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Klaus-Heiner Lehne, Member of the European ParliamentNominated for his dual role as an MEP and lawyer for EU competition and regulatory issues, and for using his position as an MEP to allow lawyers to lobby in the dark. 
Klaus-Heiner Lehne is a German MEP and a member of the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee. He is also a partner at the law firm Taylor Wessing. He was hired in 2003 to expand their regulatory and competition practice which Taylor Wessing saw as vital for its key corporate clients. In a press release announcing Lehne’s new position, the law firm talked about an early-warning system to advise their corporate clients well in advance of EU regulatory developments. Obviously a member of the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee is of great help for that. Ultimately Lehne’s insights from public office benefit the special interests of Taylor Wessing’s corporate clients. There has been a broad discussion about his role in the debate about software patents in the European Parliament. Lehne has been one of the MEPs pushing for software patents, while Taylor Wessing has a large patent group and advises clients on patenting strategy in the software sector. Lehne has argued that he wasn’t involved with any companies engaged in the patents debate in his work as a lawyer. But still he is a partner in a law firm that boasts that its “patent group is one of the strongest, largest and best known in Europe”. In May 2008 when the European Parliament voted on a report on lobby transparency, he (together with others) tabled an amendment that would have excluded “legal advice” provided by lawyers from transparency obligations. The term legal advice is very broad and could have been used as a loophole to hide lobbying work from a future lobby register – clearly in the interest of lawyers and lawyers who happen to also work as MEPs. Vote for Lehne using his MEP position for his own interest and his clients at Taylor Wessing! Additional information :Too Close for Comfort?, Andy Rowell, Spinwatch, July 2008. Politics, business mix freely in Europe Parliament, Mary Jacoby and Glenn R. Simpson, Wall Street Journal, 5 July 2005. Comments255 Hans-J. Werner 15 February 2009: Solchen Leuten muss das Handwerk gelegt werden! 232 Jochen Grams 10 December 2008: Sehr nett. Lobbyismus muss ins Strafgesetzbuch. Politische Einflussnahme mittels Parteispenden und auch dieses erbärmliche Beutelratten-Gehabe gehören verboten. Das gefährdet unsere Demokratie. 230 Andreas Hagen 9 December 2008: unglaublich 213 Ralf Hesse 2 December 2008: Das passt ja wie die Faust auf’s Auge! Ein echter Patent-HAI also!? Ein echtes Demokratie-SCHWEIN, qui se fout royalement de la republique! 194 Weimer 16 November 2008: So zersetzen demokratisch gewählte Politiker die Demokratie. Wehret den Anfängen! 193 Michael Preuß 13 November 2008: ….genau wie die EU-Verfassung, ist das ein Witz!!! 189 yelamdenu 11 November 2008: Well Mr Lehne, it seems you can’t trust anybody now can you? 188 Karsten Kaus 10 November 2008: Es ist wie es ist, muss es aber nicht bleiben! 172 eddy varin 30 October 2008: Une personne à démettre de ses fonctions au sein de parlement européen et au plus vite il me semble… 166 Wolfgang Spindler 29 October 2008: Dem Manne gehört das Handwerk gelegt, auch in seinem Wahlkreis… 148 Dr. Hans von Schuckmann 27 October 2008: stinky money 145 SITBON 27 October 2008: The “notaries” lobby as well 140 Julia Würtz 27 October 2008: kein Kommentar! 118 Renate Knapper 23 October 2008: … und alles unter dem Dach einer angeblich christlichen Partei 117 gordon 23 October 2008: ohne worte…. 113 Jim Roland 23 October 2008: Very serious conflicts of interest. 84 Ivan F. Villanueva B. 22 October 2008: Mr Lehne doesn’t represent the interest of most of his voters 62 thomas 21 October 2008: Da wundern die sich noch über die Politikverdrossenheit,aber wenn das Preis stimmt! 59 Sigrun Korsching 21 October 2008: Offensichtlich korrupt! 45 Reinhard Georg Wanner 21 October 2008: “Mensch gleich Irrläufer der Evolution” 41 Val 21 October 2008: Wir brauchen Abgeordnete die uns vertreten und nicht die Interessen der Wirtschaft 18 Herbert Johann Gantschnigg 21 October 2008: very good work ! thanks | |||||
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The Worst EU Lobbying Awards are organised by Corporate Europe Observatory, Friends of the Earth Europe, LobbyControl and Spinwatch. This site is developed by easyMIND. |