News

Date : 07-11-2006

Global online dispute resolution resource launched by Baker

Global law firm Baker & McKenzie has launched an online global dispute resolution information service. This service is without charge, and can be accessed by anybody through the Baker & McKenzie website. Included in this site, is information on the legal systems in more than 40 countries.

The data includes the structure and authority of different courts; organization and practice requirements of the legal profession; essentials of litigation from commencement of proceedings to allocation of costs through appeals; enforcement of judgments, including recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments; arbitration law; and options for alternative dispute resolution.

Law firms look Far East

Nowadays law firms in the Far East are creating headlines. A number of law firms are entering the Chinese market in a big way. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Kirkland & Ellis and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe are also planning to move into China.

Moreover the U.S. is exerting its influence on the Japanese litigation market, as Japan continues to retain its status of being Asia's most sophisticated and largest financial market. On the contrary, Allen & Overy is reviewing the operations of its Tokyo office, while Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton was recently compelled to shut down its underperforming Tokyo arm in April this year.

Law firms opting for multifold spam protection

Latest studies have shown that small and medium-sized firms are now more susceptible to spam, viruses and other forms of cyber nuisances than ever before, and are gearing-up to do away with such distractions. A study by AMI-Partners Inc., a New York-based market data firm, shows that SMB's have spent close to $9.3 billon on security products in 2005.

Cleveland-based Reminger & Reminger Co. a mid sized law firm, has recently moved to a three layer virus protection system. Having a staff strength of 350, the tort and litigation firm has engaged Tokyo-based Trend Micro Inc. for a hosted email protection service. The firm used to receive 87% emails as spam, and after using the new solution, they are able to block 98% of the junk mail.

San Diego lawyers launch new enterprise

Pettit Kohn Ingrassia & Lutz PC is the novel law firm launched by San Diego attorneys-Doug Pettit, Andrew Kohn, Tom Ingrassia, and Jennifer Lutz. Prior to their new venture, all the four attorneys were shareholders at Klinedinst PC, in which Kohn was Chief Operating Officer; Ingrassia was Chief Financial Officer; Pettit was co-chair of the professional liability practice group; and Lutz along with Ingrassia was co-chair of the labor and employment practice group.

Opening offices in San Diego and Los Angeles, Pettit Kohn Ingrassia & Lutz PC will be mostly advising clients on business litigation, with a focus on professional liability, employment and personal injury.

Is outsourcing the new success mantra for law firms?

Following the mortgage industries successful stint at outsourcing, legal services seem all set to follow suit. Rising prices of real estate and client costs are forcing law firms to think eastward. While Seattle-based Perkins Coie LLP has recently formed a task force to study the offshore alternative, Lane Powell PC has sent an executive at a conference held at New Delhi to collect information on the subject. Law firms throughout the U.S. are working at this attractive option, and India seems to be the top preference.

According to a 2004 study by Forrester Research, a Cambridge-based market research firm, approximately 40,000 legal jobs may be outsourced by the year 2010.


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