Burford Capital Ltd., a closed-end investment company, said Mondayit wants to raise up to GBP200 million in a share placing on London'sjunior market to mark its place in a small but growing sector of fundsthat help finance companies' legal costs in commercial disputes.

Burford Capital said it will start out by investing in disputesbetween companies in the U.S., as well as in those going tointernational arbitration. Later on, it might expand into to otherjurisdictions, it said. A typical investment is expected to be for morethan $3 million and as high as $15 million.

By providing cash to companies to help foot their legal costs, theGuernsey company will be hoping to pick up a share of any awards orsettlements and then pay out money to its shareholders in the form ofdividends.

It didn't say what percentage of proceeds it would ask for, but similar funds take between 20% and 45%.

The company's investment adviser is Burford Group Ltd., set up by U.S. lawyers Christoper Bogart and Selvyn Seidel.

"Third-party commercial dispute finance is a high growth market,helping plaintiffs or defendants get civil justice," Bogart said in astatement. He said these kinds of investment can generate highlyattractive returns that aren't tied to the performance of stockmarkets.

Bogart's previous jobs include serving as executive vice presidentand general counsel of Time Warner Inc., and as chief executive of TimeWarner Cable Ventures. More recently, he was CEO of Churchill VenturesLtd., a special purpose acquisition vehicle, or SPAC, that dissolved inDecember without having made an investment. He is also general partnerat a private fund, Glenavy Arbitration Investment Fund LP, with asimilar strategy to Burford Capital.

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Last year we wrote that Dannon Co.was being sued for claiming that some of its yogurts provide a healthbenefit that other yogurts do not. A class action suit filed inCalifornia’s Los Angeles federal court accused Dannon of falselyadvertising its Activia, Activia Lite, and DanActive products andclaimed Dannon initiated a massive false advertising campaign toconvince consumers to pay more for yogurt containing probiotic bacteria.

Now, reports the LA Times, Dannon just settled the false-advertising lawsuit.The yogurt giant also agreed to create a $35-million fund meant toreimburse those consumers who bought Dannon’s Activia and DanActiveyogurts. Dannon denied the claims and did not admit to any wrongdoing,said the LA Times, but stated that it settled because it wished “toavoid the distraction and expense of litigation,” quoting spokesmanMichael Neuwirth.

Probiotic is a term that means “for life.” The human intestinaltract is filled with a huge amount of helpful, probiotic bacteria,which is a good thing since the human body is designed to havesymbiotic relationships with probiotic bacteria that assist indigestion and destroy harmful microorganisms. Science indicates that asthe body ages, the intestinal tract becomes more rigid at onlyaccepting intestinal flora it recognizes; it is difficult for the bodyto recognize or tolerate new good bacteria. Also, good bacteriadecrease; therefore, it is important to supplement with probiotics,initiating this process early on in life.

Anecdotal evidence suggests friendly bacteria help a variety ofdigestive problems; however, in the United States, no health claims forprobiotics have been approved. The United Nation’s Food and AgricultureOrganization defines probiotics as live microorganisms … which confer abeneficial health effect on the host. In other words, for bacteria tobe considered a probiotic, it must be beneficial to humans. As aresult, if food manufacturers label a food as containing probiotics,the benefits must be proven by research.

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TEWKSBURY, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
Moody, Famiglietti & Andronico, LLP, a proactive CPA and consulting firm, today
announced it has named as partners Pamela L. Sintros, CPA andJames H. Guarino,
CPA/PFS, CFP, MST.

"Both Pamela and Jim demonstrate tremendous commitment to client success with
professionalism, keen insight and responsiveness," said Carl J. Famiglietti,
Managing Partner at MFA. "We are confident that they will add immense value to
our leadership team with their talent, passion and experience."

Prior to joining MFA, Ms. Sintros spent a combined twelve years in the Assurance
and Business Advisory Services Practice of both Arthur Anderson, LLP and BDO
Seidman, LLP. Pam has extensive experience in the high technology, life
sciences, telecommunications, service and manufacturing industries. MFA clients
rely on Pam for her expertise in the areas of revenue recognition, stock-based
compensation, equity transactions and business combinations.

Prior to MFA, Mr. Guarino spent 19 years with the national CPA firm McGladrey,
where he served as Tax Director and headed up the firm`s wealth management
practice. At MFA, Jim provides strategic tax consulting, financial and business
planning guidance to individuals, family offices and closely held businesses.
Jim`s diverse knowledge as a tax and wealth management advisor has also enabled
him to serve as "Personal CFO" for a number of MFA`s high net worth clients,
orchestrating their various business, estate and tax planning transactions and
coordinating with their other advisors.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Kirkland & Ellis earlier today laid off more than 20 associates in its New York office, according to a person familiar with the matter. Associate layoffs also hit the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.

The layoffs came at the end of the firm’s annual associate-review process. Associates deemed to have not been on track to make either equity partner or non-equity partner were asked to leave, the person familiar with the matter said. The numbers of associates asked to leave were higher than last year’s, partly due to the economy and partly due to a lack of attrition experienced by the firm throughout the year.

Kirkland is one of a handful of firms that has weathered the downturn in the economy without making dramatic salary cuts or deferring start-dates. The firm hasn’t instituted layoffs since this time last year. The firm recently made several dozen associates non-equity partners, and gave offers to a significant majority of this year’s summer-associate class.

The Legal Intelligencer reports that now that the firm has finished informing summer associates of their status and has made a firmwide announcement Tuesday morning regarding the decisions, Morgan Lewis & Bockius has provided more concrete numbers when it comes to offer rates.

Firmwide hiring partner Eric Kraeutler said there were 102 eligible 2Ls across the country in this year's summer program. Of that group, 28, or 27.5 percent, were given offers to start as first-year associates in the fall of 2011 -- a year later than would normally be the case given the deferrals of the 2009 first-year class until the fall of 2010.

In Philadelphia, the offer rate was slightly higher with seven of the 23 2Ls, or 30.4 percent, receiving offers. Morgan Lewis' offer rates are lower than some of the other local firms who have given offers. Blank Rome gave offers to about 50 percent of its class. Dechert said it gave offers to more than half of its firmwide class and is holding out on deciding whether to give offers to the rest of the class until after the new year.