|
|
|
Spain rejects extraditing HSBC whistleblower to Switzerland
Court News |
2018/09/18 12:27
|
A Spanish court on Tuesday rejected a request to extradite a former HSBC employee to serve a five-year prison sentence in Switzerland, where he was convicted for leaking a massive trove of bank data that led to tax evasion probes worldwide.
The ruling was the second time Spain's National Court refused to extradite Herve Falciani, a French-Italian computer expert who in 2008 disclosed tens of thousands of records of HSBC customers who allegedly used the bank's Swiss branch to avoid taxes. He was convicted in absentia of breaching financial secrecy laws in Switzerland in 2015.
A panel of three National Court judges ruled Tuesday that Falciani had already been cleared from extradition in 2013, when the same court ruled that "aggravated economic espionage" is not a crime in Spain.
The judges also say that Falciani didn't reveal any secrets because he only shared them with authorities who initiated investigations in dozens of countries, including in Spain.
Falciani, 46, was first arrested in Spain in 2012. He spent 170 days in prison before he was released. He was arrested again in Madrid in April, in a renewed effort by Swiss authorities to make him serve his prison time.
Falciani said he believed Spain's previous conservative administration arrested him in order to use him as "a bargaining chip" in requests to extradite pro-independence Catalan politicians in Switzerland.
In an interview with The Associated Press last week, he said the only explanation of why he was arrested again this year after a lull in his case was political. |
|
|
|
|
|
Securing your Path to Success as a Start Up Law Firm
Court News |
2018/09/12 12:26
|
Whether you have moved forward from your previous firm to work as a Sole Practitioner or to organize a partnership for your new legal enterprise, getting your firm on a successful path can be an extraordinarily stressful endeavor. From employing your staff, securing a location, creating your legal entity, finding the right CPA, anticipating your pre-launch to administrating the day-to-day operations, walking in the path as a successful startup firm can be overwhelming. Responsive Website Design for Law Firms
As they say, the grass is always greener… Statistically, lawyers developing a new business venture will eventually succeed and many exceed their income level they once had at larger firms. Typically, most start up lawyers will initially struggle to attain their goals, especially during the first year. However, with precise planning and diligent research, these challenges can be managed, and in many cases be avoided: by adhering to a thorough, well-planned preliminary launch, setting attainable goals and the exploitation of successful marketing tactics, launching your startup can posture your firm into an optimal position for your first year leaving the nest. Marking Solutions For Lawyers and Law Firms
Lawyer web designers are numerous these days, and as a lawyer or law firm, you need to be selective in your choice. Your website is, after all, the online representation of your firm, and the first impression a potential client will recieve. A good website that has achieved top rankings can make all the difference in the world, and is becoming more and more imperative for law firms by the day. Every law firm in todays world should hire a lawyer web designer to create a lawyer website for them, or risk falling behind the crowd. This site will hopefully help you in choosing the best lawyer web designer for your firm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nevada high court says execution doctor's name stays secret
Court News |
2018/09/12 00:07
|
The name of the physician picked to attend a state inmate's execution can remain secret, even from drug makers suing to ban the use of their products in the twice-postponed lethal injection, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Monday.
In a twist, lawyers for three pharmaceutical companies who won the right to obtain the name last week — and had promised to sue the doctor once they got it — told a judge in Las Vegas that they welcomed Monday's high court order.
Attorney Todd Bice, representing drug firm Alvogen, told Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez the high court decision to protect the doctor's identity, coupled with a recent sworn statement from Nevada prisons chief James Dzurenda, bolsters companies' arguments that their business would be hurt if their drugs are used.
"We aren't going to get into the identity of the doctor. We do intend to argue strongly that having your name associated with capital punishment is harmful to reputations," Bice said. "The director testified that it would be ruinous of the doctor's reputation."
Gonzalez had ruled last week that drug companies could learn the name, but it would not be disclosed to the public.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Court: No review of 100-year sentence for attempted murders
Court News |
2018/09/11 12:03
|
A Louisiana court is refusing to review the case of a 31-year-old man who is serving 100 years for the attempted murder of two people.
Houma Today reports the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal Wednesday denied a review of Joshua Dean’s case.
The Houma man was convicted in 2008 of wounding two people in separate drive-by shootings.
Prosecutors described the shootings as random acts of violence. One victim was shot in the shoulder and another was shot in the back and paralyzed from the waist down.
Dean was sentenced to 50 years in prison on both counts to run consecutively.
He’s currently serving out his sentence at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. |
|
|
|
|