Every lawyer should study international law
The world is interconnected like never before; more companies (and law firms) are operating globally and exploring new markets. A law student from the UK argues in an article for
The Guardian that every lawyer should study, or at least be aware, of international law. Yasmin Ahmed writes that the rise of Islamic State and the threat of terrorism have made it more important for lawyers to know about different legal systems and the effects that they have on national and international policies. Robert Volterra, partner and principal of international law firm Volterra Fietta agrees because a law in one country is likely to affect others: “There are treaties regulating almost every human activity, including child custody, the content of breakfast cereals, and what compensation travellers receive if an airline loses luggage.” The article highlights that many of the growing areas of law create opportunities for those with an international focus.
PayPal could face US lawsuit
The global payments service PayPal may face a lawsuit from the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over some of its lending practices. Bloomberg reports that Paypal’s parent company Ebay disclosed late last week that authorities began requesting data relating to some of its credit products in August 2013. The likelihood is that will be legal action brought against it in the coming months with the possibility of it having to change its business practices and/or pay fines, penalties and legal fees to consumers.
Filmmaker says Scientology lawyers can’t argue with facts
A TV documentary made for America’s HBO was released two weeks ago and has not attracted the attention of its subject’s lawyers so far. The programme
Going Clear is about the Church of Scientology which is well known for being litigious but the channel and the documentary’s maker says they are confident that there would be no case to answer. Filmmaker Alex Gibney told CNN: “We were very rigorous in terms of how we checked our story, how we had it scrutinised extensively by lawyers - not only my own lawyers but by HBO's lawyers.” HBO’s CEO Richard Plepler added: "Everybody's entitled to their own opinion, but they're not entitled to their own facts.” The channel’s head of documentaries has previously purposely-exaggerated that the programme had “160 lawyers involved".
