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ASIA
Indian Bar to Visit U.K. for Reform Talks
Legal Week
The Bar Council of India is set to visit the U.K. later this month, as the longstanding talks about opening up the country's legal market to foreign law firms continue. The news comes as it emerges that a crucial court case, scheduled to take place at the end of last month, has been pushed back until the summer. The case, now due to be heard in July, was initially brought against Ashurst, White & Case and Chadbourne & Parke in 1995, when the firms set up liaison offices in India.
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How AAA Defends Its Brand Online  For over 100 years the AAA brand has represented customers' trust in its services and people. As with many other highly-regarded brands, the AAA brand has been under attack online. Cyber-criminals leverage the popular brand to divert traffic to unaffiliated websites, or claim false association with AAA to improve their own credibility. AAA is fighting back. Learn how with this complimentary webinar.
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EUROPE
Salans Exchanges its Dollars for Euros
Legal Week
Salans has overhauled its reporting regime, moving to conduct its billing and accounting in euros rather than dollars. The change has been rolled out across the firm with equity partners now set to be paid in euros instead of dollars. Lawyers and staff will continue to be paid in the local currency. The decision follows an extended slide in the value of the dollar compared with sterling and the euro in recent years.
EUROPE
Clifford Chance Matches U.K. Rivals With 4 Percent Associate Pay Hike
Legal Week
Clifford Chance has announced pay raises of just over 4 percent for its junior lawyers, bringing the U.K. giant broadly into line with Magic Circle rivals Linklaters and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Pay for newly qualified lawyers at the firm is increasing from 63,500 pounds ($124,100) to a new figure of 66,600 pounds ($130,200) -- equal to what Linklaters pays its new associates and just above the 66,000 pounds ($129,000) offered at Freshfields.
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Time Is Money. Save Both.  With Cisco networked applications, your firm will be able to build better relationships with clients, improve collaboration and enhance your ability to maximize billable hours. Find out how your staff can communicate more easily with web, voice, and video conferencing capabilities; and can access the information they need more easily in the office, from a client's office, or in court.
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EUROPE
U.S., U.K. and Germany Top IP Protection Survey
The National Law Journal
European law firm Taylor Wessing ranked 22 countries and economies on their intellectual property protection and enforcement records, with the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany garnering the highest scores. The firm's inaugural Global Intellectual Property Index used a statistical analysis to rank jurisdictions in terms of patent, trademarks and copyright protections. The online survey tallied assessments of 9,333 patent jurisdictions from 341 CEOs, lawyers and in-house counsel.
EUROPE
Watson Farley Widens Italy Reach With Milan Debut
Legal Week
Watson Farley & Williams has opened a new office in Milan, the top 50 U.K. firm announced Tuesday. The new branch becomes Watson Farley's second office in the jurisdiction alongside an outpost in Rome, and will focus initially on clients in the energy, shipping, transport and telecommunications sectors. The Milan operation will be overseen by current Rome chief Eugenio Tranchino -- who joined the firm in 2002 from leading Italian independent firm Carnelutti -- and will be staffed by four associates.
ASIA
Clifford Chance Snaps Up Norton Rose Singapore Partner
Legal Week
Clifford Chance has bolstered its Asian finance team with the addition of partner Simon Briscoe from U.K. rival Norton Rose. Briscoe will join Clifford Chance's Singapore asset finance team as a partner in the autumn and will head up the Magic Circle firm's Asian aviation practice. He joined Norton Rose in 1995 and became a partner with the top 10 City outfit in 1997. Last month Clifford Chance announced a new India practice group based in its Singapore arm, which will focus on its capital markets group.
ASIA
Countries Get Assist Setting Up Jury Systems
The National Law Journal
Many of the lawyers Arizona attorney Robert Precht has been working with lately are veterans, with one exception: They don't know anything about juries. The reason: they're based in Japan, which will start its version of a jury-based system in May 2009. Georgia, the former Soviet satellite, is also soon implementing a jury system, while Russia is taking a new look at its system. American lawyers, judges, legal scholars -- and even jurors ? have been traveling to those countries to share their experience.
ASIA
Pakistan Parliament to Consider Restoring Sacked Judges May 12
The Associated Press
Pakistan's leaders have set May 12 as the date to restore judges ousted by President Pervez Musharraf, further threatening Musharraf's already diminished grip on power. Restoring the judges has been a top priority for the two main parties in Pakistan's month-old government, but disputes over how to bring the judges back had threatened to break up the ruling coalition. After marathon talks in Dubai this week, coalition officials finally came to a deal.
NORTH AMERICA
Al-Jazeera Cameraman Freed After Six Years in Guantanamo, Repatriated to Sudan
The Associated Press
The Al-Jazeera cameraman released from U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay who returned home to Sudan Friday after six years of imprisonment will be free to resume his work, and his movements will not be restricted in any way, a Sudanese presidential adviser said. The official said Khartoum would do everything it can to help the released detainees reclaim their dignity. Sami Al-Hajj, whose detention drew worldwide condemnation, arrived in Khartoum with two other Sudanese prisoners released from Guantanamo.
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