Expansion for HSF with new office opening
International law firm Herbert Smith Freehills is expanding its reach with a new office in Germany. The Dusseldorf office will open early in 2016. In readiness for the expansion HSF has hired arbitration and disputes partner Thomas Weimann, who will work from the Frankfurt office until the new one opens. He will then be joined by a team from the competition, regulation and trade practice headed by partner Michael Dietrich.
Asia-Pac candidate misses out on managing partner role
Marc Harvey, the managing partner of Linklater’s Asia region has missed out on heading the global team. Head of banking Michael Moore has been named as the successor to Simon Davies, who is leaving early to join Lloyds Bank. Harvey, along with Michael Bennett, who heads the firm’s dispute resolution team, were the other front-runners with Moore when three other partners were ruled out of the job. Moore’s appointment will be confirmed by a partners’ conference vote later in the month.
Senior management team take over at DAC Beachcroft
Virginia Clegg and David Pollitt have officially begun their new roles as senior partner and managing partner at international law firm DAC Beachcroft. Clegg was previously a regional senior partner for the firm and succeeds Simon Hodson. Pollitt was sector head for the insurance practice and also chair of DAC Beachcroft Claims Solutions Group; he succeeds Paul Murray. The new team will hold their roles for a 5 year term.
Taylor Swift hit with $42 million copyright lawsuit
Singer Taylor Swift has been accused of copyright infringement over her smash hit “Shake It Off”. An unemployed musician, Jesse Braham, claims that the international star copied the lyrics to his composition “Haters Gonna Hate” seeking U$42 million in damages. CNN reports that Braham is not using a lawyer and has asked for court to waive certain fees as he has been jobless for almost 10 years. He claims that a 22 word part of Swift’s song including the lines "Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play. And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate" were lifted from his song. Micheal Einhorn, an expert witness in media copyright cases says he believes that Swift’s lawyers will have strong defence against the suit including the Fair Use doctrine.
