December 18, 2002

Mr. Duffy Attends First WSG European
Regional Organizing Committee Meeting

At the World Services Group ("WSG") Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas, in early October, as part of the organization process of WSG, Mr. Duffy was appointed to the European Regional Organizing Committee of WSG.  The Committee held its first meeting this day and discussed how WSG could be more effectively implemented in Europe.  The members expressed satisfaction with the considerable progress made to date in securing many top law firms throughout Europe and elsewhere and the solid foundation this provided. 

October 17-20, 2002

Paola Rinaldi Represents the Firm at
the Lex Mundi Annual Meeting in South Africa

Paola Rinaldi, who recently received notoriety in a featured Lex Mundi Success Story in the Lex Mundi Reports, represented the Firm at the Lex Mundi Annual Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.  Paola was already well known to a number of the attendees from having worked with them on Lex Mundi matters, and it was good all to be able to put a face to the name and voice over the telephone.  Having the opportunity to meet colleagues from around the world with whom you work regularly is one of the important functions of these meetings, and Paola plans to attend as many future meetings as possible. 

October 16-19, 2002

Kevin T. Murtagh Represents the Firm at
the TAGLaw Fall Meeting in Vienna, Austria

Kevin Murtagh represented the Firm at the TAGLaw Fall Conference in Vienna, Austria, that was attended by well over 100 TAGLaw attorneys from over 50 TAGLaw member firms from around the world.  This was Kevin's first effort at representing the Firm at a legal network meeting, and he says he enjoyed the experience of meeting so many attorneys from different jurisdictions and comparing notes with them. 

October 16-20, 2002

Mr. Duffy Attends and Speaks at
The Fall Meeting of the NYSBA ILPS in Rome

Mr. Duffy, who currently serves as Chair Elect of the New York State Bar Association International Law and Practice Section attended the Section's Fall Meeting in Rome.  He also was the moderator of and a speaker on a panel that discussed the ethical implications of the recent corporate governance scandals.  Giovanni P. Prezioso, the General Counsel of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission also spoke on this panel from the Commission's headquarters in Washington, DC, via a live interactive television link. 

October 4-5, 2002

Mr. Duffy Attends the Inaugural Meeting
of the World Services Group held in Dallas, Texas

Mr. Duffy was one of about 60 participants who represented more than 40 member firms in attending the inaugural annual meeting of the World Services Group that was hosted by the Texas law firm Haynes & Boone of Dallas.  This exciting new concept in the delivery of independent multidisciplinary professional and business related services got off to a good start with very active participation by a large number of the founding member law firms.  WSG's website is swiftly becoming operational, and membership is growing rapidly.  The WSG website contains a large number of unique tools that allow member firms and clients to collaborate together very effectively.  Steve McGarry, who conceived the model for WSG expects it to become one of the largest and most comprehensive professional service organizations within a few years.  

September 18, 2002

Ted Lapidus Retains Firm 
To Enforce French Judgment in New York

The French haut couturier Ted Lapidis retained the Firm today to enforce a judgment rendered in the French courts in Paris against a debtor based in New York.  The Firm has considerable expertise in enforcing foreign judgments which is why Ted Lapidus sought its assistance.  

September 18, 2002

The Firm is Retained to Assist with
the Sale of Commercial Properties in
Luxembourg, Köln, and Washington, DC

The Firm has been retained to represent the owners of a group of commercial properties in Luxembourg, Köln, Germany, and Washington, DC., in their sale to a Belgian holding company.  The properties have an aggregate value of about 111 million Euro, and are prime office building properties in the locations in question.  The transactions are all scheduled to close this calendar year.  Mr. Duffy was the lead attorney on the transaction and was assisted by Paola Rinaldi of the Firm's Monaco office. 

August 30, 2002

The Firm to Assist With the
Redevelopment of a Building in New York City
to Serve as a Permanent Mission to the United Nations

The Firm has been retained to assist a private company and a foreign government to redevelop a property in the vicinity of the United Nations in New York City that will ultimately house that foreign government's permanent mission to the United Nations as well as commercial space and living quarters space for mission staff.  The project contemplates demolition of the existing structures on the property and the construction of a 55 story building.  Mr. Duffy is the lead attorney on the transaction and will be assisted by Kevin T. Murtagh of the Firm's New York office. 

August 29, 2002

The Monaco Office Retained to Assist
With the Creation of a Joint Venture for
the Construction of Power Plants in Romania

The Firm's Monaco office has been retained to prepare the necessary joint venture agreements and advise the resulting joint venture regarding a proposed project to design, construct, and operate a series of 400mw electric power generating facilities in the Republic of Romania.  

August 12, 2002

The Monaco Office Assists German Client in the
Sale of an Prestige Hungarian Hotel for 25.5 Million Euro

The Firm's Monaco Office assisted a German client and the client's Luxembourg subsidiary in the negotiation and sale to a Belgian group of a prestige hotel property in Budapest.  The sale, which did not include the operating contract for the hotel, was valued at more than 25.5 million Euro and included the land, buildings, and leases.  The purchase price was to be paid by a combination of cash and assumable bank financing.  Mr. Duffy was the lead attorney on the transaction and was assisted by Paola Rinaldi. 

August 2, 2002

Mr. and Mrs. Duffy Invited to
Attend the Croix Rouge Ball in Monaco

Mr. and Mrs. Duffy were the guests of a Monaco Office client at this year's Bal de la Croix Rouge Monegasque in Monaco.  The Red Cross Ball is one of the highlights of the Monaco summer social season.  Other guests at the client's table included the US Consul General and her husband and the head of the Monaco office of one of the major US brokerage firms.  Prince Rainier III, Princesse Caroline and her husband, the Prince of Hanover, and Prince Albert also attended the ball along with about 1,100 other participants. 

July 13, 2002

Joseph Norton Leaves to Practice
With a Law School Classmate in New Area

Joseph Norton left the Firm today to join with a law school classmate in a new area of law.  This will represent a considerable change in focus for Joe, and we wish him well in his new endeavors. 

July 3, 2002

James P. Duffy, III, as President of the 
American Club of the Riviera, Hosts Prince Albert
and US Sixth Fleet Admiral Fry for the Fourth of July 

The American Club of the Riviera held its annual July Fourth celebration, a dinner dance at the Cafe de Paris in Monaco.  The guests of honor included Prince Albert of Monaco and Admiral Scott Fry, the Admiral of the United States Sixth Fleet.  In addition, to the Prince and the Admiral, other guests included Ambassador Jacques Boisson, the Ambassador of Monaco to the United Nations in New York, and Mrs. Maguey Macarrio Doyle, the Counsel General of Monaco in New York.  Click here to see a picture of the event from the July 5, 2002, edition of the Nice Matin, the local daily newspaper.  

July 1, 2002

Firm Featured in Lex Mundi Success Stories

The Firm and Paola Rinaldi of the Firm's Monaco Office were the featured Lex Mundi Success Story for the Month of July as a result of the cooperative effort between the Firm and Gide Loyrette & Nouel, the French Lex Mundi Member Firm.  Click here to see a copy of the article.  See also the item for April 4, 2002, below. 

June 4, 2002

The Firm Successfully Enforces a French Judgment in the United States

The Firm successfully enforced a judgment of the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Nice, France, rendered against a resident of Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States of America.  The Firm, on behalf of the judgment creditor, applied to the United States District Court for New Jersey in Trenton, New Jersey, for an order enforcing the French judgment, and the United States Court granted the Firm’s application.  This effectively converted the French judgment into a United States judgment that can be enforced anywhere in the United States.  Click here to see a copy of an article in a local Nice, France, legal periodical commenting on this case.  

May 17, 2002

Monaco Office hosts SEC Enforcement Staff

Today, the Monaco Office hosted SEC Enforcement Division Deputy Director Richard Sauer, Division Chief Michael Moore, and Staff Attorney Charles Neal. The purpose of the visit was to meet with Monegasque Government officials to discuss matters of current common interest.  Ms. Rinaldi also participated in the meeting along with Mr. Duffy. 

May 14-15, 2002

Mr. Duffy Attends New York State
Bar Leadership Conference in Albany, NY

Mr. Duffy, as Chair-Elect of the International Law and Practice Section, attended the New York State Bar Association Bar Leadership Conference at the home of the Association in Albany. The conference was designed to encourage networking among the various leaders of the NYSBA. 

May 10, 2002

Mr. Duffy Attends Lex Mundi European Regional Conference

Mr. Duffy represented the Firm at the Lex Mundi European Regional Conference in Copenhagen from May 10th through the 12th. The conference attracted over 130 attorneys from about 70 countries and offered an excellent opportunity for Lex Mundi members to renew acquaintances and make new relationships. As a result of the conference Julio Contraras of the Panama member firm visited the Firm's Monaco office and met with Paola Rinaldi to discuss ways in which the two firms could cooperate together.  

April 4, 2002

Firm Acts as Local Counsel for Gide for Bank Loan in Monaco

Gide Loyrette & Nouel, the French Lex Mundi member firm, retained the Firm to assist it with the documents and closing of a 20.5 million Euro loan to a biomedical company in Monaco. The Firm prepared pledge agreements for the pledge of company's ongoing business ("fonds de commerce") and the shareholder's shares and will attend to their proper recording in Monaco. The Firm's Monaco office will also serve as the domicile of the lead bank on the loan. Paola Rinaldi was the working attorney on the matter.

January 23, 2002

James P. Duffy, III, Elected Chair-Elect
of the International Law and Practice Section at the
Annual Meeting of the New York State Bar Association

James P. Duffy, III, was elected Chair-Elect of the International Law and Practice Section at the Annual Meeting of the New York State Bar Association.   This means he will become Chair of the Section in 2003.  The International Law and Practice Section of the New York State Bar Association is one of the premier groups of lawyers who practice international law.  Mr. Duffy was a founding member of the Section and has been involved in its leadership from its beginning.  Today, the Section has over 2000 members and Chapters in more than 30 cities around the world. 

January 19, 2002

James P. Duffy, III, Re-elected
President of The American Club of the Riviera

James P. Duffy, III, along with the entire slate of officers and governors proposed by the nominating committee was unanimously re-elected president of The American Club of the Riviera at a luncheon meeting held at the Chateau des Olleiers in Nice.   Among the members and guests present were US Consul Martha Melzow from the Consulate in Marseilles, France, and her husband.   

January 4, 2002

B&D Joins the World Services Group
as a Founding Member of the Organization

When Steven McGarry finished his term as the President of Lex Mundi, he decided to try to replicate his success with the formation of an organization he called World Services Group, which was intended to be a multidisciplinary group of independent providers of services required by businesses around the globe.  After discussions with Mr. McGarry, the Firm determined WSG could definitely fit into its plans, and the Firm joined in the organizing of WSG as one of its initial members.  Here is a link to the WSG website where more information about it is available.