Breaking Legal News

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP Files Class Action

2012-01-30T13:26:00.001-08:00

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP today announced that a class action has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama on behalf of purchasers of the common stock of Walter Energy, Inc. between April 20, 2011 and September 21, 2011, inclusive.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than 60 days from today. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact plaintiff’s counsel, Samuel H. Rudman or David A. Rosenfeld of Robbins Geller at 800/449-4900 or 619/231-1058, or via e-mail at djr@rgrdlaw.com. If you are a member of this class, you can view a copy of the complaint as filed or join this class action online at http://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/walterenergy/. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member.

The complaint charges Walter and certain of its officers and directors with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Walter, through its consolidated subsidiaries, mines and exports hard coking coal for the global steel industry.

The complaint alleges that, during the Class Period, defendants issued materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business and prospects. Specifically, defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose the following adverse facts: (i) that the Company was experiencing so-called “squeeze” events in Alabama and lower coal transportation rates in Canada that significantly reduced Walter’s coal production; (ii) that the Company’s commitment to ship more than 700,000 tons of coal in the second quarter at first quarter sales prices would result in a material adverse effect on Walter’s average sales prices and operating results during the second quarter; (iii) that Walter was experiencing a significant decline in its margins and profitability; and (iv) that, based on the foregoing, defendants lacked a reasonable basis for their positive statements about the Company and its business prospects during the Class Period.

On August 3, 2011, Walter issued a press release announcing its operating results for its 2011 fiscal second quarter, the period ended June 30, 2011. For the quarter, the Company announced net income of $107.4 million, or $1.71 per diluted common share, significantly less than Wall Street estimates. Then, On September 21, 2011, Walter issued a press release announcing its attempt to “enhance” its historical statistical disclosure and its revisions to its 2011 second half sales expectations. In response to this announcement, the price of Walter common stock declined from $75.00 per share on September 20, 2011 to $66.25 on September 21, 2011, on extremely heavy trading volume.

Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of all purchasers of Walter common stock during the Class Period (the “Class”). The plaintiff is represented by Robbins Geller, which has expertise in prosecuting investor class actions and extensive experience in actions involving financial fraud.

Robbins Geller, a 180-lawyer firm with offices in San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Boca Raton, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Atlanta, is active in major litigations pending in federal and state courts throughout the United States and has taken a leading role in many important actions on behalf of defrauded investors, consumers, and companies, as well as victims of human rights violations.

http://www.rgrdlaw.com

Law Firm Website Design Companies: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2012-01-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

At our law firm's most recent staff meeting, I was assigned the task of finding a law firm website design company for creation of a website for our firm. I've had previous experience researching companies online and I thought it would be simple to turn to Google and find the right website design company in a flash. As simple as it sounded, the task was not as easy as I thought it would be. In fact, I felt defeated after a few hours searching online.

While conducting an extensive research on law firm website design companies, it was brought to my attention that all website vendors will try to claim the title of being the "best". What exactly does that mean? I searched, I called, and I spoke with a wide variety of the "best" website design companies, only to have them set me back one step. For one, I was extremely confused when I asked one of the more important questions: PRICING. Many companies provided me a quote varying in range with monthly service fees and charges for unnecessary features. In my opinion, a website design should be a one time contract work. This means you own the website and the website development is paid for at once, not over a year or longer.

I found some law firm website design companies willing to charge you a whopping $10,000 in addition to a one year website contract that required a monthly fee. This fee covered their client's access to using their website's unnecessary bells and whistles. Cool? Sure! Well, that's if your boss doesn't have a problem with burning through your firm's budget. Some other law firm website design companies I ran into offered a "cheap" and more budget-friendly price around a few hundred dollars to develop a website. The only problem was that, well, we get what we pay for-- a cheap looking website. Their portfolio showed their client's website and immediately turned me away. Their design and development skills were far from something worth showcasing and reflected a mediocre and unprofessional look.To my disappointment, finding a good and reputable law firm website design company proved to be more than a few clicks away. I knew it would take a lot more time to find something that would appease my boss' standards. Initially, I was too shy to ask for a longer time period to finish this seemingly easy task. But after two weeks, I had sufficient time (just barely!) to gather all the information I needed to determine what features a good law firm website design company should possess.To save some of you in the same position a little time and grief, I would like to share some important components I felt were necessary in finding a good law firm website design agency.

The Good:

All good law firm website design companies should:

- Have specialized and skilled website designers in house. Experience is key in understanding the professional look needed for attorneys and their law firms.
- Have a user-friendly and reliable content management system (CMS) to update the website.
- Be familiar with all the latest Search Engine Optimization techniques in order to gain maximum potential for your website to rank at the top of search results.
- Offer a robust web-hosting and maintenance plan. Law firms are busy as it is and having the website design company not only host, but maintain the website is an absolute plus.
- Not charge for any unnecessary bells and whistles.
- Have reliable testimonials that can prove real client satisfaction.
- Provide good customer support service. Exceptional customer service should be all about the customer satisfaction. They should be able to answer all inquiries in a swift and thorough manner and reduce the technical website design jargon to a level anyone could understand.
- Charge you by project base (a straight forward, one time website design cost instead of monthly payments).

I know the pressing question on every one's mind is, well, how do you know? Spending extra money doesn't necessarily mean better. There were quite a few law firm website design agencies in this category, asking for a pricier sum and delivering decent products, however; there are reasonably priced website design companies who deliver even better websites. Of course, my opinion is mine. But if you want your investment in a website design company to be worthwhile, just heed my advice. Remember, I had to ask for an extension on my task in order to really understand what separates the good from the bad.

The Bad:

Just like there is yin to yang, black to white, and hot to cold, there unfortunately has to be the good law firm website design companies to the bad law firm website design companies. I don't know about you, but doing the research alone to complete my task took a lot of time. You know how that saying goes, "Time is money and money is time"? Well sure, this is one of the big differences from the good website design companies versus the bad website design companies.The bad law firm website design company:- Includes a contract that obligates you to pay an overpriced rate for a law firm website design or a technology license fee on a monthly basis. I personally don't like contracts. I mean, it binds me and limits my flexibility if I'm unhappy with a company's services. This can pose a problem later if you decide your business and law firm needs a change and want to part ways.

- Has many over-priced service fees. They will milk you with all kinds of unnecessary website features that you weren’t even aware of.
- Is able to deliver a decent website design layout but seem to get lost in their cookie cutter design elements. Every client's website may look clean and professional but lacks the uniqueness and branding of why clients should choose THEIR law firm instead of the firm across the street (whose website looks and repeats the exact same information as yours by the way).
- Shows poor SEO track records that give you a slim to none chance to rank at the highest position on top search engines like Google, Yahoo!, AOL and Bing.

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty and do a little math here:For the purposes of this article, we will be purchasing a website for a small firm with 20 attorneys and 2 offices. And if we break down the website design costs from the good and the bad, you can immediately see the major downfalls of the bad.The Good Law Firm Web Design Company: 1-time website design cost averaging $5,000 - from a reputable GOOD law firm website design company. And you get to own it!

The Bad Law Firm Web Design Company: An annual 1-year license cost averaging well over $6,000 that you must continuously keep paying on a year to year basis. If you do the math here, you can say you're wasting an incredible amount of money that can go to other marketing resources to help further your business. Since your website will end up costing you too much, you will have a limited budget for marketing campaigns through organic SEM or PPC.With that said, generally "bad" website design companies are hard to distinguish because they will deliver a decent product but in turn try to take advantage of prices. In this case, everyone should be cautious and careful. This especially may be a slippery slope for new start-up firms who believe that only the best law firm websites will be delivered by paying a huge amount of money. The Bad more than likely will result in a poor return on investment. To prevent getting stuck with the bad law firm website design company there is a golden rule to remember: just because it's out there, doesn't mean it's the best! Don't get sucked into paying for overpriced fees for a law firm website design that may not even be the best.

The Ugly

And (finally!) we get to talk about the law firm website design company that has every aspect of just plain ugly. No matter how much you end up paying for it - or even if it's completely free - don't be a victim of building a law firm website that will make your firm look "unsophisticated", "inexperienced", and "out-dated". Yes, these words usually do a good job of scaring off potential clients who come to visit your website. Many potential clients will walk away and go to other law firms that they see as better competitors. However, it's surprising to see how many law firms still go along with ugly law firm website design companies. Some think having any website would benefit their business, but little do they know... it is doing quite the opposite.Business is all about status and if you have a law firm website that costs your business because it's ugly?...well, that is literally just UGLY.

Most people are always on the go, have minimal time to fit everything in their schedule and are not patient. Web users form first impressions of web pages in a matter of 50 milliseconds, according to researchers. Human beings are very visual creatures, so in a blink of an eye, we will make an instantaneous judgment of a websites "visual appeal". We like things that are aesthetically appealing and through the "halo effect", first impressions can color subsequent judgments of perceived credibility, usability, and professionalism. Ultimately these factors influence a web user's purchasing decisions and whether we want to use your law firm to represent our needs.First impressions count immensely in the legal industry and should be considered in law firm website design. If the website design is difficult to read, intrusive, or poorly signposted, your visitors will go elsewhere. We've all experienced trying to navigate through a less-than-friendly website and reading a screen that strains your eyes versus printed paper. We get impatient quick- it's because we're only human!Remember, law firm websites are all about providing information and services, not for over-the-top advertisement!

Below are what some typical ugly website designs for law firm websites would consist of:

- Excess usage of generic graphics; basically this constitutes anything you can find in clip art like Lady Justice, the gavel or scales of justice.
- Text that is too small to read
- Multiple items that blink or animate - this causes too much distraction!
- Text crowding against the left edge
- Text that is stretched all the way across the page
- Multiple frame scroll bars in the middle of a page
- Unclear and overly complex navigation
- Poor color combination of text and background that make the text hard to read
- Orphan pages - where given links do not link back to where they came from and give no identification
- Any website design look that is extremely out-dated and looks as if it were dug up from a late nineties time capsule

A clean, professional look is a MUST for law firm websites - don't get sucked into the ugly website category that will cost your business (even if it's FREE!), I like to view ugly websites comparable to that of a parasite, where the website design company benefits at the expense of your law firm and business. In this case, your law firm is being harmed. Some elements make a law firm website design good, some make them bad, and some make them ugly.

The great line between these elements can determine whether your website is:

- Interesting or boring
- A good design or bad design
- Has good color or bad color
- Has a good layout or bad layout
- Is imaginative or unimaginative

Though my research was fairly time-consuming, I did my due diligence and have found one particular law firm website design company that stood out from the competitors. “Law Promo" impressed me with their eye-pleasing design skills, SEO capabilities, customer service and overall pricing, and was the agency that I recommended to my firm.

I urge you to do your own research and wish you the best of luck on your law firm website design company search and here I leave you with my two cents on what separates The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in the world of law firm website design.

Business Development Manager
Jessica S. Murray

2 charged with insider trading involving law firms

2011-04-06T09:21:00.001-07:00

Federal authorities have charged two men with running an insider trading scheme that netted more than $30 million with information stolen from law firms.

Garrett Bauer is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday afternoon. Matthew Kluger will make his first appearance in federal court in Alexandria, Va.

They're accused of trading on inside information stolen from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a law firm with offices in Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco and Hong Kong.

Authorities also allege the decades-long scheme used information stolen from prominent New York law firms Cravath Swaine & Moore and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Court tells man to stay away from Facebook founder

2011-02-14T23:04:00.001-08:00

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has obtained a temporary restraining order against a California man accused of stalking him, his girlfriend and his sister.

A Santa Clara County Superior Court judge on Feb. 1 ordered 31-year-old Pradeep Manukonda of Milpitas to stay away from Zuckerberg and stop contacting him.

Manukonda tried to contact Zuckerberg numerous times in December via letter, e-mail and Facebook, including more than 20 times in one day, Facebook security officer Todd Sheets said in a court declaration. Manukonda also left a note on Zuckerberg's car and was later spotted outside his house, Sheets said.

Guards stopped Manukonda just as he was about to walk up the front stairs to Zuckerberg's Palo Alto residence, where Zuckerberg's girlfriend was inside, according to court documents.

WikiLeaks' Assange appears in court for hearing

2011-02-14T23:03:00.003-08:00

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared in court Monday for a showdown with Swedish authorities to fight an extradition bid over sex crimes allegations.

Assange, wearing a blue suit, was flanked by two prison guards as the hearing opened at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court. Celebrity supporters Jemima Khan and Bianca Jagger, and politician Tony Benn also attended.

Assange is accused of sexual misconduct by two women he met during a visit to Stockholm last year. Defense lawyers will argue that he should not be extradited because he has not been charged with a crime, because of flaws in Swedish prosecutors' case — and because a ticket to Sweden could eventually land him in Guantanamo Bay or on U.S. death row.

American officials are trying to build a criminal case against the secret–spilling site, which has angered Washington by publishing a trove of leaked diplomatic cables and secret U.S. military files. Assange's lawyers claim the Swedish prosecution is linked to the leaks and politically motivated.

Preliminary defense arguments released by Assange's legal team claim "there is a real risk that, if extradited to Sweden, the U.S. will seek his extradition and/or illegal rendition to the USA, where there will be a real risk of him being detained at Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere."

The document adds that "there is a real risk that he could be made subject to the death penalty" if sent to the United States. Under European law, suspects cannot be extradited to jurisdictions where they may face execution.

Judge affirms $7.3M verdict against law firm

2011-02-14T23:03:00.001-08:00

A Maine judge has upheld a jury verdict that awarded $7.3 million in damages for emotional distress to a businessman who contended he was double-crossed by a law firm he hired.

A Cumberland County jury last summer said the Portland law firm of Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer and Nelson worked against Peter Redman's interests in a dispute with his brother over control of the now-defunct Northern Mattress and Furniture Co. In a 37-page ruling, Superior Court Justice Thomas Humphrey denied the law firm's motion seeking a new trial.

Redman, of Old Orchard Beach, was banned from the family business' headquarters over a sexual harassment claim he contended was orchestrated by his brother to wrest control of the business. Redman said the firm failed to defend him against the accusations.

Prairieville man pleads guilty to mail fraud

2011-02-14T23:02:00.003-08:00

A Prairieville man pleaded guilty in Baton Rouge federal court to a charge of mail fraud concerning his use of almost $200,000 worth of computer equipment.

The Advocate reports that 30-year-old Dustin J. Landry admitted Wednesday that he increased his income by $196,841 over a 4-year period by selling computer equipment that belonged to his Baton Rouge employer.

Landry's plea agreement shows the scheme was carried out between June 2006 and April 2010 at MMR Group Inc., where Landry worked as an information-technology specialist.

The mail fraud conviction carries a possible penalty of 20 years in prison and fines that could total $250,000.

Class Action Lawsuit Filed by Eagan Avenatti, LLP

2011-02-14T23:02:00.001-08:00

Eagan Avenatti, LLP, a law firm specializing in consumer rights, filed a class action lawsuit earlier today in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division (Case No. 3:11-cv-00248-M), alleging breach of contract, fraud and deceptive sales practices by Jerry Jones, the National Football League, the Dallas Cowboys Football Club and related defendants in connection with Super Bowl XLV held last Sunday in Arlington, Texas.

The complaint, which seeks compensatory damages of over $5 Million, claims that the unlawful acts of Jones, the NFL and the Cowboys resulted in approximately 400 fans who purchased tickets and traveled to the game being denied a seat, despite having spent thousands of dollars in tickets and travel expenses to attend the Super Bowl. The complaint also alleges that Jones and the Cowboys deceived Cowboys season ticket holders known as the “Founders” into paying $1,200 a seat for Super Bowl tickets that turned out to be temporary seats with obstructed views.

The “Founders,” who collectively account for over $100 Million in personal seat licenses sold to help fund construction of the stadium, each paid at least $100,000 per seat for their seat license, which the Cowboys and Jones promised would entitle them to the “best sightlines in the stadium” and the right to purchase a ticket to Sunday’s Super Bowl at face value. Instead, they arrived at the stadium Sunday to discover that they had been assigned to sit in obstructed view, temporary metal seats, which had only recently been installed in an effort to meet Jones’ goal of breaking NFL Super Bowl attendance records.

“You don’t have to own the Cowboys or run the NFL to know that you cannot lawfully treat people like this,” stated lead attorney Michael Avenatti. “At an absolute minimum, Jones, the Cowboys and the NFL need to accept full responsibility and reimburse fans one hundred percent for their expenses and damages. Anything short of that is a slap in the face to the fans of the NFL and the Cowboys.”

IRS agents testify in Pa. judge corruption case

2011-02-14T23:01:00.000-08:00

Federal prosecutors have rested in the corruption trial of a former northeastern Pennsylvania judge charged with taking part in a $2.8 million kickback scheme involving privately-owned juvenile detention centers.

Two IRS agents testified Monday morning in the trial of ex-Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella. Prosecutors say Ciavarella and another judge disguised extortion payments as rent on a condo in Florida.

IRS agent Ray Eppley testified that the judges failed to pay nearly $500,000 in taxes on illicit income.

The state Supreme Court threw out thousands of juvenile convictions issued by Ciavarella, saying he disregarded the constitutional rights of the defendants. He has denied breaking any laws.

The second judge pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and awaits sentencing.

Law Firm Website Design to Grow Your Business

2011-02-14T22:50:00.000-08:00

Lawyer Web Direct is a professional website design company for lawyers and law firms. We have been specializing in lawyer website design for seven years. For over 9 years we have been developing lawyer and law firm websites tailored for each of our many different types of lawyer and law firm clients. From informative solo practitioner sites to highly complex large law firms, we can design and build a legal website that will work for you and your clients. We can also custom design a blog to match the look and feel of your newly designed legal web site.

We specialize in legal website design, online marketing, and search engine marketing. Lawyer Web Direct features an integrated team of multi award winning web designers, content writers, programmers and legal marketing professionals that know how to get the results. Our talented team of dedicated professionals will bring together your ideas into reality.

Our company works with many different types of lawyers and law firms which allows us to be able to create a website for your firm no matter what your practice area may be. We will work with your law firm no matter what the size to be sure the finished product is exactly what you want and need.

High court rules out life sentences for juveniles

2010-05-18T22:57:00.001-07:00

The Supreme Court has ruled that teenagers may not be locked up for life without chance of parole if they haven't killed anyone.

By a 5-4 vote Monday, the court says the Constitution requires that young people serving life sentences must at least be considered for release.

The court ruled in the case of Terrance Graham, who was implicated in armed robberies when he was 16 and 17. Graham, now 22, is in prison in Florida, which holds more than 70 percent of juvenile defendants locked up for life for crimes other than homicide.

"The state has denied him any chance to later demonstrate that he is fit to rejoin society based solely on a nonhomicide crime that he committed while he was a child in the eyes of the law," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his majority opinion. "This the Eighth Amendment does not permit."

Chief Justice John Roberts agreed with Kennedy and the court's four liberal justices about Graham. But Roberts said he does not believe the ruling should extend to all young offenders who are locked up for crimes other than murder; he was a "no" vote on the ruling.

Life sentences with no chance of parole are rare and harsh for juveniles tried as adults and convicted of crimes less serious than killing, although roughly three dozen states allow for the possibility of such prison terms. Just over 100 prison inmates in the United States are serving those terms, according to data compiled by opponents of the sentences.

Those inmates are in Florida and seven other states — California, Delaware, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska and South Carolina — according to a Florida State University study. More than 2,000 other juveniles are serving life without parole for killing someone. Their sentences are not affected by Monday's decision.

Fieger blasts Detroit police accounts of girl's death

2010-05-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

Prominent Southfield attorney Geoffrey Fieger called "absurd" any suggestion the shot fired by police officer during a raid that killed a 7-year-old girl Sunday morning was the result of an altercation between the cop and the girl's grandmother.

Fieger said today at an hour-long press conference he has filed lawsuits on behalf of the family of slain Aiyana Jones in both federal and state courts. The federal lawsuit argues the police violated the girl's constitutional rights and it seeks an award of more than $75,000. The state suit contains four counts and seeks damages in excess of $25,000.

Fieger said a three-minute video taken of the raid shows the gunshot fired came from the porch of the two-story duplex on the 4000 block of Lillibridge shortly after a "flash-bang" grenade was thrown into the home, contradicting police accounts.

Dallas EEOC sues Charleston, Raleigh companies in employment harassment case

2009-08-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

Geography might also be a reason, Barnes said. If the EEOC hasn’t taken on a case in a particular region in several years, it might choose a case there to raise awareness of federal laws, said Weinberg Law Firm, Employment Lawyer Dallas.

Or the EEOC might take on a case because it is particularly egregious, she said.

“If nothing else, we want to let employers know that the government cares about this, and if you aren’t going to do something about it, we will,” Barnes said.

Los Angeles Wrong Way DUI – Who Should We Believe?

2009-08-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - It’s truly a tragic story. While some believe placing blame in this story is inappropriate considering the insurmountable loss experienced by both everyone involved, it doesn’t change the fact that seven people died because of Mrs. Schuler’s actions, said Michael Bialys, California DUI lawyer.

Military Criticized in Report on Soldier Electrocution in New York

2009-08-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Heather Browne, a KBR spokeswoman, said the company had not seen the report and would not comment on the contents. But she said in an e-mail message that while Sergeant Maseth’s death was tragic, the company maintains that it is not responsible. She said that KBR informed the military of the absence of grounding and bonding in the structure nine months before Sergeant Maseth’s death, said John Q. Kelly, New York electrocution attorney.

“Prior to that incident, the military never directed KBR to repair, upgrade or improve the grounding system in the building in which Maseth resided, nor was KBR directed to perform any preventative maintenance at this facility,” Ms. Browne said.

The Criminal Defense Lawyer as a Hero

2009-08-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Adds Mr. Kelley: ''These people will be, depending on the episode, not always doing the morally or politically correct thing. I think that they'll be open about it, though.

''The fact is that the bulk of any criminal defense practice is defending criminals, and most criminals have committed the act they're charged with. The trick -- or the hope -- of all this is to get the audience to root for the lawyer even while vesting no sympathy in the clients or the case.''

In hopes of aiding that process Orange County criminal defense lawyer has avoided populating ''The Practice'' with the highly-paid, slick, Armani-suited legal eagles seen in ''L.A. Law'' and his mentor Steven Bochco's ''Murder One.''

Instead, the series is centered around Bobby Donnell, played by movie actor Dylan McDermott (''Home for the Holidays,'' ''Hamburger Hill,'' ''Miracle on 34th Street''), an intense, idealistic young Boston attorney who heads up a small band of likeminded practitioners.

Families of passengers on downed Chicago chopper 'voluntarily discontinue' lawsuit

2009-08-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

By Michael Tutton (CP) – 4 hours ago

Since then, one passenger's family was added to the suit, bringing the total to 16 families involved in the action.

The plaintiffs alleged the U.S. firms hadn't correctly indicated how long pilots could safely fly if oil leaked out of the helicopter's gearbox.

But in court documents filed on July 14, the Chicago aviation lawyer say they have "voluntarily discontinued" the lawsuit, "to engage in alternative dispute resolution before further litigation."

Suit filed over Pittsburgh DWI crash that killed 5

2009-08-04T13:41:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The Associated Press
Mr. Stone was convicted in 2008 of 25 charges, including five counts of DUI causing death. He was sentenced to up to 56 years in prison.

Killed in the crash on Interstate 68 near Morgantown were: Courtney Evans, 30, of Baltimore and his 12-year-old son, Sawyer; and Donnell Perry, 52, of Clarksburg and his daughters, Jentil, 15, and Jacquesha, 13.

The Perrys had recently moved to Clarksburg from Middletown, Conn.

Investigators said Mr. Stone struck the rear of the Evans' vehicle, forcing it across the median and into oncoming traffic -- and the Perrys' vehicle -- on Interstate 68 near Cheat Lake.

The lawsuit also claims seven people who were injured have suffered "serious, severe and permanent physical and emotional injuries."

Mr. Stone had been charged with at least six DUIs in West Virginia and Pennsylvania and convicted of three of them before the deadly accident.

He has repeatedly claimed he is not to blame. He says either his tire blew out or he was hit from behind.

DWI lawyer pittsburgh

California Class Action Lawyers Ringler Kearney Alvarez LLP

2009-07-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

California injury attorneys Ringler Kearney Alavarez LLP have established themselves as a premier law firm by providing clients with consistently excellent service. They pride themselves on their intellect, creativity and tenacity.

These Los Angeles train injury lawyers have achieved victories in over 100 trials with total verdicts in excess of $250 million.

Ringler Kearney Alvarez LLP achieves their verdicts by utilizing their substantial financial resources to obtain the best result possible for each of their clients. This LA accident specialist law firm fights tirelessly for their clients, no matter the cost and no matter the foe.

Bankruptcy protection sought for Dreier's law firm

2008-12-18T15:45:00.002-08:00

A court-appointed receiver sought bankruptcy protection Tuesday for a prominent Manhattan law firm embroiled in accusations of massive fraud, claiming the firm is in disarray and suggesting its founder may have doctored records after his arrest.

Court papers filed by the receiver, Mark Pomerantz, said Dreier LLP has been hit with an onslaught of lawyer resignations, threats of lawsuits and demands for payment since Marc Dreier was charged last week with tricking hedge funds into making bogus investments.

The fallout from the scandal has been compounded by "the very real possibility that the Dreier entities' books, records and accounts may have been manipulated by Mr. Dreier prior to (and even after) his arrest," wrote the receiver, Mark Pomerantz.

Pomerantz had notified a federal judge last week that he planned to seek bankruptcy protection for the firm, adding that he believed Dreier himself would file a personal petition for bankruptcy later. Dreier's attorney, Gerald Shargel, said Tuesday that his client had decided against doing so, but he declined to elaborate.

Dreier LLP, a mid-size firm, has represented celebrities including retired football star Michael Strahan and former News Corp. publishing executive Judith Regan.

The 58-year-old defendant was jailed last week without bail after being charged in a criminal complaint. He was also charged by the SEC in the alleged sale of fraudulent promissory notes in a New York City real estate development company.

Questions surround firm that handled Madoff audit

2008-12-18T15:45:00.001-08:00

The office for Bernard Madoff's sole auditor exudes anything but wealth and intrigue: It is next door to a pediatrician in a drab suburban building. The tiny storefront is discreetly labeled "Friehling & Horowitz" on its single glass door.

The people milling around outside are not high-end investors; they are mothers with children, waiting for the doctor's office to open.

But the auditor, a 49-year-old accountant named David Friehling, is now enmeshed in one of Wall Street's biggest scandals and is under criminal investigation in a case that has left people in financial ruin around the world.

The fact that a such a small accounting business was the main auditor for Madoff's multibillion-dollar operation has emerged as one of the most mysterious elements of the case. Experts say it would be preposterous for a tiny firm to audit properly an operation the size of Madoff's.

Jerry Ringler - Experienced Train Accident Attorney sends Special Message to Chatsworth Victims

2008-09-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Special Message for Victims of Chatsworth Metrolink Disaster

On September 12, 2008, an unprecedented tragedy occurred in Chatsworth, California when Metrolink Train #111 struck a Union Pacific freight train which was traveling on the same tracks. Our hearts go out to the victims. But this tragedy should not have happened. It happened because of human error on the part of Metrolink employees. Unfortunately, as the lawyers of RKA know well, human error by railroad engineers is not at all unique as a cause of commuter rail disasters.

Jerome L. Ringler has greater experience in representing victims of commuter rail and freight train disasters than any other lawyer in the State of California, if not the country. He has served as lead counsel in every one of the largest commuter rail disasters which have occurred in Southern California in the past 10 years.

In the Placentia Commuter Rail Disaster of 2003, Mr. Ringler was appointed by the Court as lead counsel for all of the Plaintiffs. He was requested by all of the lawyers representing individuals injured or killed in that incident to try the first case. That case resulted in the largest verdict for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ever rendered by a jury in the United States. That verdict, which was for $9 million, is detailed below in the multimedia section.

In the Burbank Commuter Rail Disaster, which also occurred in 2003, Mr. Ringler was again appointed by the Court to serve as lead counsel. In that capacity he was given the responsibility to try the entire liability (i.e., fault) case for all of the victims. In other words, every one of the dozens of lawyers who represented individual victims in that disaster trusted Mr. Ringler to try the liability phase for them, knowing that their clients would only recover if Mr. Ringler was successful. He was. In fact, Mr. Ringler not only obtained a favorable verdict for all of the plaintiffs, he obtained a $12 million verdict for his own client as well. This verdict was the largest in the State of California for a person with the type of injuries Mr. Ringler's client had suffered. This verdict is detailed below in the multimedia section.

Mr. Ringler is currently lead counsel for all plaintiffs in the Glendale Metrolink Derailment Disaster of 2005. This incident was, before September 12, 2008, the largest Metrolink disaster in history. Interestingly, in that case (which involves 11 deaths and dozens of serious injuries), Mr. Ringler has, against all odds, developed testimony proving that, even though a mentally-ill person placed a jeep across the tracks that the Metrolink train was traveling upon, human error on the part of the Metrolink engineer prevented him from stopping the train before hitting the jeep, which caused the train to derail. In other words, while the jeep certainly never should have been on the tracks, the Metrolink engineer would have been able to stop the train before ever striking the jeep had he only been paying proper attention. That case is scheduled to go to trial on June 8, 2009, with Mr. Ringler as lead counsel.

The verdicts detailed on this page all relate to railroad litigation. However, Mr. Ringler has achieved enormous, record-breaking monetary awards across California in a variety of complex areas. Those accomplishments are detailed elsewhere in this website. To see them, click here.

If you or a loved one has suffered injury or death as a result of the horrific Chatsworth Metrolink Disaster, we are available to discuss your rights with you confidentially and at no charge.

Please feel free to contact us at your convenience. Ask for Mr. Ringler,or any of his partners, at (213) 473-1900.

Train Accident Attorneys

Jerome Ringler on FOX 11 News

2008-09-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

Train Accident Attorneys

Va. court strikes down anti-spam law

2008-09-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

The Virginia Supreme Court has declared the state's anti-spam law unconstitutional.

The unanimous ruling Friday reversed the conviction of a man once considered one of the world's most prolific spammers. The court agreed with Jeremy Jaynes' claim that the anti-spam law violates free speech protections under the First Amendment.

In 2004, Jaynes became the first person in the country to be convicted of a felony for sending unsolicited bulk e-mail. Authorities claimed Jaynes sent up to 10 million e-mails a day from his home in Raleigh, N.C. He was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Jaynes was charged in Virginia because the e-mails went through an AOL server there.
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I think this article is very interesting.

Judge rejects anti-Obama group's request

2008-09-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

A federal judge dealt a blow Thursday to the advertising plans of a conservative group that purports to tell "the real truth" about Barack Obama's abortion views.

U.S. District Judge James Spencer denied a preliminary injunction sought by The Real Truth About Obama Inc. against the Federal Election Commission. The injunction would have barred the FEC from enforcing its fundraising and advertising regulations against the Richmond-based group, which was formed by anti-abortion activists.

The organization claimed in court papers that its "issue advocacy" amounts to constitutionally protected free speech that does not expressly advocate the election or defeat of a candidate.
In a brief order, Spencer said the constitutional claim lacked merit and that an injunction would harm the public. He did not elaborate but said a written explanation of his ruling will be issued later.

James Bopp Jr. of Terre Haute, Ind., attorney for The Real Truth About Obama, said he likely will ask the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for an expedited appeal of Spencer's ruling.
"The purpose of the First Amendment is to protect our ability to speak about issues and candidates and do so in a timely way," said Bopp.

Law Promo - They helped to create a law firm branding

2008-09-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

Law Promo fills a void where other web develops have missed - a development team that works with the unique needs of the legal profession. Attorney websites are considered advertisements, and Bar Association rules can be difficult to apply to a legal website.

The staff at Law Promo understands this and will work with you to develop a professional website that generates client interest and keeps law firms within the ethical boundaries.Even though they had never developed a website for a military law firm, the technical writers at Law Promo worked with me to develop a website that was unique to my practice of law, and helped to create a law firm branding that has identified my firm within a niche practice.

Monica L. Lombardi, P.C.
Attorney & Counselor at Law
www.MilitaryTrial.com

Law Promo Review

2008-09-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

They created a wonderful website for my firm!

It was a pleasure working with Law Promo. They created a wonderful website for my firm which is accessible, informative and easy to update. Their cost was very reasonable. I enthusiastically recommend their services and expertise.

Thom Peters
PartnerRingler Kearney Alvarez, LLP
www.rkallp.com

Law Firm News - Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione

2006-12-28T23:50:00.000-08:00

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione was founded in 1917 as the two-man patent law firm of Wilkinson & Huxley. Today Brinks has approximately 150 attorneys, supported by a full complement of scientific advisors, patent agents and paralegals. Our headquarters are atop Chicago's preeminent NBC Tower.

http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/category/Legal%20Podcast

2006 - Tax Blog links

2006-12-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

http://lawfirmlawyers.blogspot.com

http://lagalinfo.blogspot.com

http://taxinfotime.blogspot.com

http://progressivetax.blogspot.com

http://taxseason07.blogspot.com

http://taxterms.blogspot.com

http://taxesandlaws.blogspot.com

http://irstaxblog.blogspot.com

http://taxseasonlaw.blogspot.com

http://taxlawyersusa.blogspot.com

Breaking Legal News - 2006 Elite Lawyer Award

2006-11-10T00:46:00.000-08:00

The Breaking Legal News “Elite Lawyer Award” awards recognizes a select group of lawyers who have obtained outstanding achievments in their practice. The lawyers offered this award represent a very small percentage of attorneys who have been able to accomplish excellent results for their clients and are highly recognizable figures in the legal profession.

Once selected for the Elite Lawyer Award, attorneys will receive a banner to be put on their website stating that they have been selected as an “Elite Lawyer” by www.BreakingLegalNews.com for the particular year that the award was given.

Each award winner will also receive a dedicated page on Breaking Legal News featuring their achievments and information and this page will have a dedicated link that will be available for life. Each recipient of the award will also receive a glass trophy as proof of the award and to solidify the seriousness and true acheivment that the award stands for.

Lawyer blog award

2006-11-10T00:43:00.000-08:00

The Featured Blog section on Breaking Legal News highlights the most exciting and useful law blogs on the Internet. Each blog that is determined to be worthy of being recognized will receive a dedicated page on breakinglegalnews.com with a description of the blog, bio of blog organizer, and any information concerning the blog. Each blog page will have its own dedicated link that will be available for life on

www.Breakinglegalnews.com

If a blog is chosen for the Featured Blog section, they will receive a banner to be put on their blog page showcasing the fact that they have been featured by Breaking Legal News. They will also be able to submit one article per month pertaining to a specific legal matter. They will also be able to submit one article per month pertaining to a specific legal matter.

Breaking Legal News - Recent news

2006-10-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

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ABA Attacks Bush's "Misuse" of Attaching Signing Statements

2006-10-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, the Lawyers Group, the American Bar Association approved a resolution condemning President Bush's mis-practice of writing exceptions to legislation he signs into law.
At the ABA's annual meeting, delegates, representing 410,000 members, approved the resolution objecting to any president using bill signing statements to dilute or change laws rather than using a veto.
Only one bill (on stem cell research) has been vetoed by Bush, but the president has written exceptions to 800 legislative provisions, more than all the previous presidents combined.

more: http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/entry/Experts-Mel-Gibsons-Apology-Too-Late?TSSESSION=4936713b191175174c32e6763061fcef

Law Promo announces new partnership with BreakingLegalNews.com

2006-10-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Law Promo announced today that it will form a partnership with BreakingLegalNews.com. The two companies together will create a one stop shop for lawyers and law firms’ online needs. This partnership will allow much more opportunity for both party’s clients in the way of Search Engine Optimization and online awareness.

Lawyers and law firms alike can combine their online marketing efforts with the two companies, making their online brand, marketing and public relations efforts seamless. With direct links between their website or blog and their own dedicated page showcasing their articles, press releases, videos and audio clips on BreakingLegalNews.com, the visibility couldn’t get any better.

Lawyers have a multitude of options with BreakingLegalNews.com to increase their visibility and online visibility. By posting articles and having their own Featured Commentary, lawyers can have a voice in the legal community and advertise their knowledge and opinions on current legal matters. Lawyers can also submit video footage and audio clips for viewers to watch online or download for viewing later. All of the different submission options on BreakingLegalNews.com provide their own dedicated link in which the information will be archived for life.

This partnership will be extremely beneficial for Law Promo clients as well as BreakingLegalNews.com client who are in need of a website to direct potential clients to for more information. Law Promo looks forward to developing a long lasting relationship with BreakingLegalNews.com.

breaking legal news is now hiring!

2006-10-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

Breaking Legal News Corp.(breakinglegalnews.com) is a fast growing internet based company revolutionizing the legal news & PR business, and we are looking for an enthusiastic, results oriented individual to join our team.

We are looking for a smart, articulate and ambitious online marketing manager to implement all of our online marketing and sales activities. This individual will be responsible for business development; sales activities, promoting BreakingLegalNews.com's unique opportunity to lawyers and law firms nationwide, developing new business & relationships, developing marketing strategies and evaluating market conditions and competitor data, and product/service development & pricing.

This individual must posess excellent written/verbal communication skills, the ability to generate new business via email marketing/sales as well as over the phone. The indvidual that we are looking for is well-spoken, poised, dynamic and focused with a vigorous work ethic and enjoys being on the phone

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We are offering a unique opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a cutting edge, pro active company looking to change the way lawyers and law firms utilize the internet for marketing. We are fun, entrepreneurial, fast-paced and innovative and we are looking for an individual to help us continue our growth. The individual who is selected for this position will take ownership and pride in his/her job and in the success of our business.

Any experience in the legal field is a big plus.

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US Senate approves US-Mexico border fence bill

2006-10-01T23:58:00.001-07:00

The US Senate passed the Secure Fence Act of 2006 Friday by a vote of 80-19, authorizing the construction of a 700-mile fence along the US-Mexico border. President Bush is expected to sign the measure, designed to curb illegal immigration into the United States.

A key provision of the bill dictates that the US Department of Homeland Security must have "operational control" over US borders within 18 months in an effort to keep illegal substances and illegal immigrants from entering the US, while also providing for a study to decide whether the government should also construct a fence along the Canadian border. A separate measure will fund construction and maintenance of the fence.

The US House of Representatives passed the border fence bill by a vote of 283-138 September 15. The Mexican government has already expressed its opposition to the scheme.

www.breakinglegalnews.com

Merck's $50-Million Vioxx Award Too Excessive

2006-09-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

SAN PEDRO, Calif., Sept. 19, 2006 -- When a federal judge threw out a $50-million jury award against Merck & Co.,calling it excessive for a former FBI agent who had suffered a heart attack while using the drug maker's Vioxx painkiller, the news was met with mixed feelings for the 16,000 Vioxx users that have filed suits against Merck.
On August 17, 2006 a federal jury in New Orleans awarded $51 million to Gerald Barnett - a retired FBI agent who had a heart attack in 2002 after taking Vioxx for 55 months - after finding that Merck knowingly misrepresented or failed to disclose a material fact regarding Vioxx safety to the plaintiff's physician.
In a written ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Eldon Fallon found that the jury's findings on Merck's liability were reasonable, but that the $50-million compensatory damage assessment was not.
Vioxx plaintiff's can see positive news in the ruling in that the jury's finding of Merck's liability and is a positive development for everyone suing Merck for damages. The ruling clearly establishes Merck's liability and will strengthen future Vioxx cases that go to trial this month. Many experts are predicting that Merck's liability will reach 50 billion in damages.
Fallon ruled that a new trial on all damages was necessary, citing a previous case requiring reconsideration of both awards when compensatory damages are reviewed. The new trial will also reconsider the punitive damages award of $1 million in the case, although the federal judge did not take issue with that award.
Merck may see a surge in Vioxx lawsuits after an independent study found an increased risk of kidney-related complications and arrhythmia. The study was conducted by researchers at Harvard University and published online September 12, 2006 by The Journal of the American Medical Association.
A data analysis of 114 clinical trials involving more than 116,000 patients found that Merck's withdrawn painkiller was associated with an increased risk of "renal events," which include swelling of the hands and feet, high blood pressure and kidney dysfunction.
With the statutes of limitations expiring soon for manyformer patients this may prompt many to "pile on" the tensof thousands of Vioxx-related lawsuits already filed against Merck. Merck is the fourth largest drug manufacturer in the U.S. and has pledged to fight each of the nearly 16,000 cases filed against them individually, rather than as a class action.

keywords:

Tax IRS Jerome Ringler Vioxx Roger Clark Clark & Goldberg Immigration Mark Lanier Lanier Law Firm Stuart D. Zimring Girardi & Keese tax & finance Dan Webb New York Times John Girardi John Manly DUI Mary Helen Sears Justice Department Patricia M. Annino

Shield law's effect on national security debated

2006-09-28T19:01:00.001-07:00

Proponents and detractors of a federal law that would protect journalists from revealing their confidential sources clashed Wednesday about whether judges or the executive branch would be better suited to weigh the interests of national security against the rights of reporters to protect their sources.
In its fourth hearing on the proposed Free Flow of Information Act of 2006, the Senate Judiciary Committee questioned a panel of witnesses that included former Solicitor General Theodore Olson and Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, the second-in-command at the Department of Justice.
Although Olson and McNulty both have close ties to the Bush administration -- Olson represented President Bush in the U.S. Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore in 2000 -- they were on different sides Wednesday.
Olson, who supports the legislation, warned that journalist subpoenas have become "weapons of first resort" in federal investigations, and that reporters are often unable to determine whether their actions fall under the jurisdiction of federal or state law. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia recognize some form of a reporter's privilege but no such federal law exists. Olson said that since state shield laws have no federal counterpart, "uncertainty renders provisions in the states ineffective."
Furthermore, Olson argued that even if no federal shield law is adopted, "there will be judicial analysis of the process anyway" when reporters are served with subpoenas and they move to quash those subpoenas. "Judges do consider national security issues," Olson said.
Speaking on behalf of the Department of Justice, McNulty referred to the legislation as "a solution in search of a problem" and said that the department's guidelines already strike the correct balance between the government's interest and the interests of a free press.
A federal shield law, McNulty said, would only make criminal investigations more difficult and put too much power in the hands of judges. "Courts lack the ability and the knowledge to do a balancing test," he said.
In response to McNulty's comments, former prosecutor Bruce Baird said that the bill should be passed primarily because it "does no more than codify the Department of Justice's existing policy" on issuing subpoenas to reporters. Baird said that "from a defense perspective, the bill is also an improvement" because it would apply the department's guidelines to all investigations, creating a more uniform procedure.
Committee Chairman Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the bill's co-sponsor, asked McNulty if under a proper application of the Department of Justice's guidelines, former New York Times reporter Judith Miller would have still gone to jail. McNulty declined to answer.
Steven Clymer, a professor at Cornell Law School, suggested that if a shield law is passed, the Department of Justice should be exempted from its provisions because department officials "already do a good job of policing themselves."
Clymer called the proposed bill "useless" because "at the moment of truth -- when the source seeks an assurance of anonymity -- it will not be clear" if any of the exceptions to the federal shield law apply.
The bill was originally introduced in the Senate last year by Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.).
Although the original bill provided for an absolute privilege for confidential sources, the current version, introduced in the Senate in May, offers only a qualified privilege. A similar bill has been introduced in the House.

more info www.breakinglegalnews.com

Justice Department Sues Florida City

2006-09-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the City of Boca Raton, Fla., alleging that a city zoning ordinance discriminates against individuals with disabilities.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleges that a zoning ordinance passed by the city in 2002 and amended in 2003, excludes housing for persons recovering from alcohol or drug dependency from residential areas of the city and unreasonably restricts their operation in commercial zones in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The only zones in the city in which “substance abuse treatment facilities” (SATFs) may operate as of right under the ordinance are “medical center” districts. The complaint alleges that the ordinance intentionally and on its face targets housing for persons in recovery and subjects it to different and substantially more onerous requirements than other types of housing.
“No citizen should be refused an equal opportunity for housing in their community,” said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to preventing such housing discrimination against people with disabilities.”
“The Fair Housing Act protects all Americans from housing discrimination, including those persons recovering from substance abuse problems,” said R. Alexander Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “My office, in conjunction with the Civil Rights Division, is deeply committed to enforcing the laws that provide equal protection to all Americans.”
The suit seeks to prevent the city from enforcing the ordinance, monetary damages to compensate victims, civil penalties, and a court order barring future discrimination.

“Girls Gone Wild” Founder Joseph F. Pleads Guilty

2006-09-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON – Joseph Francis, founder, CEO and sole shareholder of two California companies doing business under the name “Girls Gone Wild,” has pleaded guilty to charges that he failed to create and maintain age and identity documents for performers in sexually explicit films produced and distributed by Girls Gone Wild, as required by federal law, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today.
Francis entered the guilty plea yesterday before U.S. District Judge Margaret Morrow at U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Santa Monica-based Mantra Films, Inc., which is owned and operated by Francis, entered a plea agreement on Sept. 12, 2006, at U.S. District Court in Panama City, Fla. A second related company, MRA Holdings, Inc., also entered a deferred prosecution agreement the same day.
Francis pleaded guilty to two counts filed under a law—often referred to as Section 2257—passed by Congress to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. The law protects against the use of minors in the production of sexually explicit material by requiring producers to create and maintain age and identity records for every performer. Producers and distributors must then label their products with the name of the custodian of the records and their location.
Under the agreements, Francis agreed to pay the maximum fine of $500,000, and his two companies agreed to pay an additional sum of $1.6 million in fines and restitution. Francis, Mantra, and MRA Holdings will make a public acknowledgment of criminal wrongdoing and agreed to fully comply with the record-keeping laws going forward. MRA Holdings also agreed that for three years it will employ an independent, outside monitor selected by the government and provide the monitor complete access to the books and records, production facilities and other locations required to ensure the company’s compliance with federal law relating to the production of visual materials under the name Girls Gone Wild, or any other name. In statements filed in court yesterday, Francis admitted that Girls Gone Wild, acting under his direction, filmed performers engaging in sexually explicit conduct and produced and distributed sexually explicit video materials during all of 2002 and part of 2003 while violating the record keeping and labeling laws.
In May 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, pursuant to “Project Safe Childhood,” asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to begin conducting regular inspections of records kept by producers of sexually explicit materials pursuant to Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2257. Producers are required to keep records on performers to include true name and date of birth and to produce these records on demand. These regulations and resulting inspections are designed to prevent producers from hiring minors as performers, and carry criminal penalties for violations.
The Los Angeles case is being prosecuted by Brent D. Ward, Director of the Justice Department’s Obscenity Prosecution Task Force, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Florida. The Obscenity Prosecution Task Force was formed to focus on the prosecution of adult obscenity nationwide. Investigation of the cases was conducted by the Adult Obscenity Squad of the FBI, which is based in Washington, D.C.

FCC Chief Orders Probe of Unreleased Media Reports

2006-09-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin has asked the agency's inspector general to investigate why two draft reports on television and radio ownership never saw the light of day until now. Martin said he sought the review after Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) asked whether the agency suppressed the reports, dated 2003 and 2004. Martin, approved for another five-year term Tuesday by the Senate Commerce Committee, said he and his staff had not seen the reports. "I want to assure you that I, too, am concerned about what happened to these two draft reports," Martin said in a letter sent to Boxer late Monday. One draft working paper, dated 2004, suggests that locally owned TV stations produce more coverage of local issues, Boxer said. In 2003, the FCC began looking into the local content offered by media outlets but never concluded the proceeding. The FCC chairman at the time, Michael Powell, and his top aides have denied any knowledge of the study. The other draft report, titled "Review of the Radio Industry" and dated 2003, examines consolidation in radio. Boxer said it showed that the number of station owners had declined. "This is the second report in a week that I have received that appears to have been shelved by officials within the FCC, and I am growing more and more concerned at these developments," Boxer said in a letter to Martin. The FCC in 2003 voted to ease limits on ownership of television stations and lifted a ban preventing a company from owning a newspaper and a television or radio station in the same market. But the new rules were put on hold in 2004 after an appeals court said the FCC failed to sufficiently justify them. The FCC took up the issue again this year.
http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/entry/FCC-Chief-Orders-Probe-of-Unreleased-Media-Reports

Adult Video Series ‘Girls Gone Wild’ Pleads Guilty

2006-09-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

A California company doing business under the name “Girls Gone Wild” has pleaded guilty to charges that it failed to create and maintain age and identity documents for performers in sexually explicit films that it produced and distributed, and that it failed to label its DVDs and videotapes as required by federal law, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory R. Miller of the Northern District of Florida announced today.

Santa Monica-based Mantra Films, Inc. entered its plea agreement today before U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak at U.S. District Court in Panama City, Fla. A second related company, MRA Holdings, LLC, also entered into a deferred prosecution agreement.

Under the agreements, Joseph Francis, the founder of the two companies, agreed to plead guilty to offenses to be filed later in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, and the companies and Francis agreed to pay fines and restitution totaling $2.1 million.

The charges in this case are believed to be the first to be filed under a law – often referred to as Section 2257 – passed by Congress to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. The law protects against the use of minors in the production of sexually explicit material by requiring producers to create and maintain age and identity records for every performer in sexually explicit movies and other media. Producers and distributors must also label their products with the name of the custodian of the records and their location.

Settlement reached with Seaboard & PIC USA

2006-09-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

Under two related settlements, Seaboard Foods LP and PIC USA Inc., will take significant steps at many of their facilities to ensure future compliance with environmental laws and to resolve allegations that the companies contaminated groundwater and surface waters near several of their facilities, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. Seaboard Foods LP, one of the nation’s largest vertically integrated pork producers, is the current owner of more than 200 farms in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Colorado, and PIC USA, Inc. is the former owner and operator of several of the farms located in Oklahoma now operated by Seaboard.

Under the first consent decree, Seaboard Foods and PIC USA, Inc will pay a civil penalty of $240,000 for violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal hazardous waste statute, dating back to 2001. In the second settlement, Seaboard will pay a civil penalty of $205,000 for failure to comply with the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Clean Air Act (CAA), and for failure to comply with the continuous release reporting requirements of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA). Payment of a $100,000 civil penalty by Seaboard in a separate Air Compliance Agreement with the EPA will be credited toward this amount.

“Today’s settlements represent an excellent result for the people of Oklahoma and a significant commitment by the companies to address the impacts of their operations and to remedy their impacts on ground water and surface waters, said Sue Ellen Wooldridge, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. In securing an extensive program of injunctive relief, we are confident that today’s settlement will help to ensure the protection of drinking water sources in Oklahoma.”

“This settlement represents a significant effort to address the impacts of animal waste handling practices and to bring operations into compliance with all applicable environmental regulations,” said Granta Y. Nakayama, the EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

“People know the value of clean water and air. This settlement represents a significant effort by two major companies to bring their waste handling operations into compliance,” EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene said. “We are pleased with these efforts, which will ensure better air and water near the farms.”

www.breakinglegalnews.com

Law Firm, Lawyer and Legal Professional news in the Media

2006-09-06T00:58:00.000-07:00

As innovators and the leader in online legal press release distribution since 2002, Law Promo has provided a simple, easy to use platform to ensure you get your message to the online media.

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Breaking Legal News for You to Reach Famous Attorneys and America's Best Legal Professionals.

Having a law blog or blawg is another excellent marketing tool for you and your firm. Your blawg is a database-driven tool that not only allows your firm to establish itself as a reliable, helpful authority on particular legal subject matters online, while also significantly elevating your search engine rankings. 14.8 million adults in the US downloaded an audio or video pod cast in the last month. Pod casting is one of the fastest growing technologies today, it allows for potential clients to download your multimedia content in a portable format that can be listened to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.. This is a great way to increase awareness for your firm while capitalizing on this new media format.

IRS says NAACP didn't violate tax status

2006-09-04T02:01:00.000-07:00

Marvin Goodson is a tax maven. He is also thoroughly analyzing this story from the Associated Press (ap.org) about how the NAACP did not violate the conditions of its tax-exempt status when its chairman gave a speech that criticized President Bush, according to a newly released letter from the Internal Revenue Service to the civil rights group. The IRS began looking into the Baltimore-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People about a month before the 2004 presidential election after a speech by NAACP Chairman Julian Bond that was largely critical of Bush's policies. Politics is sometimes a nasty business, from which no one is totally immune. Thankfully, the IRS made the right decision here.

Spotlight on one of America’s Best Trial attorneys

2006-09-04T01:57:00.000-07:00

Jack Girardi, Partner at Girardi & Keese relates a recent case of how once again he and his firm represents everyday Americans, this time, “a former Anaheim Police Lieutenant” in an “employment discrimination” case and won $5 million dollars for his client.

Jack is a breed of lawyer who spends his whole life fighting for ordinary people. He spends his time, his energy, and his firm’s money working to hold huge corporations, (like the PGE case made famous by the movie “Erin Brockovich”), oppressive governments and other wrongdoers accountable. Jack is one of those great lawyers who are committed to ensure that justice prevails.

-Law Business Insider

LawPromo.com news

2006-09-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

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The Strategy of building you an effective, eye-catching Website takes on different phases. We will contact you to make an initial evaluation of your law firm. We just don't evaluate your law firm, but we research your law firm. We research your specific market and also research your competitors. Once this is completed, we find out what your law firm needs are. LawPromo offers complete flash Website Design & Development and basic HTML Website Design and Development.

Seo Mio - Law Firm SEO

Law Promo Website Development Services

LawPromo has a solid understanding of what attorneys and law firms need in a successful website. Our award winning team and dedication to excellence are what make us stand out from other design firms. We understand that your company is unique and we can create a professional custom website that will increase traffic and visibility for your firm.

Patricia M. Annino - Women & Money

2006-09-02T00:57:00.000-07:00

Patricia M. Annino chairs Prince, Lobel, Glovsky & Tye’s Estate Planning and Tax Group. She is a nationally recognized authority on estate planning and taxation, with 20 years’ experience serving the estate planning needs of families, individuals, and owners of closely held businesses. A member of the firm’s Media and Intellectual Property Group, she represents authors, artists, and musicians in estate planning and probate matters.

She is the author of two widely utilized professional texts: Estate Planning in Massachusetts, part of West Publishing Company’s Massachusetts Practice Series; Taxwise Planning for Aging, Ill, or Incapacitated Clients, published by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; author of The Federal Gift Tax, A Practical Guide to Estate Planning in Massachusetts published by MCLE and author of the published book, Women & Money, A Practical Guide to Estate Planning.

Review: Annino's book provides the basic legal knowledge women need to deal with problems such as caring for elderly parents or young children, preparing for death or disability of self or spouse, whether to buy insurance, etc. However, there is no dry legalese: the advice is straightforward and abundantly illustrated with interesting stories from her law practice. In chapters aimed at women in various stages (divorcing, single, married, etc.) Annino seems to be having a personal conversation directly with the reader, offering lots of practical advice. Even has a fashionably pretty cover! Ladies: start your studies with this book.

About Costell & Cornelius Law Corporation

2006-09-02T00:54:00.000-07:00

The firm of Costell & Cornelius Law Corporation was originally formed by Jeffrey Lee Costell in January of 1993 and presently consists of six attorneys. The firm prides itself in being an established, full-service real estate law firm with a high-quality practice in the areas of real estate litigation, transactions, leasing, acquisitions, dispositions, finance, valuation, and development, as well as in the areas of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, debtor/creditor rights and general commercial and business litigation and transactions.

The firm has significant experience in the representation of a wide-variety of real estate clients, including real estate owners, landlords, tenants, developers, investors, borrowers, lenders, financiers and other real estate-related companies. The firm also represents non-profit organizations, institutional entities, entrepreneurs, corporations, small businesses, partnerships and numerous mid-sized companies or entities involved in a variety of businesses.

The firm has also represented foreign clients and governments, such as the State of Israel. The firm's Chief Executive Officer and Senior Attorney, Jeffrey Lee Costell had several years of experience with large, national law firms, but then made a deliberate choice to grow his practice in a smaller firm environment in order to most efficiently serve his clients. The Firm continues to provide enhanced service to its clients by virtue of it's relationship-oriented approach to representation. This approach is characterized by a global view of the engagement in the context of the client's overall business operations and extensive, prompt and ongoing communication with the client as to the direction of each matter.

Costell & Cornelius founding principles are the creation of successful, long-term relationships with clients, and a dedication to the profession and to being good corporate citizens in the community where we live and work.

Prudential Tax - Tax Help

2006-09-01T02:17:00.000-07:00

Prudential Tax is comprised of some of the best tax lawyers in the greater Los Angeles area. Their experienced and accomplished attorneys have helped many people overcome their ever growing tax debt and release the pressure of their debt. With no existing website and no specific direction, Prudential needed a clean cut, professional website that included content management as well as Search Engine Optimization. Law Promo created the design, keyword rich content and layout and architecture of the site to be easily navigated and to make viewers know that they are dealing with professionals.

CALIFORNIA TAKES THE LEAD ON GLOBAL WARMING

2006-09-01T02:13:00.000-07:00

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a deal under which California will mandate a reduction in the state's emissions of gases contributing to global warming to 1990 levels by 2020.

California already has passed a law requiring greenhouse-gas-emission cuts from cars and light trucks sold in the state. The cut would target the state's biggest industrial emitters of greenhouse gases, such as power plants, oil refineries and cement factories.

Finally: a politician who understands the threat posed by global warming! Regardless of whether you agree with Schwarzenegger's other political ideas, he's exactly right on this one. It's about time somone acknowledged the obvious - that the planet is not ours to pillage and ignore.

Patricia Annino - Women & Money

2006-09-01T02:08:00.000-07:00

Patricia Annino, Best Selling Author of Women & Money:
A Practical Guide to Estate Planning
Providing women a roadmap of the financial world”

Patricia M. Annino is a nationally recognized authority on estate planning and a partner in the Boston law firm of Prince, Lobel, Glovsky & Tye LLP where she chairs the Estate Planning Group. Our Co-Host, Jerry Ringler is one of America’s most successful trial attorneys who has won over $200 million dollars in verdicts for his clients across a wide array of different cases

As a lawyer handling estate planning for over twenty years, Patricia has seen first hand how many women do not realize the importance of planning until it is too late. She understands the way women learn and analyze. She has written a best selling book, Women and Money, A Practical Guide to Estate Planning, which has been recommended both by the Wall St Journal and Amazon.com.

Patricia will bring alive her best selling book in a simplified manner to serve as your trusted companion embarking on the estate planning process.

About Ringler Kearney Alvarez LLP - Jerome L. Ringler

2006-09-01T02:03:00.000-07:00

Ringler Kearney Alvarez LLP specializes in high-end cases in the areas of both business tort, class action and catastrophic personal tort matters.

Name Partner & Founder Mr. Ringler served as President of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers in 1992 and has been active in bench bar relations throughout his career.

Experience

Jerome L. Ringler is regarded as one of the premier trial attorneys in California, having tried over 75 cases to verdict with phenomenal success. He has achieved the rank of Diplomate, the highest level of achievement in the American Board of Trial Advocates and a rank attained by only a small fraction of lawyers in the United States. He is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, an elite organization of courtroom attorneys which selects its members from the top of the crust of the trial bar. Indeed, membership is limited to 500 lawyers from the United States judged to possess, to an exceptional degree, superior skill and recognized ability in trial and appellate practice, and to be of excellent character and absolute integrity. Mr. Ringler has also been awarded "best of" recognitions by various media and legal associations such as Super Lawyer magazine, Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, California Trial Lawyers Association, and Los Angeles County Bar Association.

CLINTON'S LEGACY

2006-08-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

John Manly of Manly, McGuire & Stewart is a leader of great vision and integrity. He applauds this story by Celia Duger in the New York Times (nytimes.com) about how Bill Clinton has made a lasting mark in a cause that he came to only late in his presidency: fighting the AIDS pandemic across Africa and the world.

On Mr. Clinton’s fourth visit to Rwanda, it was clear the efforts by his foundation had personal meaning. He said he was sorry his administration failed to intervene during the 1994 genocide. “The United States just blew it in Rwanda,” he said flatly. Paul Kagame, Rwanda’s president, said he had accepted Mr. Clinton’s repeated apologies. Defeating the scourge of AIDS will have far lasting impact than, say, our war against "terror."

The real terror is the disease that kills children and further enslaves Africa. That disease is AIDS. Bill Clinton deserves our help in the global war against AIDS.

You can listen to more of John Manly on "The Law Business Insider," at www.lbishow.com.

Law Business Insider News

2006-08-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

Professional Recruiters, Inc. of Los Angeles, California, represents top law firms, public corporations and fortune 500 companies in connection with the hiring of partners, senior attorneys and practice groups.

Professional Recruiters also runs a marketing program for America's leading lawyers where Steve Murphy, Professional Recruiters’ President and Senior Producer for Sky Radio Networks, interviews some of America’s “Go-to” Lawyers, up-and-coming superstars, and newsmakers like Johnnie Cochran, Larry Sonsini, Martin Lueck, Douglas Rosenthal, Phil Beck, Tom Girardi, and many more to deliver in-depth coverage of the day’s top legal stories for Sky Radio Network’s daily legal and business shows broadcast exclusively on American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, U.S. Airways and Northwest Airlines.

Sonsini - SEC issue?

2006-08-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

Like many other publicly traded companies, semiconductor maker LSI Logic Corp. awarded stock options to executives at regular planned intervals, a practice that leaves no room for improperly backdating options.

From 1997 to 2001, the company gave out regular executive grants in August and November, and occasionally in February.

But in February 2002, the company told the SEC that it had deviated from that practice the previous April, when it granted CEO Wilfred Corrigan an option to buy 1.5 million shares at the April 2 price.

The company had seen a long and painful descent in its stock price -- one that prompted executives to voluntarily take a 10 percent salary cut. The April 2 grant date came near the bottom. The stock was trading at $14.94 that day, then dropped to $13.97 two days later before climbing and cresting above $21 by month's end (see LSI chart showing company stock price from August 2000 through July 2001).

It was unusual for executives to receive stock options in April. That was the time of year that LSI board members -- including Larry Sonsini of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati -- typically received their options. On that April 2, Sonsini and his law firm were awarded options to buy 10,000 shares of LSI stock.

In an e-mail last week, an LSI spokeswoman said the company has voluntarily reviewed its option grants.

"The review covered the period of 1995 to 2005, and was completed by the company's internal audit group," she added. "No instances of backdating or other improprieties were found. LSI Logic has not been contacted by the SEC, or any other governmental agency, regarding its stock option practices."

SEC filings from two other companies where Sonsini was a board member -- Echelon Corp. and Lattice Semiconductor Corp. -- reveal stock option grants to executives at exceptionally low levels.