Latest legal news

British energy company BP is ready itself for showdown with US authorities as it prepares to argue that civil penalties for the Gulf of Mexico disaster should be less than a quarter of the $20 billion that analysts have suggested. | 13yrs

Depression at law firms is growing and mental health programmes are not adequately addressing the problems, an Australian charity said today. | 13yrs

London law firm Linklaters has been joined by three US heavyweights in gaining Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) licences in Singapore. | 13yrs

European watchdogs are preparing to take action against US internet giant Google over its 'high risk' privacy policy, French privacy regulator CNIL yesterday claimed. | 13yrs

A weekly round-up of who's moving up, down or out in global legal practice | 13yrs

The regulatory body of lawyers in England and Wales has today moved to quash claims that it has 'serious concerns' over the financial well-being of some 2,000 law firms. | 13yrs

Hong Kong-headquartered law firm King & Wood Mallesons has handed corporate partner Stephen Minns the reins of its Australian network as he replaces Tim Bednall as chairman Down Under. | 13yrs

British businesses will be able to make a one-off payment to register innovations Europe-wide under new rules to be agreed this week, potentially cutting thousands from the costly process of applying for patents in each individual country. | 13yrs

Lawyers are set to boycott courts in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu tomorrow - including the Madras High Court - to mark the fourth anniversary of police 'excesses' on lawyers inside the court campus. | 13yrs

Britain's leading companies have set aside £22.1 billion to cover regulatory and legal costs last year representing a 22 per cent increase from the previous year, research has revealed today. | 13yrs

US law firms have reeled in entry-level hiring for the fourth consecutive year as the increasingly competitive market continues to shrink the opportunities available to law graduates. | 13yrs

An overwhelming majority of law firm partners believe more major firms will go bust over the next two years, research today revealed, sounding a further warning to the profession after last year's dramatic downfall of New York firm Dewey & LeBoeuf. | 13yrs

Motorists would save an average of £60 per year if lawyers were by-passed in the small-claims process, a leading UK insurer yesterday claimed, sparking cries of outrage from the legal profession. | 13yrs

A major reshuffle in DLA Piper's international management is not a precursor to a restructuring, or the shrinking of the firm's operations in Australia, a leading figure at the Anglo-US firm said today. | 13yrs

French law firm Fromont Briens has flown out of the blocks since the turn of the New Year, launching a landmark training department and adding four new partners to its ranks. | 13yrs

A civil rights and employment lawyer has handed back his Eagle Scout badge in protest against the Boy Scouts of America and its ongoing ban on gay members, staff and volunteers. | 13yrs

Personal injury lawyers have said they will appeal against a ruling by Pretoria's High Court which will prohibit lawyers from taking more than 25 per cent of a payout when acting on a contingency basis. | 13yrs

Global law firm Pinsent Masons has become the latest firm to jump into the rapidly-expanding Turkish market with the launch of an office in Istanbul. | 13yrs

Brazil's patent enforcer has dealt a blow to US technology company Apple by ruling that the iPhone name in the country belongs to a local company, according to reports yesterday. | 13yrs