Four enter race to head Baker & McKenzie
The race to become the global chair at Baker & McKenzie is underway with four partners putting themselves forward for election. They are Paul Rawlinson, London managing partner; Eric Lasry, the former Paris managing partner; Gary Senior, chair of the firm’s EMEA region; and Claudia Prado, chair of the Latin America region.
Eduardo Leite is due to step down as global chair following six years in the role, having been given a two-year extension in 2014. The winner of the election will not continue in their current role.
‘Panama Papers’ law firm offices raided
Authorities in Panama have raided the offices of the law firm at the centre of the massive leak of documents exposing financial details of thousands of wealthy individuals and businesses. Mossack Fonseca’s premises were entered by Panama national police late Tuesday. They were looking for any evidence of illegal activities.
The firm says that it was the victim of a hack and denies any wrongdoing. Panama authorities say that they were able to carry out their search of the Mossack Fonseca offices “without incidence or interference.”
Insurance practice boosted at NRF in Sydney
Norton Rose Fulbright has hired experienced insurance lawyer Samantha Kelly as a partner in its Sydney office. She was a senior insurance partner at
DLA Piper and predecessor firm DLA Phillips Fox and her appointment follows that of former
DLA Piper colleague, partner Jacques Jacobs last month.
Kelly’s experience is in the defence of general liability and casualty claims, product liability, environmental liability and defamation. She has acted for top Australian and international insurers and companies, including in class action disputes; general civil litigation; and royal commissions, coronial inquests and other bodies of inquiry.
Promotion for Beijing IP lawyer
Shelley Zhang has been promoted to partner in the Beijing office of Orrick. She has played a key role in the firm’s intellectual property practice group, focusing her practice on IP prosecution and enforcement.
“Happy Birthday” lawyers plan to ‘overcome’ with new lawsuit
The lawyers who successfully proved that “Happy Birthday” was in the public domain and therefore not subject to copyright, have filed a new lawsuit over another popular song.
The unofficial anthem of the civil rights movement “We Shall Overcome” was placed under copyright by Ludlow Music and The Richmond Organization in the 1960’s but the group of lawyers calling themselves the We Shall Overcome Foundation says that the song is from the late 19
th or early 20
th century and was in the public domain long before the copyright claim.
