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December 20, 2008
Saturday's Charon QC
London's Charon QC is doing wonderful things these days. He's versatile, in a Renaissance Man way, and with the promise of fine quirk: a lawyer-pundit-radio host who can think, opine, write and talk, deftly moving in and out of all manner of issues with considerable elan, even when half in the bag. If he were a Yank, he's be a university president, the Congressman from Nantucket, or the host of a Brit version of "The Dick Cavett Show". Read his meanderings through the streets of 2000-year-old London. Listen to his many well-done podcasts, in which WAC? has twice been a guest, once in London, and once by phone in America.
Posted by JD Hull at 11:29 PM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2008
Al Franken: Good enough, smart enough, and lawyered-up.
Today's Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Franken Posts Lead Over Coleman". Last night, two votes ahead. Today, 250.
The intense scrutiny of "voter intent" resumed today by the five-member board charged with directing Minnesota's recount in the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Norm Coleman and Democratic rival Al Franken, and the day's rulings turned the challenger's slight deficit into a triple-digit lead.
Stuart Saves Minnesota?
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
The Complete Lawyer: Going Global.
If you haven't already, see the latest edition (Vol. 4, No. 6) of Atlanta-based The Complete Lawyer. Non-U.S. and U.S. authors in the November-December issue write about lawyering for business clients in Mexico, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Greater China.
Posted by JD Hull at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
December 18, 2008
Yours in the struggle, dudes.
Usually, and as important as they are, observances like Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week, 2008 make me feel like: (a) I died and went to Hallmark, (b) I should give up everything and join Che and his guys in the hills, waiting for the right time to eradicate bourgeois fascist death forms (at least Indianapolis), or (c) I should at least learn to play the lute. But Blawg Review's hosts this week, The Legal Satyricon, did it all such justice at Blawg Review 190: Bill of Rights Day that I am feeling guilty about voting for John McCain last month. I am also thinking about giving up acting for corporate Europe and America, and representing the oppressed, and real street crime defendants under the CJA program, and helping poor people, maybe. This is a very fine Blawg Review performance, and WAC? will check in with this blog a lot in the future. Moxie everywhere, humor, and these folks can write. They get the Constitution and its first ten amendments--the most important Thing Western In Ink. And, like me, they think it's important. Bravo.
Read revolutionary Blawg Review 190.
Posted by JD Hull at 11:59 PM | Comments (1)
Say it ain't so, Europe.
It's ironic, perhaps, but Europe may also "lag behind" America in bribery prosecutions. In yesterday's The Economist, read "The Siemens Scandal: Bavarian Baksheesh":
When Siemens, Europe’s biggest engineering firm, adopted the slogan “be inspired” in the mid-1990s, bribery was not what it had in mind. But no one can accuse its managers of lacking inspiration when it came to devising novel ways to funnel huge sums in backhanders to corrupt officials and politicians across the globe.
On Monday December 15th Siemens pleaded guilty to charges of bribery and corruption and agreed to pay fines of $800m in America and €395m ($555m) in Germany, in addition to an earlier fine of €201m.
There is something almost touching about the candour and trust with which Siemens went about a very dirty business. Take the three “cash desks” it set up in its offices, to which employees could bring empty suitcases to be filled with cash. As much as a €1m ($1.4m) could be withdrawn at a time to win contracts for its telecoms-equipment division, according to America’s Department of Justice. [more]
Europe could learn a thing or two about law enforcement from America. Above: Citizen Thompson on duty.
Photo: Anita Bejmuk
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 05:19 PM | Comments (0)
Madoff scandal: Madoff-Jack Warden link?
Former American fund manager and NASDAQ chairman Bernard Madoff, and the late actor Jack Warden. Hey, are these two New Yorkers brothers? Should someone call Oliver Stone?
Madoff (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)
Warden, with attorney-writer Scott Greenfield (seated) of Simple Justice. (Warner Bros.)
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 05:11 PM | Comments (1)
December 17, 2008
What's my share of the interest per day on just $350 billion?
"Dude, where's my $700 billion?" by Mike Madden in Salon.
Let's see. There's $15 billion to Bank of America, $45 billion to Citigroup, $3.5 billion to Capital One, $6.5 billion to U.S. Bancorp, and then $1.4 billion to Zions Bancorporation in Salt Lake City. Huh?
(20th Century Fox)
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
The Fed goes way out of the box.
Hello, Treasury? This is Ben. I need you to print me up a few more 100s. Well, a lot more. See "US Interest Rates Slashed as Low as Zero" at UK's Daily Telegraph (via our friend Justin Patten at Human Law Mediation):
America’s central bank has taken drastic steps to resuscitate the US economy out of its year-long recession, placing interest rates as low as zero - their lowest level in history - as it announced widespread plans to inject liquidity into the ailing financial markets.
By doing so, the Federal Reserve appears to have replaced the base rate as its primary weapon in its battle to support the American economy, putting lending in its place in a move known as quantitative easing.
Above: Mid-October photograph of glorious comrades Paulson, Fed Chairman Bernanke & Geithner (NYT/Matthew Cavanaugh/European Pressphoto Agency).
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 12:01 AM | Comments (0)
December 16, 2008
Canada's Law21: Leverage--and redesigning value.
Firms: Your call, your move. From "The New Leverage" at Jordan Furlong's Law21:
The thrust of the results [a survey by pioneering Legal OnRamp] by is that in-house lawyers aren’t especially happy with outside counsel in terms of service, partnering and communication — nothing new there — but are surprisingly tentative about predicting major change in how they go about acquiring services from these law firms.
Posted by JD Hull at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
The Recession: Shanghai, Silver Linings.
Read China Law Blog's Dan Harris in "Finance People: Shanghai Says Jobs, Jobs, Jobs". It begins:
There is a fairly prevalent theory that the best time to start a new business is during a recession/depression. I buy that. During tough times, established companies often disappear, get overly cautious, and lay off scads of good people, who can be hired relatively cheaply. During tough times, big shifts can occur.
A few months ago, I pretty much scoffed at the idea of Shanghai becoming a financial capital... Though I certainly am not convinced, I certainly am not scoffing either. To use a bad pun (particularly during this bear market), China is grabbing the bull by the horns and seems to be boldly making moves to increase its worldwide standing as a financial center. [more]
Posted by JD Hull at 11:52 PM | Comments (0)
December 15, 2008
Good enough, smart enough, late enough.
And doggone it, it's a bit annoying. Fun wonky Al (who WAC? prefers) v. competent ex-Democrat Norm continues in Minnesota U.S. Senate race recount. We like everyone's pluck, and appreciate the oddity of the stats here (just hundreds of votes separating the candidates with 2.9 million cast on November 4), but it's getting to be time for Repose. Swearing-in time soon, guys. Yesterday's Minneapolis Star Tribune "Franken, Coleman campaigns reduce challenges".
"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and I still have a shot at Norm Coleman's Senate seat."
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
December 14, 2008
The Mother of All Florsheims
"Hey, he might be a right-wing nut--but that's our right-wing nut you're aiming your wingtips at, Jack."
See Reuters: Bush on Farewell Visit to Iraq Dodges Flying Shoes. And "dog"? "Dog?" Bi-partisan WAC? notes that this stubborn Connecticut-born old money scion, ex-Texas governor and current commander-in-chief has issues--but he's still one of us:
BAGHDAD (Reuters, Dec. 14) - An Iraqi reporter called President George W. Bush a "dog" and threw his shoes at him on Sunday, sullying a farewell visit to Baghdad meant to mark greater security in Iraq after years of bloodshed.
Just weeks before he bequeaths the unpopular Iraq war to President-elect Barack Obama, Bush sought to underline improved security by landing in daylight and venturing out beyond the city's heavily fortified international Green Zone. [more]
Take that, running dog oil-swilling imperialist.
(USA Today/APTN)
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
So when will we see Ruthie's new blog?
The return of the much-stalked Law Bird of London? Is it just a rumour? Six months is a long time.
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)