Archive for September, 2011

Legal opinion could spell trouble for plan to roll back L.A. pension costs

The cornerstone of L.A. City Hall’s recent plan to fix its finances and rein in soaring retirement costs has been thrown into jeopardy.

Faced with a growing pension burden, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the City Council moved this summer to freeze the amount of healthcare benefits given to thousands of police and firefighters once they retire. Those benefits would not increase in coming years, Villaraigosa said, unless employees contribute more toward retirement from their paychecks.

But in a reminder of the risks faced by local agencies when they tinker with public pension benefits, a law firm retained by the city’s Fire and Police Pensions board concluded this month that those benefits were already guaranteed — and that the city is legally obligated to cover the cost of rising healthcare premiums for its retirees.

One group of retirees has already begun calling on the pension board to block the cap on health benefits from going into effect. Meanwhile, civilian city workers have begun demanding their own legal opinion to determine whether they too should be spared from new limits on their retiree healthcare.

City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana, the city’s top budget official, said the decision to freeze the monthly medical payment for retirees was the single most significant step toward balancing this year’s budget. If that decision is reversed, the city will face a $100-million hole in its budget, Santana said.

Villaraigosa went further, describing the arguments in the legal opinion provided to the pension board as “absolutely ludicrous.” The pension board has nine members, five of them selected by the mayor.

“I believe we’re absolutely on strong legal ground,” he said.

Pension and retirement costs have been steadily rising in recent years, consuming $769 million of this year’s general fund budget, which pays for basic services such as parks and public safety.

Retired police officers and firefighters now receive a monthly healthcare stipend of $1,097 per month, enough to cover a monthly premium for two people enrolled in either Kaiser or a Blue Cross HMO, according to city officials.

Since the opinion was released, the city’s labor negotiations committee — a group made up of Villaraigosa and four council members — obtained its own legal advice, which defended the city’s action limiting retiree health benefits. That opinion failed to persuade Ken Buzzell, a director of the Los Angeles Retired Fire and Police Assn., which wants the public safety pension board to refuse to impose the freeze on the monthly medical payments.

“I don’t care what [Santana's] attorney said,” he said. “The pension department paid for a legal opinion and they got that opinion.”

Healthcare coverage for police officers and firefighters has been increased regularly since 1975. Because of the recently approved freeze, that coverage will no longer rise with inflation unless individual police officers and firefighters pay an extra 2% of their salaries toward retirement.

So far, roughly 3,500 police officers and firefighters have agreed to do so. Although many made that decision before the new legal opinion was produced, their decision is “irrevocable,” Santana said.

The deadline for police and firefighters to decide is Thursday.

Fire and Police Pensions board member George Aliano, a retired officer, said employees should not have to pay the extra amount, based on the legal advice his agency received. He also said city leaders should not have put public safety workers in the difficult position of having to decide what to do when the legal issues remain unresolved.

“They’ve gotten themselves in a mess. Because if they lose [in court], they have to stop everything — stop the people from paying the 2%, and give back money to the people who paid the 2%,” he said.

The Fire and Police Pensions board is scheduled to discuss the legal opinion next week. Meanwhile, the issue of the healthcare freeze also has riled some civilian city employees, who are entitled to receive a monthly $1,190 healthcare subsidy upon retirement.

The issue has the potential to embarrass the city’s union leaders, who backed the push for higher contributions on the assumption that the retiree healthcare subsidy was not already a guaranteed employee benefit.

Paul Castro, a spokesman for the website lacityworkers.com, said he and his colleagues argued without success during recent labor talks that the city was always obligated to pay for rising retiree healthcare premiums.

“We always said the city didn’t have a right to make us pay for something we were already getting,” he said.

Castro went to the civilian pension board Tuesday to ask it to obtain its own legal opinion on retiree health benefits. He voiced doubts that the board — controlled by a majority of mayoral appointees — would act.

“Eventually we’re going to have to sue the city,” he said. “There’s no way around it.”

david.zahniser@latimes.com

Article source: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0928-la-pensions-20110928,0,3483678.story?track=rss

Legal News

• Richmond parade to welcome home vets
  The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday and will end with a free outdoor concert and what organizers call a veterans' resource exposition. […]
• Miami's Greenberg Traurig law firm apologizes, admits mistakes ...
  The head of Miami's powerful Greenberg Traurig law firm, embarrassed over its failure to turn over key financial records to investors who sued one of the firm's clients, said he was sorry to a federal judge Friday. […]
• Atlanta lawyers aid Adidas in trademark infringement lawsuit
  Adidas AG, the second-largest sporting-goods maker, sued World Industries Inc. and Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. […]
• McCrory campaign wants TV ad pulled
  GOP gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory toured a Coca Cola bottling plant -- and took reporters' questions -- along with Virginia Gov. […]
• What IT leaders say about big data
  Network hardware , Network software , VoIP , Unified communications , Wireless , Mobile , Telecoms networks and broadband communications , Datacentre networking , Network routing and switching , Network monitoring and analysis , Network security strategy , WAN performance and optimisation When IT Meets Politics: Sir Humphrey 3, Ian Watmore 0 - is ... (more) […]
• Southern Poverty Law Center Intervenes After Tennessee Student Banned from Supporting Gay Rights
  An assistant principal refused to allow students to wear anything with a rainbow on it, saying the image implied sex. […]
• Friday contempt hearing focuses on Greenberg Traurig role
  Ex-Greenberg Traurig attorney Donna Evans is expected to testify Friday afternoon in one of the strangest courtroom dramas in recent South Florida history. […]
• Minority Births Enrage White Hate Groups
  The number of radical hate groups and militias has exploded in recent years in reaction to the changing makeup of America. […]
• Mortgage refinancing activity jumps
  With mortgage rates plummeting to new record lows this week, mortgage refinancing activity jumped sharply, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in a recent report. […]
• Local Law Firm Responds to First Responders
  Sumter, SC -- This week is National Police Week, and one Midlands law firm is remembering first responders by helping them and their families. […]

Legal on 4: Avoiding problems when loaning money

TUCSON – Have you ever loaned anyone in your family money, and never spoken to them again, because they didn’t pay it back?

There’s an old saying: never lend money to family or friends, but if you have to, there are legal steps you can take to avoid problems later on.

On today’s “Legal on 4,” our legal contributor Craig Wisnom stopped by with some advice on this matter:

• A loan is a type of contract, and as we’ve consistently enforced, you should always get any contract in writing. Even a basic written understanding of the arrangement can avoid future disagreements. When one person transfers money to another person, one of the biggest disagreements is whether it was a loan or a gift.

• The document that outlines the agreement to pay back a loan is called a Promissory Note, or simply a “Note.” A simple three sentence Note, signed by the borrower, can clarify that the money given was a loan and needs to be repaid. It is far better to have the simplest Note than nothing at all.

•The other elements to the terms of a loan are:
–The period in which the loan needs to be repaid
–Interest on the loan amount

B. Future Issues
• When a parent loans a child money, the argument is sometimes not between the parent and the child. Rather, the argument is between the child and siblings after the parent passes.

• A Note can clarify what happens to the loan after the lender passes. Parents can further clarify what happens to a loan under his or her Will. Parent lenders can specify any details of the loan they wish but should make these wishes very clear.

• For example, parents may state that all loans are explicitly forgiven at death or, they might state that the amount the child owes will be deducted from their share of the Will.

• Everyone’s idea of “fair” differs and outlining loan terms is the most important aspect of a loan.

C. IRS Involvement
• A big surprise for a lot of people is that the IRS can charge you with tax for certain loans between family members. The IRS has a minimum interest rate, and if you loan money to family members without interest, or at a lower interest rate, they can “impute” interest to you. Even if you didn’t get interest from your child, you may have to pay income tax as if you did.

• This will generally not apply for loans less than $10,000; or, in many certain circumstances, for loans up to $100,000. Consult with your tax professional if you have a question on this.

Article source: http://www.kvoa.com/news/legal-on-4-avoiding-problems-when-loaning-money/

Legal opinion puts L.A. City Hall’s budget cuts in jeopardy

The city’s bargaining committee, which is made up of Villaraigosa and four council members, went behind closed doors Tuesday to discuss the legal opinion. That panel secured its own written legal advice, from a different law firm, saying the city was on the solid legal ground when it imposed new limits on retiree health benefits.

Villaraigosa described the arguments set out in the pension board’s legal opinion as “absolutely ludicrous and untenable.”

“I believe we’re absolutely on strong legal ground,” he said.

Pension and retirement costs have been steadily rising in recent years, consuming $769 million of this year’s general fund budget, which pays for basic services such as parks and public safety. Retired police officers and firefighters each currently receive a monthly healthcare subsidy of $1,097 a month. That is enough to cover a monthly premium for two people enrolled in either Kaiser or a Blue Cross HMO, according to figures provided by Santana’s office.

The subsidy has been increased on a yearly basis since 1975. But under the city’s plan it will no longer rise with inflation unless individual police officers and firefighters pay an extra 2% of their salaries toward their retirement.

The deadline for police and firefighters to decide whether to pay more is Thursday. Fire and Police Pensions board member George Aliano, a retired cop, said employees should not have to pay that amount, based on the opinion his agency received.

Aliano also said city leaders should not have put public safety workers in the difficult position of having to decide what to do when the legal issues remain unresolved.

“They’ve gotten themselves in a mess. Because if they lose [in court], they have to stop everything — stop the people from paying the 2%, and give back money to the people who paid the 2%,” he said.

RELATED:

Pension, healthcare deal reached

City Hall finally gets some good financial news

L.A. Council approves cuts to police, fire and parks

– David Zahniser at Los Angeles City Hall

Photo: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa speaks at a luncheon in Sacramento in August. Credit: Steve Yeater / Associated Press

Article source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/09/legal-opinion-threatens-to-throw-city-hall-finances-into-jeopardy.html

Legal Analyst Robin Sax Previews Trial

Los Angeles – The trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson’s death opens Tuesday with a bit of star power and the one thing the King of Pop enjoyed throughout his life — a worldwide audience.
______________________
FOX 11 legal expert and former LA County Deputy DA Robin Sax gave us a preview of the trial. Watch the video in the media player.
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The case will enter a crucial final act in a packed Los Angeles courtroom with opening statements and the start of testimony. Jackson’s family, including his parents and many of his siblings, are expected to be present as dozens of reports cover the case. Proceedings also will be televised and broadcast online.

While much is known about Jackson’s June 2009 death, the trial will reveal new information and provide a detailed record of the singer’s final hours. Dr. Conrad Murray’s trial is expected to be the first time that the public hears — in the defendant’s own words — his account of what happened in the bedroom of Jackson’s rented mansion.

By Monday evening, 15 satellite trucks and news vans were parked within a block of the courthouse.

Prosecutors plan to call the pop superstar’s friend and choreographer, Kenny Ortega, as their first witness in the case.

During the next five weeks, prosecutors will rely on Ortega and other witnesses to detail Jackson’s final days and hours and explain to a jury of seven men and five women exactly how the King of Pop died. Defense attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray, who faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical license if convicted of involuntary manslaughter, hope to poke holes in the prosecution’s case and present jurors with their own theory that
the singer was culpable for his own death.

Ortega testified at a hearing earlier this year that Murray warned him not to try to act as Jackson’s physician or psychiatrist after Ortega sent the singer home from rehearsals for his final concerts because he appeared to be sick. He is also likely the best witness to walk jurors through footage of Jackson’s final rehearsals that were used for the film “This Is It,” which will be played in part for jurors. Ortega served as choreographer for the aborted shows and director of the theatrical film.

For most of the jury, it will be their first exposure to the footage. Only two indicated on questionnaires filled out before the trial that they had seen any portion of “This Is It.”

Prosecutors plan to play a recording of the physician’s interview with police conducted two days after Jackson’s death, when he revealed that he had been giving the entertainer the anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid. The disclosure led to Murray being charged in February 2010 with involuntary manslaughter and nearly 20 months of legal wrangling over how the trial will be conducted.

Witnesses’ recollections and conclusions about the events will be challenged to a far greater extent than they were during a preliminary hearing earlier this year that resulted in a judge ruling there was enough evidence for Murray to stand trial. Defense attorneys did not present a case or make an opening statement during that hearing, but lead defense attorney Ed Chernoff is expected to lay out Murray’s side to jurors on Tuesday.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor has limited what Murray’s lawyers can say about Jackson’s history with drugs and his financial troubles.

Prosecutors are similarly prohibited from mentioning some of the messy details of the doctor’s personal life,including his sizeable debts and that he had several mistresses.

If prosecutors follow the same script they employed during Murray’s preliminary hearing, the early part of the case will likely move in chronological order beginning with Jackson’s final days and then moving into his final hours. After the singer’s security guards, paramedics and emergency room doctors take the stand, the case will then move into more forensic and scientific territory.

Much of that testimony will focus on propofol, which is normally administered in hospital settings. Authorities contend Murray administered a lethal dose of the drug along with other sedatives, and lacked the proper lifesaving equipment to revive Jackson.

Defense attorneys will present an alternate theory — that Jackson ingested or somehow gave himself the fatal dose.

After weeks of testimony, dozens of witnesses and final arguments, the jury will have its say.

Article source: http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/jackson_dr_trial/case_file/legal-analyst-robin-sax-previews-trial-20110927

Legal woes stall Samsung

An intensifying legal battle between Samsung Electronics Co and Apple Inc is expected to crimp growth at one of the fastest growing businesses of the Korean company, while threatening to worsen business ties with the firm’s largest customer.

The two technology firms have been locked in an acrimonious global battle over smartphone and tablet patents since April, and Apple has successfully blocked Samsung from selling its latest tablets in Germany and some smartphone models in the Netherlands.

The iPhone and iPad maker has also forced its rival to indefinitely delay launching its new Galaxy tablets in Australia, where a court will give its ruling this week.

Another loss could dent Samsung’s ambitious attempt to close the gap with Apple in the global tablet market. The Galaxy gadgets, powered by Google’s Android operating system are seen as the biggest challengers to Apple’s mobile devices.

“Samsung’s tablet business will be most affected and its chip business will also take a hit as Apple moves to diversify away from Samsung to the likes of Toshiba,” said Nho Geun-chang, an analyst at HMC Investment Securities.

“But taking passive steps for fear of losing its biggest customer will slow down strong growth momentum at its telecoms business, which Samsung doesn’t want to see as the business is set to become the biggest earnings generator this year and make up for weakening chip profits. It’ll be a costly battle for Samsung.”

The South Korean conglomerate supplied Apple with about $5.7 billion in components last year, some 4 percent of Samsung’s total sales.

Apple’s portion grew to 5.8 percent of Samsung’s sales in the first quarter, driven by booming iPad and iPhone sales, which Samsung supplies chips for, along with Japan’s Toshiba.

Apple and Samsung are scrapping for top spot in the smartphone market, having overtaken the market leader for the past decade, Finland’s Nokia, in the second quarter.

Samsung still trails badly in tablet sales, where Apple racked up 14 million iPad sales in the first half, versus analysts’ sales estimates of about 7.5 million Samsung tablet products for all of 2011.

Samsung and Apple will square off in a more significant U.S. court hearing next month about an injunction case.

Technology experts say Apple’s intellectual property battle with Samsung Electronics is part of its broader strategy of using the courts to help cement the unassailable lead its iPad has in the tablet market.

Samsung is betting on its new tablets to close the gap with Apple and reach its target of increasing tablet sales by more than five folds this year.

SUPPLIER AND RIVAL

Analysts said what may become a longer-term challenge for Samsung, is losing chip orders from Apple.

“For Samsung, (the) biggest concern is reduced order from Apple. Without Apple’s big backing, it would be difficult for Samsung to boost its chip market share sharply,” said Nho at HMC.

“Apple is leveraging the fact that it’s got alternative suppliers. They may offer inferior or more expensive components but it’s something consumers barely notice and something Apple can successfully use to pressure Samsung.”

Samsung’s smartphone business has been growing furiously, powered by its flagship Galaxy lineups. Some analysts expect Samsung to overtake Apple as the world’s No.1 smartphone vendor and report record profits in July-September, as it has much broader lineups than the high-end focused Apple.

Samsung’s smartphone sales soared more than 500 percent in the second quarter, easily eclipsing Apple’s 142 percent growth, though Apple sold about 1 million more units. Nokia sales fell 30 percent.

Samsung and Apple are suing each other in 9 countries over 20 cases. Apple first fired salvo in April by suing Samsung in a California court, saying the Galaxy lineup devices infringed on its mobile technology patents and design.

Samsung shot back with claims of its own.

Some analysts said Samsung’s aggressive stance could help it gain some support from consumers.

“These legal battles are raising perception among consumers that Samsung is the only one capable of competing against Apple,” said Choi Do-youn, an analyst at LIG Investment Securities.

Despite the global court cases, both companies could end up settling the cases, HSBC said in a note.

“The most likely scenario is an out-of-court settlement, after a long-drawn IP battle… As in the case of the Nokia-Apple dispute, this issue too is likely to be settled out of the court, after a long drawn legal dispute,” said HSBC analyst Daniel Kim.

– Reuters

Sponsored links

Article source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/5694022/Legal-woes-stall-Samsung

Suspicions about renegade legal group

Legal experts say proposal to annul post-coup verdicts |will benefit certain politicians, not the country

Legal experts yesterday suspected the ulterior motives behind a proposal by a small group of legal scholars who are seeking invalidation of judicial decisions resulting from the military coup of 2006.
They expressed their suspicions that the move by the group, which calls itself Nitirat (Citizens of Law), appeared to be benefiting certain politicians rather than the country as a whole, contrary to the claim of the group.
The Lawyers Council of Thailand yesterday issued a statement that the Nitirat group’s proposal would annul the negative impacts on those corrupt politicians, which would only benefit the politicians rather than society as a whole.
The council called on members of the public to closely monitor the group’s next moves.
“The Lawyers Council of Thailand disagrees with the Nitirat group’s proposal, which could lead to social division,” said Sak Korsaengruang, chairman of the lawyers’ council. He noted that Nitirat consisted of only seven people and that many of their fellow law experts at Thammasat University disagreed with their move.
In the council’s view, Nitirat’s proposal seeking annulment of judicial decisions resulting from the coup would be selective, benefiting certain groups of people favoured by the legal scholars, instead of being applied universally, according to Sak.
He said the council was against overthrowing a legitimate government as it was against the democratic principle. However, he added, the council also disagreed with an elected government that abuses its power by dominating Parliament and influencing the mass media and independent organisations.
Sak said the coup resulted in many beneficial court decisions and laws, adding the current government and Parliament also came into existence as a result of the coup.
In a related development, Thammasat University rector Somkit Lertpaithoon posed 15 questions in his Facebook account to Nitirat regarding its controversial proposal.
He asked whether the asset-concealment case against fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, in which he was acquitted by the Constitution Court with a slim majority, could be retried, as many people were convinced the verdict was wrong. Another question was, “When the Constitution Court ruled in favour of Thaksin, it was fine but when the court ruled against him, it was wrong, wasn’t it?”
The rector also asked whether Nitirat considered anything, including the Constitution, that stems from the coup bad, except for the current government.
“Is it true that by implementing Nitirat’s proposal, Thaksin will be spared all the legal impacts?” read Somkit’s question No 7.
Meanwhile, Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha yesterday voiced his opposition to Nitirat’s proposal that the Penal Code’s Article 112 regarding lese majeste be amended.
“I see no need to amend Article 112 regarding the monarchy. The institution has never harmed anybody but has rather contributed to the country,” he said.
The Army chief also called on members of the public to closely follow the matter to determine Nitirat’s real intention behind their move.
 

Article source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/new/national/Suspicions-about-renegade-legal-group-30166311.html

Pro-Bono? Por Supuesto: New Opportunities for Free Legal Aid

BENNU Legal Services, an innovative nonprofit Supporting American Dreams, seeks individuals interested in receiving pro-bono legal aid through a collaboration between BENNU’s licensed legal professionals and the Immigration Law course at College of Lake County’s Paralegal Studies Program.

Lake Bluff, Illinois (PRWEB) September 27, 2011

BENNU Legal Services, a nonprofit Supporting American Dreams throughout the Chicagoland area, seeks individuals and families interested in receiving free legal aid for their immigration-related cases, through a unique service learning experience involving BENNU and Immigration Law students in the College of Lake County’s Paralegal Studies Program.

Who? BENNU helps individuals or families with immigration concerns or are in need of immigration help, especially those who are victims of domestic violence or other serious crimes. Those whose lack of financial resources imposes significant strain are especially encouraged to seek possible help, as all cases are handled pro-bono. Says Jaime Bernabe, a client of last year’s program, “BENNU is a very empathetic organization[.] [My] case was almost lost to a deportation order—it was a very challenging situation. BENNU… provided me with people and resources to guide me and educate me about my immigration problem.”

What? Cases are handled by students of the College of Lake County’s Immigration Law Course, which BENNU’s Executive Director, Andrew Sagartz, teaches. The course provides CLC paralegal students with practical, real-life experience while doing good for members of the community who are in crisis. A team of three to four students handles each case, under the guidance and close supervision by the instructor and other licensed nonprofit attorneys from BENNU.    

Why should I apply? Due to a limited case capacity created by financial constraints, BENNU was forced into a situation of placing immigrant victims of crime who desperately needed legal aid on a wait list. Sagartz found this intolerable. Meanwhile, he sought to provide his students with real-life experience to help them develop the sorts of skills potential legal employers seek. He arranged for BENNU as a nonprofit agency to support the Immigration Law course as a service learning partner. This created a win-win-win situation for individuals needing help, for his enthusiastic students, and for the agency to further its nonprofit mission. Because of BENNU’s involvement, a high quality of work is assured–BENNU attorneys carefully oversee each student team throughout the course and thoroughly review applications before they are filed with Immigration. Finally, the students themselves bring vigor and determination to their work, as they recognize the impact of their projects on the community. Agafya Golisheva, a recent graduate of the Paralegal Studies Program who is herself an immigrant from Uzbekistan, exemplifies how earnestly the CLC students take on their projects. “This was my favorite class [of the Paralegal Studies Program],” she says. In fact, Agafya’s work affected her so deeply that, after completing the program, she was inspired to become a regular volunteer with BENNU—because, she says, “helping people is my primary goal!”

When? Case assignments usually occur in mid-September. The course will run through December 15. Potential clients or anyone interested in referring a potential client should contact BENNU as soon as possible.

Where? Although the Immigration Law Course itself takes place on CLC’s campus, BENNU makes its office space available for meetings if this location is more convenient for students and clients.

How to Participate: To participate in this program or to simply learn more, please contact Vonya at 847?478?8200 or by email at vdupuy(at)BENNULegal(dot)org.

About BENNU Legal Services

BENNU Legal Services, an innovative nonprofit Supporting American Dreams, provides low-cost legal services and education to help families and individuals new to the United States to legalize and integrate. Through our services, BENNU also supports small business entrepreneurs and helps address important issues such as domestic violence. To meet clients’ needs, we offer services on a sliding-fee-scale, and sometimes pro-bono, basis. Our multicultural staff meets clients at locations convenient to them. BENNU also conducts vocational trainings to increase employability, helping individuals successfully rise to new beginnings like our symbol, the Egyptian phoenix or bennu bird. To learn more, visit http://www.BENNULegal.org.

###

Eva Javier
BENNU Legal Services NFP
847-478-8200
Email Information

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/pro-bono-por-supuesto-opportunities-free-legal-aid-070802768.html

Legal&en Inv Mgmnt – Form 8.3 – AMENDMENT

SymbolPriceChangeFP.NX32.67+1.35{“s” : “FP.NX”,”k” : “a00,a50,b00,b60,c10,g00,h00,l10,p20,t10,v00″,”o” : “”,”j” : “”}

?

AMENDMENT FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

1.

KEY INFORMATION

2.

POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open derivative or option positions, or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other executive options)

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

3.

DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

(a) Purchases and sales

(b) Derivatives transactions (other than options)

(c) Options transactions in respect of existing securities

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

(ii) Exercising

(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

4.

OTHER INFORMATION

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

(c) Attachments

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service and must also be emailed to the Takeover Panel at monitoring@disclosure.org.uk. The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s dealing disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

ENDRETLLFLRALIRFIL

Article source: http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/Legal-en-Inv-Mgmnt-Form-8-3-afxcnf-3199907157.html?x=0

doeLEGAL Equips Angelo Gordon with Collaborative Legal Spend Solution

doeLEGAL contracts with Angelo, Gordon Co., L.P. to support a new legal matter and legal spend initiative that will enhance Angelo Gordon’s ability to collaboratively manage its complex, globally dispersed and growing legal department.

New York (PRWEB) September 27, 2011

doeLEGAL, LLC., the leading provider of collaborative electronic invoicing and legal spend management solutions, today announced that it has contracted with Angelo, Gordon Co., L.P. to support a new legal matter and legal spend initiative that will enhance Angelo Gordon’s ability to collaboratively manage its complex, globally dispersed and growing legal department.

Angelo, Gordon Co., L.P. is a privately held limited partnership founded in November 1988, and currently manages approximately $24 billion. The Firm’s investment focus centers around core competencies of real estate, credit, and private equity. Angelo, Gordon is headquartered in New York, with associated offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., London, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Sydney. “Angelo Gordon selected doeLEGAL’s ASCENT solution after undertaking a detailed comparison of their system with other market leaders,” said Forest Wolfe, General Counsel. “This is a very strategic investment by the legal function. ASCENT will provide a full suite of Legal Enterprise Collaboration (LEC) functionality for us, including improved automation of the processes for managing legal matters, testing compliance with our outside counsel and allowing us to work collaboratively with our business unit partners and legal service providers. Above all, it will supply greatly enhanced management information on the nature of our internal and external spend, legal risk, department workload and will allow us to effectively communicate throughout Angelo Gordon in near real time.”

ASCENT, the most advanced collaborative legal matter and spend management product of its kind in use among the Fortune® Global 500, will process electronic invoices from law firms and deliver them to Angelo Gordon’s legal department for automated workflow handling, spend analysis and reporting. Discreet access to key functionality, reports and analytics will be given to business unit managers and management allowing them to not only understand the progress of legal work in real-time, but to collaborate with legal, law firms and other involved business units throughout the life of a matter or project.

“Unlike other spend management and matter management platforms, ASCENT allows law firms, business units, and others involved with a piece of legal work to see, interact with and report for themselves on the legal work they are engaged in with the legal department,” said Tom Russo, doeLEGAL’s CEO. “This collaborative, real-time, interactive model, known generally as Legal Enterprise Collaboration or LEC, will give Angelo Gordon the ability to not only share access to richer information at both a matter-specific and an overall portfolio level, but will give those involved the ability to help the legal department keep information up to date. This will allow Angelo Gordon to not only better manage and leverage their legal spend, but will allow them to leverage their legal department resources with the help of the law firm and business units who also have critical knowledge and a stake in the progress of a matter, budgets and costs.”

“doeLEGAL is pleased to welcome such a forward-thinking legal department as Angelo Gordon to our list of prestigious clientele. While legal spend management and matter management solutions have become essentially one in the same application in recent years, collaboration has remained wanting in these solutions. As pressure

continues to mount on legal departments, new ways to manage matters, spend, risk and effective communications had to be found,” commented Jeff Hodge, executive director, corporate for doeLEGAL. ASCENT’s collaborative backbone allows legal departments to decide for themselves to share functionality, information and access to key data in order to distribute the legal workload. Distribution of the workload to business units, law firms and others, supported by strong security and analytics, allows our clients to use collaboration as a force multiplier, allowing them to effectively do more with less.”

For more information, please contact doeLEGAL at 302-798-7500 or e-mail info(at)doelegal(dot)com.

About doeLEGAL

doeLEGAL is a cutting edge provider and innovator of cloud-based legal enterprise collaboration solutions for the legal industry. Our suite of end-to-end collaborative software and services for corporate legal departments and law firms includes electronic invoice processing, legal spend and matter management, litigation support and electronic discovery. doeLEGAL serves small, medium and large Global Fortune 500 corporate legal departments as well as law firms in more than 35 countries. Established over four decades ago, doeLEGAL has built an impeccable reputation and takes pride in providing state-of-the-art technology offered at an excellent price point to clients who value and depend on exceptional service. Download our latest Top 5 Tip Sheet. Visit doeLEGAL at http://www.doeLEGAL.com.

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Tom Russo
doeLEGAL, LLC
(302) 798-7500
Email Information

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/doelegal-equips-angelo-gordon-collaborative-legal-spend-solution-080221297.html

Samsung may face further delay for Galaxy Tab in Australia

Judge needs more time to study Apple claims

Australian Federal Court Judge Annabelle Bennett may grant a “brief” injunction on sales of the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet in Australia in order to give her more time to study Apple’s claims of patent infringement, Bloomberg is reporting. The two parties are currently arguing in a two-day hearing over whether the Galaxy Tab should be banned in Australia until the dispute is fully resolved. Samsung has voluntarily delayed the Tab’s introduction to try and avoid a legal ban.

During the hearing, Apple lawyer Steven Burley argued that Samsung “targeted” the iPad 2 and copied as many features as was possible. It must have been “as plain as the Opera House to Samsung” that the company was infringing Apple design patents. For its part, Samsung’s counsel David Catterns said the ban was “where we draw the line,” and argued that an outright ban would go too far. “This is a high-stakes fight,” he added.

Burley countered that the Galaxy Tab’s infringement itself was insidious in that it threatened the entire iOS eco-system. If a product that blatantly copied the iPad was sold, it would steal sales not just of iPads but of iPhones, applications and accessories, since consumers were likely to stick with one brand, he said.

The judge urged both sides to plan to bring the matter to a full trial as soon as possible, an outcome that Samsung has been seen as keen to avoid. The company had agreed in August to delay releasing the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia until Bennett rules on the injunction request.

Samsung’s lawyer repeated the company’s claim that the Australian version of the tablet was modified from the U.S. version, which Apple claimed infringed on 10 Apple patents. Catterns’ admission, along with the voluntary delay, could be interpreted as a tacit admission that the company was aware that the original design had crossed a line — but Burley countered the Australian version, even with it’s “reduced functionality” (in Burley’s words) still violated three Apple patents. Catterns denied that the Australian Tab had reduced functionality, but did acknowledge that Samsung had already agreed not to fight Apple’s claim that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 uses a zoom technology that infringes on Apple’s patent.

Both sides have argued that the normal pace of court proceedings is hindering sales and hurting the respective companies. Bennett acknowledged this by saying that “technology moves very quickly,” adding it would be in “both sides’ interest to have this matter finalized quickly.” Burley said the company would be ready to go to trial next week. Under normal circumstances, it would take “well into next year” to resolve the patent dispute, adding that by the time the trial had completed, Apple could be selling “the iPad 9.”

Catterns further argued that the main reason Apple was bringing up claims of infringement against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 — no other smartphone or other Samsung products are involved in this particular lawsuit — was because Samsung had found a way to make the Galaxy Tab even thinner than the iPad 2, claiming that the 10.1 being two-tenths of a millimeter thinner than the iPad makes the Galaxy Tab “a bigger threat.” “They didn’t sue before, but now they’re worried,” Catterns said. “It’s the thinness of our product that worries them.”

At present the Galaxy Tab — in all versions — does not represent any significant sales threat to Apple, which claims 73 percent of the entire tablet market according to figures from Gartner. Android tablets, such as Samsung’s Galaxy line, combined make up about 17 percent of the market.

Apple has won injunctions against the Galaxy Tab in Germany, in a ruling the court originally said should be applied throughout the European Union (a higher court later reversed that portion of the ruling). The companies are continuing legal battles over the Galaxy Tab and other Samsung products in the U.S., the U.K., Japan and elsewhere, with each claiming patent infringement against the other. [via Bloomberg]

By Electronista Staff

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Article source: http://www.macnn.com/articles/11/09/26/judge.needs.more.time.to.study.apple.claims/