• North America
  • July 4, 2009
Obama Reportedly Eyeing Indefinite Detention Order for Some Held at Guantanamo

The Associated Press

Stymied by Congress so far, the White House is considering issuing an executive order to indefinitely imprison a small number of Guantanamo Bay detainees considered too dangerous to prosecute or release, two administration officials said Friday. One of the officials said, if issued, the order would not take effect until after the Oct. 1 start of the 2010 fiscal year. Congress has blocked the administration from spending any money this year to imprison the detainees in the United States.

Iran / United States

Iranian-American Lawyers Call for Independent Investigation of Election

The National Law Journal

One day after President Obama declared that the United States and other countries were "appalled and outraged" by the recent government crackdown in Iran, the Iranian American Lawyers Association called for the creation of an independent commission to investigate human rights violations in the aftermath of the June 12 election. California lawyer P. Patrick Ashouri, a member of the association's board of directors, warns that hundreds of protesters and journalists could face execution under Iranian law.

Canada / China

Vinson, Three Canadian Firms Advise on $7.2 Billion Oil Deal

The American Lawyer

Vinson & Elkins and the Canadian firm Stikeman Elliott advised the state-owned Chinese oil company Sinopec Group in its $7.2 billion acquisition of Addax Petroleum Corp., a Switzerland-based oil and gas exploration company that is listed on exchanges in London and Toronto. It's a landmark deal -- and one fraught with complexities -- according to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal. It is the largest-ever overseas acquisition by a Chinese company.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Ghana / Togo / United States

Circuit Grants New Hearing for Asylum Seeker Who Was Tortured but Kept Togo Government Job

New York Law Journal

A federal appeals court has vacated a Board of Immigration Appeals ruling that a Togolese citizen had the burden of proving he feared future persecution because he retained his government job, despite having allegedly endured daily beatings and near-starvation in prison. Biyalo Watara Baba, a member of the Togolese Union for Democracy, fled to the United States in 2004. He filed an asylum request, claiming he had been persecuted for his affiliation with the opposition political party.

Canada / United States

Cleary, Skadden Advise on Nortel Asset Sale to Nokia

The American Lawyer

Nortel, the bankrupt Canadian phone-equipment maker that once had a market valuation of $250 billion, agreed Monday to sell its most lucrative asset to Nokia Siemens for $650 million by the third quarter of this year. Nortel, once Canada's largest company by market value, is selling off its wireless assets in an attempt to make a dent in the $3.6 billion in bonds it owes creditors, a debt that forced the Ottawa-based company to file for bankruptcy in January.

Azerbaijan / United States

Foreign Bribery Trial Draws Ex-Senator As Defense Witness

New York Law Journal

Former Democratic Senate majority leader George Mitchell testified as a defense witness Friday in the trial of a man accused of conspiring to bribe government leaders in Azerbaijan to obtain control of the state oil company. Mitchell, who left DLA Piper this year to become the U.S. special envoy for Middle East peace, was called by Frederic Bourke, who is on trial in Manhattan federal court for conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Advertisement

In Focus: A Litigation Web Conference Series

Please join us for "Stock Drop Litigation: Recent Developments and Emerging Trends". This Web event is being hosted by Mayer Brown LLP and Incisive Media as part of our "In Focus: A Corporate Litigation Web Series," a complimentary series examining litigation issues facing in-house counsel and business executives. Register now.

lawjobs.com

TOP JOBS

Close [ X ]