Latest legal news

Liquidations in South Africa have dropped by more than 10 per cent for the first eight months of 2012 compared to the year before, following the recent introduction of updated business rescue laws. | 14yrs

English barristers are to be allowed to handle client funds for the first time, following a landmark policy change by the profession's representative body. | 14yrs

Anglo-US law firm Hogan Lovells is closing its doors in Abu Dhabi and transferring work to its Dubai office by the end of this year. | 14yrs

A lawyer imprisoned for 18 months after being detained in a 'clean up' in the Chinese city of Chongqing has lashed out at the 'prejudice and inequality' he claims are rife in the country. | 14yrs

Union officials representing US football players are considering legal action over health and safety on the pitch following a the end of strike action that saw inexperienced officials controversially take control of NFL matches. | 14yrs

Recently merged law firms Herbert Smith and Freehills have deflected gossip suggesting they are gearing up for a move towards a single chief executive model. | 14yrs

Capital markets regulators in Saudi Arabia have fired a warning shot at institutions undertaking securities business in the country despite not being authorised or exempt. | 14yrs

Addleshaw Goddard is set to challenge magic circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer over a £5 million bill for the defence of Russian mining tycoon Vasily Anisimov, stemming from the dispute between oligarchs Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich. | 14yrs

Four of the global legal sector's key players are set to receive licences to launch in South Korea today, as the country continues to open its markets to international firms. | 14yrs

A former client has accused Anglo-US law firm SNR Denton of a serious filing slip up, potentially making the firm liable for a $7 million mortgage-backed securities deal that turned sour. | 14yrs

Almost all law students who spent their summers working at major US firms were rewarded with offers of full-time employment, recent research has found. | 14yrs

Newly-qualified lawyers in Canada are being encouraged to beef up their aboriginal law knowledge following a dictat from legal profession regulators. | 14yrs

Federal regulators have given in-house lawyers at Illinois-based Discover Financial Services 60 days to overhaul the company's compliance regime following a finding that it used deceptive telemarketing and sales practices. | 14yrs

The vast majority of Australian law firms employ head-hunters as the primary method for senior level recruitment, a survey revealed today. | 14yrs

London 2012 in-house team members on the market for next gig | 14yrs

A US county school system is to ditch all of its in-house legal counsel positions in favour of external advice, in a move that could set a trend across the country. | 14yrs

Yahoo, Vodafone and Lloyds are among a string of big businesses set to offer work experience in their legal departments under a social mobility scheme. | 14yrs

US state-owned mortgage provider Fannie Mae bags a new top lawyer, as does Spanish banking giant Santander and UK property developer Capco. Also, there's a new lawyer playing games at King.com | 14yrs

Small English law firms are struggling more than ever to meet the rising cost of professional indemnity insurance, according to a leading market funder in the run up to the deadline for cover to be in place. | 14yrs