legal Post)

5. 美国富国银行因欺诈账户丑闻被客户起诉

 

最近富国银行丑闻闹得沸沸扬扬，据报道，在过去五年里，富国银行为了追求业绩和收取额外费用，在未经客户同意的情况下，私自给客户开立了数百万的虚假银行和信用卡账户，甚至强迫用户为不知情的账户缴纳滞纳金。9月初，美国消费者金融保护局公布声明，将对富国银行征收1.85亿美元罚款。富国银行表示，已经解雇了5300名与此丑闻有关的雇员，同意支付1.85亿美元罚款并向客户返还500万美元。然而麻烦可能才刚刚开始，美国司法部已经开始介入调查，并对富国银行发出了传票。现在，第一起客户诉讼也终于到来。上周五，三名原告在美国犹他州地区法院提起集团诉讼，指控该银行侵犯隐私、欺诈、疏忽和违约，要求支付与身份盗用、焦虑和情感抑郁相关的损害赔偿，以及法律费用。

Wells Fargo sued by customers over fraudulent accounts

The first lawsuit has been filed against Wells Fargo by customers following revelations that the bank collected fees for millions of unauthorized accounts.

The proposed class action suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Utah on Friday, accuses the bank of invasion of privacy, fraud, negligence, and breach of contract. The three plaintiffs are asking for compensation to cover damages related to identity theft, anxiety and emotional distress, and legal fees.

The suit is the latest fallout for the bank after it was caught opening millions of fake bank and credit card accounts for customers over the past five years. The phantom accounts were a way for the bank to earn extra fees from unwitting customers, as well as artificially inflating its sales figures.

Wells Fargo said it has fired 5,300 employees in relation to the scam. It also agreed to pay $185 million in fines and refund $5 million to customers.

But its problems may just be beginning. The Department of Justice has opened an investigation and has issued subpoenas to the bank. (CNN)

6. 因汽车排放丑闻导致股价大跌，大众汽车公司在德国遭到投资者90亿美元的索赔诉讼

 

在一年前美国当局披露大众在尾气排放测试中造假后，其股价大幅下跌。周三，对德国境内大众汽车诉讼具有管辖权的德国布伦瑞克地区法院称，投资者们正就大众股价下跌遭受的损失提起约82亿欧元（91亿美元）的赔偿诉讼。该法院表示到目前为止已经收到1400件赔偿请求，包括美国养老基金（如美国最大的公共退休基金加州公共雇员退休基金）、德国各州的资产基金和个人投资者。投资者称，大众管理层既没有将美国环境保护署和加州空气资源委员会对该公司的持续调查告知金融市场，也未能警告使用操纵排放测试的非法软件所带来的财务风险。今年6月份，大众在美国与汽车车主和各州当局达成了150亿美元的和解；8月份，又在美国与特许分销商达成另外12亿美元的补偿和解。

VW Faces $9 Billion in Claims in Germany From Stock Drop

Investors are seeking around €8.2 billion ($9.1 billion) in damages from Volkswagen AG on losses suffered when the German car maker’s shares plunged after U.S. authorities disclosed a year ago that the company had?cheated on emissions tests, a German district court said Wednesday.

The Braunschweig district court, which has jurisdiction over Volkswagen claims in Germany, said it had received 1,400 claims against the car maker so far, including lawsuits filed by U.S. pension funds, asset funds from German states, and individual investors. U.S. investors that are part of the German claim include Calpers.

Investors allege that Volkswagen’s management failed to inform financial markets about a continuing investigation of the company by the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board or warn about the financial risk resulting from the use of illegal software to manipulate emissions tests.

Volkswagen agreed in June to a $15 billion?settlement in the U.S. for civil claims with car owners and state authorities and reached an additional $1.2 billion settlement in August to compensate franchise dealers in the U.S. (WSJ)

7. 美国医保巨头Anthem480亿美元兼并信诺，却被披露互相指责对方违反协议

 

Anthem是美国最大的医保公司之一，去年就开始兼并其竞争对手、同为美国十大保险公司之一的信诺（Cigna），交易金额达到480亿美元，并在去年12月获得了股东批准。然而，美国司法部在今年7月份提起诉讼，基于反垄断规定要求阻止这两家医保公司的并购交易。根据司法部提交的一份法律文件显示，Anthem和信诺之间已经开始相互指责对方违反了兼并协议。政府披露这两家家丑的逻辑很简单，如果这两家公司现在就已经开撕了，那就不太可能实现他们所承诺的合并带来的所有效率，而没有合并效率这一关键理由，也就无法满足反垄断法的要求。不过据报道，两家公司对于美国司法部的文件都没有置评，并公开表示他们会继续完成并购，与司法部作斗争。而安泰（Aetna）370亿美元收购Humana这一美国医保领域的另一笔巨额收购，也受到了美国司法部基于反垄断法的阻挠。

 

（图片来源：REUTERS）

Anthem, Cigna Have Accused Each Other of Merger Breach

Anthem Inc. and Cigna Corp. have accused one another of violating the terms of their merger agreement, according to a legal filing by the Justice Department, which is suing to block the health-insurance deal on antitrust grounds.

In the filing, Justice attorneys say that in a?telephone conference on Aug. 16, Cigna’s lawyers disclosed “further deterioration” in the relationship between the two companies, which have for months been engaged in behind-the-scenes sniping amid efforts to pull together their $48 billion deal. (WSJ)

8. 肯尼亚称国际法院无权管辖其与索马里之间的海洋划界和石油争议

 

肯尼亚与索马里之间在印度洋的海洋划界纠纷，主要集中在两国的边界划分和印度洋的石油矿藏属于哪方主权范围。在两国关于边界的协商失败后，2014年索马里将该争议提交至国际法院。而肯尼亚的代表在这周一的审前听讯中表示，国际法院无权介入肯尼亚与索马里之间的边界争议。肯尼亚的律师Githu Muigai在审前听讯开始时的抗议中称，国际法院对该争议没有适当管辖权，因为还有其他途径可以确定两国边界。

Kenya: ICJ has no part in oil dispute with Somalia

Kenyan representatives said Monday in a preliminary hearing that the?International Court of Justice (ICJ) has no part in their dispute with Somalia over borders. The dispute, Maritime Delimitation in the Indian Ocean, centers around the boundary between the two countries and under which sovereignty oil deposits in the Indian Ocean fall. Githu Muigai, the lawyer for Kenya, said during objections at the beginning of the preliminary hearing that the ICJ does not have proper jurisdiction over the dispute as there are other methods through which the boundary could be determined.

Somalia v. Kenya was filed with the ICJ in 2014, after negotiations between the two countries concerning the boundary fell through. Somalia filed their complaint, putting this question to the ICJ: "to determine, on the basis of international law, the complete course of the single maritime boundary dividing all the maritime areas appertaining to Somalia and to Kenya in the Indian Ocean, including the continental shelf beyond 200 [nautical miles]." (Jurist)

 

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