Latest legal news

When he took the reins from Silvio Berlusconi as Italy's prime minister, Mario Monti was hailed as the technocrat wizard who would achieve what no elected politician has managed for decades - to get a grip on the country's finances. | 14yrs

Portugal's domestic economy has hardly been providing the country's leading business law firms with much cheer over the past few years, but a recent surge in the privatisation of state-owned assets has at least partially lifted the gloom. | 14yrs

Governments have had global financial services in their cross-hairs ever since Lehman Brothers collapsed so spectacularly nearly four years ago. Jonathan Ames talks to a lawyer who is cutting through the red tape | 14yrs

The recent gunning down of financier German Gorbuntsov in London's gentrified Isle of Dogs has been a stark reminder that business life in his native Russia can often be brutal and harsh. | 14yrs

As the financial heart of Europe, the City of London needs a strong fraud prosecutor now more than ever. But, asks David McCluskey, to what extent is the 25-year-old Serious Fraud Office still capable of doing the job? | 14yrs

A lack of specialist commercial judges continues to hamstring Dubai's courts especially in the crucial field of commercial property, a leading lawyer based in the emirate has warned. | 14yrs

The biggest global association of lawyers has opened a branch office in South Korea, in further sign of the increasing importance of East-Asia to the international legal market. | 14yrs

Last year there was milk and honey for associates at nearly half the top-100 US law firms -- 12 months on and the well has run dry. | 14yrs

Our round-up of recent senior moves and appointments around the globe. | 14yrs

Law firms have so far led the debate on law firm change. But with a bit of innovative thinking and some private equity, in-house legal departments could be a game-changer, argues corporate veteran Andrew Vellani | 14yrs

Bahrain investment vehicle Arcapita has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US after failing to reach a $1.1 billion deal with creditors. | 14yrs

Authorities in Brazil have prevented 17 officials from California-based energy company Chevron - including the head of operations in the South American country, George Buck -- from leaving the country. | 14yrs

Two billionaire brothers who own the Ritz Hotel and The Telegraph newspapers in London face a High Court claim this week alleging they used underhand means to obtain ownership of three luxury hotels. | 14yrs

The organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games plan to hold a summit with leading UK gambling agencies later this week to thwart the prospect of an illegal betting scandal overshadowing this summer's event. | 14yrs

The University of St Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis saw an encouraging rise this year in the US News and World Report ranking of law schools -- but celebrations won't have lasted long as the increase is likely to be the result of an error. | 14yrs

Atlanta attorney Andrew Speaker has seen his lawsuit alleging violation of privacy against the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention thrown out of court for the second time. | 14yrs

Our round-up of the major -- and esoteric -- transactions and other deals from around the globe. | 14yrs

US Southern District Judge Jed Rakoff has been accused of overstepping the mark when he refused to approve a $285 million settlement between Citibank Global Markets and the Securities and Exchange Commission. | 14yrs

The lure of vast amounts of Asian business is encouraging international law firms to sniff around Australia with more keenness than ever before. Peter Bartlett assesses their chance of success | 14yrs