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1、美国Steptoe & Johnson律师事务所接受用比特币支付律师费
Steptoe & Johnson是总部位于华盛顿特区的美国新白靴所（white-shoe），该所在上周首次宣布将接受用比特币支付律师费。该所在大约一年前建立了区块链（blockchain）业务组。虽然该所人士表示只是使用比特币作为支付律师费的一种机制，而不是从货币升值的角度来投资比特币，但小编认为，如果没有适当的对冲机制，那么该所一旦收取了比特币，显然已经被动持仓，暴露在比特币极高度波动的市场风险之下，这显然已经超出了律师的风险管理能力和专业知识领域，是不是还得招些金融人才负责打理？
Steptoe & Johnson to accept payment in Bitcoin
The Washington, DC-headquartered firm announced last week that it will accept payment in the digital currency known as Bitcoin.
Alan Cohn, an of counsel at the firm and former assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security, and Jason Weinstein, a partner and former deputy assistant attorney general, set up the firm’s blockchain practice group around one year ago.
Mr Cohn clarified that Steptoe will use Bitcoin as a ‘mechanism’ for accepting payment of legal fees and is not investing in Bitcoin as a currency appreciation.(Global Legal Post)
2、机器人律师DoNotPay的下一个前沿领域：住房申请
DoNotPay是一个免费的、聊天式的“机器人律师”自动化平台，是19岁的斯坦福大学神童Joshua Browder的创作品，为那些无法支付或不愿支付停车罚单的个人提供法律帮助和指导。该平台自从启动以来，胜诉率达到了令人印象深刻的64%，截止到今年6月份推翻了大约16万张停车罚单，为伦敦和纽约的大众省去了大约400万美元的罚金。对于所有关注法律服务自动化的人来说，这一成就令人称奇，甚至可能令人生畏。随着DoNotPay越来越强大，Browder现在正对该平台进行调整，将为那些面临不稳定住宿状况的人或无家可归者提供帮助，尤其是在英国。这样通过使用该平台，用户将能够生成使其获得有保障住宿的机会最大化的申请，而这一切都无需支付一分钱律师费。Browder之前甚至还考虑过为叙利亚的避难者提供阿拉伯语平台下的难民申请。
Housing applications the next frontier for robo-lawyer DoNotPay
The robot lawyer made famous for helping to overturn millions of dollars' worth of parking tickets has now turned its talents to fighting evictions and lodging public housing claims.
The achievements of ‘robot lawyer’ platform DoNotPay over the last 12 months have been a source of fascination – and perhaps trepidation – for anyone with a keen eye on the rise of automation in legal services. The brainchild of 19-year-old Stanford University whiz kid Joshua Browder, DoNotPay is a free-of-charge automated platform that offers legal support and guidance to individuals with parking tickets that they either cannot or do not want to pay. The automated, chat-based platform has achieved an impressive 64 per cent success rate since its launch, overturning around 160,000 tickets to June this year and saving the general public in London and New York around US$4m in fines.
With DoNotPay moving from strength to strength, Mr Browder is now adapting the platform to assist individuals facing precarious housing situations or homelessness. Having previously speculated on a variety of potential adaptations for the platform – including an Arabic-speaking remake to assist Syrian asylum seekers lodge refugee claims – Mr Browder settled on tackling housing issues after receiving numerous inquiries from individuals facing evictions and homelessness, particularly in the UK. By using the online platform, clients will be able to generate applications designed to maximise their chances of securing housing without paying a cent in legal fees. (Global Legal Post)
3、Uber聘请霍金路伟律师事务所来对伦敦交通局的私人租用汽车新规定进行司法审查
伦敦交通局（Transport for London，TfL）在今年早些时候制定了出租车和微型出租车的新规定，这些规定是在对该行业的广泛咨询之后做出，而正是Uber和出租车行业之间的众多争吵引发了这一咨询。而现在Uber称这些规定变得过于严格，并正在挑战其中的要求，包括司机的书面英语测试、在伦敦部署客户服务呼叫中心、为司机提供保险，以及在变更商业模式或应用程序时必须提示伦敦交通局。
Uber instructs Hogan Lovells on TfL judicial review
Uber has turned to Hogan Lovells to mount a judicial review of Transport for London’s (TfL) new rules for private hire cars.
TfL set out new regulations for taxis and minicabs earlier this year following a far-reaching consultation on the industry prompted by numerous rows between Uber and the black cab trade.
Now Uber says the rules have become too strict, and is challenging requirements including written English tests for drivers, locating its customer service call centre in London, extending insurance for drivers, and having to alert TfL of changes to its business model or app.
Hogan Lovells successfully defended Uber in a headline case last October when TfL asked the High Court to decide whether its fare calculator app was a taximeter – a device which is restricted to black cabs. (The Lawyer)
4、 美国加州法官判决Twitter对ISIS相关推文不承担责任
美国加利福尼亚州的一个法院驳回了一起指控Twitter为ISIS提供重要支持的诉讼。该诉讼由一个集团诉讼的律所提起，称Twitter为ISIS提供了协调行动、传播宣传消息、招募新成员和筹集资金的平台，因而导致了去年在约旦暴力连环枪杀中两名美国防务承包商的死亡。而旧金山的William Orrick法官驳回了这一诉讼，他判决称，“尽管这些死亡非常恐怖……（但）Twitter不能被认定为ISIS仇恨言论的出版人或发言人，因此对这些所称的事实不承担责任。”该法官的判决引用了美国联邦《通信规范法案》（Communications Decency Act），该法案规定内容提供方通常情况下对第三方发布的内容不承担民事责任。而原告方的起诉状则依据了两部与反恐有关的民事法律。
（图片来源：dailymail.co.uk）
Twitter not liable for ISIS tweets, judge rules
A Californian court has thrown out a lawsuit which accused social media platform Twitter of providing material support to ISIS.
On Wednesday, Judge William Orrick of San Francisco dismissed a lawsuit that claimed Twitter had contributed to the deaths of two US defence contractors during a violent shooting spree in Jordan last year. The claim, brought against Twitter by a class action law firm, argued that Twitter contributed to the deaths by providing a platform for ISIS – which claimed responsibility for the attack – to coordinate its activities, spread propaganda messages, recruit new members and raise funds.
‘As horrific as these deaths were … Twitter cannot be treated as the publisher or the speaker of ISIS’s hateful rhetoric and is not liable under the facts alleged,’ ruled Orrick. His judgement cited the federal Communications Decency Act, which stipulates that content providers generally do not carry civil liability for content published by a third party. The complaint had relied upon two civil statutes – one passed in the early 1990s that creates a private civil cause of action for victims of terrorism, and another passed in the wake of the 1996 Oklahoma City bombings which makes it a federal crime to knowingly provide material support to terrorist organisations. (Wall Street Journal;The Verge)
5. Google正在接受韩国的反垄断调查。今年早些时候欧盟也开展了类似调查
Google being investigated by South Korea for antitrust claim
The Korea Fair Trade Commission(KFTC), South Korea's antitrust regulator, confirmed on Friday that the country is investigating whether Google violated the country's antitrust laws. The KFTC's statement comes as a surprise as a local news outlet reported that the KFTC had cleared Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, of all antitrust claims against the technology giant. It is alleged that Google requires mobile-phone producers to pre-load the company's apps on phones using its Android operating system. Earlier this year, the EU Commissioner of Competition,?Margeth Vestagar,launched a probe in regards to the same matter. (jurist.org)
6、“自作自受”：律师将因提供避税建议而遭受处罚
8月17日，英国税务海关总署（HM Revenue & Customs）启动了一项谘询，来考虑对那些“设计、推销或推动使用英国税务海关总署所击败的避税安排”者进行处罚。这些提议将那些通过提供失败的税务筹划而大赚特赚的律师、会计师和财务顾问直接放在聚光灯下。在谘询文件中，牵连顾问，也被称为“中间人”，可能面临“促成者罚金”，最高可达到未付税款金额的100%。
“The chickens are coming home to roost”: Lawyers face fines for advising tax avoiders
Law firms and lawyers who “enable” the creation of tax avoidance schemes could face heavy fines under new proposals put forward by the Treasury.
The news comes as HM Revenue & Customs launched a consultation on Wednesday (17 August) to consider sanctions for those who “design, market or facilitate the use of tax avoidance arrangements which are defeated by HMRC”.
The proposals put the spotlight squarely on lawyers, accountants and financial advisers who rake in fees for advising on failed tax schemes.
Implicated advisers, also dubbed “middle men” in the consultation papers, could face an “enabler penalty” of up to 100 per cent of the underpaid tax. (The Lawyer)
7、互联网通信服务提供商将须遵守欧盟电子隐私规定。根据媒体报道，基于互联网的通信服务将须遵守一个修订的欧盟隐私和电子通信监管框架的规制。这类服务提供商包括WhatsApp和Skype等，而传统的电信公司已经受到这些规则的规制
‘Over-the-top' communication providers to fall subject to e-Privacy regulations
Internet-based communication services will be subject to a revised EU regulatory framework on privacy and electronic communications (e-Privacy), according to media reports.
Citing internal Commission documentation, the reports said the Commission plans to extend rules on the security and confidentiality of communications to so-called 'over-the-top' communication service providers, such as WhatsApp and Skype. Traditional telecoms companies are already subject to those rules. (out-law.com)
8、其礼和苏利文·克伦威尔在Arch Capital 34亿美元收购AIG抵押贷款担保部门交易中担任法律顾问
Arch Capital集团以34亿美元收购美国国际集团（AIG）的抵押贷款担保部门，这将产生全球最大的私人抵押保险公司。该交易中，英国其礼律师事务所、美国苏利文·克伦威尔律师事务所和美国Cahill Gordon & Reindel律师事务所担任法律顾问。其中，其礼和Cahill Gordon & Reindel担任Arch Capital的法律顾问，而苏利文·克伦威尔担任AIG的法律顾问。苏利文·克伦威尔曾在金融危机期间就美联储850亿美元紧急资助计划以及其后的300亿美元权益资本承担工具等担任AIG的法律顾问。
Dealwatch: Clyde & Co and SullCrom win roles on Arch Capital's ￡3.4bn bid for AIG unit
Clyde & Co,?Sullivan & Cromwell?and Cahill Gordon & Reindel?have won roles advising on Arch Capital Group's bid to acquire American International Group's (AIG) mortgage-guarantee unit for $3.4bn, in a deal which would create the largest private mortgage insurer in the world.
Insurer AIG struck a deal with Bermuda-based Arch Capital after the company revealed earlier this year it would spin off its mortgage insurance business which includes United Guaranty Corporation (UGC) and AIG United Guaranty Insurance (Asia) Limited. The deal is expected to close between late 2016 and early 2017.
Both Clyde & Co and Cahill Gordon & Reindel are advising Arch Capital while long-time adviser Sullivan & Cromwell is guiding AIG through the deal.
Sullivan & Cromwell acted for AIG during the financial crisis in connection with its $85bn emergency funding plan with the US Federal Reserve and subsequent $30bn equity capital commitment facility. (Legal Business)
9、人权团体誓言推翻禁止在戛纳海滩穿burkini泳衣的法令
一个法国人权协会和一些穆斯林组织称，他们将采取法律行动来起诉戛纳市长David Lisnard，因为该市长发布了禁止在此度假圣地的海滩穿着专为伊斯兰女性设计的burkini泳衣的法令。David Lisnard市长上个月签署了一份法令，禁止女性在蔚蓝海岸穿着这种全身游泳衣。从背景来看，在7月份造成85人死亡的Nice 恐怖袭击事件不久，该法案旋即出台。该法案明确称，穿着burkini的穆斯林女性可能对公共秩序构成威胁，并将被警告和罚款38欧元。
Human rights groups vow to challenge burkini ban on Cannes beaches
A French human rights association and Muslim groups have said they will take legal action against the mayor of Cannes for issuing a decree banning burkinis from the resort’s beaches.
David Lisnard?signed off on a ruling last month preventing women from wearing the full-body swimsuits in the C te d’Azur town. The decree was introduced shortly after the?Bastille day attack in Nice in July, where a delivery driver killed 85 people when he ploughed into crowds celebrating the French national holiday on the seafront.
The decree states that Muslim women wearing burkinis could be a threat to public order and will be cautioned and fined €38 (￡33). (The Guardian)
10、律所播放千篇一律的电话等候音将可能失去客户
声音品牌专家PHMG对法律行业的766家律所进行了调查，发现绝大部分律所在让客户电话等待时播放通用的音乐和声音，而这将冒着失去客户的风险。只有1%的律所采用与自身品牌一致的声音和音乐消息，而这被认为是处理电话的最好方式，这一比率低于全国平均的2%。
Legal firms risk losing custom by playing generic music on hold
Legal firms' call handling standards have come into question as the result of a major new study into telephone practice.
Audio branding specialist PHMG audited 766 firms in the legal trade and discovered the large majority risk losing custom by subjecting customers to generic music and audio while on hold.
The research found that 51 per cent of legal firms still leave customers listening to nothing but generic music, 25 per cent subject callers to beeps, 18 per cent leave them in silence and four per cent force them to listen to ringing.
Only one per cent employ brand-consistent voice and music messaging – viewed as the best practice approach to handling calls – which is less than the national average of two per cent. (Global Legal Post)
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