JD Journal » Ireland

Audit of Facebook to Begin

jim — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:14:44 +0000

According to CNET, Facebook has denied claims that the company create extensive profiles of people who do not use the social media website so that they can learn about those people. The group making these accusations is called Europe v Facebook.

“We enable you to send e-mails to your friends, inviting them to join Facebook,” Andrew Noyes, Facebook’s manager of public policy, said. “We keep the invitees’ e-mail address and name to let you know when they join the service. This practice is common among almost all services that involve invitations – from document sharing to event planning – and the assertion that Facebook is doing some sort of nefarious profiling is simply wrong”

The complaint against Facebook outlined the following information:

“Facebook Ireland is mainly collecting e-mail addresses but it also collects names, telephone numbers, addresses or work information about its users and non-users. This is done by different functions that encourage users to hand personal data of other users and non-users to Facebook Ireland (e.g. ‘synchronizing’ mobile phones, importing personal data from e-mail providers, importing personal information from instant messaging services, sending invitations to friends or saving search queries when users search for other people on facebook.com). By gathering all this information, Facebook Ireland is creating extensive profiles of non-users and it is also enriching existing user profiles. This is done in the background without notice to the data subject (‘shadow profiles’). Facebook Ireland is gathering excessive amounts of information about data subjects without notice or consent by the data subject. In many cases these information might be embarrassing or intimidating for the data subject. This information might also constitute sensitive data such as political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation and so forth.”

A spokesperson for the ODPC (Office of the Data Protection Commissioner in Ireland) had the following to say about the audit:

“An audit of Facebook was already planned prior to the receipt of the complaints in question but clearly they have raised issues which will be examined in the course of the audit as the Office is required to investigate the complaints it has received. We are receiving full co-operation from Facebook. It is the intention of the Commissioner that the investigation will be completed by the end of the year.”

According to the ODPC, private companies that operate in Ireland must agree to data protection from the ODPC in order to operate. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has the power to conduct audits of government departments but is only legally allowed to investigate procedures of companies if consent is agreed upon.

Max Schrems, the co-founder of Europe v Facebook, had the following to say:

“It is the right of every user to access this data and get an overview of what Facebook holds. Facebook is in fact ignoring this right totally. We think it is especially interesting, that a company that asks all its customers to be as transparent as possible is not even trying to be a little transparent itself and is in fact even breaking the law if it comes to transparency.”

Matheson Ormsby Prentice Expanding in New York, London

rebneely — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:25:23 +0000

Ireland’s largest firm, Matheson Ormsby Prentice, is expanding its offices in New York and London.

Robert O’Shea, head of the firm’s international business group, was quoted as saying in a recent article at businessandleadership.com about the moves that: “It’s responding to client needs for us. Our clients have told us over the years that having someone on the ground makes a huge difference.”

Stanley Watson, a corporate partner, will join the London office in April as managing partner. There, he will head a team of corporate and financial services lawyers that will advise international companies doing business in Ireland. For the past eight years, he has led the firm’s corporate and commercial practice.

John Ryan, an international tax adviser, will relocate to New York in June, where he will be resident tax counsel. There, he will head up a team of corporate tax attorneys focusing on U.S. companies and financial institutions doing business in Ireland.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice opened its first office in the United States 15 years ago in Palo Alto, California and is the only Irish professional services firm with a presence on both the East and West Coasts of the U.S. The expansion of its New York office will make MOP the largest Irish law firm in the U.S.

Dechert Expanding into Ireland with New Office

joshua — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:52:29 +0000

Dechert, llp

Dechert announced Wednesday that it plans to open an office in Dublin, Ireland. The new office will focus on advising investment funds, their investment managers and other fund service providers. Declan O’Sullivan, who previously headed the alternative investment practice at Irish firm William Fry, will lead the Dublin practice for Dechert.

According to a firm press release, three associates have joined O’Sullivan at Dechert and “a full recruitment process for other talented legal professionals is under way.” The firm also expects to add an additional Dublin partner in the near future.

Peter Astelford, co-head of Dechert’s global financial services and investment funds practice, explained the firm’s move into Ireland.

“Many billions of dollars are invested annually in investment funds and each fund must make complex decisions about where to locate based on tax, regulatory, market and structural considerations.

“With our deep resources and extensive experience evaluating the interplay of these factors across key global centers, we can help clients make such decisions with speed, economy and confidence,” Astleford said.

Dechert currently has 19 office in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

O’Sullivan’s practice involves advising domestic and international clients in the establishment and authorization of all types of investment funds including UCITS, hedge funds, property funds and private equity fund products.

Dechert Chairman Barton J. Winokur called the firms entry into Ireland “a tremendous achievement.

“In fact,” Winokur noted, “With our new Dublin office alongside our existing presence in London and Luxembourg, we are now uniquely established in the three leading jurisdictions for international investment funds in the European Union.”

FBI Issues Warning For Counterfeit Check Scheme

joshua — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:26:10 +0000

The FBI has issued a statement warning U.S. law firms to be on the lookout for counterfeit check schemes.

According to the FBI, “the schemers send e-mails claiming to be overseas and seeking legal representation to collect debts from a third party in the U.S. The firm then receives a retainer agreement, invoices reflecting the amount owed, and a check payable to the firm.

“The firm is instructed to extract the retainer fee, including any other fees associated with the transaction, and wire the remaining funds to banks in Korea, China, Ireland, or Canada. By the time the check is determined to be counterfeit, the funds have already been wired overseas.”

In the latest version of the scam, “the fraudulent client is an ex-wife ‘on assignment’ in an Asian country and claims to be pursuing a collection of divorce settlement monies from her ex-husband in the U.S.”

After agreeing to represent the ex-wife, the firm sends an e-mail to the ex-husband and then receives a “certified” check for the settlement via delivery service.

“The ex-wife instructs the firm to wire the funds, less the retainer fee, to an overseas bank account. When the scam is executed successfully, the law firm wires the money before discovering the check is counterfeit.”

The FBI warns all Internet users to use caution when receiving unsolicited e-mails.

Holme Roberts & Owen is First US Firm in Dublin

joshua — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:44:24 +0000

Salt Lake City’s Holme Roberts & Owen has opened an office in Dublin, their third in the European Union, and the first US firm in Dublin. The office opened with 3 lawyers, 2 partners and an Irish lawyer, and plans to build a practice around corporate and commercial clients.

Holme Roberts & Owen LLP is an international law firm established in 1898. It has 250 lawyers practicing in ten offices, including Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and now, Dublin.

Study: Dublin Solicitors Suffering Wage Cuts, Layoffs

Erik Even — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:26:45 +0000

A survey by the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association reports that 40% of new and low-level solicitors in the city have taken pay cuts averaging 15%; and 40% of incoming new solicitors have been laid off or lost their job offer.

Furthermore, 40% (there’s that number again) are working without a contract; and 30% are considering changing careers.

The study questioned solicitors with less than five years experience.

Established in 1938, the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association is the largest bar association in Ireland.

TO Doyle Wants Lawyers to Work for Free

Erik Even — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:03:18 +0000

Blawgs are reporting on a bizarre effort by Irish firm TO Doyle to get “interns” who will work for free.

The bizarre part is that the “interns” are fully-qualified lawyers.

While the ad advertising the internship calls for a “law student,” it requires the applicant to have passed some or all of their examinations and to have some work experience. Traditionally, even a law student working for a law firm gets paid.

On the other hand, at the end of the lengthy eight-month internship, the attorney might be offered a trainee position. So there’s that.

TO Doyle Solicitors is a business law firm in Dublin, Ireland.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice Lays Off 25 Lawyers, Cuts Salaries

Erik Even — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:07:35 +0000

Dublin, Ireland’s Matheson Ormsby Prentice is laying off 25 lawyers from the firm’s corporate & commercial, banking & financial services, and tax departments. The firm is also cutting salaries by 10%.

Trainees are not being targeted.

The firm made 20 people redundant in February, and blames the economic downturn.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice is a leading Irish corporate law firm. With 600 people, including 77 partners and tax principals, and more than 350 legal and tax professionals, Matheson Ormsby Prentice is Ireland’s largest law firm.

Their headquarters are in Dublin, with offices in London, New York and Palo Alto, California.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice Lays Of 15, Lets Go Trainees

Erik Even — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:13:15 +0000

Matheson Ormsby Prentice has eliminated at least 15 jobs.

The firm has also left vacancies unfilled, and did not retain some trainees.

Dublin’s Matheson Ormsby Prentice is Ireland’s largest law firm. It had 600 employees before the cuts, but is now believed to have fewer than 580.

They also have offices in London, New York City and Palo Alto, California.

McCann Fitzgerald Pays 25 to Leave, Cuts Wages

Erik Even — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:04:24 +0000

McCann Fitzgerald is eliminating 25 employees through a voluntary redundancy program.

The firm will also cut wages for all staff earning more than €37,500 ($49,800) a year.

Professional staff will see salaries cut 10%, with a cut of 5% for administrative and secretarial staff.

McCann Fitzgerald is based in Dublin, with 450 employees across offices in Belfast, London and Brussels.

William Fry Lays Off 17, Cuts Pay

Erik Even — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:19:22 +0000

Dublin law firm William Fry has made 17 staff redundant, and implemented pay cuts of up to 10%.

The firm, one of Ireland’s “big five” legal practices, informed its 400 staff of the decisions this weekend.

The pay cuts will apply to all employees on a sliding scale.

William Fry has 63 partners, and offices in Dublin and New York. It also has a formal association with Belfast law firm Tughans.

A&L Goodbody Cuts 45, Slashes Pay 10%

Erik Even — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:56:03 +0000

A&L Goodbody will cut 45 jobs, and the firm’s 555 remaining staff are likely to have their pay cut by 10% later this year.

The company, whose staff are frequently involved in major corporate transactions and big legal cases before the courts, told staff yesterday that it wanted 20 voluntary redundancies from its team of 360 fee-earning solicitors.

These redundancies are being sought from all ranks in the practice.

A further 25 voluntary redundancies are being sought from the firm’s support staff – those who do not earn fees for the business.

The Dublin-based firm also has offices in London, Belfast and Boston.