Mondaq Business Briefing articles from May 2003

Mondaq Business Briefing archives from May 2003

Supreme Court Tightens Limits On Punitive Damages.
May 1, 2003... By Gregory A. Bibler and Robert H. Fitzgerald This month the U.S. Supreme Court tightened constitutional constraints on the discretion of state courts to impose punitive damages in tort cases. In State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co....

New California Data Security Law to Have Broad Reach.
May 1, 2003... By Mary J. Hildebrand and Jacqueline Klosek Recent amendments to California's Civil Code will require companies to notify their customers of certain computer security breaches. Significantly, the law, referred to as S.B. 1386, will apply...

Japan Structured Finance.
May 1, 2003... This article was prepared by lawyers from Freshfields, Bruckhaus Deringer Executive summary In Japan there is an increasing trend towards using special purpose vehicles incorporated in Japan under the Japanese Securitisation Law as...

Pinsent Curtis Biddle Becomes Pinsents - Officially.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Leading national law firm Pinsent Curtis Biddle has announced that from 6 May 2003 it is to be become Pinsents. The firm, which ranks in the top 10 of UK legal advisers to listed plcs, regards the change of name as a natural evolution. ...

Reporting Period: January 03 - March 03 - Enforcement Policy And Legislative Developments.(annual report from Swiss Federal Competition Council)
May 2, 2003... Annual Report of the FCC. On February 4, 2003, the FCC held its annual press conference and published its annual report. During the year 2002, the FCC focused on combatting vertical agreements as well as on repressing anti-competitive practices...

The SEC Attorney Conduct Rules.
May 2, 2003... The SEC has adopted new rules that establish standards of professional conduct for all attorneys who handle securities law matters on behalf of public companies. These standards, mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, take effect on August...

SEC Adopts Final Rules Requiring Listing Standards for Audit Committee Independence and Powers.
May 2, 2003... As required by Section 301 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted final rules on April 9, 2003 directing the national securities exchanges and associations (principally the NYSE, AMEX and Nasdaq) to...

One-Sized Corporate Governance Doesn't Fit All.
May 3, 2003... By Cathy Quinn, Partner, Minter Ellison Rudd Watts What's right for the United States... In the wake of the collapse of Enron and WorldCom and with the wounds of the tech-wreck still fresh, the quest to achieve better corporate...

Shipping.(Cayman Islands is ideal site for registering ships)(Industry Overview)
May 7, 2003... The strategic location of the Cayman Islands, at the center of the Caribbean Sea, make the Cayman Islands an ideal site for ship registration. The Cayman Islands Shipping Registry is the Maritime Administration of the Cayman Islands. The...

Obtaining A Banking License in the Cayman Islands.(Industry Overview)
May 7, 2003... The Cayman Islands are now among the world's leading offshore banking centres and have over five hundred (500) licensed banks and trust companies, including 45 of the world's top 50 international banks. Bank and Trust companies represent 65...

Drug Patents - A Necessity.
May 7, 2003... Authored by Jidesh Kumar M.D., Associate, Intellectual Property Department, Kochhar & Co. The establishment of Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) regime establishes new disciplines for many countries in copyright,...

More than One Way to Skin a Patent Under DOE: Vitiation in Lieu of Estoppel.
May 7, 2003... In a spring 2001 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a summary judgment of no doctrine of equivalents infringement of a Lockheed Martin satellite control patent by Space Systems/Loral (SSL), in view of an...

FinCEN and Federal Functional Regulators Issue Final USA PATRIOT Act Customer Identity Verification Regulations for Banks and Mutual Funds.
May 7, 2003... The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ("FinCEN") of the Department of the Treasury and the 7 federal functional regulators (FRB, FDIC, OCC, OTS, CFTC, NCUA and SEC) issued final regulations (the "Regulations") under Section 326 of the USA...

OIG Issues Final Pharmaceutical Compliance Program Guidance.
May 7, 2003... On April 28, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General ("OIG") issued its final version of the Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers. In addition to a discussion of the components of an...

PCR Taq Polymerase Patent Obtained as a Result of Inequitable Conduct, But Is it Enforceable?
May 7, 2003... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, affirming several basis on which the district court found inequitable conduct, remanded the case for a determination as to whether the incidents of inequitable conduct justify the sanction of...

Medicare Reimbursement For New Heart Device Expected To Fall Short.
May 7, 2003... On April 24, 2003, the Food & Drug Administration ("FDA") approved a new device for use in angioplasty procedures, called a drug-eluting stent. The new drug-eluting stent prevents restentosis, or reclogging of the artery, a common problem with...

TSBME Adopts Changes To Telemedicine Informed Consent Requirements.
May 7, 2003... On April 18, 2003, the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners ("TSBME") published amendments to the telemedicine regulations in the Texas Register. Under the amendments, physicians physically located outside of Texas, but providing provided...

Financial Security for Decommissioning Costs in the UK North Sea.
May 7, 2003... by John C. LaMaster, Managing Partner and Christopher Prior, Partner Vinson & Elkins, London As the UK North Sea matures, new entrants in particular, smaller independent companies seek to explore and develop existing acreage. Consequently,...

Merger and Scenes a Faire Doctrines Yield "Thin" Copyrights.
May 7, 2003... In decisions issued six days apart, two panels of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit addressed the scope of copyright protection in instances where ideas and standard elements predominate over individual expression. In both cases,...

Without Side-by-Side Comparison Copyright Owner Cannot Prove Infringement.
May 7, 2003... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled that a plaintiff's failure to produce a copy of the copyrighted work, thus preventing a side-by-side comparison with the alleged infringement, precludes an infringement claim3/4evidence...

Registration of Clip Art Compilation Protects Underlying Works as Well.
May 7, 2003... Reversing a district court summary judgment, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has now held that the compilation copyright registration for two software clip-art packages was sufficient to provide copyright protection to the...

Written Description: It Isn't Just for Priority Anymore.(Moba B.V. and FPS Foodprocessing Systems Inc. v. Diamond Automatin Inc. case gets a ruling)
May 7, 2003... Heralding a possible en banc consideration of the written description rule from the 1997 Eli Lilly case, and further eroding that rule, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed denial of a motion for judgment as a matter of...

Claim Construction Error and Factual Dispute Precludes Summary Judgment.(Bio-Technology General Corp. v. Duramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. case gets a ruling)
May 7, 2003... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that infringement may exist if evidence establishes that a "menstrual shift" occurs after a woman begins taking the accused contraceptive product, such that the use of the accused product...

An Earlier Patent Naming Some (But Not All) Inventors in Common with Later Case May Not Be Invention "By Another".
May 7, 2003... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has now held that listing an earlier-issued patent in an Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) does not automatically result in a finding that such earlier-issued patent is [section] 102(e)...

New Procedures for Applicant Initiated Interviews at the USPTO.(U.S. Patent and Trademark Office)
May 7, 2003... New procedures for applicant initiated interviews at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) are described in the February 2003 revisions to the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP). Now, when an applicant initiates a request for an...

In Internal Investigations, Cooperation Is Key.
May 7, 2003... By Clifford Thau and Gregory Zimmer Originally published in the New York Law Journal In the wake of well-publicized corporate failures and the heightened responsibilities imposed on corporations, their officers, directors, and...

House Bill 4 - Senate Style.(Tort reform bill)
May 7, 2003... Last week, Senator Bill Ratliff significantly revised his substitute for HB 4, the tort reform bill currently before the Texas Legislature, and planned to take public testimony on the bill yesterday and today. Many significant changes were...

Significant Improvements To SB 11 Have Already Been Signed Into Law, And Others Are Well On Their Way.
May 7, 2003... The Texas Legislature enacted SB 11 in 2001, which would have imported HIPAA provisions into state law and expanded their application to anyone who comes into possession of protected health information ("PHI"). SB 11 also added research...

House And Senate Name Conferees For HB 1.(General Appropriations Bill)
May 7, 2003... The House and the Senate have named the following conferees to the General Appropriations Bill (HB 1), which went to conference on May 1, 2003. Conferees for the House are Rep. Talmadge Heflin (R-Houston) - Chair; Rep. Vilma Luna (D-Corpus...

JSM Helps Tsingtao Brewery to Conclude a Landmark Convertible Bond Issue.(Johnson Stokes & Master)
May 7, 2003... On 1st April, 2003, Tsingtao Brewery issued to the world's largest brewer the first two tranches of the mandatorily convertible bonds worth of US$116M, which will increase the holding of Anheuser-Busch in Tsingtao Brewery from 4.5 per cent at...

Case Study: B&Q Direct.
May 7, 2003... B&Q Direct's online transactional website, www.DIY.com, was launched in January 2001. By March 2003 it had become one of the largest stores in B&Q and its continued rapid growth will soon make it the biggest store in the group. The site sells a...

Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP Closes $350 million 10 year Eurobond for Kazkommerts International B.V.
May 7, 2003... Drew Salvest, Capital Markets partner at Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, represented the issuer and Kazkommertsbank (Kazakhstan's largest bank) in a 10 year Rule 144a/Regulation S offering of 8.5% notes due 2013 for Kazkommerts International B.V....

Employment Update: Spring 2003.
May 7, 2003... FLEXIBLE WORKING On 9 January 2003 the Government published the final version of the Flexible Working (Procedural Requirements) Regulations 2002 and Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) Regulations 2002. These...

Employment Changes from May 2003 - Paternal Rights and Flexible Working.
May 7, 2003... All change for April 2003 New regulations are being introduced via the Employment Act 2002 which come into force in April 2003. The significant changes are to parental rights and flexible working requests. On these two subjects, given...

Means-Plus-Function: What's the Corresponding Structure?
May 7, 2003... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently reversed a district court's construction of two means-plus-function claim elements because the construction improperly included not only the circuit, but also the signals that the...

Sport Update: Merchandising; Photographic Rights and Image Rights.(UK sports industry)
May 7, 2003... MERCHANDISING: ARSENAL -v- REED IN THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE AND IN THE HIGH COURT (FOR THE SECOND TIME) When the case of Arsenal Football Club plc -v- Matthew Reed came before Mr Justice Laddie in April 2001 he found that whilst Mr...

Vinson & Elkins Expands Telecommunications Practice.
May 7, 2003... (Washington, D.C.) May 6, 2003 - Vinson & Elkins announced today that five lawyers will join the firm's telecommunications practice in the Washington, D.C. office. Mark N. Lipp and Henry Rivera will join V&E as partners, Michael D. Berg and J....

Drug Patent Not Infringed Based on Deference to Patentee as Lexicographer.(decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit )
May 8, 2003... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in a case that turned on the narrow construction given to one of the claim terms, affirmed a grant of summary judgment that a generic fenofibrate composition did not infringe Abbott...

Manufacturer/Retailer Product Safety Legal Alert.
May 8, 2003... Retailer Exposure to Fines Under CPSA The U.S. Justice Department and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced on April 25, 2003, that Wal-Mart Stores agreed to pay a civil penalty of $750,000 to settle a lawsuit for failure...

Spam a Hot Topic at FTC Workshop and on The Hill.(highlights of Federal Trade Commission workshop on "spam"; legislative proposals)
May 8, 2003... By Ronald L. Plesser, James J. Halpert and Stuart Ingis On April 30-May 2, the Federal Trade Commission hosted a three-day workshop to address "spam." The workshop consisted of 12 panels: (1) discussions on the definition of spam, (2)...

Furniture Legal Alert.(North Carolina Federal Court applies copyright law to furniture design "knock-offs")
May 8, 2003... Federal Court in North Carolina Applies Copyright Law to Furniture Design "Knock-offs" A recent federal court decision from the Middle District of North Carolina has added federal copyright law to the list of concerns which furniture...

Required Filings Of Earnings Releases And Non-GAAP Financial Information.(effect of Regulation G on public disclosures)
May 8, 2003... At the end of January, we issued a Client Alert summarizing the SEC's new Regulation G. These new rules concern earnings releases and the use of non-GAAP financial information and became effective at the end of March. Since most public...

Mergers And Acquisitions Legal Alert.(Delaware Supreme Court invalidates "lockup" in merger agreement in Omnicare Inc. v. NCS Healthcare Inc.)
May 8, 2003... Divided Delaware Supreme Court Invalidates "Lockup" in Merger Agreement In Omnicare Inc. v. NCS Healthcare Inc., the Delaware Supreme Court jeopardized the continued use of lockups as deal protection devices in transactions involving a...

Voluntarily Dissolve Previously Recorded Notice of Contract and Later Record Another to Re-Establish Your Lien Rights.(Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court affirms remedial nature of Massachusetts Mechanics Lien Law)
May 8, 2003... The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) affirmed the remedial nature of the Massachusetts Mechanics Lien Law, M.G.L. c. 254, et seq., for contractors and held that a contractor can dissolve a previously recorded notice of contract and...

Expert Testimony on Mold's Potential Health Effects Met Frye Test.(discusses Nebraska Supreme Court decision)
May 8, 2003... The Nebraska Supreme Court reversed the trial court's exclusion of expert testimony regarding the potential hazards of the presence of certain molds found indoors. Mondelli v. Kendel Homes Corporation et al, 262 Neb. 263, 631 N. W. 2d 846...

When Is Subcontractor Fraud Imputed to the General.(Court of Federal Claims decision in N.R. Acquisition Corp. v. United States)
May 8, 2003... The Court of Federal Claims has held that fraudulent acts of subcontractors will not be imputed to general contractors for purposes of the "special plea in fraud" statute unless (a) the general contractor was aware of or complicit in the fraud,...

UCC Applied to Equipment Design and Manufacture Contract.(Uniform Commercial Code; Miami-Dade County, Florida, and Montenay Power Corp. case against Infilco Degremont Inc.)
May 8, 2003... Miami-Dade County, Florida, owns a resource recovery plant operated by Montenay Power Corp. As part of a retrofit of this plant, Montenay and Birwelco-Montenay, an affiliate, contracted with Infilco Degremont, Inc. to design and manufacture...

Institutions Not Subject to Punitive Damages Under Title IX.
May 8, 2003... Educational institutions are not subject to liability for punitive damages for private actions brought to enforce Title IX, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has held in vacating a $2 million punitive damages award to former Duke...

NCAA Places Division III School on Probation.(Salem State College)
May 8, 2003... By Michael L. Buckner and J.D. Smeallie The NCAA Division III Committee on Infractions has placed Salem State College on two years' probation for violations in the institution's men's soccer program. The case, which is the first major...

Separation of School and State Essential to Maintenance of a Safe and Secure Learning Environment on Campus.(Supreme Court of New Hampshire decision in case of State of New Hampshire v. Adam Nemser discussed)
May 8, 2003... One of the primary duties of any school administration is to provide and maintain a safe and secure learning environment that is free of drugs, crime and other illegal or disruptive behaviors. The question is often asked, "To what extent should...

California Supreme Court Gives Two Victories to Employees.(in cases involving disability discrimination and mandatory employment arbitration agreements)
May 8, 2003... In a matter of a week, the California Supreme Court gave employees two victories in cases concerning disability discrimination and mandatory employment arbitration agreements. Disability Discrimination In Colmenares v. Braemar Country...

Decree Nbr. 988 - Regulation of Tax Over Personal Assets Regarding Shares and Company Security Holdings.
May 9, 2003... Decree Nbr. 988/2003 issued last April 28, has regulated the application of Tax over Personal Assets regarding shareholdings in local corporations, whenever such holdings are owned by individuals domiciled in Argentina and by individuals or...

It Affects You! Florida's Smoke-Free Workplaces Amendment.
May 9, 2003... Amendment 6, the Florida Smoke-Free Workplaces amendment that was approved in the November 2002 general election, will affect virtually every business in Florida. Amendment 6 was entitled "Protect People from the Health Hazards of Second-Hand...

Consent Decree Requires Training and Anti-Discrimination Policy.
May 9, 2003... An Illinois federal court, in a consent decree resolving a disability discrimination case, has required the employer to train both managers and human resource staff, and to issue an antidiscrimination policy. As part of the consent decree, the...

Is Your Business Still "Small?": New Rules Require Contractors to Re-Certify Their Size Status.(series of new administrative rules)
May 9, 2003... By Michelle D. Hertz and David P. Metzger Until recently, newly large businesses could maintain legally their small-business size status on contracts received while eligible as small businesses. A series of new administrative rules requires...

U.S. Supreme Court Unanimously Holds Municipalities Liable Under False Claims Act.
May 9, 2003... By Christopher A. Myers and Jennifer A. Short On March 10, 2003, the United States Supreme Court held that local governments are "persons" within the meaning of the False Claims Act and can be held liable for violations of the Act. The...

Dispute Over Famous Rock 'N Roll Rights Reminds Copyright Owners to Reserve Their Rights or Lose Them.
May 9, 2003... "Be my, be my baby" is how the Ronettes' chart-busting 1967 rock 'n roll hit began. "It's my baby" was the group's lead singer and founder's, Ronnie Greenfield's, refrain 35 years later when Philles Records claimed ownership rights as producer...

Federal Circuit Clarifies the "Written Description" Requirement in Genetic Engineering Case.("Amgen Inc. v. Hoechst Marion Roussel Inc. and Transkaryotic Therapties Inc." is the case)
May 9, 2003... By Rivka Monheit and Patrea Pabst The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently issued a decision that modifies and clarifies previous case law regarding the Patent Act's written description and enablement requirements, making...

New Privacy Rules Under the E-Government Act of 2002.
May 9, 2003... In December 2002, President Bush signed "The E-Government Act of 2002"1 (the Act) with the goal of bringing the government more fully into the electronic age and improving public access to e-government services. While the majority of Act serves...

Protecting Trade Secrets at Trial.
May 9, 2003... By M. Kristi Wallace Protecting your trade secrets is not simply a matter of making sure your employees do not sneak off with your intellectual property in their laptop computers or that your competitors are not stealing your assets. If...

The Future of Confidential Settlements.
May 9, 2003... The future of confidential settlements in the wake of increased passage of sunshine laws has taken a new twist. Sunshine laws generally require full public disclosure of settlement terms that affect public safety. The Federal District Court in...

Worker Status Is No Way to Pad Your Bottom Line.
May 9, 2003... Too often, employers attempt to reduce payroll costs (by avoiding payroll withholdings and contributions required for employees) by converting existing employees to independent contractor status or by having contractors perform work...

Developer's Substantive Due Process Claim Denied By United States Supreme Court.(Cuyahoga Falls v. Buckeye Community Hope Foundation is the case)
May 9, 2003... By Christopher B. Hanback and Leo G. Rydzewski On March 25, 2003, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision in a much-heralded developer-rights case that has broad implications for all real property owners. In Cuyahoga Falls...

Contract Zoning: Let's Make a Deal.
May 9, 2003... When the owners of an energy company wanted to build a 700-megawatt, natural-gas-fired electric generating facility in Bellingham, Massachusetts, on land not zoned for such use under local zoning by-laws, it made a deal with the town. The town...

Federal Regulation in the Absence of Prescription Drug Legislation: The Bush Administration's Proposal to Speed Generics to Market.
May 9, 2003... For the past several years, in response to the growing public demand for affordable and accessible prescription drugs from the seniors lobby and a growing list of other interested parties, the U.S. Congress has attempted, but failed to add a...

2002 National Health Care Legislative Update.
May 9, 2003... At the beginning of the 107th Congress, several health care issues loomed large on the agenda. In the end, however, relatively little was accomplished. Action on health care issues was inhibited by the slow start to the new Administration, the...

Reconciling the Different Interests of Equity Investors and Lenders in NMTC Investment Funds - Part One of Two.(new markets tax credit)
May 9, 2003... One of the commonly proposed structures for a new markets tax credit (NMTC) investment fund involves the organization of a limited partnership or a limited liability company (investment fund) to act as the holder of a qualified equity...

Life Tax Measures - Update Following Publication of the Finance Bill.
May 9, 2003... The Finance Bill 2003 was published on 16 April. It contains the changes foreshadowed by the Inland Revenue announcement on 23 December 2002. However a number of significant alterations to the proposals have been made. The amending...

Reconciling the Different Interests of Equity Investors and Lenders in NMTC Investment Funds Part Two.
May 9, 2003... Last month in the NMTC Report, we explored what equity investors look for when structuring an NMTC deal. Now we turn to the lenders' goals in order to understand how best to reconcile the two parties' interests. What do the lenders want?...

OSHA Announces Regional Emphasis Programs Focusing On Reducing Ergonomic-Related Injuries In Hospitals.
May 12, 2003... By Tom Wilson and Mike Muskat Several regional OSHA offices recently announced programs targeting ergonomic hazards in hospitals. The programs are likely to involve inspections of hospitals in numerous different states to determine the...

Anti-Money Laundering Review.(Cayman Islands)
May 12, 2003... By James Bergstrom, Partner KEY POINTS The Cayman Islands maintains a robust anti-money laundering regime, which it began implementing as early as 1984. The creation of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority ("CIMA") in 1996 put in...

The HIH Legacy: Corporate Governance and Shareholder Value.(HIH Royal Commission Report released)
May 12, 2003... Article by Michael Mills and Grant Marjoribanks with assistance from Christine Robertson, Philippa Stone and Don Harding HIH Royal Commission Report released The HIH Royal Commission recently provided its answer as to why HIH collapsed...

Budget Blue in the India Capital Markets.
May 12, 2003... By Sandeep Parekh* The budget in India, an annual circus held by the Finance Ministry on the last of each February, has done a good job at entertaining its prime audience, the Indian middle class - again. Since 1992, the annual budget has...

Estate Planning in Uncertain Times - Spring 2003.
May 13, 2003... Over the past several years we have witnessed a series of significant and in some cases unprecedented events that dramatically have reshaped the world in which we live. Corporate scandals, repeated stock market declines, a prolonged economic...

OHIM v Wrigley Jr Company C - Opinion of Advocate General Jacobs.
May 13, 2003... Proceedings to date In March 1996 Wrigley applied to OHIM for registration of the word DOUBLEMINT as a community trade mark for goods (including chewing gum) in several classes. The office refused the application by virtue of Article...

Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP Advises on [pounds sterling]598 Million Selfridges Acquisition.
May 13, 2003... The Corporate Group at Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP have advised Oxford Acquisitions Limited and Wittington Investments, Limited ("Wittington Canada") on a recommended cash offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of...

Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP Partnership Reaches 100 Following Seven Promotions.(appointed Michael Brown, Gary Cooper, Christopher Fisher, Nick Henchie, Jonathan Moody, David Morrison and Richard Smith to partnership)
May 13, 2003... The London office of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw has appointed Michael Brown, Gary Cooper, Christopher Fisher, Nick Henchie, Jonathan Moody, David Morrison and Richard Smith to partnership with effect from 1 May 2003. Michael Brown...

Wragge & Co Confirms Incorporation To LLP.
May 13, 2003... From 1st May the firm will be known as Wragge & Co LLP. The day also marks the first day of Quentin Poole and Richard Haywood taking up their appointments as senior and managing partner respectively. Four new partners also take up their...

Wragge & Co LLP Turnover Up 2% With Highest Ever Profits.
May 13, 2003... Wragge & Co's fee income for the 2003 year end is [pounds sterling]79.3 million, an increase of 2 per cent on the previous year's [pounds sterling]77.8 million. Profit of [pounds sterling]27 million is the highest ever delivering a margin of 34...

Studio Legale Sutti Opens In Bucharest And Becomes The Largest Law Firm In South-Eastern Europe.
May 13, 2003... Studio Legale Sutti (SLS) has welcomed to its ranks the partners and associates of Vitzman, Webster and Partners, the fourth largest practice in terms of both size and turnover of Romania. The signing of Vitzman, Webster, after two years of...

The Future of Gene Patents in Australia?
May 13, 2003... An insight into the possible future of gene patents in Australia in light of the Australian Law Reform Commission's gene patenting inquiry. Should genes be patentable? Few issues in biotechnology evoke as much debate and polarise opinions...

Securities and Financial Regulations.(India capital markets)
May 13, 2003... Shorter settlement cycle The Indian capital markets have made a transition into a T+2 rolling settlement system from April 2003 getting in line with international practices. According to a study, settlement risk can be reduced by up to 40%...

Corporate Governance: Cautious Improvement.
May 13, 2003... Lira Renardini Padovan* During a period in which issues of corporate governance have been given increasing importance in Brazil, and considering a scenario of recent changes in the Brazilian corporations law as well as publicity concerning...

SEC Proposes Rules Implementing Section 301 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002: SEC to Propose Listing Standard Requirements for National Securities Exchanges and National Securities Associations Regarding Audit Committees.
May 14, 2003... The Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC" or the "Commission") today approved the publication of proposed Exchange Act Rule 10A-3 implementing Section 10A(m)(1) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as added by Section 301 of the Sarbanes-Oxley...