November-December 2003

Mr. Duffy Pursues Limited Schedule

Following the completion of his responsibilities in Amsterdam and for the months of November and December 2003, Mr. Duffy pursued a very limited schedule to mourn for the loss of his wife Elaine.  During this period, others in the Firm took on his duties and responsibilities whenever possible.  

October 21-26, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Chairs NYSBA ILPS Amsterdam Meeting

Mr. Duffy served as Chair for the 2003 Fall Meeting of the New York State Bar Association International Law and Practice Section that took place from October 21, 2003, through October 26, 2003.  Use the following link to see the program for the meeting in PDF format.  The meeting was well attended by attorneys from New York, The Netherlands, and elsewhere.  Also, the Section organized a very successful meeting of its Foreign Chapter Chairs that immediately preceded the Fall Meeting that was likewise well attended by many of the chairs of the Section's 44 foreign chapters.  

October 9, 2003

B&D Successfully Enforces
A French Judgment for Ted Lapidis

After taking judgment in New York against the judgment debtor of a French judgment the French haut couturier Ted Lipidis obtained in France, the Firm secured payment from the New York judgment debtor in settlement of the amounts due under the French judgment.  The Firm has considerable expertise in enforcing foreign judgments in the United States and elsewhere.  

October 7, 2003

21st Century Communications SCP Receives
Successful Decision in the Domain Name
Dispute Started by Reed Elsevier over Who's Who

21st Century Communications SCP, a Monaco corporation that owns a number of who's who related registered service marks and domain names, received a favorable decision in the aggressive Reed Elsevier ICANN Domain Name Dispute Resolution Proceeding when the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution in New York sustained 21st Century's right to its domain names.  Reed's Marquis subsidiary claimed to be an important publisher of a about 15 who's who publications (out of thousands around the world) and wanted 21St Century's domain names for it own use.  21st Century is one of the early entrants into the who's who field on the web and bases its activities solely on the Internet.  21st Century's primary website, www.whoswho-online.com, is top ranked in Google for "who's who" websites.  21st Century has related sites, including, www.whoswho.com, www.whoswho.net, www.whoswho.biz, etc.  The Firm successfully represented 21st Century in a similar proceeding that Editions Jacques Lafitte, the French who's who publisher started in 2000.  Lafitte owns www.whoswho.fr. 

October 7, 2003

Elaine M. Duffy Funeral

Today, Mr. Duffy and his family and friends attended a Funeral Mass for his wife Elaine M. Duffy held at St. Aidan's Church, the same church were Mr. and Mrs. Duffy married on August 8, 1964.  The Mass was well attended by several hundred family, friends, and students and former students of Mrs. Duffy.  She was cremated following the service and her cremains were interred at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury, New York.  

October 3, 2003

In Memoriam
Elaine M. Duffy (1943-2003)

Elaine M. Duffy of Monte-Carlo, Monaco, and East Williston, New York, passed away at her New York home at age 60 on October 3, 2003, after a nearly five year struggle with breast cancer.  She was the daughter of and Elaine M. Higgins of Lattingtown, New York, and the late Thomas L. Higgins.  She was born on January 20, 1943, in Bronx, New York.  

Mrs. Duffy received her bachelors degree from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, and her Masters Degree in Education from Hofstra University in Uniondale, New York.  Her passion was the education of young children, and she taught fifth grade at the Roads School in New Hyde Park, New York.  

Mrs. Duffy was an active supporter of Mercy Medical Center in Rockville, New York, and previously served as President of The Council of Leagues of Mercy Medical Center.  She was a member of the Paris-American Club in New York, New York, and an active member of The American Club of the Riviera in Nice, France.  She was very involved in the American Community in the South of France and Monaco where she had lived since the 1980’s and held the status of “résident privilégié” in the Principality of Monaco.  

Mrs. Duffy is survived by her husband, James P. Duffy, III, an international attorney, and their two children, daughter Jenifer E. Bendezu of Monte-Carlo, Monaco and Chatham, New Jersey, and her husband, Luis A. Bendezu, MD, and son James P. Duffy, IV, also an international attorney, of Monte-Carlo, Monaco, and New York, New York, and grandson, Liam P. Bendezu.  Mrs. Duffy’s mother also survived her, as did her brother Thomas L. Higgins, Jr., and sister Colleen Ebrahemian.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requested donations in Mrs. Duffy’s name to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Suite 1209, 654 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10021, toll-free 1-866-FIND-A-CURE, for breast cancer research. 

August 23, 2003

21st Century Communications SCP Retains
the Firm to Defend Against a Domain Name
Dispute Started by Reed Elsevier over Who's Who

21st Century Communications SCP, a Monaco corporation that owns a number of who's who related registered service marks and domain names, became the target of an aggressive Reed Elsevier attack when Reed started an ICANN Domain Name Dispute Resolution Proceeding before CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution in New York.  Reed's Marquis subsidiary claims to be an important publisher of a about 15 who's who publications (out of thousands around the world) and wants 21St Century's domain names for it own use.  21st Century is one of the early entrants into the who's who field on the web and bases its activities solely on the Internet.  21st Century's primary website, www.whoswho-online.com, is top ranked in Google for "who's who" websites.  21st Century has related sites, including, www.whoswho.com, www.whoswho.net, www.whoswho.biz, etc.  The Firm successfully represented 21st Century in a similar proceeding that Editions Jacques Lafitte, the French who's who publisher started in 2000.  Lafitte owns www.whoswho.fr. 

July 22, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Meets with
New York Court of Appeals Judge
George Smith to Discuss CCBE Proposal

Today, Mr. Duffy, NYSBA ILPS Past Section Chair Michael Maney of Sullivan & Cromwell, and NYSBA Past President Steven Krane of Proskauer Rose met with New York State Court of Appeals Justice George Smith to acquaint him with the substance of the discussions with the CCBE and to seek his assistance in informing the Court of the status of the discussions.  

July 18, 2003

Elaine M. Duffy Enters Hospital

Today, Mrs. Duffy entered the hospital for what was the first of a series of hospital stays related to the reemergence of her breast cancer that lead to her death on October 3, 2003.  

July 3, 2003

Mr. and Mrs. Duffy Preside at 
the July Fourth Dinner Dance of the
American Club of the Riviera in Monaco

James P. Duffy, III, President of the American Club of the Riviera, presided with Mrs. Duffy at the Club's July Fourth Dinner Dance that took place a the Cafe de Paris in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.  Among the numerous honored guests were Admiral Scott Fry and his wife Mary and other senior officers of the United States Navy.  

June 26-28, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Represents the Firm at the
Lex Mundi Managing Partners Conference in London

James P. Duffy, III, represented the Firm at the Lex Mundi Managing Partners Conference that took place in London June 26-28, 2003.  Mrs. Duffy accompanied Mr. Duffy and participated in the spousal events arranged for the conference.  The Right Honorable Gavin Arthur, the Lord Mayor of London, addressed the Conference at Mr. Duffy's invitation.  

May 20, 2003

Kevin Murtagh Resigns to Join Admiralty Firm

Kevin Murtagh left the Firm today to pursue a long-standing desire to practice admiralty law.  Kevin found his ties to the US Navy too strong to break.  He said he needed to get closer to the sea in the practice of the law.  We wish Kevin well in his new endeavors. 

May 15-18, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Represents the Firm
at the Lex Mundi European Regional Meeting in Paris

Mr. Duffy represented the Firm at the Lex Mundi European Regional meeting in Paris hosted by the French Lex Mundi Firm, Gide, Loyrette, Nouel.  The meeting was one of the best attended meetings of its type with close to 200 lawyers from almost 80 member firms attending. 

May 7, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Chairs Direct
Legal Services Negotiations with the EU

Representatives of the New York State Bar Association conducted direct negotiations in Washington, DC, with representatives of the European Bars about bi-lateral legal services agreements with New York.  Mr. Duffy chaired the NYSBA delegation that included, Sydney M. Cone, III, of Cleary Gottlieb, Steven Krane of Proskauer, Kenneth Schultz of Satterlee Stevens, and John Zulack of Williams Fleming.  The EU delegation was represented by Jonathan Goldsmith of the CCBE and Hans-Jurgen Helwig of the German law firm Hengler Muller.  Both sides agreed to meet again in September in San Francisco to continue the negotiations. 

May 2-4, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Conducts
International Law and Practice Section
Executive Committee Retreat in Bermuda

Mr. Duffy, as current Chair of the New York State Bar Association International Law and Practice Section presided over the Section's Annual Executive Committee Retreat that was held in Bermuda this year.  Unfortunately, Mr. Duffy, was suffering from a cold and lost his voice early in the meeting.  Thus, he had a lot less to say than usual. 

March 6-9, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Attends
the Lex Mundi Latin American Regional
Conference in La Romana, Dominican Republic

Mr. Duffy was one of more than 118 attorneys from 48 jurisdictions who attended the Lex Mundi Latin American-Caribbean Regional Conference that Lex Mundi sponsored.  The meeting discussed, among other important topics, the concept of "professionalism" in the current international legal environment.  The conference provided a good opportunity for Lex Mundi members to renew and enlarge their contacts with one another. 

March 2, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Conducts
His First Executive Committee Meeting as
Chair of the International Law and Practice Section

Mr. Duffy conducted his first Executive Committee meeting of the New York State Bar Association International Law and Practice Section in his capacity as Chair of the Section.  He implemented what he said would be one of the major initiatives of his administration, namely, better bi-lateral relationships with other bar associations.  Towards that end, Mr. Duffy appointed two "Blue Ribbon" committees.  The first is to discuss with the European Union, represented by the Common Bar Council of the European Union ("CCBE") implementing mutual agreements similar to those the NYSBA presented to the USTR (and which the USTR accepted) as the negotiating position in the Doha Round of the current WTO negotiations.  The CCBE represents the various bars of the EU to the European Commission.  The second committee is to discuss with the Barra Mexicana implementing a bilateral foreign legal consultant rule similar to that which is now in place in New York.  NYSBA Past President Steven Krane and Sidney M. Cone, II, are members of both committees. 

January 30, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Represents the
International Law and Practice Section at
Dinner at the Residence of the Brazilian Ambassador
to Honor the President of the Brazilian Bar Association

Mr. Duffy represented the International Law and Practice Section today at a dinner party given by Julio Gomez dos Santos, the Brazilian Ambassador to the United Nations, at his residence in New York City to honor Rubens Approbato, the President of the Brazilian Bar Association, on the occasion of his visit to New York to attend the Union des Avocats Internationale meeting. Mrs. Duffy, and Former Chair and Mrs. Kenneth J. Schultz also attended as did Former Chair Isabelle Franco and a number of other dignitaries from the Metropolitan New York area. 

January 30, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, participates in
the WTO Legal Services Working Session at the
Union des Avocats Internationale Meeting in New York

Mr. Duffy was invited to participate in the working session on the upcoming Doha Round of negotiations on legal services.  Mr. Duffy represented the International Law and Practice Section along with past Chair Kenneth Schultz and former New York State Bar Association President Steven Krane.  The session involved lawyers from may jurisdictions around the world, including, France, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Rumania, and Mexico. 

January 25, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Reelected
President of The American Club of the Riviera

James P. Duffy, III, was reelected today as President of The American Club of the Riviera at the Club's Election Meeting held at the Restaurant La Côte at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, France.  The meeting was well attended, and, because of the excellent weather in Cannes that day, the attendees were able to enjoy the cocktail that preceded the luncheon meeting on the terrace of the restaurant that boarders the world famous Croisette.

January 22, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Installed as Chair
of the New York State Bar Association
International Law and Practice Section

Mr. Duffy was formally installed today as the new Chair of the International Law and Practice Section at the Section's Annual meeting at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.  The formal ceremonies took place at the Section's annual luncheon that was well attended by attorneys from many jurisdictions around the world, including a large contingent from the Barra Mexicana.

January 22, 2003

James P. Duffy, III, Moderates a Panel
on the Ethical Issues Associated with the
"Noisy Withdrawal" and related provisions
of Sarbanes-Oxley and the proposed regulations

Mr. Duffy was Program Chair of the International Law and Practice Section program called "Multinationals Confront Sarbanes-Oxley, that the Section presented at the Annual Meeting of the New York State Bar Association.  As part of this program, Mr. Duffy moderated a panel discussion among himself, Jonathan Goldsmith, Secretary General of the Common Bar Council of the European Union and Michael Maney of Sullivan & Cromwell.  The program provided three hours of MCLE credit, and Mr. Duffy's portion were ethics credits.  The program was well attended by attorneys from a number of jurisdictions around the world. 

January 9, 2003

New York State Bar Association Announced
Today that James P. Duffy, III is the New Chair
of the International Law and Practice Section

The New York State Bar Association announced today that Mr. Duffy is the new Chair of the Association's well-regarded International Law and Practice Section, which consists of about 2000 lawyers who primarily focus on the international law and practice.  The Section has Chapters in over 40 major cities around the world on every continent, except Africa.  To see a copy of the Association's press release, click on the preceding link.