1MDB: Ex-Goldman Sachs banker found guilty for role in world’s biggest financial scandal April 10, 2022 Former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng faces up to 30 years in prison after being found guilty on two separate counts of bribery and money laundering for his role in the multi-billion-dollar 1MBD scandal. A New York jury convicted Ng on two separate charges of conspiracy, after finding the banker guilty of taking part in [...]
London law firm opens new office in Cayman Islands as firm believes tax haven is central to ‘new economy’ April 9, 2022 London law firm Chancery Advisors has opened a new office in the Cayman Islands, describing the location as “critical to the new economy.” The City of London law firm said that opening new offices in what has historically been known as a tax haven will help it facilitate offshore hedge funds and activist investors in [...]
Hogan Lovells hikes NQ pay to match London’s Magic Circle April 7, 2022 Anglo-American law firm Hogan Lovells has put itself on par with the Magic Circle in hiking salaries paid out to its newly-qualified lawyers to £107,500 a year. The law firm is set to give its freshly trained lawyers a 7.5 per cent pay boost after upping their salaries from £100,000. The pay hike puts Hogan [...]
High Court judge says it would be unfair to force Ukrainian billionaires to fight $4.2bn fraud trial April 7, 2022 A High Court Judge has halted a $4.2bn fraud trial after claiming it would be unfair to force two of Ukraine’s richest men to fight the court battle due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The High Court Judge adjourned the court battle between Ukraine’s biggest bank, Privatbank, and Ukrainian billionaires Gennadiy Bogolyubov and Ihor Kolomoisky, [...]
Lawyers cast doubt over claims Sunak’s wife’s ‘non-dom’ status has nothing to do with tax benefits April 7, 2022 Tax lawyers have cast doubts over claims that Rishi Sunak’s wife is not using her “non-dom” status for tax benefits. Lawyers countered claims that billionaire heiress Akshata Murthy’s non-domicile status is linked to her Indian nationality, after pointing out domicile has “nothing to do with citizenship” under UK law. The tax experts noted that Murthy’s [...]
Venture capitalist Julie Meyer to appeal six-month suspended sentence for Contempt of Court April 6, 2022 Venture capitalist Julie Meyer MBE is appealing the High Court’s decision to hand her a six-month suspended sentence, after she was held in Contempt of Court following a £197,000 dispute with London law firm Farrer & Co. The appeal comes after the High Court issued a warrant for the businesswoman’s arrest, after she refused to hand over [...]
London judge slams New York law firm Cleary Gottlieb for charging more than £1,100 an hour April 6, 2022 A London judge has slammed US law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton for charging its clients more than £1,100 an hour. In a short ruling today, Court of Appeals judge Lord Justice Males spoke out against the white shoe law firm, after it charged Korean electronics company LG as much as $1,475.75 (£1,131.75) an [...]
Russian oligarch is continuing to use law firm’s address without permission, company says April 6, 2022 Scottish corporate law firm Burness Paull has claimed a Russian oligarch is continuing to use its address, without its permission. The claims come after it emerged that Alexey Krapivin – who is accused of using a network of shell companies to channel billions of dollars out of Russia’s state-owned railway operator – is in control [...]
Clifford Chance paid working class staff 44.1 per cent less than employees from professional families April 6, 2022 Employees at Magic Circle law firm Clifford Chance, whose parents work as plumbers, electricians, or train drivers, took home significantly less pay in 2021 than staff whose parents work as teachers, accountants or solicitors. Clifford Chance employees from working class families earned 44.1 per cent less last year than staff at the law firm from [...]
Government’s online divorce portal could crash as ‘no fault’ divorce laws come into play April 6, 2022 Landmark reforms allowing for “no fault divorce” could lead surge in the number divorce filings that could crash the government’s new online divorce portal, lawyers have warned. The introduction of new laws, allowing married couples to divorce amicably without blaming either partner, could see a jump in the number of divorces due to a release [...]