Understand Your Rights. Solve Your Legal Problems
US financial services company Robinhood has settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of 20-year-old college student Alex Kearns who committed suicide after seeing a negative account balance of $730,000. On Thursday, Robinhood disclosed the settlement in its IPO filing, however, the terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
In February, Alex Kearns’ family accused the company of luring inexperienced investors into taking big risks in complicated financial instruments without providing necessary investment guidance and much-needed customer support. According to Kearns’ family, he made many attempts to get in touch with Robinhood before he took his own life, but his approaches went unanswered. The lawsuit accused the company of wrongful death, negligent infliction of emotional stress, and unfair business practices. Executives of the company have said they were devastated by Alex Kearns’ death and have highlighted efforts to improve Robinhood’s options trading, customer service, and educational efforts.
According to court filings, the settlement was reached in late May and the case was permanently dismissed on June 21.
On Thursday, the Trump Organization’s CFO, Allen Weisselberg, surrendered himself to authorities in New York as he and the Trump family’s company prepare to face criminal charges in a tax-related probe. Weisselberg has worked for the Trump family for almost fifty years.
The criminal charges are the first against Trump’s company since prosecutors launched investigations against it three years ago. They present the latest development of an intensifying fight between the former US president and the New York prosecutors.
The exact charges against the Trump Organization and Mr Weisselberg currently remain unknown. However, the charges are likely to involve alleged tax breaches related to benefits that the Trump Organization gave to top executives. No criminal charges are expected to be brought against Mr Trump personally, but they nonetheless define a significant turning point for the former US president. Further charges will likely be made in the future.
Mr Trump and his supporters have said that the investigations into the Trump Organization are politically motivated.
Statistics show that more than 38,000 people die in vehicular accidents every year while millions are seriously injured. This article lists the steps you can take to ensure your safety on the road and help prevent accidents from occurring.
One of the easiest ways to stay safe on the road is by always wearing your seat belt. Your seat belt is one of the most important safety gears in your vehicle and only takes a few seconds, if that, to put on. You should never get behind the wheel without properly fastening your seat belt first. Make sure that your passengers are also wearing their seat belts to keep everybody safe.
When driving, you should always be in control of the wheel. This will prove easier if you keep at least one of your hands always holding the steering wheel. It is even better if you get used to driving with both of your hands strategically positioned on the steering wheel. By doing so, you will be able to manoeuvre your vehicle quickly if need be.
When you are driving, make sure that your focus is solely on the road by avoiding distractions such as switching radio channels or taking a sip of your coffee. It should go without saying that you shouldn't be using your phone while behind the wheel. Such actions may seem small but they will divide your attention, stopping you from reacting immediately when necessary. Reduced action time increases the risk of car accidents.
Before you take out your vehicle for a drive, make sure that it is road-worthy. This means that you need to check every aspect carefully, such as its tyres, fuel, and brakes. It will also help to take the time to have your vehicle periodically maintained so that any potential issues with your car that can lead to accidents will be addressed or resolved promptly.
As much as possible, you should already know your route before you take your vehicle out for a ride. Take the time to familiarise yourself with your route using a map, sat nav, Google Maps, or Google Street View. When you already know your route, you will focus more on your quality of driving and less on which turn to take next.
Nevertheless, if you find yourself in an unfamiliar area, make sure that you scan about 12 seconds ahead. For instance, if you are driving on a highway, you have to keep a position that is far enough from other vehicles, so that you will be able to avoid them if they were to stop suddenly or swerve. Even if you are driving on a service road, you should always leave a three-second cushion between you and the vehicle in front of you.
If weather conditions are poor, leave six-second cushion between you and any vehicle ahead. Reduced visibility from fog or heavy rain can reduce your reaction time, while rainfall can lead to aquaplaning. Aquaplaning occurs when a layer of water builds up between a vehicle's tyres and the surface of the road beneath. When this happens, the vehicle's tyres can no longer grip the road's surface, causing a lack of traction. Aquaplaning can easily cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle, as they are unable to steer, brake, or accelerate.
Finally, you should also consider limiting your passengers because the risk of a fatal crash tends to increase with every additional passenger that you carry. You should also try to avoid driving at night or during poor weather conditions.
Seek medical attention: There are instances wherein no matter how careful you may be, you still find yourself in an unfortunate road mishap. In this case, one of the very first things you need to do is to assess your injuries. If you can, also check the condition of the other people involved in the crash. Some of the most seasoned car accident lawyers suggest that even if you feel fine, you should still get medical attention as soon as help arrives. The reason behind this is that your injuries might not start to show until after a few days, and by then, you might not be able to maximise the claim that you can acquire to help you manage the expenses you incur for your injuries. Nevertheless, keep your medical records because this will form part of the pieces of evidence that you might need to present later on.
Call the police: Another thing that you may want to do soon after a car accident is to call the police. If need be, they will also get in touch with emergency responders to help anyone who needs critical care at the scene. The police will conduct a thorough investigation and document the scene. Make sure that you get a copy of their report later on because this will be helpful in both your claim and potentially your court case if the need for one arises.
Exchange information: While waiting for the police to arrive, you can exchange information with the other motorists involved in the accident. However, this is only applicable if you and the other party’s injuries seem to be minor. Aside from asking for their details, including their name, address, contact number, and license information, you should also take the time to get pictures of the scene from different angles. Make sure that you capture the road conditions during the accident as well as the weather.
There are several ways for you to help prevent road accidents and reduce your risk of being involved in a car crash. Apart from always wearing your seat belt, you should also set your mind to be in control of your vehicle and focus on the road. Before you use your car, you should also make sure that it is roadworthy. As much as possible, you should also know your route and limit your passengers because all these are geared towards helping you keep safe and avoid accidents on the road.
On Wednesday, Amazon filed a 25-page motion with the FTC, arguing that Khan lacks impartiality in the antitrust investigations. Amazon said that Khan has previously made public comments about Amazon and its conduct.
The move by Amazon comes as US and foreign regulators are investigating various areas of the company’s business. In Autumn 2020, EU antitrust regulators filed charges against the e-commerce giant, accusing it of using business data to wield an unfair advantage over smaller sellers on its platforms. The FTC and Congress are now looking into Amazon’s treatment of third-party sellers and reviewing its proposed acquisition of US media company MGM.
Lina Khan was sworn in as FTC Chair in June. The unexpected move came just three hours after she was officially confirmed to serve as a commissioner by the Senate. During her confirmation hearing, Khan stated that she has no financial conflicts that would make her subject to recusal under ethics laws.
You may be in pain and trying to pool your energies not only to recover your health, but to feel well enough to return to work. However, at some point, you may realise that your financial situation is suffering just as much as you are and that the medical bills just keep accumulating. An alarm goes on in your head: you do need to file a claim. Are you too late?
It is always a good idea to start the process as soon as possible. This means that if you are still under medical treatment, there is no reason for you to wait to file. However, you do not want to accept a settlement until you can confirm the scope and nature of your injuries and damages.
The clock for personal injury claims starts to run as soon as you are injured. If you allow the time the statute marks, you will lose the right to file a claim. Depending on the state where you live, this time window may run between 2 and 4 years. Talk to a personal injury lawyer to confirm the time period for your state.
There are certain situations in which this timeline can be extended, and these are:
If your situation falls within any of the above, you should get legal representation as soon as possible since you will be required to present additional proof and documentation in order to be allowed to get an extension for the time to file.
Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) simply refers to the point of your treatment after which there will be no further improvement. This is when you will be as healthy as can be expected considering your injuries.
It is important for your lawyer and your healthcare providers to agree that you have reached a point of MMI in order to put a value on the damages you will be seeking. Or, if you are still not at the point of reaching your maximum improvement, they may come up with an amount large enough to cover your ongoing medical expenses and whatever else you might need in the future that will affect your finances.
It is vital to have a clear picture of your damages, both current ones and those expected in the future, before your case is resolved. You do not want to accept a settlement only to realise shortly thereafter that the amount will not cover your financial needs.
You can get more information on how to calculate the damages that you will be seeking by consulting with legal experts. Don’t make a quick decision that may end up affecting your rights and your future.
While some may assume lawyers and legal firms don’t need this type of coverage, they’re mistaken. General liability insurance handles the finer details if issues arise so that lawyers and other critical personnel can concentrate on handling more important, and more lucrative matters.
General Liability insurance protects firms against a myriad of simple, yet common potential problems:
Bodily Injuries is as it sounds. When a person claims they were physically injured at a lawyer’s office, or due to some fault of the firm, they will sue. This happens to companies and individual practitioners even when they are not at fault. A third party may trip on the sidewalk outside the office building, for instance, and sue the firm for medical bills caused by the fall. Defending individually or as a firm is time-consuming and expensive. A general liability policy takes care of the litigation expenses, pays settlements, and pays judgements when applicable as well.
Property Damages are claims that tangible property was damaged or destroyed. If a member of your legal team meets with a client at their home and accidentally scratches a table while moving a pen around, that table is damaged. The client will likely want it repaired or replaced, and this portion of a general liability policy will cover that.
Personal and Advertising Liability are grievances related to claims of slander, defamation, and copyright infringement. Say, for instance, an independent lawyer runs an advertisement that explains why choosing his services is best. A competing firm may feel that the advertisement put it in a bad light, even if the ad did not mention them specifically. Generally, liability helps bring these claims to settlement when possible and provides for expenses if it’s brought to court. Personal and advertising injury coverage pays for protection when the accused is not at fault.
Medical Payments are an arbitration tool designed to help avoid a lawsuit. Sometimes minor physical accidents happen that don’t need extensive hospital and recovery bills. Even if the lawyer or firm is not at fault for the physical injury, this portion of the medical liability policy allows for payment of simple medical treatments and care.
Rented Premises Damages is designed to provide protection for rented business spaces. Whether a firm leases or rents office space, accidents can occur that damage the property. An employee may overflow a toilet, for instance, or accidentally trigger the fire sprinkler system. These repairs are covered in this portion of the general liability policy. Office furniture and business assets are not covered, however, only the rented premises.
General liability insurance policies provide coverage based on either a claims basis or occurrence basis. The difference between the two is based on when an event occurred. An occurrence-based policy is the most common because it provides coverage based on when an injury occurs. Even if there is no claim filed for months or years into the future, the policy will provide protection because of when the incident occurred.
A claims-based policy operates solely on when a claim is filed. It will provide coverage for current or previous incidents. Any claims made in the future, however, when the policy is no longer active, will not likely be covered.
While rare, liability policies can be configured with deductibles in place. New firms and independent professionals may want to look into deductible options if costs are a concern.
TUI AG announced a share sale to a subsidiary of the Spanish hotel group RIU to reduce the debt it accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
TUI is selling its 49% stake in previous joint venture RIU Hotels SA to Saranja S.L., another company in the RIU Group, for up to €670 million (incl. earn-out). RIU Hotels S.A. is a holding owning 19 existing RIU hotels and another two RIU hotels currently under construction. Should the deal be approved by regulators, TUI expects the deal to be concluded in the late summer.
The Chatham Partners team included partners Dr Marco Núñez Müller and Dr Sebastian Kamm, both of whom assisted RIU with corporate and M&A law; with the help of Möhrle Happ Luther (partner S. Siepmann) they also advised RIU on restructuring and potential insolvency issues regarding TUI AG. The buyer was also advised by Spanish law firm Monlex Abogados (partner José Antonio Fdez. de Alarcón) on corporate and M&A law. TUI was advised by Allen & Overy.
Bedell Cristin advised Prestige Funds on the launch of the new Premium Alziraea Fund, a Shariah-compliant real assets and project financing fund targeted at the renewables and agriculture sector in the UK.
The fund is targeted at Islamic institutional investors looking to diversify their investment portfolios, covering a broad range of projects and small businesses with a focus on agriculture and horticulture. It aims to raise $50-75 million in its first year.
Craig Reeves, founder of the Prestige group, said: “Premium Alziraea is our first Islamic - Impact financing product and is targeting an exceptionally important part of the UK economy at a critical time in its ongoing development.”
The Bedell Cristin team was led by Partners Richard Le Liard and Stephen Nelson.
Iconic lifestyle brand Birkenstock Group has sold its entire business to L Catterton, the largest global consumer-focused private equity firm, backed by Financière Agache, the holding of the Arnault family, shareholder with a significant interest in LVMH. Owners Christian and Alex Birkenstock remain involved in the new Birkenstock Group. The transaction value was not disclosed but the transaction ranks among the biggest transactions in Germany this year.
As reported in The Guardian, Christian and Alex Birkenstock said: “For the next 250 years we need partners sharing the same strategic and long-term vision as the Birkenstock family. In L Catterton and Financiè re Agache, we have found those partners. They bring both a deep understanding of the details of a manufacturing business that is all about quality and a respect for brands with a long heritage like ours. We look forward to taking the next steps with our partners and carrying our family business into an even brighter future.”
Santivañez Abogados has advised Anglo American on an agreement of 187 MW with Engie Energía Perú to provide 100% renewable energy for the Quellaveco copper operation in Peru, which is expected to begin production in 2022. With this agreement, Anglo American has reached its commitment to source 100% renewable energy for all of its operations in Brazil, Chile and Peru.
Tom McCulley, CEO of Anglo American in Peru, said: “Copper has such an important role to play in enabling the global transition to a low carbon economy, so it is important for Anglo American’s new world-class copper mine in Peru – Quellaveco – to lead the way by minimising its own carbon and broader environmental footprint.”
