Kirkland Advises Diamond Offshore on $1.6 Billion Sale to Noble
Kirkland & Ellis counsels Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. on its definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Noble Corporation plc (NYSE: NE, CSE: NOBLE) in a stock and cash transaction valued at $1.6 billion (excluding debt). On June 10th 2024, it was revealed that Noble Corporation plc and Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc have finalized a […]
Chiquita Funded Colombian Terrorists For Years
The banana corporation Chiquita Brands International has been deemed responsible for supporting a right-wing paramilitary organization in Colombia and is required to compensate the relatives of eight individuals who were murdered by the group during the nation’s civil conflict. This decision by a federal court in Florida on Monday is a historic verdict, following 17 […]
Former KPMG Partner Sues Herbert Smith Freehills
An ex-KPMG partner, who faced bankruptcy due to investments in French ski chalets, is taking legal action against Herbert Smith Freehills. He claims that the law firm’s disclosure of his debt issues to KPMG led to his job loss when seeking legal counsel in July 2017. Graham Martin, a former partner at KPMG Singapore, sought […]
Clifford Chance Wins Court of Appeal Verdict For Eternity Sky
Global law firm Clifford Chance has secured a successful outcome for its client, Eternity Sky, in a judgment handed down by the Court of Appeal today. The appeal was brought by an individual, Mrs Zhang, who was ordered to pay Eternity Sky HK$ 500 million under a Hong Kong arbitration award. Mrs Zhang’s liability arose […]
A&O Shearman advised Randstad, in its acquisition of Torc
Torc is an intelligent talent network whose AI-driven platform enables skill-based matching to connect digital talent to clients around the world. The acquisition allows Randstad to accelerate its clients’ access to talent and to further its goals across cloud, data, digital engineering and customer experience. A&O Shearman lead partner Jess Debban said: “We are proud to […]
DLA Piper advises Calliditas in US$1.1 billion tender offer
DLA Piper is providing legal counsel to Calliditas Therapeutics AB (Calliditas), a biopharmaceutical company based in Sweden, in relation to the recent tender offer made by Asahi Kasei Corporation (Asahi), a conglomerate from Japan. Asahi has offered to acquire all of Calliditas’ outstanding shares and American Depositary Shares (ADSs) for a total of US$1.1 billion. […]
Freshfields Hires Davis Polk + Kirkland Lawyers
Freshfields, Bruckhaus & Deringer is expanding its U.S. corporate practice by hiring two New York lawyers. Jacqueline Marino, formerly of Davis Polk & Wardwell, joins as a capital markets partner, while Joshua Ayal, previously a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, joins as an M&A partner. Unlike many of its international counterparts, Freshfields has successfully established […]
South Africa Legalises Cannabis
South Africa has achieved a significant milestone in cannabis reform by officially legalizing the cultivation and possession of the plant for personal use. This ground-breaking move comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa gave his final approval, making South Africa the first African country to legalize cannabis for personal use. The Cannabis for Private Purposes Act, signed […]
Oregon Jury Awards $260 Million in Case Against Johnson & Johnson
A recent decision in Portland, Ore., has sparked a lot of attention. Kyung Lee, a 49-year-old mother of three from Beaverton, Ore., has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a fatal cancer. The jury found Johnson & Johnson guilty and ordered the company to pay Ms. Lee a total of $260 million. This case has brought to […]
Judges failed postmasters, says former DPP Sir David Calvert-Smith
Sir David Calvert-Smith, a retired High Court judge who served as deputy prosecutor from 1998 to 2003, was appointed by the Post Office to review more than 900 cases brought by the Post Office against postmasters in 2020. At a London Law Society conference on Saturday, where he chaired a committee on private litigation reform […]
US Federal Judge Uses ChatGPT in Appeal Case
Snell v. United Specialty Insurance Company, 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 22-12581. U.S. Appeals Judge Kevin Newsom of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance Co. a concurring opinion whose express purpose was to offer ideas about how judges might use generative AI. Throughout a 32-page […]
Novo Nordisk Files Multiple Lawsuits in the U.S. for Trademark Infringement
Novo Nordisk files multiple lawsuits in the U.S. for trademark infringement and false advertising. Novo Nordisk filed a series of lawsuits across the country last week, accusing a number of companies, including weight loss clinics and medical spas, of infringing its trademark rights and improperly promoting its semaglutide products Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus. The pharmaceutical […]