Morning Briefing: Lawyer’s widow charged with murder

Slater & Gordon revenue soars 40.6 per cent, profit up 5.6 per cent
The delayed accounts from publicly-listed Slater & Gordon were delivered to the Australian Stock Exchange on Friday and revealed a 40.6 per cent rise in revenues from ordinary activities to $623.35 million and profits up 5.6 per cent to $82.34 million. The company is continuing to co-operate with the ASIC over an accounting investigation but said that the error in overstated cash payments and receipts did not impact operating cash flows.
 
Scammed: In-house lawyers more likely to open phishing-emails
In-house legal teams are more likely to be victims of phishing email scams than most other departments within businesses. That’s the finding of a study by communication firm Verizon which surveyed firms across 60 countries for its Data Breach Investigations Report. Communications and customer service departments are also frequently caught out. The report acknowledges that the work of these departments mean that attachments are common and legal teams are targeted due to their handling of sensitive information. On a positive note, Verizon’s report shows that around 75 per cent of suspicious emails are ignored.
 
Lawyer’s widow charged with murder
The widow of a British lawyer has been charged with his murder. David Edwards was found at their home with fatal stab wounds just days after the couple returned from honeymoon. His wife Sharon Edwards, 42, appeared at Preston Magistrates Court but did not enter a plea. The Lancashire Evening Post reports that when the judge told Edwards that the case must be heard in the Crown Court she replied: “David’s not dead.”
 
Music copyright lawsuit may be out of tune
A lawsuit filed by the music copyright body PRS for Music has some interesting dynamics. The action, which is being taken against German-owned music sharing site Soundcloud, states that the copyright organisation has tired of negotiations with the site and that it must take action to protect the rights of its members. However Soundcloud disputes that negotiations have broken down and considers them to be active. Writing at forbes.com Hugh McIntyre highlights that many of the world’s largest record companies have agreements for payments for use of their music, however the publishers which represent musicians may not be receiving payments. The record companies though are often the owners of the publishing firms. It could lead to an interesting and protracted legal battle about exactly who owns what and who should compensate who!