Exxon Hit by Reversal in Human-Rights Case (sub. req.)
Wall Street Journal | July 9, 2011
A federal appeals court on Friday reinstated a lawsuit by Indonesian villagers that seeks to hold Exxon Mobil Corp. liable for alleged killings and torture committed by Indonesian soldiers guarding its natural-gas operations in the country’s Aceh province.
In Deutschland wäre derartiges nicht möglich, es fehlen hierfür die Rechtsgrundlagen.
Zunehmend im Fokus auch der deutschen mittelständischen Industrie, daher auch in diesem Blog ein Artikel betreff dem UK Bribery Act, zum FCPA finden sich bereits diverse Artikel im Blog.
The UK Bribery Act, as hopefully everyone is aware by now, became effective last Friday, July 1. Most compliance practitioners are keenly aware of its application to UK based companies or subsidiaries for bribery of governmental officials and private parties. Many companies have understood that these types of activities are illegal under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with foreign governments and foreign governmental officials and some companies focused on these types of schemes when they involve private, non-governmental actors. However, the Bribery Act prohibitions apply to inbound schemes that involve bribery as well. These include bribery of a UK company or subsidiary’s employees. Most companies focus on the outbound schemes so we thought it might be a propitious time to review the different types of fraud schemes that that might be covered by the Bribery Act for inbound actions. Weiterlesen
Exxon Seeks to Overturn $1.5 Billion Verdict (sub. req.)
Wall Street Journal | July 2, 2011
Exxon Mobil Corp. said it hopes to overturn on appeal a verdict that included $1.5 billion in damages handed up by a Maryland jury this week for an underground gasoline leak that contaminated local drinking water. Lawyers who handle similar cases were stunned by the size of the verdict and said it likely will be reduced on appeal.
Tough economy raises outlook for tort reform
Business Insurance | July 4, 2011
Promoting tort reform as a means to foster economic growth may be a winning strategy to win passage of such measures, tort reform advocates say. They point to Texas, where Gov. Rick Perry – a possible Republican presidential contender – signed a comprehensive tort reform measure aimed at reducing „frivolous“ lawsuits.
The story of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010-11 term can be gleaned from the decisions on its last day: high hurdles for injured persons seeking to hold companies accountable, vigorous protection for speech of most types and the quick emergence of a freshman justice with analytical and writing chops. National Law Journal | July 4, 2011
Nachgelagerte Produktbeobachtungspflicht des Herstellers (beispielhaft New York)
Deutsche Unternehmen, die entweder direkt oder über ihre US-Tochtergesellschaft den US-Markt beliefern, müssen sich mit der nachfolgend zusammengefassten Thematik aus dem US-Produkthaftungsrecht auseinandersetzen, da Nichtkenntnis oder Verstöße hiergegen bei Unfällen, bei denen Menschen verletzt werden, zu kostspieligen US-Gerichtsverfahren führen können. Weiterlesen
Gute und lesenwerte Zusammenfassung zum Thema LOI, welches sich mit unseren langjährigen einschlägigen Erfaheungen deckt:
The letter of intent establishes fundamental terms of the business transaction that are determined during early phases of negotiation. The process of arriving at key terms in a letter of intent often allows negotiations to proceed on a faster time frame by avoiding the drafting time and expense that are required for full legal documentation. It also enables the parties to negotiate high-level terms without having to take a position on the multitude of issues that a complex transaction presents. This not only allows transacting parties to minimize legal costs by saving time, but also may prevent a buyer or seller from taking a stance on a point under one deal structure that it seeks to change at a later date under a new structure. The letter of intent also serves other useful functions. For example, it is a summary of the deal that can be provided to a board of directors or legal, accounting, or other business advisors needing to review the transaction. A signed letter of intent may also assist in the acquisition of transaction financing by enabling lenders to evaluate a transaction agreed to in writing by the parties. Weiterlesen
Zu Sam
melklagen findet sich in der Printausgabe vom 25.6.2011 der FAZ ein Leitartikel im Wirtschaftsteil: “ Ausgebremste Massenklagen, Von Corinna Budras: Denken die Chefs deutscher Unternehmen an das amerikanische Rechtssystem, packt sie meist das kalte Grauen. Grund dafür ist ein ausgeklügeltes System von Instrumenten, mit denen der Staat sicherstellen will, dass seine Bürger beim Kampf gegen übermächtige Konzerne überhaupt eine Chance haben.“ Mehr hierzu unter online www.faz.net ab dem 26.6.2011. Der Leitartikel bezieht sich auf die in diesem US-Blog veröffentlichte Wal-Mart Entscheidung des US-Supreme Court (Blogeintrag 21.6.2011)
