US vows to target crypto exchanges that allow sanctioned oligarchs to use their services March 12, 2022 The US has said it plans to target cryptocurrency exchanges that help sanctioned oligarchs move dirty money. The US Department of Justice’s (DoJ’s) KleptoCapture taskforce, which was set up this month to enforce sanctions on Russian oligarchs, is set to prosecute banks and cryptocurrency exchanges that fail to prevent sanctioned individuals from using their services. [...]
Law giant CMS closes Moscow offices after coming under fire for links to oligarchs March 11, 2022 European law giant CMS has said it will close its Moscow offices and withdraw from the Russian market, after Conservative MP Bob Seely named CMS partner Geraldine Proudler as one of four “amoral” lawyers working for oligarchs to silence the press. In a post on Linkedin today, the law firm said it had decided that [...]
European law giant CMS hikes salaries for London and UK trainees March 11, 2022 European law giant CMS has given all of its UK trainees a pay rise. The law firm said its London trainees will get a five per cent pay rise, which will see first year salaries upped to £46,725 a year, and second year salaries rise to £52,5250, CMS told Morning Wire The law firm will [...]
Google settles libel lawsuit with Tory MP over defamatory ‘paedophile’ advert March 11, 2022 Google has settled a libel lawsuit brought forward by Conservative party MP Lee Anderson, after the tech company displayed adverts falsely accusing Anderson of protecting peadophiles. Google Ireland issued an apology to Anderson and settled the case out of court, after it hosted a political advert from campaign group “Keeping Kids Safe” on political news [...]
Kremlin threatens to take control of assets owned by multinationals that exited Russia over Ukraine March 11, 2022 The Kremlin has threatened to take control of assets owned by multinational companies that have pulled out of Russia in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to President Putin yesterday, Russia’s prime minister Mikhail Mishustin said he had prepared a draft law which would allow the Russian government to take control of assets [...]
Metropolitan Police did breach rights of organisers of Sarah Everard vigil, High Court rules March 11, 2022 The Metropolitan Police breached the rights of organisers of a vigil for Sarah Everard with its handling of the planned event, High Court judges ruled this morning. Reclaim These Streets (RTS) proposed a socially-distanced vigil for the 33-year-old, who was murdered by former Met officer Wayne Couzens, near to where she went missing in Clapham, [...]
UK data watchdog fines Tuckers Solicitors £98,000 after hacker leaked legal papers onto dark web March 10, 2022 The UK government’s data regulator has fined London headquartered law firm Tuckers Solicitors £98,000 for failing to properly look after its clients data, after a cyberattack saw almost a million legal documents stolen and leaked onto the dark web. The UK government’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said the criminal solicitors firm – which has offices [...]
Russian oligarchs look towards Dubai and Israel in efforts to avoid sanctions March 10, 2022 Legal experts have said Russian oligarchs, looking for new jurisdictions to store their wealth, may be turning towards Dubai and Israel due to a lack of other options, as they seek to avoid sanctions and exit Russia’s crumbling economy. Speaking to Morning Wire David Savage, head of financial crime at London law firm Stewarts, said [...]
Clifford Chance to wind down Moscow offices amid scrutiny over law firm’s links to oligarchs March 10, 2022 Magic Circle law firm Clifford Chance has set out plans to close its Moscow offices, as Canada law firms face mounting pressure to sever all ties to Russia. Clifford Chance’s decision to “wind down” its Moscow offices comes just an hour after Magic Circle law firm Allen & Overy said it would be [...]
Magic Circle law firm Allen & Overy set to wind down Moscow offices March 10, 2022 Magic Circle law firm Allen & Overy has joined its Magic Circle rivals in vowing to wind down its Moscow office, as law firms from across Europe and the US pile out of Russia. Allen & Overy’s decision to wind down its Russian operations comes after the firm first opened its Moscow office in 1993. [...]