Executive Outcomes: Albidon, Mount Gibson, Amec, Territory, Admiralty, Mundo, Qgm, Korab and More

July 11th, 2009 at 05:39am Under Admiralty Law

NICKEL producer Albidon announced yesterday that Dale Rogers’ contract as managing director has expired and, by mutual agreement, would not be extended.

Rogers has also resigned as a director of the company. Directors Alasdair Cooke and Paul Chapman have been appointed joint managing directors while the company searches for a permanent replacement.

As a result of the recent heads of agreement signed between Mount Gibson Iron and Chinese(cnmining) company APAC Resources, Cao Zhong, a representative of APAC, will join the Mount Gibson board.

Director Richard Elman and his alternate director Harindarpal Banga have stepped down from the board of Territory Resources.

Both are also directors of Noble Group, Territory’s largest shareholder, and stepped down due to conflicts of interest in relation to existing and ongoing commercial arrangements between the two companies.

Noble Group has confirmed its ongoing support for Territory.

The hunt is over for the new chief executive officer of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies following the appointment of former National Aquaculture Council chief executive officer Simon Bennison.

Meanwhile, Phillip Thomas has resigned as a director of Admiralty Resources, but will continue to act as a consultant to the company.

South America-focused Mundo Minerals has appointed Andrew Law to the position of chief operating officer.

Law was involved with the discovery of Moly Mines’ Spinifex Ridge deposit and most recently worked for Millennium Minerals.

There have been board changes at Queensland Gold and Minerals, with director Robin Andrews and company secretary John Haley resigning.

Sultan Corporation managing director Derek Lenartowicz has resigned as a director of Korab Resources.

Uranium explorer Atom Energy virtually has a new board after its annual general meeting.

Robert Cleaver was not re-elected as a director, Thomas Cahill retired as a director and Kjeld Thygesen and John Benger both resigned.

David Steinepreis, Warren Staude and Bruce Lane have all been appointed as directors.

Corporate advisor Guy Le Page has been appointed as a non-executive director of 3D Resources, while chairman John Gow has resigned.

John Anderson has resigned as a director of Southern Gold to focus on his role as managing director of Southern Uranium.

Elaine Carr has been appointed company secretary of Carrick Gold following the resignation of Bevan Jaggard.

Carr already works for the company, while Jaggard will remain an executive director.

Mark Burchall has been appointed managing director of Washington Resources, replacing Adrian Griffin as director and managing director.

Richard Jarvis will replace Grant Button as executive director and Michael Langoulant will replace Robert Hair as joint company secretary.

Griffin has also resigned as a non-executive director of Hodges Resources, where he was previously managing director until December 2007.

The company will not fill the position and announced it will cut non-executive directors and chairman fees by 40% due to the financial crisis.

Finally, corporate lawyer Philip Lucas has joined the board of Tasmania-based Macquarie Harbour Mining as a non-executive director.

Maritime Disasters and law

July 10th, 2009 at 05:38pm Under Admiralty Law

While the Titanic is definitely the most famous maritime disaster it is actually not the largest one in the sad history of maritime disasters. Canada also holds a sad record in this history. The infamous Halifax explosion that devastated the city of Halifax, is currently the largest non-nuclear man-made accidental explosion in the history of mankind with the highest death doll of about 2,000 people killed and estimated over 9,000 people were injured. While many people say that maritime disasters are one of the most dangerous, the Halifax Explosion is the one that shows how dangerous they can really be. The tragedy occurred on December 6, 1917 at the time of the First World War. The SS Mont-Blanc, a cargo ship that was chartered by the government to carry munitions to Europe collided with unloaded Norwegian ship Imo, chartered by the Commission for Relief in Belgium to carry relief supplies. While Imo was unloaded at the moment, the SS Mont-Blanc was fully loaded with wartime explosives. The collision itself occurred at 8.40, at 8.50 Mont-Blanc caught fire, drifted toward the peers and exploded fifteen minutes later. The explosion was equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT, which is actually one fifth of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, which had estimated power of 15 kilotons. The fireball rose over 1.2 miles into the air and the explosion obliterated all the buildings and structures within 2 square kilometers including buildings in the communities of Richmond and Dartmouth. The explosion also caused an 18 meter high tsunami that covered the harbor. It is impossible to tell what the reason of the explosion was, most probably it was criminal negligence be the crew members of one of the ships. Like many other disasters this one has a very good ground for investigation and even trial, but the devastating power of the explosion was so huge that there is literally no one left to sue.

As for the legal side of such navigation problems as the Halifax explosion, it would be regulated by the Canadian criminal code, because it occurred in the Canadian waters. As for the Maritime Laws in general there are two types of law – Admiralty Law (Maritime Law) and Law of the Sea. The Admiralty Law is a distinct body of law which governs maritime questions and offenses. Because the ships that roam the oceans and seas can belong to various companies and countries this law is a body of both domestic law governing maritime activities, and private international law governing the relationships between private entities which operate vessels on the oceans. The main matters that it deals with are: marine commerce, marine navigation, shipping, sailors, the transportation of passengers and goods by sea and also a number of land based commercial activities that are maritime in character. The Law of the Sea is a body of public international law and has another scope of problems. It is dealing with navigational rights, mineral rights, and jurisdiction over coastal waters and international law governing relationships between nations.

Specific Categorization Of Law

July 10th, 2009 at 11:38am Under Admiralty Law

In addition to the basic classification of law, which includes the domestic and international laws; the public and the private laws there are specific classifications of law which help us to have a better understanding on the insights of law. Admiralty law is commonly known as the Maritime law. The admiralty law deals with the regulations that cater to the issues that are connected with the imports and export through the mode of water, further this regulation not only deals with the imports and exports through water transport but it also includes regulations on all the aspects connected with water transport. The maritime laws are almost framed by all the countries. The attorney general manages all the issues which are concerned with the cargo disputes, oil pollution, fishing, regulations, international trade and even the injuries that take place on the docks and the vessels. The attorneys general have expertise knowledge on the issues like the trade law, legal matters which are associated with the environmental protection aspects and the protection of the endangered species. This law also covers on the issues which are involved with the freight disputes and the passenger liabilities. The laws which have been framed to enhance the safety concerns via air transport are referred as aviation laws. The aviation laws also cover the different regulations concerning the aircraft operations and the maintenance of the aircraft facilities. In US there are specialized courts that govern the matters which are concerning the issues of bankruptcy rulings. The attorneys handle these cases of bankruptcy. There are a number of civil laws that are concerned with aspects that consider the rights and the privileges of the citizens. The rights which are guaranteed by the Constitution of the country are the freedom of independency, freedom to vote, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and above all the right to be treated equitably by all. These days the world is being flooded with the new products; people are intended to advertise more so as to become more competitive so it is quite obvious that there would be tall claims. However it is important to remember that the tall claims or the claims which are not true needn’t be advertised whatever the reason may be hence for the protection of the consumer there are a number of laws enacted so as to protect the consumers against the false and fake claims, such enactments are referred as consumer rights. Business activities having achieved greater heights, it is essential that there are a set of well laid laws that can solve the complexities of the business, the corporate laws concern on all the issues relating right from the formation to the dissolution of the firms. The criminal laws are brought in force for the crimes ranging from the petty offences to the murders, there are stringent rules formulated so as to contemplate on matters which have to be dealt seriously. The criminal laws are laid down by the local, state and the federal governments. Further there is another broad classification of employment law which exercises on the matters covering the employee and employer relations.

Panama Law Firms and Lawyers

July 10th, 2009 at 05:39am Under Admiralty Law

Panama lawyers are often best found by talking to locals about who they would recommend. Not surprisingly, many lawyers in Panama have been educated in the United States and are members of the American Bar Association. Everyone says you can not do anything in Panama with out a lawyer, so everyone goes searching for a Panamanian Lawyer. Put simply you need a lawyer to do your incorporations, you need a different lawyer to handle immigration and visas and you need a lawyer who specializes in Real Estate. The services are known to be delivered in a highly competent manner, as public education through college and professional schools is a top priority in this culture.

Panama’s Legal Environment

Panama is, also, an evolving Latin American country with abject poverty adjacent to staggering wealth. Panama’s dynamic economy is changing at warp-speed. Panama is now seen as the hottest real estate market on the globe. Panama’s national currency is the US dollar.

Panama is a culture of diversity and, accordingly, has no “axe to grind,” or national policy to export abroad. Panama has taken its role and reputation as a tax and investment destination very seriously. Panama has a very strict anti-drug money laundering statute to insure the integrity of its banking system. Panama is the banking center of Latin America and is respected as such.

Quality of Panamanian Lawyers

Only Panamanians can be licensed as lawyers in Panama and it is widely recognized that law schools in Panama turn out poorly educated lawyers. They are most likely fat, drive a black Mercedes and also tell you they are specialists in all aspects of law and you have to look no further for all your needs. All good Panama lawyers thank you for keeping them in style.

Common Legal Services

If you want to hire a Panama lawyer for business purpose then the selected lawyer should have adequate and up-to-date knowledge so as to help you with business formation, property ownership, breach of contract, business disputes, employment, trade mark, insurance, trust, etc. The principal areas of legal services are corporate law (including incorporations and setting up companies or international business corporations), commercial law, immigration, real estate, and some administrative matters. Other areas commonly handled by Panama lawyers are admiralty law, vessels registration and ship mortgages to more complex issues including maritime litigation, arrest of vessels, ship ownership transfer, panama shipping services, finance transactions, and drafting maritime contracts or credit and security instrument, offshore incorporation of offshore corporations, Panama, international business companies, tax shelter, tax minimization, asset protection, private foundation / offshore foundation, banking, banks, offshore banks, offshore banking, trademark, offshore trademarks, second passports, immigration law, maritime law, yacht registration, vessel registration, offshore yacht registration, offshore vessel registration, lawyers, offshore lawyers, attorneys, panama attorneys, panama lawyers, offshore, legal services. Offshore corporations,foundations, bank accounts, credit cards, debit cards, asset protection packages, immigration and family law to name but a few.

Legal

Since lawyers help you to overcome legal problems, early and timely consultations with an appropriate Panama lawyer shall prevent any problems which may otherwise arise if proceeded with lack of knowledge whether it is concerning business, immigration or any other purpose. Proper legal advice from a proper Panama lawyer would not only help you to fulfill the legal formalities but, shall also prove to be time saving and economical. Hence Panama lawyer proves to be a great source of support regarding any legal formalities in Panama. The principal areas of legal services are corporate law (including incorporations and setting up companies or international business corporations), commercial law, immigration, real estate, and some administrative matters.

Investors are cautioned to retain the services of licensed professionals when considering real estate investment because the laws and practices in Panama are different than in the US, as certain lands are untitled. Minimize the legal risk derived from the wrong application of Law. When in Panama it is important to play it safe and always get another legal opinion.

Understanding the Value of Admiralty Law

July 9th, 2009 at 05:38pm Under Admiralty Law

In this day and age, Admiralty Law seems like a thing of the past to those who are not directly affected by its principles. Also known as maritime law, this principle governs everything from shipping to wharf operations to recreational rules and regulations. Without Admiralty Law, the waterways and oceans would become a place of pandemonium and “might makes right” seamanship. Obviously, these laws were put in place for a reason.
Despite the fact that many people of this day and age don’t realize the implications of piracy on the waterways, especially international waterways. Piracy falls under the areas of inclusion where Admiralty Law is concerned. All too often those affected by piracy end up feeling powerless against their intruders and never really effectively deal with the impact of piracy.
While the movies may make piracy out to be a beatable force with a little determination and creativity, in reality, a man with a machine gun at your face isn’t something that can be deterred by swinging ape like around on the boom. While most cases of piracy are never prosecuted, there are a few cases on the books that prove that a little evidence and a high quality maritime injury attorney can change the outlook of someone who has been abused by piracy.
Maritime law, or Admiralty Law also extends to disputes regarding recreational accidents. This mean when the uninsured yahoo who has had way too much to drink, anchors in forward, skips the backing down, and launches himself merrily into another beer shouldn’t be surprised when the boats downwind of him rely on a maritime injury attorney to recoup the damages caused by his boat at three in the morning when the wind kicks up and he breaks free.
Of course, breaking free can happen to anyone, but anyone who has spent any time on the water knows that there are preventative measures and there are encouraging measures. Maritime injury lawyers are flooded with cases stemming around those who forgot to take their preventative measures.
Injury at sea is also included under Admiralty Law. This applies mostly to those who make their living on the water in one form or another, as well as to principles of safety involving merchant sea-persons and the U.S. Coast Guard. It also applies to the skipper who is taking an overloaded boat out for a day sail and for whatever reason drifts off into a day dream or takes his attention away from his responsibilities, backwinds the sail, and sends one of his crew members for the day careening into the waters, where if he’s lucky enough to stay conscious he may only have a concussion to deal with.
Maritime injury lawyers usually do a reasonable consultation on these types of cases to determine fault, evidence, and if the case is tri-able in the long run. Injury at sea can be very serious and costly for both recreational boaters and those who earn their paycheck from the water. No injury at sea should go without a consultation by a maritime injury attorney.
Admiralty Law as it applies to the injury at sea goes hand in hand with the Jones Act. The Jones Act was determined to be the ruling government of issues relating to injuries that occur on the water or along the water’s edge basically, that was a direct influence involving monetary gain. This means that dock workers, commercial fishermen, merchant sea-persons, and even barge construction crews all fall under the Jones Act protection laws.
If a worker is injured while earning a living at sea or a sea related activity, they really should immediately contact a maritime injury lawyer to determine if their case is relevant to the Jones Act. If it is, they should acquire specialized representation, as there are different rules and regulations regarding the Jones Act as it applies to injured workers when compared to regular worker’s compensation. These differences are very important and they should be explained by a down to earth maritime injury lawyer.
Of course, there are thousands of situations that apply to the Jones Act and Admiralty Law. There simply isn’t the capacity to cover them all in one article, or even a dozen for that matter. The bottom line is pretty simple, if it relates to an injury at sea or other damage caused by negligence or a preventable situation, the type of lawyer a person chooses does matter.
While a recreational sailor can hold a drunken anchoring job accountable for damages to his boat under either the Admiralty Law or through a regular attorney for negligent behavior. The laws and standards of proof are a bit different from each other and one should consider very carefully before deciding which way to go. Just because as a society we are more familiar with lawsuit derived from negligence claims doesn’t mean that this is the better alternative.