Latest news with #CharlesAdams
Irish Times
23-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
UK law firm partners pocket record £2.1m
Clifford Chance partners have taken home a record £2.1 million (€2.4 million) on average for the year to the end of April, after heavy investment in the US and high-profile work for clients including Disney led to the 'magic circle' law firm's highest-ever revenues. The pay-day for equity partners, who share in the firm's profits, marked an increase on the £2.04 million they earned last year on average, and came after revenues rose 9 per cent to £2.4 billion, Clifford Chance said on Wednesday. In the US, where the firm has three offices following a Houston launch in 2023, revenues increased by nearly 20 per cent. Critical mandates in the region included advising the US Department of Energy on its $1.5 billion sustainable aviation fuel programme and securing a successful verdict in a $2 billion suit against Caterpillar. The elite magic circle group of UK-founded law firms have been competing to expand in the US – the world's biggest legal market – in a bid to boost growth and win new clients. Unlike rivals Freshfields and A&O Shearman, Clifford Chance does not have a Silicon Valley office, but managing partner Charles Adams said a California base would be 'logical' at some point 'in the medium term'. READ MORE Clifford Chance is the second magic circle firm to report results this week, after Linklaters said its roughly 490 equity partners had taken home record average pay of £2.2 million, also buoyed by strong performance from its American offices. However, law firm finances are notoriously difficult to compare, due to relatively low disclosure requirements in the UK compared with listed companies. Clifford Chance did not share how many equity partners it has or its total profit figure. The firm said it would continue to expand in the US, where it has 122 partners, having hired 13 over the past year. That compares with Linklaters' 52 US partners and about 175 at A&O Shearman, which completed a transatlantic merger in 2024. 'We will continue to grow roughly at this pace in the United States,' said Adams. Revenues for its US division, which includes São Paulo, came in at £385 million for the year. Outside the US, the firm has benefited from its long-running role advising News Group Newspapers in its defence against a claim of illegal information gathering brought by Prince Harry, which was settled earlier this year. The firm has also picked up a role advising Disney on its new theme park resort in Abu Dhabi. Clifford Chance recorded a 36 per cent rise in revenues to £102 million from its Middle East and Turkey offices over the year, as Saudi Arabia's economy rapidly opens up and expands. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
New York Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
With online threats mounting, Twins' first line of defense is a former policeman
MINNEAPOLIS — Before his outing ever really got going, Bailey Ober walked a career-high six batters and yielded four home runs, at which point his wife peeked at her phone. On the screen, she discovered a disturbing message from an unknown user to watch her back. Before Ober even exited the game, his wife contacted Minnesota Twins director of security Charles Adams. A former Minneapolis police officer, Adams is the first line of defense for Twins players when anonymous social media users — often angry gamblers who've lost a bet — threaten them or their families. Advertisement Though some incidents are more high-profile — the Boston Red Sox's Liam Hendriks and Houston Astros' Lance McCullers Jr. received online death threats in May, and the latter was given additional security — an overwhelming majority of Major League Baseball players recently said legalized sports betting is changing the way fans treat players. In Ober's case, a fan displeased by the Twins pitcher yielding seven runs in a blowout loss to the Texas Rangers created an anonymous account to send the pitcher's wife a four-sentence message that included a threat. Before the fourth inning ended, Adams had already started to work with the Twins' security and social media teams and other resources, including MLB's security and cybersecurity departments, to determine the severity of the threat. 'It's pretty common — definitely with pitchers,' Adams said last week in the visiting dugout in Cincinnati. 'Sadly, it is a postgame routine. The players' wives are pretty responsive and pretty on top of things. The players, they're good at communication, and that's the whole thing about having a relationship with guys. 'Hey, if this happens, get ahold of me.' If that comes, they just know.' After patrolling Minneapolis' Fourth Precinct for part of his 20 years on the force, Adams, 44, is prepared for just about anything thrown his way with the Twins. He joined the team in October 2020, retiring from driving a patrol car as a daytime 9-1-1 response officer in North Minneapolis. Though the online threats that are brought forward by players are taken seriously, often they're deemed not dangerous. Even in McCullers' case, the Astros and MLB worked in concert with the Houston Police Department to determine that the person making the threat lived overseas and was 'frustrated and inebriated when he lashed out on social media.' In most cases, Adams and the affected player meet and file a report on the incident. Then Adams, members of the Twins social media team and a local MLB security rep coordinate efforts to assess each situation and try to learn the identity of the person making the threat. 'I've seen the worst of it and been in the worst situations you can think of,' Adams said. 'I'm not saying this is easy, but it's a lot less stressful.' Advertisement With multiple family members on the force, Adams always had a sense of how difficult the job could be. He pursued it anyway. 'It was like a (family) tradition,' he said. His father, Charles 'Charlie' Adams, is a Fourth Precinct inspector with 38 years of experience with MPD. An uncle worked nearly 30 years before retiring from MPD in 2020 to take over as the Minnesota Timberwolves' director of team security. And Adams' younger sister, Brittney, is in her fifth year working with the Police Activities League. Upon graduating from Minneapolis' North Community High — where he has been the head football coach since 2009 and won a state championship in 2016 — Adams went into law enforcement to help pay for school. He started as a community service officer in 2000 and later became a school resource officer at North High. One aspect of the job that initially appealed to Adams was the ability to foster better relationships and build trust between MPD and members of his community. 'You're a peace officer,' Adams said. 'You are obligated to serve the community and not respond to crimes but be an asset to the community. 'That's why it was easier for me to do that job. I respected that piece of it because it was a community that I was from. I think that concept has kind of faded away.' The Twins approached Adams in October 2020 to gauge his interest in taking over as the team's security director. Adams wasn't looking to leave MPD, but the offer from then-Twins president Dave St. Peter was difficult to reject. 'It was an opportunity I couldn't refuse,' Adams said. 'Do I want to regret how things would be if I don't give it a shot? I've already got 20 years. I always know law enforcement will be there if I want to come back.' Though he's no longer patrolling the streets, Adams remains connected to his community as head coach of North High's football program. His staff is composed of MPD officers, with his dad as the defensive line coach. A four-part Showtime documentary featured the program in 'Boys in Blue' in 2023. Later that year, Adams released the book 'Twin Cities: My Life as a Black Cop and a Championship Coach.' Every June, Adams helps his team prepare for the upcoming season with the aid of his entire coaching staff. Currently, the team practices once a week, works out three times a week and holds a weekly walk-through. Come August, when the schedule picks up in preparation for the season opener, Adams will attend each practice when the Twins are at home, arriving at Target Field in time for first pitch. While the Twins are on the road, Adams will rely on his coaches to run things in his absence. Advertisement But once the football season begins, Adams' Twins-related travel will be restricted to the postseason and high-priority events, with other team security representatives stepping in for road trips. Last season, Adams' inexperienced squad went 8-3, its season ending with a loss to Holy Family in the Section 4AAA championship game. This year, Adams' club is laden with seniors, which makes him optimistic. 'We've got a real hungry group, and they should be ready to go,' Adams said. Adams never hesitates to share his enthusiasm about the North High football team with the Twins players to whom he's closest. Several have made cameos at practice. 'It was Charles at his best,' Royce Lewis said of a game he attended in 2023. 'It wasn't much of a game. His team is disgusting. They were so nasty out there on the field. … He protects us. To watch him do his thing and lead kids that are young and about to start their lives, it's impressive.' The incident after Ober's June 12 start against the Rangers wasn't the first. Ober developed a rapport with Adams while dealing with previous threats. Many who responded to The Athletic's player poll this spring said most of their direct messages on social media feature fans asking for reimbursements for lost bets. Some manage to be funny. But with the more serious threats, which can include specific information or a harsher tone, players have noted a difference since sports betting operations were legalized on a larger scale and formed partnerships with MLB. Adams' reaction time makes difficult situations less stressful, Ober said. 'Charles is always the man,' he said. 'Whenever we need anything, an extra voice behind us to say something that maybe we can't say, he's the guy to go to when dealing with situations that aren't easy. He's always there for us.' (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Brace Hemmelgarn / Minnesota Twins, Stephen Maturen / Getty Images, iStock)
Hamilton Spectator
22-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Powering South Africa's IoT Future: Friendly Technologies and Altron Enable Secure, Scalable Device Management for Any Industry
FOREST HILLS, N.Y., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Internet of Things is gaining serious momentum in Africa—and now, with a strengthened alliance between Friendly Technologies and Altron Digital Business, scalable, secure IoT device management is more accessible than ever before. Friendly Technologies, a global leader in IoT and device management platforms, is expanding its enterprise-grade One-IoT Platform across Southern Africa, building on its successful relationship with Altron, a leading South African systems integrator. The expansion will empower utilities, cities, and enterprises to deploy and manage IoT at scale—with less friction and more flexibility. Originally launched in 2019 to bring Friendly's CPE Management to telcos in the region, the partnership now levels up to support cross-industry digital transformation—from smart utilities and industrial automation to connected health and public infrastructure. 'We have received excellent support from Friendly Technologies, and they are always willing to walk the extra mile in supporting the local team,' explains Charles Adams, Practice Lead Smart Industrial Solutions at Altron Digital Business. 'Their One-IoT platform brings unmatched flexibility and reliability to our IoT portfolio.' With multi-tenant architecture, open APIs, and protocol-agnostic support—including TR-069/TR-369, MQTT, and LwM2M—One-IoT makes it easy for service providers and enterprises to: 'Altron brings deep local knowledge and trusted customer relationships. Together, we're helping South African businesses take control of their digital infrastructure—without complexity,' said Dror Braunstein, VP Sales at Friendly Technologies. Already in use by over 300 companies worldwide—including Orange, Reliance Jio, and Coca-Cola—Friendly's One-IoT Platform is accelerating time-to-market, reducing operational headaches, and unlocking new value from connected devices. About Friendly Technologies Friendly Technologies is a global pioneer in unified device and IoT management. Our One-IoT, Wi-Fi, and Unified Device Management platforms support millions of devices across any protocol, enabling rapid, secure, and scalable deployments. From predictive maintenance and QoE monitoring tto real-time analytics and automation, Friendly empowers service providers to reduce churn, streamline operations, and elevate the digital experience. About Altron Digital Business Altron Digital Business, part of the Altron Group, is a South African leader in IoT, cloud, and digital transformation solutions. With a footprint across Africa, Altron helps public and private sector organizations modernize operations, enhance service delivery, and unlock business growth through cutting-edge technology integration. Contact:
Roya News
19-03-2025
- Business
- Roya News
Google agrees to pay $28 million discrimination claim settlement
Google agreed to a settlement of USD 28 million in response to a lawsuit alleging that the company provided preferential pay and career advancement opportunities to white and Asian employees over those from other ethnic backgrounds. This settlement was announced by a law firm representing the claimants. The tech giant confirmed that it had 'reached a resolution' regarding the case but firmly rejected the allegations made against it. The lawsuit, filed in 2021 by former employee Ana Cantu, claimed that workers from Hispanic, Latino, Native American, and other backgrounds were offered lower starting salaries and job levels compared to their white and Asian counterparts. Judge Charles Adams of the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California has granted preliminary approval for the settlement. The case cited a leaked internal document purportedly showing that employees from certain ethnic backgrounds reported receiving lower compensation for performing similar work. Cantu's legal team argued that using prior salaries to determine starting pay and job levels perpetuated existing disparities based on race and ethnicity. The class action lawsuit encompasses at least 6,632 individuals who worked at Google between Feb. 15, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2024, according to Reuters. Cathy Coble, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, commended the 'bravery of both the diverse and ally Googlers who self-reported their pay and leaked that data to the media.' She emphasized, 'Suspected pay inequity is too easily concealed without this kind of collective action from employees.' In its statement, Google denied any discriminatory practices, asserting, 'We reached a resolution, but continue to disagree with the allegations that we treated anyone differently, and remain committed to paying, hiring, and leveling all employees fairly.'
The Guardian
19-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Google to pay $28m to settle claims it favoured white and Asian employees
Google has agreed to pay $28m (£22m) to settle a class action lawsuit claiming that it favoured white and Asian employees by paying them more and putting them on higher career tracks than other workers. The accord with Google, a unit of Alphabet, won preliminary approval last week from Judge Charles Adams of the Santa Clara county superior court in California. He called the settlement fair, reasonable and 'a good result for the class' of at least 6,632 Google employees in California between 15 February 2018 and 31 December 2024. A Google spokesperson confirmed the settlement on Tuesday, but added: 'We continue to disagree with the allegations that we treated anyone differently, and remain committed to paying, hiring and levelling all employees fairly.' The lawsuit was led by Ana Cantu, who identifies as Mexican and racially Indigenous, on behalf of employees from Hispanic, Latino, Indigenous, Native American and other minority backgrounds at Google. Cantu claimed she performed exemplary work over seven years in Google's people operations and cloud departments, yet languished at the same job level while white and Asian peers got extra pay and promotions. She alleged the California-based company put white and Asian employees in higher job 'levels' than other employees, even for the same work, and withheld raises and promotions from those who complained. Cantu argued Google's actions violated the California Equal Pay Act. She left Google in September 2021. Net settlement proceeds total $20.4m, after deducting $7m for legal fees, penalties tied to Cantu's claim under California's Private Attorneys General Act, and other costs. Adams scheduled a hearing in September to consider final settlement approval. Cantu's lawyers did not immediately respond on Tuesday to requests for comment.
