Technology Media & Telecom

International Edition

Latham and Skadden use the force on Disney's $4bn Lucasfilm purchase

By Ben Wheway | October 31, 2012

Latham & Watkins and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom have taken starring roles on The Walt Disney Company's $4.05bn (£2.5bn) acquisition of Lucasfilm, one of the most high-profile M&A deals of the year. Lucasfilm, which is 100% owned by chairman and founder George Lucas, is the production company behind the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film franchises. The stock and cash deal will see Disney pay approximately half in cash and issue around 40 million shares.

1 minute read

Simon Cowell's production company gets talent with new head of legal

By Ben Wheway | October 18, 2012

Syco Entertainment, the joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music, has recruited a senior lawyer from All3Media to take up a new role as head of legal and business affairs at the company. Matthew Angel, who is controller of legal and business affairs at TV production and distribution company All3Media, will start at Syco next Monday (22 October).

1 minute read

International Edition

Simon Cowell's production company gets talent with new head of legal

By Ben Wheway | October 18, 2012

Syco Entertainment, the joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music, has recruited a senior lawyer from All3Media to take up a new role as head of legal and business affairs at the company. Matthew Angel, who is controller of legal and business affairs at TV production and distribution company All3Media, will start at Syco next Monday (22 October).

1 minute read

News Corp lawyers up as FCPA investigation feared

By Georgina Stanley | July 20, 2011

It may have taken News International and the Metropolitan Police far too long to take allegations of widespread phone-hacking by now-defunct Sunday tabloid the News of the World (NoW) seriously, but they are certainly making up for lost time now. With the ongoing saga seeing senior figures stand down on a daily basis, the story is moving so fast that articles are out of date almost as soon as they are published. But what doesn't look likely to change quickly are the huge potential legal ramifications facing Rupert Murdoch's empire, both here in the UK and in the US, with the company facing the real possibility of substantial civil litigation claims from victims and shareholders, as well as criminal proceedings.

1 minute read

International Edition

News Corp lawyers up as FCPA investigation feared

By Georgina Stanley | July 20, 2011

It may have taken News International and the Metropolitan Police far too long to take allegations of widespread phone-hacking by now-defunct Sunday tabloid the News of the World (NoW) seriously, but they are certainly making up for lost time now. With the ongoing saga seeing senior figures stand down on a daily basis, the story is moving so fast that articles are out of date almost as soon as they are published. But what doesn't look likely to change quickly are the huge potential legal ramifications facing Rupert Murdoch's empire, both here in the UK and in the US, with the company facing the real possibility of substantial civil litigation claims from victims and shareholders, as well as criminal proceedings.

1 minute read

Libel reform - too timid, too dangerous, too bad

By Georgina Stanley | March 22, 2011

Too much expectation can sometimes be a bad thing. Take libel reform. Given that campaigners have for years sought substantive changes to defamation laws, the emergence last week of a draft bill delivering reform should have been a good thing. Instead, the reforms have managed the neat track of leaving many practising lawyers grumbling that it merely codifies current case law (a debatable point) while supporters of the status quo have howled with indignation.

1 minute read

International Edition

Libel reform - too timid, too dangerous, too bad

By Georgina Stanley | March 22, 2011

Too much expectation can sometimes be a bad thing. Take libel reform. Given that campaigners have for years sought substantive changes to defamation laws, the emergence last week of a draft bill delivering reform should have been a good thing. Instead, the reforms have managed the neat track of leaving many practising lawyers grumbling that it merely codifies current case law (a debatable point) while supporters of the status quo have howled with indignation.

1 minute read

BT adds Camerons to panel after review of global advisers

By Legal Week | September 30, 2009

BT has unveiled its global legal panel, handing CMS Cameron McKenna a first-time appointment alongside regular advisers Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Bird & Bird. The three firms will primarily advise the telecommunications giant on corporate, commercial and antitrust/regulation work.

1 minute read

International Edition

BT adds Camerons to panel after review of global advisers

By Legal Week | September 30, 2009

BT has unveiled its global legal panel, handing CMS Cameron McKenna a first-time appointment alongside regular advisers Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Bird & Bird. The three firms will primarily advise the telecommunications giant on corporate, commercial and antitrust/regulation work.

1 minute read

International Edition

The right strategy

By Legal Week | July 2, 2009

When one newly-appointed finance director took up his new role, he reportedly said: “If a manufacturing business ran itself like we do, they would go bust in one day”. The statement reflects a call to arms from finance directors, human resources and clients alike for law firm IT departments to help them out as the recession hits.

1 minute read

Legaltech News

Innovations in Pro Bono Winner, Law Firm: Reed Smith

By Stephanie Wilkins | April 8, 2024

"Unlike any other program for refugees, we provide protection from the point of flight to the point of self-reliance," said Jayne Fleming, Pro Bono Counsel and Human Rights Team leader, Reed Smith.

3 minute read

Corporate Counsel

GC Who's Helped Guide Garmin for Quarter-Century Hands Role to Deputy

By Trudy Knockless | April 8, 2024

"Andrew Etkind has been at the forefront of the most consequential business and legal matters that shaped Garmin into the company it is today," Garmin CEO Cliff Pemble said.

2 minute read

Legaltech News

Innovations in Diversity and Inclusion Winner, Law Firm: Baker McKenzie

By Stephanie Wilkins | April 8, 2024

"Innovation is relevant to all of our clients—not just the most innovative or tech-savvy," said JeanMarie Campbell, Head of Client Development, North America CMO Baker, McKenzie.

6 minute read

Corporate Counsel

Meta CLO Blasts FTC Antitrust Suit, Says Agency Shouldn't 'Punish Companies for Innovating'

By Greg Andrews | April 8, 2024

The tech giant argues that the government is defining the social media market in a "contrived" way that ignores the reality that features offered by its apps are available across the internet.

4 minute read

National Law Journal

'It's Just Really Frustrating': Microsoft IP Contract Dispute Removed to Federal Court on Eve of Pretrial Conference

By Alex Anteau | April 5, 2024

"I think [Microsoft is] trying to avoid a trial and an adverse ruling on summary judgment," said Mark Walters of Lowe Graham Jones.

4 minute read

Legaltech News

Linklaters Turns to Accenture for Tech Advice

By Kasvi Sehgal | April 4, 2024

Linklaters is following in A&O and Shearman's footsteps; the firms retained McKinsey and KPMG last month for advice on their merger.

2 minute read

Legaltech News

Nervous System: A Night to Remember

By David Kalat, BRG | April 4, 2024

The seeds of what would become the FCC had been planted in the waning hours of April 14, 1912, when the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg. Senators were disquieted to learn just how closely modern telecommunications technology had come to averting the disaster—if only it had actually been used properly.

6 minute read

Legaltech News

Embracing a New Era of AI in Legal Discovery: Effective Communication and the Incremental Path to Adoption

By Dr. Gina Taranto, ProSearch | April 3, 2024

As we embrace a new generation of AI-powered tools and workflows, the leading practices discovery professionals have established for measuring quality and pairing the right tools with the job will be valuable to the broader legal community.

6 minute read

Legaltech News

Meta Transfers AI-Related Patents to Midjourney to Thwart Patent Trolls

By Maria Dinzeo | April 3, 2024

"Sharing these assets makes our ecosystem stronger by allowing other operating companies to acquire patents that they can use to protect their innovation," said Jeremiah Chan, Meta's head of patents, licensing and open source.

5 minute read

The Recorder

Meta Transfers AI-Related Patents to Midjourney to Thwart Patent Trolls

By Maria Dinzeo | April 3, 2024

"Sharing these assets makes our ecosystem stronger by allowing other operating companies to acquire patents that they can use to protect their innovation," said Jeremiah Chan, Meta's head of patents, licensing and open source.

5 minute read