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Mireille Quirina, chief counsel Europe for Du Pont, talks to Diana Bentley

A draft EU Directive which would increase the freedom of qualified EU lawyers to establish themselves and offer legal services in any member state has taken another step towards legislation. The proposed Directive would allow lawyers to practise permanently and without restriction, under their original professional title, in any EU member state, on the same basis as the host country's own lawyers. All that would be required would be registration with the bar or other relevant authority in the host state, on the same basis as in the home country. In addition, the Directive aims to make it easier to acquire the relevant professional title in the host country. Member states will have to acknowledge the professional experience foreign lawyers have gained in their jurisdiction.

Media and investment consortium Castle Transmission has issued the first sterling high-yield, or junk, bond. The £125 million (US$202 million) 9% guaranteed bond is due in 2007.

Gallaher Group, the UK's largest manufacturer of tobacco products, which manufactures Benson and Hedges, Silk Cut, Hamlet cigars and Condor pipe tobacco, has demerged from American Brands and listed on the London Stock Exchange.

The Third Annual In-House Counsel Event

In spite of the decision in the Scandex case, the liability of directors of foreign-based financial services companies selling into the UK in contravention of FSA rules remains unclear. By David Greene of Edwin Coe, London

CITIC Pacific has sold its 8% stake in HongKong Telecom to China Everbright, a small business backed by China's state council, for HK$11.39 billion (US$1.47 billion).

The Finnish government recently proposed changes to the regulation of the subscription and purchase of shares in real estate funds aimed at creating a more secure and better regulated means of investing in real property. The new legislation would apply to public limited liability companies (referred to in the proposal as 'real estate funds') through which the public can participate in a fund primarily investing in real estate and shares in real estate companies.

Big six accounting firm Price Waterhouse launched a Russian law firm in early June. The firm, called, snappily, Price Waterhouse Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Law Offices, will be primarily staffed by Russians and in due course managed by Russian lawyer partners. "This is a natural extension of Price Waterhouse's presence in the Russian market," says Emory Kesteloot, the tax and legal partner responsible for coordinating the creation of the law firm. "We expect to be among the top Russian law firms. To this end we have appointed two of the most experienced Western legal specialists to lead and develop the practice as resident partners in Moscow." The two are: Professor WE Butler and Maryann Gashi-Butler.

Ernst and Young and a major US law firm are looking to move into the Canadian market. A source has confirmed that Ernst & Young is one of the firms behind an anonymous recruitment advertisement placed in a Canadian magazine. The advert, placed in The Ontario Reports on May 16, offers salaries up to C$400,000 (US$290,000) in a bid to poach "the best talent in Toronto" and states that "the firm is determined to quickly become a major tier-one firm". A source at ZSA Legal Recruitment, which placed the advert, confirms the agency is working for "a big six accountancy firm and a US law firm". Another source has confirmed market rumours that linked the advertisement to Ernst & Young. The firm has already displayed its interest in the Canadian legal market by developing a relationship with the Canadian law firm Donahue & Co. Rob Lord, vice-chairman of Professional Services for Ernst & Young in Toronto, refuses to confirm or deny the firm's involvement with ZSA. However, he does say that the legal market is of considerable interest to Ernst & Young, and indicates that the firm will make an announcement in the future. The other big six accountancy firms denied any involvement with the advertisement. The identity of the US law firm is unknown.