Names for accounting and law firms

Question

When you speak of firms like "Freehills", "Deloittes", "Allens", is the "-s" a marker of the genitive, or a plural, or something else?

I've never really understood the usage...
==
Regards,
VI
http://kenm.mydeardiary.com/

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]When you speak of firms like "Freehills", "Deloittes", "Allens", is the "-s" a marker of the genitive, or a plural, or something else? I've never really understood the usage...[/nq]
Consult likely news organization style books
(e.g. New York Times, The Canadian Press)
because these agencies deal with the problem
more often than you and I.

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]When you speak of firms like "Freehills", "Deloittes", "Allens", is ... plural, or something else? I've never really understood the usage...[/nq]
[nq:1]Consult likely news organization style books (e.g. New York Times, The Canadian Press) because these agencies deal with the problem more often than you and I.[/nq]
I agree with Don, but...
tcalss, the -s is a genitive marker.
Adrian

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]When you speak of firms like "Freehills", "Deloittes", "Allens", is ... plural, or something else? I've never really understood the usage...[/nq]
[nq:1]Consult likely news organization style books (e.g. New York Times, The Canadian Press) because these agencies deal with the problem more often than you and I.[/nq]
At least in the US, most firms have more than a single surname in the firm name. I've seen one law firm name with eight attorney names in it. Frequently the firm is referred to by only the first surname, or the first two. The Washington, D.C. firm of Covington & Burling (once Covington, Burling, Acheson, Rublee & Schorb) is commonly called just "Covington." Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meaghar & Flom" is informally "Skadden Arps." A lot of firms with multiple attorney names either officially shorten the name to the first two or use the first two on their letterhead (with the full name in smaller print below). But none of them adds an "s". It's "Covington," not "Covington's."
Accounting firms follow the practice, as do some brokerage firms. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith(1) is now officially just "Merrill Lynch."
Things may be different in the UK. They usually are.

(1) Anyone remember Beane? What did he do wrong? Oh, and the omission of a comma between Merrill and Lynch is not an error.

Liebs

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Consult likely news organization style books (e.g. New York Times, ... deal with the problem more often than you and I.[/nq]
[nq:1]At least in the US, most firms have more than a single surname in the firm name. I've seen one ... Lynch." Things may be different in the UK. They usually are. (1) Anyone remember Beane? What did he do wrong?[/nq]
I remembered Beane the minute I saw "Merrill Lynch" in your post.

The following is from paragraph is from
http://tinyurl.com/5ovvq :
investment brokerage co-founder Alpheus Crosby Beane left firm before the 1941 brokerage consolidation that formed Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane; later his name was replaced in the corporate name by Smith's (1958)
born on 10-5-1888 in Augusta, Georgia
expired 9-18-1937 in Greenwich, Connecticut
age 48 cause: heart attack
[nq:1].. Oh, and the omission of a comma between Merrill and Lynch is not an error.[/nq]
When the firm was still called Merrill, Lynch & Company, Lynch died, and...
"Out of respect to his deceased partner, Charlie Merrill decides to drop the comma from Merrill, Lynch & Co. and create the name of the modern firm, Merrill Lynch."

Interesting. Until Googling (out of curiosity), I didn't know, or had forgotten, all that.
Maria Conlon

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]When you speak of firms like "Freehills", "Deloittes", "Allens", is the "-s" a marker of the genitive, or a plural, or something else? I've never really understood the usage...[/nq]I'm not familiar with all the esses, but I would like to mention one other interesting fact about law firms' names. I did some work for a law firm with four names in the title. Two of the titular attorneys were dead, one was retired, and the fourth still showed up for work but didn't really do anything anymore. I asked one of the senior partners why he hadn't added his name to the sign, and he said it just wouldn't sound as good. Also, they were the second oldest law firm in town and wanted to maintain that historical significance in any way they could.

I wondered how he could still use the name of some dead guy without some compensation to the guy's estate. The family's name and reputation would still be bound to a law firm that no longer has any input from the deceased (one would hope). If the law firm was involved in a scandal, could it be sued for defamation of character (or whatever, I'm obviously not a lawyer) by the family of the deceased whose name is still on the sign?
Mike

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]When you speak of firms like "Freehills", "Deloittes", "Allens", is ... plural, or something else? I've never really understood the usage...[/nq]
[nq:1]I'm not familiar with all the esses, but I would like to mention one other interesting fact about law firms' ... (or whatever, I'm obviously not a lawyer) by the family of the deceased whose name is still on the sign?[/nq]
I'm fairly sure dead people have no "reputation" in the legal sense their estates can't sue for libel/slander on their behalf. Presumably the same thing applies to any other sort of defamation.
Aaron Davies
Opinions expressed are solely those of a random number generator. "I don't know if it's real or not but it is a myth." -Jami JoAnne of alt.folklore.urban, showing her grasp on reality.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I'm not familiar with all the esses, but I would ... of the deceased whose name is still on the sign?[/nq]
[nq:1]I'm fairly sure dead people have no "reputation" in the legal sense their estates can't sue for libel/slander on their behalf. Presumably the same thing applies to any other sort of defamation.[/nq]
I'm hesitant over that one. If someone libeled Elvis, for example, is such a way as to negatively impact gate receipts at Graceland, seems reasonable that there could be legal standing for his estate to sue.

dg (domain=ccwebster)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I'm fairly sure dead people have no "reputation" in the ... the same thing applies to any other sort of defamation.[/nq]
[nq:1]I'm hesitant over that one. If someone libeled Elvis, for example, is such a way as to negatively impact gate receipts at Graceland, seems reasonable that there could be legal standing for his estate to sue.[/nq]
Possibly, but I'm fairly sure not for libel specifically.
Aaron Davies
Opinions expressed are solely those of a random number generator. "I don't know if it's real or not but it is a myth." -Jami JoAnne of alt.folklore.urban, showing her grasp on reality.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Possibly, but I'm fairly sure not for libel specifically.[/nq]
Indeed not. A cause of action for libel dies with the person libelled; this is true even if the writ has actually has been issued or even (although I don't know of a case where this has happened) if the plaintiff dies during the trial. This is the common-law rule, which still applies in Engalnd; I would be surprised if it is different in other jurisdictions.

Don Aitken
Mail to the addresses given in the headers is no longer being read. To mail me, substitute "clara.co.uk" for "freeuk.com".

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, Aaron Davies (Email Removed) writes
[nq:1]Possibly, but I'm fairly sure not for libel specifically.[/nq]
Malicious falsehood might be a runner. Whether that's part of the common law current in the US, I don't know.
English law denied personality rights when last I looked, but times are changing pretty fast.

Paul
In bocca al Lupo!

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