December 17, 2004

Paola Rinaldi Resigns Today
To Join HSBC Legal Department

Paola Rinaldi, who worked in the Firm's Monaco Office, resigned, effective today, to join the Legal Department of HSBC's Monaco Office.  Ms. Rinaldi worked on some HSBC matters while at the Firm, and HSBC must have been impressed with her obvious qualifications.  We wish her well in her new activities, which we hope will be both professionally challenging and rewarding for her.  

December 13, 2004

The Firm Obtains Temporary Restraints of
the Citibank Accounts of Viewfinder Inc. d/b/a
firstview.com for Pierre Balmain and Louis Feraud from
the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Today, the Firm secured temporary restraining orders from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York that blocked Viewfinder's account at Citibank based upon two French court judgments rendered on May 2, 2001, one in favor of the French haute couturier firm Pierre Balmain and the other in favor of the French haute couturier firm Louis Feraud.  Balmain and Feraud originally brought suit in the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris against Viewfinder and its firstview.com website for violating their trademarks and copyrights in their fashion designs that Viewfinder displayed on its website.  These restraints were the preliminary steps in two separate actions pending before United States District Judge Gerard E. Lynch of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York to enforce the French court judgments in the United States.  The Firm has considerable experience in enforcing foreign court money judgments in the United States and elsewhere.  The judgments in question arise from copyright and trademark infringement claims that were litigated in the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris and the Cour d'Appel de Paris to which Viewfinder unsuccessfully appealed.  The judgments are in Euro and translate to about $800,000 each at current exchange rates. 

November 25, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, as President of The
American Club of the Riviera, Hosts the Club's
Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon in Monte-Carlo, Monaco

The American Club of the Riviera held its annual Thanksgiving celebration at the Salle Empire of the Hotel de Paris in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.  The event was well attended by many local dignitaries as well as twenty-five representatives of the United States Navy, including Admiral Harry Ulrich, the Admiral of the United States Sixth Fleet and Capt. Jay Chesnut, the US Navy Sixth Fleet Liaison to France.  Admiral Ulrich and Capt. Chesnut were accompanied by their wives, Mrs. Mary Ulrich and Mrs. Clementine Chesnut.  James P. Duffy, III, as President of the Club presided over the event.  Mr. Duffy was accompanied by Dr. Jean C. Kendall.  

November 16, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, and Steven Krane Represent The New
York State Bar Association at USTR Meeting In Washington, DC

The American Bar Association arranged a meeting with the United States Trade Representative in Washington, DC, to discuss the status of the pending legal services negotiations under the Doha Round of the WTO Negotiations.  NYSBA Past President Steven Krane and James P. Duffy, III, represented the NYSBA at this meeting that was also attended by representatives of about a dozen states.  The NYSBA played a major role in drafting the USTR's negotiating position in the legal services negotiations.  As New York is the de facto international legal capital of the world, the NYSBA has a large interest in the legal services negotiations and intends to play a major role in those negotiations.  

November 9-14, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, Participates in the
International Law and Practice Section Fall Meeting
Held in Santiago, Chile, at the new Ritz Carlton Hotel

Mr. Duffy, as Immediate Past Chair of the New York State Bar Association International Law and Practice Section, participated in the Section's Fall meeting held jointly with the Chilean Bar Association.  The meeting was well attended by lawyers from throughout the world who specialize in the international practice of the law.  Mr. Duffy also co-chaired a session that discussed New York's proposed Multi-jurisdictional Practice Rules.  

November 6, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, Represents the
International Law and Practice Section at the
NYSBA House of Delegates Meeting in Albany, NY

Following his term as Chair of the International Law and Practice Section of the New York State Bar Association, Mr. Duffy became the Section's representative to the House of Delegates of the NYSBA.  The House of Delegates is the body that represents the membership of the Association.  Mr. Duffy represented the Section at the House meeting in Albany on November 6th.  The meeting had a very active agenda and approved, among other things, measures to increase diversity among the Association's members.  The meeting also considered a report on the question of same sex marriage in New York, but took no action on the report at this time.  

October 31, 2004

The Firm Returns to 3000 Marcus Avenue

At the end of October 2004, the Firm moved its New York office back to 3000 Marcus Avenue, in Lake Success, New York, directly across the street from the original meeting place of the General Assembly of the United Nations.  The Firm had its offices at this location for over 17 years from the early 1970's to early 1989.  The Firm will occupy additional space and have room for expansion.  The Lake Success location has considerable international significance because of its association with the United Nations for many years prior to the UN's occupying its current quarters in New York City.  It is also closer to Manhattan and the New York area airports and easier to reach from those airports than Manhattan or Garden City.  The Firm's New York telephone numbers remain the same, as do its email addresses and website addresses.  However, the Firm's mailing address for its New York office is now: 3000 Marcus Avenue, Suite 1 West 2, Lake Success, New York 11042-1007.  

October 30, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, Presides Over Monthly
Meeting of The American Club of the Riviera
At the Grand Hotel du Cap, Cap Ferrat, France

The American Club and its members were delighted to return to the beautiful Grand Hotel du Cap on the Cap Ferrat in France for their October luncheon meeting.  The weather was beautiful, and the Club had the cocktail portion of the luncheon on the beautiful veranda overlooking the Mediterranean.  Mr. Duffy, as President of the Club, presided over the meeting.  

October 24-25, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, Represents the Firm
At the World Services Group Events in Auckland
In Connection with the IBA Annual Meeting in New Zealand

Mr. Duffy represented the Firm at the World Services Group meeting held in Auckland, New Zealand, in conjunction with the IBA Annual Meeting held in Auckland, New Zealand.  WSG, which has rapidly become the world's largest professional services group, had representatives of over 60 member firms in attendance.  

October 21-24, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, Represents the Firm
At the 2004 Lex Mundi Annual Meeting and
Introduces Justice Antonin Scalia as Main Speaker

Mr. Duffy represented the Firm at the Lex Mundi Annual Meeting held in Auckland, New Zealand, that was attended by over 170 attorneys from over 70 Lex Mundi Member firms from more than 70 jurisdictions around the world.   US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was the featured speaker at the meeting.  He gave an extremely interesting and well received talk following lunch on Friday, October 22, 2004, that was attended by not only the Lex Mundi members present but also by the Chief Judge and a number of Associate Judges of the New Zealand Supreme Court as well as a number of other New Zealand government officials.  The Justice is a personal friend of Mr. Duffy's, and Mr. Duffy introduced the Justice to the meeting.  

October 19-21, 2004

Paola Rinaldi Represents the Firm
At the TAGLaw Fall Meeting in Madrid, Spain

Paola Rinaldi of the Firm's Monaco Office represented the Firm at the Fall Meeting of TAGLaw that was held in Madrid, Spain.  The meeting was the largest TAGLaw Meeting ever, and it was well attended by representatives of well over half the TAGLaw member firms.  

October 5, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, Chairs Direct Negotiations
Between The Law Society of Upper Canada and
The New York Bar Association Regarding the Mutual
Recognition of Credentials of New York and Ontario Lawyers

Mr. Duffy chaired the second meeting of the NYSBA and TLSUC to discuss how the two organizations could better serve the needs and interests of the Bar and clients through the mutual recognition of attorney credentials.  While the discussions are still in their preliminary stages, there is a strong interest on both sides to find ways to accommodate and facilitate the practice of law internationally so that lawyers from either jurisdiction may enter the other jurisdiction and perform home country legal services for clients without running afoul of unlawful practice issues.  The next meeting is scheduled for New York City in early February 2005.  

September 17-18, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, Represents the Firm at the
Second Annual Meeting of the World Services Group

The World Services Group held its second annual meeting at Le Parker Meridien in New York City.  Mr. Duffy represented the Firm, a founding member of WSG, at the meeting.  Since its inception three years ago, WSG has become the largest professional services network in the world, and the meeting brought together a large number of members from a variety of professional disciplines to discuss the further evolution and development of WSG.  Steven McGarry, the founder of Lex Mundi, conceived the idea for WSG, and continues to serve as WSG's President.  The meeting elected Jaime Cary of the Chilean law firm Cary & Co., Santiago, Chile, as WSG's Chair for the coming year.  

September 17, 2004

Pierre Balmain and Louis Feraud Retain the
Firm to Enforce French Court Money Judgments

The well known French haut couturier firms of Pierre Balmain and Louis Feraud retained the Firm today to enforce judgments each of them had secured against Viewfinder, Inc., a Delaware corporation with a place of business in New York.  Each of the judgments awards damages in excess of $600,000 for infringement of intellectual property rights and unfair competition.  The Firm has enjoyed considerable success in enforcing foreign court money judgments, particularly French court money judgments, in the United States.  Most recently, the Firm enforced an French court money judgment for Ted Lapidus.  

July 15-17, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, Represents the Firm at the
Lex Mundi Latin American Regional Conference in Quito, Ecuador

Mr. Duffy represented the firm at the Lex Mundi Latin American Regional Conference that took place in Quito, Ecuador, July 15-17, 2004.  Quito is about 10,000' high, and, although it is very close to the Equator, the altitude makes the climate very pleasant.  The conference was well attended and included discussion of many legal and economic issues specific to Latin America.  

July 3, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, Presides at the
July Fourth Dinner Dance in Monaco
of  The American Club of the Riviera

James P. Duffy, III, President of the American Club of the Riviera, presided over the Club's Annual July Fourth Dinner Dance that took place the evening of July 3, 2004, at the Cafe de Paris in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.  The event welcomed a number of very special guests, including representatives of the United States Navy, local politicians, and a very substantial number of Club members.  

June 24-26, 2004

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

Mr. Duffy represented the firm at the Lex Mundi Managing Partners Conference that took place in New York City June 24-26, 2004.  This was one of the best attended managing partners conferences, and it afforded Lex Mundi members the opportunity to exchange views about the importance of Lex Mundi in the various firms' practices and the strategic directions of Lex Mundi.  

May 14-16, 2004

Paola Rinaldi Speaks at the
Lex Mundi North America regional Conference

Paola Rinaldi and James P. Duffy, III, represented the Firm at the Lex Mundi North America regional Conference meeting held in Boston on May 14-16, 2004. The Massachusetts Lex Mundi firm, Foley Hoag LLP, hosted the conference.  Ms. Rinaldi spoke as a panelist during the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Practice Group and the Cross Border Transaction Practice Group meeting which focused on  “Officer and Director liability as it Relates to Distressed Companies Around the Globe”.  Her presentation was very well received.  

April 21, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, Chairs NYSBA
Negotiations with The Law Society of
Upper Canada Regarding Attorney Mobility

Mr. Duffy, Lauren Rachlin, and Leonard Quigley met at Osgoode Hall in Toronto, Canada, with Senior Officials of The Law Society of Upper Canada ("TLSUC") to see if it was feasible for the New York State Bar Association ("NYSBA") and TLSUC to try to work our a joint arrangement that would permit Ontario attorneys and New York attorneys to practice in each other's jurisdictions.  The participants deemed the initial discussions to be fruitful and planned to schedule a further meeting in New York City in the Fall. 

March 4-7, 2004

James P. Duffy, III, Represents the Firm at the
Lex Mundi European Regional Conference in Rome

Mr. Duffy represented the Firm at the Lex Mundi European Regional Conference that took place in Rome May 4-7, 2004.  The conference was attended by most of the European Lex Mundi member firms as well as representatives from other regions as well.  

January 28, 2004

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

Mr. Duffy completed his term today as the 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.  Mr. Duffy was pleased to install into office Paul M. Frank of Alston & Bird as his successor. 

January 24, 2004

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 Chateau des Ollieres in Nice, France.  The meeting was well attended by many of Mrs. Duffy's friends and they held a moment of silence in her memory.