Clifford Chance to lose legacy Perth partner
Michael Lishman is to leave Clifford Chance in Perth to join Gresham Partners as managing director and head of Western Australia. Lishman was a legacy partner of Lishman Carson Luscombe which became part of Cliffords in 2011. He was previously with Mallesons Stephens Jacques, now King & Wood Mallesons.
Top law firms put quality ahead of speed
A report by academics says that the top 5 plaintiffs’ law firms produce better results for shareholders in class-action lawsuits. The research from the Vanderbilt Law School found that action challenging the terms of M&A had better results when it was conducted by one of the larger, high-profile firms than by lesser-known ones; the conclusion allows for the larger firms having greater ability to choose cases that they are confident of winning. The main reason for the difference, the academics believe, is that smaller firms seek to bring actions to a faster conclusion while the bigger firms may pursue more vigorous litigation. The research is being prepared for peer review.
Saudi scheme offers legal training in return for pro-bono
A new scheme has been announced in Saudi Arabia which will train 1,000 new lawyers who will then each give 1,000 hours of pro-bono advice to low income people. The plan is for the Saudi Law Training Center to provide training in family and employment law; which accounts for 60 per cent of the Kingdom’s litigation. In return the newly trained lawyers will volunteer for 1,000 hours to help those in need. There is an incentive for law firms to hire the newly trained lawyers by way of monthly contributions towards that lawyer’s salary.
Malaysian lawyers march to end colonial law of sedition
Lawyers in Malaysia have been protesting to the country’s parliament, urging them to repeal a 70-year-old law that was introduced under British rule. The Sedition Act was introduced to curb dissent in the days of colonial rule and the current government had promised to scrap it when they came to power; two years later it still stands. Not only is it still law, but it is still being used in what critics, including the Malaysian Bar Association, say is a barrier to free speech. The government says it will repeal the law when a new act to replace it is ready but there are concerns that the promise may be ignored.
Lawyers act for man in ‘pink underwear’ humiliation
A lawsuit filed in Delaware claims that a man suffered “severe emotional stress” following a workplace prank. The man, who was an employee at a medical center, underwent a colonoscopy examination and claims that when he came round from the anaesthetic he was wearing a pair of pink women’s underwear that “was not there beforehand”. The man subsequently left his job due to the ongoing humiliation. The lawsuit was filed by Gary Nitsche of law firm Weik, Nitsche, Dougherty & Galbraith.
