SharePoint Content Management Extended For Law Firm Portals

 

XMLAW Announces New SPxConnect Module That Extends SharePoint Content Management

SharePoint Module Enhances Information Sharing and Collaboration with Support for both Distributed and Centralized Management of SharePoint Content

Canton, MA (PRWEB) January 30, 2006 – XMLAW announces the availability of the SPxConnect SharePoint Module which extends SharePoint’s Content Management capabilities, supporting both distributed and centralized management models. The Module combines content from multiple sites and areas into an aggregate, big-picture view and delivers content from centrally managed sites or areas throughout a portal environment.

SharePoint-based applications are becoming more prevalent in law firm portals because they are easy to create and use. This Module extends the use of lists, libraries and galleries, including documents, announcements, tasks, calendars and custom lists, to created dynamic, easily deployed and highly usable business solutions.

For example, a client team can have real-time access to aggregate views of content from matter sites or workspaces relating to their client. Conversely, matter teams can have access to content managed by the client team within the context of their matter workspace. SharePoint content from these areas, sites and workspaces can then be further extended to client extranet workspaces, providing secured access to aggregate views or filtered views of the same information.

“The SharePoint Module represents a strategic addition to our SPxConnect product line,” said Rob Saccone, President & CEO of XMLAW. “By adding SharePoint content to the list of information sources SPxConnect integrates, our customers can combine the capabilities of SharePoint list and library management with the content and functionality of other SPxConnect-integrated systems such as document management, time and billing or CRM applications. This greatly extends our customer’s ability to create enterprise class, integrated portal applications that span business systems and processes.”

The SharePoint Module is built on XMLAW’s SPxConnect v2.1 application framework, providing a complete foundation for quickly building applications with integration of content and functionality across line-of-business systems and custom-built applications. With this Module, firms can now connect information from both inside and outside SharePoint, taking full advantage of SharePoint while leveraging existing technology.

The SPxConnect SharePoint Module features:

o Simplified deployment and configuration – all through the browser.

o Central creation and management of views, characteristics and functionality, including context menus and navigation.

o Advanced parameter management to dynamically set web part properties and values within a user’s context using globally managed parameters, site properties, connections between web parts and query string parameters.

o Customizable tool pane, a recent enhancement to SPxConnect application framework. Web parts can be configured to expose configuration and parameter options in the standard SharePoint tool pane, allowing users with appropriate access rights to customize web parts without exposing advanced configuration options or technical information.

o A consistent and common user interface that adheres to SharePoint functional standards, styles and themes, reducing the need for training on separate applications.

About XMLAW

XMLAW is the leading provider of SharePoint products and services to the legal market. SPxConnect, XMLAW’s flagship product, provides quick creation of dynamic and integrated SharePoint collaborative workspaces with real-time, feature-rich access to practice, client and matter information. SPxConnect provides application and search integration with legal systems such as document management, practice management and CRM as well as custom-built applications.

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Press Contact: Jeffrey Wolf
Company Name: XMLAW
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 781-838-1900 202
Website: www.xmlaw.net

Application for Medicare Deeming Authority Published By Federal Register

 

Federal Register Publishes TÜV Healthcare Specialists’ Application for Medicare Deeming Authority

Healthcare quality firm TÜV Healthcare Specialists (TÜVHS) today announced that its application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for deeming authority has been published in the Federal Register.

Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB) January 30, 2006 -- Healthcare quality firm TÜV Healthcare Specialists (TÜVHS) today announced that its application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for deeming authority has been published in the Federal Register.

The CMS request for public comments in the Federal Register is a key administrative milestone in the months-long process to achieve CMS hospital deeming authority for Medicare. TÜVHS completed its formal application for deeming authority in December. Posting in the Federal Register (http://www.gpoaccess.gov) moves the process into the public domain as a way to inform and involve healthcare leaders and the general public.

“January has been a significant month for us,” says Rebecca Wise, CEO of TÜVHS. “In addition to expanding our ISO 9001 and accreditation teams, we have been undergoing a rigorous evaluation of our operations by CMS. We want to be ready when CMS issues their decision.”

If granted deeming authority, TÜVHS will become the first new option for CMS hospital accreditation in 40 years, and the only service to integrate the ISO 9001 Quality Management System into the accreditation process.

About TÜV Healthcare Specialists

TÜVHS (TÜV America Healthcare Specialists TÜV SUD Group LLC) is an experienced healthcare quality company dedicated to improving safety and patient outcomes in America’s hospitals. TÜVHS is a subsidiary of the international quality management and product testing company TÜV America. TÜV America is a Registrar for the international ISO 9001 Quality Management System. For more information visit: www.tuvhs.com.

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Press Contact: Peter Greer
Company Name: TUV Healthcare Specialists
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 978-462-8042
Website: www.tuvhs.com

Small Business Capital Search Engine

Business Loan Matching Service For Small Business

Press Release by: 4eStrategy LLC

Published on openPR 01-27-2006 09:12 am - CET

(openPR) - Foothill Ranch, CA - January 26, 2006 -- Finding the right sources of financing for a small business can seem like an impossible task. But it doesn't have to be that way. Now there is a business capital search engine that has categorized the lending and investing criteria of over 4,000 U.S. based funding sources.

Business owners who are seeking business loans can enter information about what type of loan they are seeking and are quickly matched to what lenders have to offer. There is no obligation to apply for the business loans and business owners are given a free list of the funding sources they have matched.

The matching is done based on information provided by the business owner such as time in business, industry, location, revenue, credit scores and other specifics. This is then matched to the lending requirements provided by the funding sources. This gives both the business owner and the lender the best chance that a match will turn into a funded transaction.

The "business capital search engine" is found at http://www.businessfinance.com.

U.S based funding sources, with capital to place, can be listed in the business capital search engine for free. Likewise businesses in search of capital can use the matching service for free.

BusinessFinance.com matches businesses in search of capital with funding sources that have capital to lend or invest. Once a business in search of capital has completed a search and received their match list, they are given tools that instruct them how best to go about getting approved and how to prepare and present their request for funding.

Contact Corey Pierce for more insights into business finance. Direct line: (949) 305-2380 Email: info@businessfinance.com Other helpful information regarding the can be found at: http://www.businessfinance.com

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Other business loan sources listed by industry served:

 

Auto Repair Industry
Motor Home and RVs
Go Kart Racing
Construction and Heavy Equipment
Home Medical Equipment
Medical Equipment
Photography Industry
Auto Racing
Restaurant Equipment
Vending Machines

Credit Repair Companies Sued By FTC

FTC Sues “Credit Repair” Companies

Companies Targeted Spanish-speaking Consumers

Two companies targeting Spanish-speaking consumers with claims that they could improve consumers’ credit ratings have violated federal laws, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC has asked a federal district court to halt both companies’ illegal business practices.

January 27, 2005 - According to separate FTC complaints, Florida-based Sunshine Credit Repair, Inc. and Service Brokers Associates, Inc. use Spanish and English-language advertising to induce consumers to pay up-front fees for the defendants’ “credit repair” services. The FTC alleges that Sunshine Credit typically charges a $198 fee for its services, while Service Brokers typically charges $300 to $400. Under the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA), it is illegal to charge consumers money before performing the promised credit repair services. The FTC also charges that Sunshine Credit deceptively claims it can permanently delete accurate, negative information from consumers’ credit reports.

“When it comes to credit repair, only time, a conscientious effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit report,” said Brad Elbein, Director of the FTC’s Southwest Regional Office. “No credit repair company or consumer has the right to remove accurate, current information from a credit report.”

The FTC further alleges that both companies violated other provisions of the CROA. According to the complaints, prior to their signing of a contract, both companies fail to provide consumers with required statements informing them about their rights under federal and state law to dispute inaccurate information themselves and explaining the limitations of credit repair. In addition, the FTC charges that both companies fail to inform consumers they have the right to cancel their contracts without penalty.

According to the FTC, consumers can remove inaccurate information from a credit report themselves – credit repair companies have no greater power to do so. If consumers notice errors on their credit reports, they should contact the credit bureau to dispute that information. The credit bureau will then conduct an investigation and, if the entry on the report is found to be inaccurate, it will be removed. The FTC’s consumer education brochure, Credit Repair: Self-Help May Be Best, offers advice for consumers looking to go through this process, as well as indicators that a “credit repair” offer may be a scam. The brochure is available at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/repair.htm.

The FTC alleges that Sunshine Credit and Service Brokers have violated the CROA by: (1) charging consumers money before performing promised services; (2) failing to provide consumers with written statements concerning their credit file rights; and (3) failing to inform consumers of their right to cancel a contract. The FTC further charges that Sunshine Credit violated the CROA and the FTC Act by making deceptive claims about the company’s ability to remove accurate, negative information from consumers’ credit reports.

The FTC has asked the court to halt the companies’ illegal business practices and award consumer redress.

The FTC’s complaint against Sunshine Credit names Sunshine Credit Repair, Inc., and Gabriela Etchevarne as defendants. The complaint against Service Brokers names Service Brokers Associates, Inc. and Daniel Gonzalez as defendants.

The Commission vote authorizing staff to file the complaints was 5-0. The complaints were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on January 26, 2005.

NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendant has actually violated the law. The case will be decided by the court.

Copies of the Commission’s complaint are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jen Schwartzman
Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2674

STAFF CONTACT:

Susan Arthur
FTC Southwest Region
214-979-9370

(FTC File No. 032-3200 – Sunshine Credit Repair)
(FTC File No. 032-3201 – Service Brokers Associates, Inc.)

Unfair Asbestos Legislation

 

Brayton Purcell Fighting Against Unfair Asbestos Legislation

Four clients of the Brayton Purcell law firm will travel to the capitol to fight against proposed asbestos legislation (S. 852). Three have developed cancers due to asbestos exposure; the fourth is a widow whose husband died from asbestos-related cancer.

Washington, DC (PRWEB)January 27, 2006 -- Four clients of the Brayton Purcell law firm will travel to our nation’s capitol next week to make their voices heard against S. 852. This unfair asbestos legislation would deny access to the courts for asbestos victims, who instead would be required to pursue their claims through an asbestos trust fund. Congressional analysts and other government experts predict that the trust fund would run out of money well before all asbestos victims could be compensated. Medical experts question the criteria that the bill uses to identify and classify the diseases related to asbestos.

A Father Suffering From Mesothelioma

One client, David Bakkie, was exposed to asbestos when he worked as an assembler, a lineman and a line construction supervisor. He is 50 years old and has two teenage sons, Christopher and Charles.

Last September, Mr. Bakkie was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that first attacks the membranes surrounding the lungs. The disease is caused by asbestos exposure.

A Ship Rigger’s Exposure to Asbestos

Ron Dutton is married and 51 years old. He has two daughters and a granddaughter. For many years, Mr. Dutton worked as a rigger on ships, a job that exposed him to asbestos. Like most other workers, he did not know about the danger to his health and was given no protection. Now he has asbestos–related colon cancer and asbestosis. Asbestosis is a progressive scarring of the lungs that is only caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mr. Dutton says that he is going to Washington to let the Senators know that workers who were exposed to asbestos have real illnesses and have the right to be compensated. He poses this question: “The government didn’t get in the way when asbestos manufacturers made huge profits, so why should it make it hard for people like me to be compensated when they become sick from asbestos products?”

An Asbestos Victim’s Widow

Joan Nettler Kiss became a widow last year when her husband, John, died of metastatic colon cancer. An insulator for 35 years, John Kiss was an active member of the Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local 16 in San Francisco. He had worked in power plants, shipyards, and industrial and commercial sites throughout Northern California. He contracted asbestosis and colon cancer due to his exposure to asbestos at these jobs

After he retired as an insulator, Mr. Kiss began a second career as an investigator at Brayton Purcell because he wanted to help other asbestos victims. He was very proud of this job. His co–workers came to rely on his extensive knowledge of asbestos products and his ability to put clients at ease. Mr. Kiss eventually became the manager of the firm’s Investigations Department.

John Kiss had three children of his own and also helped raise two of Joan’s children. He was a proud grandfather to his eight grandchildren. He is sorely missed by his family, friends and co–workers.

A Machinist With Asbestos Lung Cancer

Mr. George Goodyard is married with four daughters. For 34 years, he worked as a machinist in naval and private shipyards. He now has asbestosis and lung cancer as the result of his on–the–job exposure to asbestos. He has had part of his lung removed, and visits his doctor every three months for a check–up and X–rays. He receives a CAT scan every six months, and hopes that his condition does not deteriorate further.

“They knew about asbestos in 1970, but didn’t tell us anything about it,” Mr. Goodyard said. “We didn't know about the risks we were taking.” He also points out that even today, the insulation used in ships may be 30 to 40 years old and contain asbestos. The asbestos can be easily disturbed and become airborne, allowing workers to breathe in asbestos fibers.

Mr. Goodyard has a court date set for later this year. However, if S. 852 becomes law, his asbestos case could be thrown out, and he would have to apply to the asbestos trust fund program instead. The delay would be a hardship for Mr. Goodyard and his family. The asbestos trust fund will not be up and running immediately, and S. 852 creates an unwieldy bureaucracy that may not be efficient or effective.

Protest Against S. 852

S. 852 is extremely bad legislation that will help asbestos–related companies, but harm people with asbestos diseases. Please call or write to your Senators and urge them to vote NO on S. 852. The bill may come before the Senate in early February, so it is important to do this right away. You can find your Senators’ names, e–mails, and telephone numbers on the U.S. Senate web site at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

List of Client Cases

The four clients are involved in these cases:
David Bakkie: David Bakkie vs. Asbestos Defendants, San Francisco Superior Court, No.     491129
Ron Dutton: Ronald Dutton and Terri Dutton vs. Asbestos Defendants, San Francisco Superior Court, No. 420971
Joan Nettler: Joan Nettler, et al vs. Asbestos Defendants, San Francisco Superior Court, No. 413663
George Goodyard: George Goodyard vs. Asbestos Defendants, San Francisco Superior Court, No. 434978

About Brayton Purcell
For over 20 years, Brayton Purcell has helped clients protect their legal rights in the face of devastating losses such as illness, injuries, and harm to family members. The law firm enjoys a national reputation for the high quality of its personal injury and product liability work, particularly in the area of asbestos litigation. For more information, call 415-898-1555 or visit the firm web site at http://www.braytonlaw.com.

For information about asbestos and asbestos-related diseases, see the firm’s web sites, Mesothelioma Network, http://www.mesotheliomasite.com and Asbestos Network, http://www.asbestosnetwork.com.

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Press Contact: Butch LeRoy
Company Name: Brayton Purcell
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 415 898-1555
Website: http://www.braytonlaw.com

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[Editor's comments: For information on asbestos and the lung cancer called Mesothelioma that exposure to asbestos causes, please visit http://www.mesothelioma-lung-cancer.org. (hris ]

 

When it Comes to Debt, Children Are Indeed the Future

New Study From LendingTree Reveals:
When it Comes to Debt, Children Are Indeed the Future
 
Conducted by Recognized Consumer Finance Expert, Study Highlights Changing View of
Debt Across All Life Stages

 

New York, NY - October 26, 2005 - An important new research report called "LIVING WITH DEBT: A Life Stage Analysis of Changing Attitudes and Behaviors" was released today at a press conference in New York City. The report, which was commissioned by LendingTree, examines how attitudes and behaviors related to consumer debt have changed between generations, and also how these attitudes and behaviors progress throughout the various stages of adult life. In recognition of the particular financial pressures and debt triggers that occur within certain groups, the study examines:

 

• College Students
• Young Singles
• Young Families
• Mature Families
• Empty Nesters
• Seniors

 

The full report, as well as the executive summary of highlights, can be downloaded at
www.lendingtree.com/livingwithdebt.

 

In underwriting this research, LendingTree hopes to contribute to the national dialogue about the state of debt in our lives, and, most importantly, to mobilize consumers to arm themselves with the financial literacy skills they need to make smart borrowing decisions.

 

The author of the report is Robert D. Manning, Ph.D., economist and professor of finance at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and author of Credit Card Nation. Dr. Manning is a specialist in consumer finance, socio-economic trends, and retail banking deregulation, and has testified before Congress on the use of credit.

 

Research Highlights

 

Overall, the study underscores several universal themes that appear consistently across life stages:

 

• Living with increasingly higher levels of debt has become an accepted and normal state of affairs - considered an inevitable and likely permanent feature of everyday life. The social stigma of high levels of debt is largely gone.

 

• Many people attribute their willingness to go into debt - or to take on additional levels of debt - directly to a dramatic increase in spending on children and grandchildren. Even older life stage groups, who more typically adhere to the "traditional" financial values of thrift and frugality, report using credit much more freely when spending on what they feel are "socially expected" lifestyle activities and accessories of their kids. Consequently, as families save less for college and rely more heavily on student loans, this contributes to higher debt levels among their children, who enter young adulthood with more debt (both student and consumer) than previous generations.

 

• Attitudes toward home ownership have changed, from simply providing necessary shelter to satisfying both a need and a tangible, secure (and considered near perfect) investment. Home ownership has become a much more important piece of the overall personal finance equation, with the real or expected appreciation in home equity often considered a financial stabilizer or "way out of trouble."

 

• Many participants feel ill-equipped to make prudent financial decisions, expressing an explicit desire for practical personal finance education, information and services. Long-term financial planning, with the exception of buying a house, is largely absent. Few have developed, let alone adhere to, a personal budget, although older groups were more likely than younger groups to do so.

 

Additional highlights for each life stage can be found in the executive summary at:
www.lendingtree.com/livingwithdebt.

 

Methodology
The study uses a life stage approach based on the assumption that the experiences of the different groups illuminate current and future trends related to consumption and saving/borrowing patterns. This approach helps to distinguish the unique influences of particular household dynamics, drawn from behaviors and experiences that vary across historical periods, or what is commonly referred to as "cohort effects." Therefore, each life stage group is specified as a methodologically and sociologically discrete category; two focus groups comprised of randomly-selected members of each of the six specified life stage groups were conducted on consecutive days over the summer of 2005 in three distinctly different geographic regions: Rochester, NY; Washington, D.C.; and Orlando, FL.

 

More information about the study's methodology can be found at:
www.lendingtree.com/livingwithdebt.

 

The LendingTree Commitment to Borrower Education
As part of its ongoing mission to empower borrowers, LendingTree also announced today it has launched a multi-year education and advocacy program around smart borrowing with the goal of inspiring consumers to make informed and savvy borrowing decisions.

 

Starting today, a reader-friendly and information-rich resource -The LendingTree Guide to Smart  Borrowing:  How to Use Credit Wisely Throughout Your Life - is available at no cost to consumers. The guide can be ordered in hard copy or downloaded electronically at:
www.lendingtree.com/livingwithdebt.

 

Also through the Smart Borrower education initiative, the LendingTree.com Web site offers an extensive library of articles, information, interactive tools, calculators and expert advice, all of which assist borrowers in making informed decisions about managing their debt. In addition, the company offers a free monthly educational newsletter and a series of comprehensive loan product guides designed to help borrowers understand and compare loan products and offers. They also provide helpful questions to ask during the borrowing process.

 

About LendingTree, LLC
LendingTree, LLC is the nation's leading online lending exchange, providing a marketplace that connects consumers with multiple lenders that compete for their business. Since inception, LendingTree has facilitated more than 16 million loan requests and $109 billion in closed loan transactions. LendingTree provides access to mortgages and refinance loans, home equity loans/lines of credit, auto loans, personal loans, and credit cards via
www.lendingtree.com and 800-555-TREE.

 

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, LendingTree, LLC is part of IAC Financial Services and Real Estate, an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI), which also owns or operates LendingTree Loans, LendingTree Settlement Services, LLC, GetSmart LendingSM, RealEstate.com, Domania, and iNest.

 

Media Contacts:
Gil Isenstein
Mullen PR
(978) 468-1155
gil.isenstein@mullen.com

 

Marcia Morphy
Rochester Institute of Technology
(585) 475-4951
 mpmuns@rit.edu

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The Coalition for Economic and Social Research (CESR) was founded in 2005 by Dr. Robert D. Manning and Harvey Warren in response to the worsening consumer debt crisis in America. CESR brings into constructive dialog all of those around the issue of excessive consumer debt, helping consumers find relief while respecting the debt owed. Tragically, as new bankruptcy legislation is being enacted, regulators are dismantling counseling options in their difficult effort to protect consumers in trouble from being abused.

 

Responsible debt relief can be a viable and vital last stop for consumers before a court ordered Chapter 13. How to safely assist and fairly qualify consumers who seek a dignified alternative to bankruptcy is an issue of shared concern for debtors, lenders, collectors, and consumer advocates. CESR is poised to be an effective listener and powerful voice addressing the needs and concerns of all within the coalition.

 

 

Leading Lawyers: Who's Who in Law

 

Attorneys Honored with Prestigious Award

Three lawyers from Nirenstein, Ruotolo & Gonzalez, P.L.C. named “Leading Lawyers” in the Valley by Phoenix Business Journal.

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) January 25, 2006 -- Nirenstein, Ruotolo & Gonzàlez, P.L. C., one of Arizona’s most prestigious and well-known family law firms, was honored today as three of their attorneys were named “Leading Lawyers: Who’s Who in Law” in the Valley by the Phoenix Business Journal.

Alexander D. Nirenstein, Fred Ruotolo and Donna Heller were given the prestigious award based on career highlights, community and civic involvement, short answer questions regarding both their toughest and most rewarding cases and were required to provide their resume and letters of recommendation.

“It is a privilege to be honored for the work that we do,” said Alexander D. Nirenstein, managing partner for NRG. “We are in the company of some of the finest attorneys in the state.”

Previously “The Best of the Bar,” the Phoenix Business Journal’s “Leading Lawyers” is awarded annually. Twenty-five lawyers in the Phoenix area were bestowed the honor this year.

About Nirenstein, Ruotolo & González, P.L.C.
Founded in 2003 by three accomplished family law attorneys, NRG is a boutique family law firm that provides professional representation in Arizona divorce and family law litigation, mediation, appellate review and mental health and elder law services. NRG boasts nine experienced family law attorneys, two litigation analysts, three paralegals, and three support personnel. The firm represents many diverse clients, both in Arizona and nationally, and is the most-respected law firm in Arizona practicing divorce and family law exclusively. For additional information, please visit www.nrglaw.net or call 602.485.5800.

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Press Contact: Alexander D. Nirenstein
Company Name: NRG - NIRENSTEIN, RUOTOLO & GONZALEZ, P.L.C.
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 602-485-5800
Website: www.nrglaw.net

Man Charged with Rape of 14-year-old Girl Has Charges Reduced

 

Charges Reduced Against San Diego Man Charged with Rape of 14-year-old Girl

Because of a poor investigation by police and the DA's office, the San Diego DA's office reduced the charges to simple battery.

(PRWEB) January 25, 2006 -- Kent Hulsey of San Diego was charged on June 14, 2005 with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego, where he was an employee of a vendor. San Diego Case No. SCN196135.

I.F.R.S. Group, Inc., private investigators based in La Mirada were hired by the defense to investigate the case. Within a few weeks investigators from I.F.R.S. Group, Inc had uncovered information that proved that the San Diego District Attorney's Office had "over charged" Mr. Hulsy, the incident did not happen as the victim and her mother had reported it to the police.

Rick Mills, President of I.F.R.S. Group, Inc. said, "The evidence we uncovered included the background history of the victim and her family, as well as other compelling evidence that the police and DA's office had either ignored or not found."

Instead of conducting an investigation the San Diego County District Attorneys office was relying on the results from the DNA, which they were sure was going to come back positive to their suspect, Kent Hulsey. The DNA eventually came back and, there was none.

Because of the evidence gathered by I.F.R.S. Group, Inc. during their investigation, the San Diego District Attorney's Office decided not to proceed with the case, but to offer Mr. Hulsey a plea bargain of simple battery with three years probation.

So, he went from a potential seven years in prison down to three years probation.

Mr. Rick Mills, President of I.F.R.S. Group, Inc. said, "we come across so many of these criminal cases where our client, the defendant, is not guilty or at least not guilty of the charges charged, that is why it is so important that defendants in criminal cases and their attorneys hire competent criminal defense investigators."

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Press Contact: Rick Mills
Company Name: I.F.R.S. GROUP, INC
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 714-562-0882
Website: http://www.ifrsgroup.com

Attorney Admitted to American College of Trial Lawyers

 

Rochester New York Attorney Admitted to American College of Trial Lawyers

Stephen G. Schwarz, a partner in the firm of Faraci Lange, LLP of Rochester, NY has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in America.

Rochester, NY (PRWEB) January 25, 2006 -- Stephen G. Schwarz, a partner in the firm of Faraci Lange, LLP of Rochester, NY has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in America.

The induction ceremony at which Mr. Schwarz became a Fellow took place recently before an audience of 1,020 persons during the recent 2005 Annual Meeting of the College in Chicago, Illinois.

Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality.

Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship. Membership in the College cannot exceed one per cent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are currently approximately 5,500 members in the United States and Canada, including active Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Judicial Fellows (those who ascended to the bench after their induction) and Honorary Fellows.

The College strives to improve and elevate the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the ethics of the trial profession. Qualified lawyers are called to Fellowship in the College from all branches of trial practice. They are carefully selected from among those who customarily represent plaintiffs in civil cases and those who customarily represent defendants, those who prosecute accused of crime and those who defend them. The College is thus able to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the legal profession and the
administration of justice.

Mr. Schwarz is Managing Partner of the Rochester Firm, Faraci Lange, one of the leading personal injury firms in Western New York. He joins his partner Angelo Faraci, who was admitted to the College in 1975 as one of only 17 lawyers in Rochester who are Fellows in the College. The newly inducted Fellow is an alumna (alumnus) of Albany Law School and is a former President of the Rochester Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

# # #

Press Contact: Anthony Dinitto
Company Name: FARACI LANGE
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 585-325-5150
Website: www.faraci.com

Infoworld and Dell Small Business Magazine Free Offer

 

	We wanted to give you the chance to subscribe to InfoWorld and also to Dell Small Business E-mail Updates. Be sure to forward this email to business associates - they may wish to apply to receive a complimentary publication in their industry as well.   InfoWorld Making the right technology buying decisions is more important to business success than ever. That's why InfoWorld is dedicated to helping IT professionals get technology right. With the latest on products, services and technologies, our "Tech Watch" section covers the story behind the story - keeping readers abreast on the nuts and bolts of enterprise technology, while our "Test Center" section puts products to the test in real-world environments. For tech subjects that deserve expanded coverage, InfoWorld's feature stories dig deep, and opinions and insights from respected columnists round out the wealth of information designed to make IT decision making easier. Dell Small Business E-mail Updates Save on Dell products with Dell Small Business E-mail Updates! Sign up today and get great deals on systems, networking hardware and essential software and accessories delivered right to your inbox every week. Note: Dell will be contacting you via email with details - offer valid in the United States Only.  MORE Trade Publications FREE to Qualified Professionals include: Enterprise Open Source Journal - Is the first magazine designed solely to focus on open source strategies in the ... InfoStor - Provides storage professionals with the right decision-making information to evaluate, ... Business Solutions - Helping VARs increase profits by integrating complementary technology.... Other Professional Publications can be found at: Technical, Internet, Computers, more... Browse the list of job functions and industries on the application form to see if you might qualify. Also note the geographic availability. Then simply complete the form and submit it. If you have co-workers, friends or family who work in a related field, please pass this offer on to them - they'll thank you! Cheers, Gina Geertz TradePub.com Manager http://consultant-directory.tradepub.com/ 16795 Lark Ave, Los Gatos, 95032

Banks Have to Measure Operational Risks For Basel II

Basel ii and Legal Risk

Press Release by: George Lekatis Inc.

Published on openPR 01-23-2006 02:28 pm - CET

 .

(openPR) - In order to comply with Basel ii, banks have to measure all legal risks. This is really difficult, as there is no official definition in the new Basel Accord.

In order to meet the Basel ii requirements, banks have to measure operational risk.

According to Basel ii Accord Section 644 to 651, Operational risk is defined as the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems or from external events. This definition includes legal risk, but excludes strategic and reputational risk.

Legal risk, according to the Basel committee, includes, but is not limited to, exposure to fines, penalties, or punitive damages resulting from supervisory actions, as well as private settlements.

George Lekatis, a senior risk and compliance consultant, certified trainer, and general manager of a firm that bears his name, leads several Basel ii compliance classes every year in London, Europe and Asia (http://www.basel-ii-training.com/at/web/BaselPartners.htm). In all the classes, professionals from international banks ask the same questions:

First Question: "What is legal risk? Is there an official definition?"
The answer is that there is no official definition of legal risk. To make things worse, there is confusion between legal risk and operational risk in the official document.

According to the Basel committee, these are some of the legal and/or operational risks:
Internal fraud
External fraud
Employment practices leading to workers' compensation claims or other forms of liability
Client, product and business practice issues
Fiduciary breaches
Improper trading
Money laundering
Sales of unauthorized products
Collateral management failures
Incomplete legal documentation
Unapproved access to client accounts

Second Question: "How can we manage legal risk, and allocate capital for this risk using an advanced measurement approach?"

There are three approaches to the measurement of operational risk in Basel.
1. The basic approach: We apply a standard percentage to "the income" of the firm as a whole. It is difficult to call it "risk measurement"

2. The standardized approach: We do the same, but not for all the organization, but for each business line separately.

3. The advanced measurement approach: We need to know the "expected loss" and the "unexpected loss" amounts (it is unexpected loss... but it is expected that we can measure it using models).

It is obvious that even when banks use the "advanced" measurement approach, they do not really measure the legal risk. George Lekatis, in his web site http://www.legal-risk.com presents several issues regarding the disclosure, management and measurement of the legal risk, according to the Basel ii and Sarbanes Oxley requirements.

Contact George Lekatis for more information about Basel ii compliance training and consulting.
Email: lekatis@basel-ii-training.com
Other helpful information can be found at: http://www.basel-ii-training.com http://www.basel-ii-accord.com and http://www.legal-risk.com

School of Law at Hamline University to Host Informational Sessions

Hamline University School of Law to Host Informational Sessions

Who:     Hamline University School of Law  What:    Prospective Student Information Sessions  When:    Saturday, Jan. 28 and Saturday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. until noon  Where:   Hamline University School of Law, Law and Graduate Schools           Building  Contact: Web: www.hamline.edu/law/admissions/rsvp_info.html          Email: lawadm@hamline.edu          Phone: 800-338-3688 or 651-523-2461 

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 23, 2006--Hamline University School of Law: Hamline University School of Law will host two informational sessions for prospective students on Jan. 28 and Feb. 25, 2006. The sessions will provide information about Hamline's full-time weekday and part-time weekend programs, including the admissions process. Current students will share their perspective on studying law at Hamline University School of Law. Visitors also will meet with faculty and staff, learn about Hamline's law school curriculum and experiential learning opportunities, and take tours of the law school building.

Hamline University School of Law educates students to become professional and ethical lawyers who apply legal knowledge with disciplined imagination and a global perspective that allows them to strengthen society. The school also seeks to be a catalyst for reframing the legal landscape through distinguished guest speakers, thought-provoking symposia, and nationally recognized centers of excellence. Hamline's Alternative Dispute Resolution Center is ranked fifth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Hamline University School of Law was founded in 1972 and later merged with Hamline University, which is ranked first in Minnesota among comprehensive universities by U.S. News and World Report.

Contacts

Hamline University School of Law
Cynthia Bielke, 651-523-3169 (office)
651-683-1910 (cell)
cbielke01@hamline.edu

CNN Anderson Cooper To Have Attorney That Won Lawsuit Against Ford Motor Company

 

Attorney that Won Major Lawsuit Against Ford Motor Company to Appear on CNN

Brad Lakin of The Lakin Law Firm (www.lakinlaw.com) will appear on tonight’s broadcast of Anderson Cooper 360. Lakin won a $43 million verdict on behalf of his clients against Ford Motor Company, in a car fire case that caught the attention of the nation last April.

Wood River, IL (PRWEB) January 23, 2006 -- Brad Lakin of The Lakin Law Firm (www.lakinlaw.com) will appear on tonight’s broadcast of Anderson Cooper 360. Lakin won a $43 million verdict on behalf of his clients against Ford Motor Company, in a car fire case that caught the attention of the nation last April.

Many people still remember the fiery crash where a St. Louis area couple was trapped in their 1993 Lincoln Town Car, which erupted into flames after an accident on I-270 in Madison County, Illinois. A wrench in the Jablonski's trunk punctured the fuel tank during a rear end impact, which resulted in a fire.

John Jablonski, Sr. and his wife Dora Jablonski were both badly injured when their vehicle burst into flames. Mr. Jablonski suffered burns over 80% of his body and died of his injuries two days later and Mrs. Jablonski suffered permanent burns over 32% of her body, is unable to walk and currently resides in a nursing home.

Anderson Cooper will explore the circumstances behind the car fire, and how Lakin went about representing his clients in the case.

Brad Lakin said, "This is an important case for the Jablonskis who suffered horrible injuries, but it has national implications for millions of Americans who currently drive Ford’s Lincoln Town Car, Grand Marquis and Crown Victoria. While Ford has provided retrofits, trunk protection and warnings to police agencies it has refused to provide the same information to the civilian vehicle owners. So what we have is millions of people driving Ford’s Lincoln Town Car, Grand Marquis and Crown Victoria without knowing about the fire problem.”

Lakin explained that the Lincoln Town Car is designed with a vertical-behind-the-axle where the fuel tank is located in the rear crush zone, which increases the risk of fire in rear end collisions. "We contended that this design feature has been linked to numerous deaths and that Ford knew this design was dangerous yet took no action to protect the public."

Lakin’s firm is also known for its work in the area of nursing home abuse and neglect. He became involved in nursing home abuse and neglect cases after a personal tragedy to a family member. With one and half million Americans living in nursing homes the quality of patient care, or the lack thereof, has been making the headlines of late.

“We are launching a public awareness campaign in the next few weeks on the subject of nursing home abuse,” states Lakin. “We will be releasing a series of public service articles that will educate the public on this subject.

Over the past decade many among the baby boomer generation have been resorting to nursing home care for their elderly parents. Lakin feels that each of these individuals must understand what constitutes good care for their loved ones and how to go about choosing the right nursing home.

The article series will be released in February and can be found by going to www.lakinlaw.com.

About The Lakin Law Firm

The Lakin Law Firm is headquartered in Wood River, Illinois. Over the years, the firm has served clients from more than 45 states. The Lakin Law Firm was founded 25 years ago on the principle of representing working families.

For more information please contact:
Brad Lakin
The Lakin Law Firm
(618) 254 1127

# # #

Press Contact: Brad Lakin
Company Name:
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 618-254-1127
Website: www.lakinlaw.com

Healthcare Billing Abuse and Nursing Home Billing Abuse Out of Control

 

Nursing Home/Healthcare Billing Abuse Out of Control

The Americas Watchdog Corporate Whistleblower Center has just released the results of a year long study focused on Medicare & Medicaid that shows widespread billing abuse involving all aspects of healthcare. According to the report, in most cases examined, nursing homes, hospitals and or individual doctors are involved, and as usual its the US tax payer picking up the tab.

(PRWEB) January 22, 2006 -- The Corporate Whistle Blower Center has just reported its 2005 year end findings on the state of Medicare/Medicaid over billing/fraud in the United States, and according to the groups President Thomas Martin ,"the results are grim". The report included the top five areas where Medicare/Medicaid was over-billed or defrauded as follow:

1. Nursing Homes/Rehab Centers taking advantage of loop holes in Medicare/Medicaid billing proceedures that allow for widespread testing that should not have been done or were not needed. As an example an elderly patient on Medicare/Medicaid is admitted to a rehab center/nursing home with no speech problems and is sent to a speech therapist for a battery of unnecessary speech tests, or speech therapy at a cost of $5000-$10,000+. Unnecessary testing of Medicare/Medicaid patients costs the US Taxpayers tens of billions of dollars per year in unnecssary billing/fraud.

2. Most Nursing Homes/Rehab Centers are not providing anything close to mandatory time/hours per day with patients under their care. Nursing homes, rehab centers, and in some cases hospitals are required by Medicare/Medicaid to spend minimum hours per day, per patient. In most cases examined this is not happening in US nursing homes. This very wide spread practice puts at risk the patient and exposes the tax payer to a bill that should not have been paid. Needless or premature death/illness are a frequent result.

Another major result of the investigation was the discovery that illegal workers, who make up a very large percentage of all nursing home employees nationwide. Frequently these workers do not have a working knowledge of the English language. According to Thomas Martin President of Americas Watchdog; "its kind of hard to offer care to a nursing home patient on Medicare/Medicaid, if you cannot understand what the patient is telling you about their condition".

3. Doctors or Doctor Partnerships requiring Medicare/Medicaid patients to endure unnecssary testing or duplicative testing that fleeces the tax payer, and may put the patient at extreme risk. As an example, the investigation discovered Radiologists requiring the same patients to undergo the same types of testing, from other partners in the same practice group, or Cardilogists requiring heart patients to undergo the same heart tests from other cardiologists within the same practice group. Duplicative/Unnecessay medical testing/proccedures may account for 10% to 15% of all Medicare/Medicaid bills. Once again the tax payer gets stuck holding the bag at a cost of tens of billions of dollars each year.

4. Doctors perscribing the most expensive drugs (rather than generics) also account for up to 10% of all Medicare/Medicaid over-billings. While doctors can no longer take trips, or get lavish rewards directly from drug makers for perscribing the most expensive drugs, they can become a "consultant" for the drug company, and end up with the same type of lavish reward. According to Martin, Americas Watchdog, " its common that a drug company's "loyal" doctor" gets to become a drug company's "consultant", and then gets a first class, 7 day trip to Hawaii, where the doctor/"consultant" might give a one hour speech on the positive affects of an ED drug-to an empty room".

5. Botique hospitals, not for profits, or hospitals owned by doctors/investor groups are largely unregulated, and are not typically, on any federal, or state radar screen, with respect to the billings/compliance, related to Medicare or Medicaid patients. The net result of this; the taxpayer loses again. While large hospital systems or chains are forced to play by the "rules", with respect to physician recruitment, and or billing; not for profits, and or botique hospitals frequently do not play by any rules. According to Martin, "the only rule is how much money can we make and or where do we send the bill"?

City, County, State or Federal (aka VA) owned hospitals are also not held to any acceptable standard, with the net result being massive over-billing, fraud, or waste of precious Medicare/VA & Medicaid dollars. In the instance of government owned medical facilities, more patients, more medical staff, more administration, and more billings are all good things. Americas Watchdog Martin explains," this is because of the government employee motto; "if we don't use all of our money this year, we will not get as much money or more money next year". The net result is waste, fraud or abuse of Medicare/Medicaid that may dwarf the other four listed problem areas combined.

The Corporate Whistle Blower Center is always very interested in talking to healthcare workers/managers who might possess substantial proof related to Medicare or Medicaid over-billing or fraud. Individuals with substantial proof may be able to receive a significant reward for revealing their information. Americas Watchdog is the parent of the Corporate Whistleblower Center and would encourage individuals with information related to Medicare or Medicaid over-billing to contact us for a confidential interview.

If you are a law firm or a lawyer with a practice area that includes Qui Tams, Nursing Home abuse, Hospitals or class actions, Americas Watchdog has enormous reach in the investigation of, or in consulting on these types of cases. We also form Qui Tam partnerships with investors to expose wrong doing to federal agencies for a portion of the whistle blower reward.

###

Press Contact: Thomas Martin
Company Name: Americas Watchdog
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 866-714-6466
Website: Http://Americaswatchdog.Com/

New State Health Insurance Laws and Regulations Directory

Gor a Health Insurance Beef or Question? New State Health Insurance Laws and Regulations Directory Can Help

Press Release by: Benefits Boutique

Published on openPR 01-20-2006 09:03 am - CET

(openPR) - Plano, Texas USA
Directory of State Health Insurance Laws Helps Answer Health Insurance Complaints and Questions

Where can you go when you have a health insurance question or complaint? Are you overwhelmed by conflicting health insurance advice from friends, relatives, or agents?

Today, www.BenefitsBoutique.com announces the introduction of the National Directory of State Health Insurance Laws and Regulations. Benefits Boutique is a nationwide insurance agency and advisory resource offering affordable health and life insurance and sound advice to individuals, families and the self-employed.

The Directory is a new, free resource for anyone shopping for or puzzled by health insurance. The Directory refers visitors to many governmental and private resources that can give objective answers to health insurance questions and lodge complaints with government officials for their state.

Consumers are encouraged to visit the new National Directory of State Insurance Laws and Regulations at: http://www.BenefitsBoutique.com/health%20insurance%20regulations . Directory links and news items are updated regularly, and visitors are encouraged to bookmark and add the Directory to their web browser favorites folder.

According to Michael Chapman, president of www.BenefitsBoutique.com, "We developed the National Directory of State Health Insurance Regulations as a public service for consumers. We found that important and accurate health insurance official information is not readily available in yellow pages or online directories. Too often people rely on biased or inaccurate information and advice from friends and relatives. And health insurance regulations and laws are constantly changing, so we have included the latest state news items as well."

Included in the directory are many links to state and federal insurance regulating agencies, including state departments of insurance. These regulatory agencies provide valuable public information about the health insurance laws and regulations of their state, such as the complaint levels for health and life insurance companies and of licensed agents in the state.

Government-compiled complaint ratings are one important and objective measurement of quality and customer satisfaction which should be part of the consideration of individuals, families or the self-employed when shopping for affordable health insurance. Many state departments of insurance also offer a toll-free hotline service for individuals seeking sound health insurance advice, or who desire to file a complaint against their insurance company or agent.

Benefits Boutique offers nationwide, no-obligation, affordable health and life insurance quotes, sound advice and personal service. Consumers can visit the company website, www.BenefitsBoutique.com or call toll-free for answers to health and life insurance questions and no-obligation quotes. Consumers can even schedule a no-obligation consultation with a health insurance advisor from Benefits Boutique via a toll-free number, a free video web-conference or through Skype, a company owned by eBay.com that provides free online phone service around the world.

Contact Michael Chapman for more insights into this topic. Direct line: (888) 398-6246 Email: mtchapman@BenefitsBoutique.com Other helpful information regarding the can be found at: http://www.BenfitsBoutique.com.

For More Information Contact:

Michael Chapman
mtchapman@BenefitsBoutique.com
http://www.BenefitsBoutique.com
(888) 398-6246

Search Anyone's Phone Records, License Plates, and Dresser Drawers Online

Legally Search Anyone's Phone Records, License Plates, and More

Press Release by: Arthur Publishing

Published on openPR 01-20-2006 09:04 am - CET

(openPR) - Bloomington, IN - January 20, 2005 -- Legally search anyone's phone records, including your own. Your personal information has never been more accessible, quicker or cheaper to obtain than it is today. At People-Search.com anyone can obtain personal records by searching dozens of databases and billions of records in a single search.

"Your phone records are for sale" screamed a Chicago Sun-Times headline recently. Security and privacy concerns aside, if you want to check on a cheating husband, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend, doing so is as easy as going to www.clickriver.net/peoplesearch. You can do a background check on a potential employee or check the location of a dead beat dad or mom.

The number one use of personal information search services is locating or identifying a missing person or discovering more information about someone for personal and/or business purposes. In a matter of seconds anyone can find information about you that you never knew was available on the internet. Using the fastest record search on the internet today, www.clickriver.com/peoplesearch takes advantage of technology and searches for information about you and/or others.

For less than the price of dinner and a movie you can search the same databases used by the government and law enforcement. You can have instant access to locate practically anyone including lost family, lost friends, old classmates, potential dates, neighbors and people who are missing. Find personal information from the comfort of your own home, and at a fraction of the cost of hiring a private investigator.

Searches are completely discreet and leave no record behind. The information is securely transferred from various multiple private, public and government databases and data centers to a secure page for the user's eyes only. Privacy is People-Search.com's number one concern and they deliver it 100% of the time.

For additional information on how to find information that you need for your business or personal use please visit www.clickriver.net/peoplesearch.

About People-Search.com

People-Search.com is one of the first web sites that provides their members with the information that years ago was not accessible to them. The records and information that People-Search.com provides their members is information that can be found no where else. Giving individuals the ability to conduct their own investigations on others as well as themselves is fundamental to the company's mission.

Contact:

Dan Johnson
Arthur Publishing
http://www.clickriver.net/PeopleSearch

Amputee Got $16.5 million, Wants New Trial Since Others Are Getting More

 

New Trial Awarded to Amputee: Jury Confusion Led to Reduced Award

A Highland, Indiana man whose leg was amputated in an industrial accident five years ago is entitled to a new trial, according to the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

(PRWEB) January 21, 2006 -- John Mesman, 44, and his former wife, Judy, 47, were awarded $16.5 million by a federal court jury in Hammond in 2003. Although a record verdict at the time, larger net jury verdicts for a leg amputation have been returned since then in Indiana and elsewhere.

Mr. Mesman’s attorneys argued that Crane Pro designed a defective crane and that the company failed to properly warn Infra Metals employees about the potential danger. The jury agreed, but then allocated only one-third of the total fault to Crane Pro, with the remainder attributed to Mesman’s employer, Infra Metals.

The federal court of appeals affirmed the new trial order for Mr. Mesman because “the jury had been confused.”

The Court of Appeals held that the jury was reasonable in concluding that, “all things considered, [Crane Pro’s failure to design the renovated crane in such a way as to protect Mesman against the kind of error that Van Til made was negligent,” and that it was wrong to enter judgment in favor of Crane Pro.

“Under Indiana law, John can only recover worker’s compensation benefits from his employer, and those benefits must be fully repaid from his verdict,” said Mesman’s attorneys. “We believe if the jury had fully understood that all fault attributed to Inframetals would actually be subtracted from John’s portion of the verdict, the fault percentage to Inframetals would have been little or nothing.”

The new trial is scheduled for early 2006. John Mesman and Judy Mesman vs. Crane Pro Services, et al., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Case No. 04-2146.

###

Press Contact: Peter Boyd
Company Name:
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 954.523.2181
Website:

---

[ Editor's comments: On second thought, I don't think any comments are needed... (hris ] 

 

Attorney Opens New Criminal Defense Offices

 

Criminal Defense Attorney Jeff Rubenstein Opens New West LA Offices

Well known and highly regarded criminal defense attorney Jeff Rubenstein opens new offices for his business The Law Offices of Jeffery K. Rubenstein as a professional corporation. Mr. Rubenstein’s new offices are located at 1849 Sawtelle Boulevard, Suite 640, Los Angeles, California 90025. Tel: 310-477-2100.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) January 20, 2006 -- The Law Offices of Jeffery K. Rubenstein http://www.jkrlaw.com/base/aboutus.html now offer an experienced support staff which includes experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys http://www.jkrlaw.com/res/los-angeles-criminal-defense-attorneys.html who will confidently handle a large array of Los Angeles Criminal defense cases including: DUI http://www.jkrlaw.com/res/los-angeles-dui-attorney.html , Drug, under the influence, all types of theft and fraud cases, Domestic violence cases, white collar crimes, and all other types of criminal cases.

Our Los Angeles County attorneys http://www.jkrlaw.com/res/la-criminal-defense-attorney.html are now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are a team of experienced Los Angeles criminal attorneys who will answer client’s calls and provide free consultations by an actual criminal defense attorney day or night.

We are also pleased to announce that Jeff Rubenstein has recently been featured on The Abrams Report on MSNBC http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3036652/ and on the CBS Evening News as well as Inside Edition as a legal pundit. Attorney Jeff Rubenstein also remains active with The Constitutional Rights Foundation as an editor, advisor and instructor.

Attorney Jeff Rubenstein is also pleased to announce a new commitment to teaching courses on Juvenile Justice, Basic law, and Public Administration as an Associate Professor at National University’s Graduate level program at the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

Attorney Jeff Rubenstein is also pleased to announce a new commitment to teaching courses on Juvenile Justice, Basic law, and Public Administration as an Associate Professor at National University’s Graduate level program at the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

###

Press Contact: John Brenner
Company Name: ESSENTIAL FLAVORS
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 3104631005
Website: http://www.jkrlaw.com

Court Reporting Firm Clients Get Software Update

Acclaim Legal Releases Solaria Update for Court Reporting Firm clients

Press Release by: Acclaim Legal Services, Inc.

Published on openPR 01-18-2006 08:44 am - CET

Fort Collins, Colorado USA January 6, 2006 - (openPR) - Acclaim Legal Services, Inc. responds to client input to quickly enhance new features in their industry leading court reporting firm deposition calendar, attorney billing, and court reporter payroll software. Input from agency owners and office managers move directly to the software if it contributes to all firms, their reporters, and attorneys. The evaluation version is also available for prospective clients from the company website.

With this release Acclaim Solaria now further integrates with the web-based deposition exhibit and transcript file repository software, DepoManage, to allow SSL security and tighter control of the user changes. Also, we have added to our deposition calendar feature when reviewing the depositions scheduled for a day, week, or month with the color coding. Now you will be able to more easily see which jobs need attention and focus on those higher priority items. This will assist your assignment of court reporters, attorney order tracking and billing, and court reporter payroll. It's all connected so you enter one piece of information and the software tracks it for you. Now your office management software sees where everything is in the work flow and keeps it moving smoothly.

This is apparent in the results of a recent survey of clients. The respondents rated Acclaim Solaria higher than any other court reporting office management software they had used in features, ease-of-use, and functionality. On average the court reporting firm users said they saw an improvement of over 40% in the efficiencies of their calendar/scheduling team and over 30% improvement in their order production tracking and client billing teams. "Whether you are a one person office or an office of 50 users, this is a significant improvement in your efficiency and staff utilization... and ultimately your bottom line," said Mr. Etl.

"Moving from our previous DOS-based solution (StenAccount) to Acclaim Legal's solution was one of the best decisions we've made. As a busy court reporting firm, we needed a Windows-based business solution that was both easy-to-implement and easy-to-use. Not only did Acclaim Legal provide the best solution for our needs, but they support their product with excellent services. And while we can't think of anything we'd change about their product, we also know that each new update will contain well designed, useful features that help us improve our business." - CC - Cleveland OH

Contact Terry Etl for more insights into this topic. Direct line: 1(888) 211-8397
Email: sales@acclaimlegal.com
Other helpful information: http://www.AcclaimLegal.com.

For More Information Contact:

Terry Etl
Terry@acclaimlegal.com
www.acclaimlegal.com

NACBA States Bankruptcy Filings To Increase

Bankruptcy Filings Predicted to Rebound

Press Release by: David M. Siegel & Associates

Published on openPR 01-18-2006 05:28 pm - CET

(openPR) - The new bankruptcy law that generally went into effect on October 17, 2005 caused a feverish rush to file.  The period immediately after October 17th was drastically slow for consumer bankruptcy professionals throughout the United States. Bradford W. Botes, Executive Director for NACBA (National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys) states that he is "confident that the rate of filings will pick back up during the first quarter of 2006." He sites the increase in credit card minimum payments, increased fuel costs and ever increasing interest rates as factors which will increase the rate of future filings.

Botes further states that "three things have lead to the recent decrease in filings:

1. Virtually everyone who was considering bankruptcy filed prior to October 17, 2005;
2. The last two months of the year are always somewhat slow;
3. Many people think that bankruptcy is no longer an option."

David Siegel, Chicago bankruptcy attorney and American Bankruptcy Institute member, is doubtful that the rebound will occur as quickly as predicted by Botes and others. "I simply have not seen nor felt the normal interest in bankruptcy for this time of the year, specifically, with regard to filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The need to save homes through Chapter 13 bankruptcy has remained somewhat constant, however." (Special Reports are available at http://www.bankruptcylawyerschicago.com)

In the near future, NACBA will commence a media awareness campaign to get the word out that bankruptcy is still an option for those caught in the clutches of debt. That media campaign along with a steady stream of television advertisement espousing bankruptcy should have some impact.

For Further Information:

David M. Siegel
790 Chaddick Drive
Wheeling, IL 60090
davidmsiegel@hotmail.com
(847) 520-8100
www.bankruptcylawyerschicago.com

Popular Trade Publications: DV Magazine, eWeek, plus many more free subscriptions

 Subject: Popular Trade Publications: DV Magazine, CADBlocks, plus many more ...

	Greetings! All the publications below are available to you since you live in the United States. We hope you will find them of interest. Click on the titles below to see if you qualify, and be sure to forward this email to business associates - they may wish to apply to receive a complimentary publication in their industry as well. Subscribe and enjoy!   Popular Trade Publications at TradePub.com DV Magazine provides objective, hard-hitting, in depth reviews of digital video ... more info   CADBlocks targets architects, specifying engineers, and CAD Managers ... more info   eWeek enables readers to successfully evaluate, deploy and ... more info   Other Reader Favorites: Refocus reports on all the major developments in renewable energy ... more info   Biophotonics International delivers a unique global insight into the photonic products ... more info   Dr. Dobb's Journal enables programmers to write the most efficient and ... more info   Baseline provides the practical information needed to undertake ... more info   Investment Advisor features product surveys, planner profiles, and ... more info   Small Times spotlights key issues in nanotechnology, MEMS and microsystems ... more info   Remember, all subscriptions are complimentary to industry professionals who meet the publishers' qualifying criteria. If you missed last week's newsletter, please click here to see it now. Cheers! Gina Geertz TradePub.com Manager gina@TradePub.com www.TradePub.com Frequently Asked Questions Are trade publications really FREE and why? Yes! All of the trade publications on the TradePub.com Websites are absolutely free of charge. There are no hidden fees, and there is no obligation. TradePub.com will not invoice for subscriptions. Doing business in today's competitive environment requires a serious commitment to stay abreast of trends and technology, and every business needs a technology infrastructure to perform effectively and efficiently. Trade publications and their advertisers want to give you information you need to do business. It's worth it to them to give you the magazine free because you have a genuine need for the information and products described therein. Advertisers need a vehicle to deliver their message to you which justifies spending advertising dollars to give subscriptions for free. How long will it take to get my first issue? If the publisher determines your subscription is qualified, it may take up to twelve (12) weeks for the publisher or their fulfillment agent to deliver your first issue, however it varies, and may also depend on where your subscription application falls in their circulation cycle. How will I know if I've qualified to receive the free trade publication? All qualification forms are forwarded to the publishers. It is the sole discretion of the publisher to determine if they will accept or deny subscriptions. Unfortunately publishers do not always have a procedure to notify subscribers if they are not accepted. If the 12 week time frame has passed and you have not received your first issue, you may want to try selecting another publication of similar interest - different publishers may have different qualifying standards for each publication. You may also want to refer to the thank-you email that was sent to you when you submitted the qualification form. There you will find the contact information for directing your subscription status inquiries. What if I am looking for a magazine that is not listed? We add publications to our Website on a regular basis. If you join our email list, you will be periodically notified of any new publications that are added to our site. If I live outside of the U.S., can I qualify to get trade publications? The publishers determine the countries that are eligible for free subscriptions. Some publishers have an international edition available. Unfortunately, TradePub.com cannot make any exceptions. You may view the publication list by geographic eligibility by clicking here. What if my mailing address changes during my subscription? You will need to contact the publisher directly to change your address. For publisher contact information, refer to the masthead in the first few pages of the print magazine, or search online. Who do I contact if I want to find out about editorial calendars, publication advertising, or other content for a specific trade magazine? You will need to contact publishers directly to get editorial, advertising or partnership program information on individual publications. NetLine Corporation does not publish any of the titles listed on the Consultant-Directory.TradePub.com website. You can typically find the publisher contact information on the table of contents page or in the first few pages of the print publication. What qualifications do I need to receive a free subscription to a trade publication? The publishers are solely responsible for determining the specific requirements needed to receive their publications free of charge. TradePub.com is not involved in this decision, nor does TradePub.com have any influence on what this criteria is. Generally, one or more of the following is required: 1. your work requires you to be informed and up-to-date about the subject matter covered by the trade publication, 2. you need information about the types of products that are advertised or discussed in the trade publication, and/or 3. you evaluate, recommend and/or purchase types of products that are advertised or discussed in a trade publication. Publishers are interested in specific job titles and job functions, but may also evaluate and determine qualification based on other criteria asked in their qualification form. Additionally, publishers' criteria may change from time to time, based on their overall demographic needs and requirements. How long will my free subscription(s) last? Publishers determine the length of the subscription period for each publication. Most free subscriptions last at least a year. When the publisher's circulation period is over, however, they may ask you to requalify in order to continue receiving their magazine. Again, these are not soft offers and you will not receive an invoice for your subscription. Is Consultant-Directory.TradePub.com the publisher? Consultant-Directory.TradePub.com is not the publisher of the magazines on this Website or any partner sites. We collect qualified (free) subscriptions on behalf of our publishing clients. For editorial, magazine advertising, circulation, or other inquiries, you will need to contact the publishers directly. Why do the qualification forms ask a personal question? Most publishers work with third party agencies that audit their circulation numbers. These agencies require that subscribers answer a personal verification question to be used during audits to verify that the person filling out the form is indeed who they claim to be. On a standard paper-based qualification form, the publisher would ask for a signature, however since that is not possible to do online, this is the industry accepted alternative. I'm a Circulation Manager or publisher and would like to list my magazine on a TradePub.com site - how can I do this? For information about our subscriber acquisition services, please email your inquiry to pubsales@TradePub.com. Consultant-Directory.TradePub.com is a division of NetLine Corporation - please tell me more about NetLine. NetLine is a marketing automation service provider that combines powerful technology with proven "best practices" to help business-to-business marketers leverage the Internet for lead generation, relationship marketing, and building marketing intelligence. Our services are quite varied and include everything from email newsletters and event follow-up programs to email list rental, online registration pages, and most importantly, the backend tracking, reporting, and analysis of these efforts to validate their effectiveness. NetLine, an innovator in Internet marketing since 1994, is located in Los Gatos, CA.

Doctor May Be Sued for Malpractice During Automobile Accident Case Exam

Doctor Hired by Insurance Company to Perform Independent Medical Examination for Automobile Accident Case May Be Sued for Malpractice During Exam

Press Release by: Benjamin W. Glass, III & Associates, PC

Published on openPR 01-17-2006 02:35 pm - CET

(openPR) - An independent medical examiner hired by an insurance company to perform an examination on an auto accident victim may be sued if his examination causes further injury, according to the Supreme Court of Virginia in a case decided January 13, 2006.

A Newport News, VA, woman alleged that Jeffrey Scott Kreutzer, a clinical psychologist caused further injury to her when he conducted an examination to evaluate her claim that she suffered a brain injury in a 1991 automobile accident. The court ruled that a Newport News Judge improperly dismissed her claim that alleged that she was “verbally abused” and accused of being a “faker and malingerer” by Kreutzer.

“While this is the first time that this issue has been addressed in Virginia, every court that has addressed the issue has found that there is a duty of care owed by the health care provider in this situation. They are not immune from suit just because the examination is done in the context of litigation,” says Benjamin W. Glass, III, a Fairfax, Virginia medical malpractice and personal injury attorney. “While the claim of injury during an independent medical examination is rare, this is a commonsense rule which protects the claimant should further injury arise due to the doctor’s malpractice,” Glass said.

The court ruled that the doctor’s duty of care extends only to the examination itself, and that he cannot be sued if he fails to diagnose or treat a condition, nor may he be sued for what he says in his report or in his testimony.
The woman, Nancy J. Harris, recovered over $413, 000 in her automobile accident case. Her medical malpractice trial against Dr. Kreutzer will now be sent back to Newport News for trial.

Mr. Glass is a medical malpractice and personal injury attorney in Fairfax, VA.. The Supreme Court case is Harris v. Kreutzer, No. 050715.

For more information about lawyer advertising contact Benjamin Glass, (703) 591-9829. Email: Ben@BenGlassLaw.com Other helpful information can be found at: http://www.BenGlassLaw.com

Lawsuit Filed by Kyphon Receives Medtronic Response

Medtronic Responds to Lawsuit Filed by Kyphon, Inc.

 

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 17, 2006--Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) today announced a lawsuit brought by Kyphon, Inc. and Dr. Harvinder Sandhu against Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Inc., Medtronic's Spinal business, and related entities. The complaint was filed Nov. 23, 2005 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. The complaint was unsealed on Jan. 17, 2006. In dispute are pending and issued Medtronic patents covering devices to treat vertebral compression fractures (VCF) of the spine. VCF of the spine are the most common types of fractures affecting the low back and are usually the result of a fall. Treatment for VCF is one of the fastest growing segments of the spinal market. Kyphon is currently the sole player in this market segment.

In the lengthy complaint, Kyphon and Dr. Sandhu claim Medtronic used the alleged invention and incorporated it into patents for future products in this market segment. Medtronic denies that it used Dr. Sandhu's alleged invention in its patent filings and product development and will vigorously defend that position.

"We believe this complaint is without merit," said Pete Wehrly, senior vice-president and president, Medtronic Spine and Navigation. "We believe patients benefit when there is competition in the marketplace and we will defend our right to be in this segment of the spine market. This complaint will not threaten Medtronic's current product availability or impede our business operations."

It is important to note that neither Kyphon nor Dr. Sandhu is making any claims of patent infringement in this case. In fact, Dr. Sandhu never received a patent from the U.S. Patent Office on his alleged invention. According to the complaint, Dr. Sandhu recently licensed his alleged invention to Kyphon, which has a financial interest in keeping others, including Medtronic, out of the market. Medtronic has not yet launched a system in this market segment.

About Medtronic Sofamor Danek

Medtronic Sofamor Danek, based in Memphis, Tenn., is the global leader in today's spine market and is committed to advancing the treatment of spinal disorders. Medtronic's Spinal business collaborates with world-renowned surgeons, researchers and innovative partners to offer state-of-the-art products and technologies for neurological and spinal conditions. Medtronic is committed to developing affordable, minimally invasive procedures that provide lifestyle friendly surgical therapies. More information about the company and its spinal treatments can be found at www.medtronicsofamordanek.com and its consumer sites, www.back.com, www.iscoliosis.com, www.maturespine.com and www.necksurgery.com.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 28, 2005. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

Contacts

Medtronic, Inc.
Public Relations:
Bert Kelly, 901-344-0614
or
Investor Relations:
Jeff Warren, 763-505-2696

At A Glance

Medtronic, Inc.
Source: via Business Wire Updated  09/16/2005  by company

Professional Court Reporters Recognized

Acclaim Legal Services Spotlights Professional Reporters

Press Release by: Acclaim Legal Services, Inc.

Published on openPR 01-16-2006 09:00 am - CET

Acclaim Legal Services Spotlights Professional Reporters for their court reporting firm technology

Acclaim Legal Services, Inc., a leading court reporting firm management software company, recognizes Professional Reporters for their deposition technology and deposition services marketing and management. Many court reporting firms try to maximize their office staff and court reporters, but few succeed as well.

(openPR) - 1/10/06 Fort Collins CO Acclaim Legal Services, Inc. - Many court reporting firm owners and managers want to make sure they have the best court reporters and staff for their deposition and litigation services. To do this you need to make sure you are on top of every aspect of your deposition schedule, attorney billing, transcript production, and court reporter payroll. This is not an easy task for even the largest firms. Professional Reporters is a shining example of a firm that knows how to do it all exceptionally well. Their firm information can be seen here: www.proreporters.com

Once you have the software in your office and on the internet to work smoothly with your attorneys, court reporters, and clients you can focus on marketing. There are five basic tips to market your legal services in a competitive region. Basically:

1. Understand what your clients are buying from you... not what you think you are selling them.
2. Find out what sets your services apart from other reporting firms.
3. Understand that perception is as good as reality- for your reporters and attorneys.
4. Be careful negotiating with new clients on price- you may not win in the end.
5. Consider technology as a competitive edge and market it.

For more on this newsletter or other court reporting firm owner and management tips please visit us here: www.firmissues.com.

Acclaim Legal Services, Inc. is a court reporting firm and litigation support technology company based in Fort Collins Colorado. Acclaim offers two key products for reporting firm deposition calendar, attorney billing, court reporter payroll, job transcript and status tracking, and office management. This tool, Solaria, has been chosen by many firms upgrading from stenaccount, courtpages, reporterbase (rb6 and rb7), wisetrack, acculaw, and analyzer. Acclaim DepoManage is the web-based transcript repository many clients are now using to extend their office securely for their reporters and clients. Solaria will send deposition schedule, attorney and witness / case information, and deposition transcript and exhibit files to the website. The clients can then log in to the site and see their jobs, their deposition files (transcript, eTranscript, realtime files, exhibits, and medical records documents), and to request, reschedule, or cancel existing depositions. Court reporters can review their schedules, download the deposition notices or spelling sheets, and submit worksheets (a.k.a. dopesheet, dogsheet, or turnin form) and transcript files.

Demonstrations can be seen at http://www.acclaimlegal.com/Solariademo.html

Contact Terry Etl for more insights into this topic.
Direct line: (888) 211-8397
Email: Sales@acclaimlegal.com
Other helpful information can be found at: http://www.acclaimlegal.com.


Contact:

Terry Etl
Sales@acclaimlegal.com
http://www.acclaimlegal.com

Email Creates Embarrassment For School Superintendent

 

Maine School Superintendent Suffers Embarrassment as LitigationProofing, LLC Awards January “E-mail of the Month” Prize

LitigationProofing, LLC, a New York-based consultant to major corporations and law firms on best practices in electronic communications, has awarded its January, 2006 “E-Mail of the Month” prize for identifying a problematic electronic communication drawn from the public record. This month’s prize relates to an embarrassing e-mail sent by a school superintendent to a colleague.

(PRWEB) January 16, 2006 -- LitigationProofing, LLC, a New York-based consultant to major corporations and law firms on best practices in electronic communications, has awarded its January, 2006 “E-Mail of the Month” prize for identifying a problematic electronic communication drawn from the public record. This month’s prize relates to an embarrassing e-mail sent by a school superintendent to a colleague.

The prize goes to a nationally recognized expert on adult illiteracy and former Executive Director of Literacy Partners, Jon Deveaux. Mr. Deveaux submitted an example drawn from the public records of the State of Maine, where he has a vacation home.

In this prize-winning example, reported in the Norway Advertiser-Democrat newspaper in Maine on November 10, 2005, a superintendent of a school district in Maine sent an e-mail to a colleague regarding a meeting. At the end of the message, the superintendent mentioned how he would like to “punch the lights out of” a specific union representative. When the e-mail was ultimately made public, a “really, really, embarrassing” situation resulted for the superintendent, according to the Advertiser-Democrat report.

Mr. Deveaux, who currently teaches reading at a middle school in the Yonkers, New York, school system, was awarded a “Litigation Proofing” Native American-style drum -- LitigationProofing's preferred method of communication because it leaves no trace.

“The moral of the story is: anytime you touch your fingers to the keyboard in states like Maine, expect it to become part of the public record,” explains Eric M. Rosenberg, president and founder of LitigationProofing.

Maine has a very strong public records law and a long tradition of full public participation and disclosure in state and local government. What’s more, according to the Advertiser-Democrat, the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition has determined that e-mails are generally included in the definition of “public records.”

“Public officials need to think long and hard before they hit the send button, reflecting on the fact that their e-mails could easily wind up in the newspaper,” Rosenberg continues. “In this case, even though the writer likely meant no harm, he clearly should have considered his words more carefully. Quite simply, this demonstrates how poorly e-mail performs as a medium for communicating emotion, rather than plain, unadorned facts.”

As an interesting aside, the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition has said that if the chairman of a board of selectmen in Maine were to send an e-mail to a group e-mail address that included the entire board, the chairman thereby would have called a quorum of the board of selectmen together, constituting an unnoticed and therefore illegal meeting of the board in cyberspace. According to the Advertiser-Democrat, the Coalition argues that such a group e-mail is the same as “shutting a door and locking the public out.” Once again, the lesson is: beware of what you write and to whom you write it.

For bringing this example to LitigationProofing’s attention, Mr. Deveaux has been awarded a LitigationProofing drum. As an ancient method of communication, the drum is a reminder that the only way to assure that your modern communication will not become a permanent public record is to tap it out on the drum rather than upon your computer keyboard.

About LitigationProofing, LLC

LitigationProofing, LLC provides training and consulting to financial services firms, other corporations, and law firms on crucial litigation issues concerning electronic communications, attorney-client privilege and document retention. For more information, please visit www.litigationproofing.com.

About the Contest

To highlight the importance of smart, well-trained e-mail skills, LitigationProofing will award an appropriate prize of nominal value at the end of each month for the best submission of a problematic, but previously publicly disclosed and available e-mail. Contestants may submit entries by sending them to email protected from spam bots. DO NOT SUBMIT any e-mail that is not from publicly available sources. Just as is true in much of what happens in litigation generally, the decision of “Judge” Rosenberg awarding the prize will be subjective and final.

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Press Contact: Cheryl Munk
Company Name: LitigationProofing, LLC
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 973-731-7015
Website: www.litigationproofing.com

Selective Enforcement of Local Ordinances May Violate State and Federal Laws

 

San Joaquin County Officials' Selective Enforcement of Local Ordinances May Violate State and Federal Laws

In San Joaquin County, code enforcement officers may be betraying our most fundamental state and federal laws in their determination to enforce local ordinances. In these days where our civil rights are being diminished one must wonder what America’s founding fathers would think, if they would be alive today. Is this the vision they had for America or are we in the verge to lose our true identity as a nation that values freedom, equality, and the right to a fair trial? You are invited to read on and judge for yourself.

Stockton, CA (PRWEB) January 13, 2006 -- Most would agree that local ordinances are written for the betterment of the community and with the desire to improve the overall quality of life. However, it is rarely discussed how some of these local ordinances are affecting a select group of people or class within our communities. There are instances in our American history, where these actions have taken place, but we decided as a nation that we would not tolerate these forms of abuse on our citizens. Unfortunately, history has a way of repeating itself.

Cities and counties today, enact local ordinances sometimes even ridiculous in their very nature, without really considering public opinion on the matter and enforce these at their discretion. While state law (specifically California in this case) does have a provision granting power to cities and counties to enforce or establish local ordinances, it is only under the premise that they do not conflict with general law. California Constitution, Article XI, Section 7, states "A county or city may make and enforce within its limits all local, police, sanitary, and other ordinances and regulations not in conflict with general laws".

To selectively choose application of these ordinances for some citizens while ignoring others in similar situations are hardly justifiable and create a double standard. In fact, most would agree that any city or county that engaged in this practice is potentially violating state and federal laws, specifically in our state of California, California Constitution, Article I, Section 7(b), states that “A citizen or a class of citizens may not be granted privileges or immunities not granted on the same terms to all citizens” and U.S.C. 14th Amendment, The Equal Protection Clause, which enforces equality of the law to all citizens.

The main question that we should ask ourselves is: what are we, as US Citizens, willing to do in order to stop cities and counties from eroding our rights? We currently find ourselves in this dilemma, to read about our case, please visit http://www.SocialBattles.com. We have chosen to bring this to your attention. It is our hope that we can create awareness of this growing trend, which must be stopped. It is our belief that we have an obligation to bring legal action against San Joaquin County to discourage this type of behavior.

As a final note, your help can make a huge difference. We are currently searching for legal representation and any donation that you can provide, will help us in our efforts to get justice. As an expression of our appreciation, for your donation, we will provide a link to your website from our main page located in our Sponsor Section. The top 100 donators will be featured on our main page and we will provide a link for all donators on http://Sponsors.SocialBattles.com.

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Press Contact: Leo Marin
Company Name:
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 209-271-9670
Website: http://www.socialbattles.com

Chapter 11 Filed By Musicland to Complete Restructuring

Musicland Holding Corp. Files Chapter 11 to Complete Restructuring Initiatives; Company Receives Commitment for $75 Million in Financing

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 12, 2006--Musicland Holding Corp., an entertainment specialty retailer operating more than 800 retail stores and online under the names Sam Goody (SamGoody.com), Suncoast Motion Picture Company (Suncoast.com), and MediaPlay.com, announced today that the company and its subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

The company believes the move is necessary to complete its restructuring initiatives and refine its business model. The company has received commitments for up to $75 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing from its existing bank group, led by Wachovia as agent, which will enable it to continue to operate during the restructuring period.

"We have been exploring various options for cutting costs, such as the impending closure of the Media Play chain," Musicland President and CEO Michael J. Madden said. "We believe that the decisive action we are taking provides the Company with the most effective means to restructure our operations, strengthen our balance sheet and position us to compete more effectively in the current music and movies industry environment."

The company attributes their financial difficulties to a diminishing music and movies marketplace, growing competition from big box retailers and the increase of music downloading.

"Musicland has a solid management team, enthusiastic employees and loyal customers. We have funding in place to continue our normal business operations during the restructuring. We will continue our plans to launch innovative new business initiatives in 2006 and continue to build our highly valued vendor relationships," Madden concluded.

During the restructuring process vendors will be paid for post-petition purchases of goods and services in the ordinary course of business. The company has asked for court permission to continue to honor its current customer policies regarding merchandise returns and to honor outstanding gift cards and loyalty programs, so that there will be limited impact on customers. Courts typically grant such requests and Musicland expects that the court will do so here.

The Company and its subsidiaries filed their voluntary Chapter 11 petitions in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The case has been assigned case number 06-10064. Additional information about Musicland's reorganization is available at www.musicland.com or via the company's restructuring information line 877-568-3857.

About Musicland

Musicland Holding Corp. is a leading national specialty retailer of music, movies and entertainment-related products. Musicland operates more than 800 retail stores and online under the names Sam Goody (SamGoody.com), Suncoast Motion Picture Company (Suncoast.com) and MediaPlay.com. In June 2003, Musicland was acquired by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc.

Contacts

Sitrick And Company
Brenda Adrian, 212-573-6100
brenda_adrian@sitrick.com
or
Giovanna Falbo, 212-573-6100
giovanna_falbo@sitrick.com

Proposed Asbestos Legislation Analyzed from a Historical Perspective

 

Mesothelioma.com Analyzes Proposed Asbestos Legislation from a Historical Perspective

Bill s.852, the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005, is analyzed according to historical precedent.

(PRWEB) January 12, 2006 -- Mesothelioma.com today announced further opposition to the bill S.852 - the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005. The bill is expected to receive intense scrutiny in the coming weeks, as it could be voted on this month or in the month of February. Mesothelioma.com was one of the first to criticize the bill on grounds that it is unfair to victims of this horrible affliction, especially United States veterans.

In recent weeks, Mesothelioma.com staffers have performed unbiased historical research and data mining using similar programs as models, uncovering some startling findings. Around the same time the United States Government Accountability Office ("GAO") reviewed four federal compensation programs designed to compensate individuals injured due to exposure to harmful substances- black lung, vaccine injury, radiation exposure, energy employees occupational illness- and determined the following:

•    The compensation programs have seen an expanded federal role and higher costs over time;
•    All four programs have been expanded to provide additional categories of claimants, cover more medical conditions, or provide additional benefits;
•    Some programs have been extended longer than planned;
•    There have been far more claims than estimated for each program;
•    There have been significant delays in completing claims for victims; and
•    It took at least 2 years for all four programs to become fully operational.

Both the release in numbers from Mesothelioma.com and the GAO put the potential costs needed to cover the trust fund at over $550 Billion. For the full results of our findings and for a review of the GAO report you can visit http://www.mesothelioma.com.

# # #

Press Contact: Steve Rinaldi
Company Name: IIMSNET.COM
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 8004113359
Website: http://www.mesothelioma.com

Best Practice in Multidistrict Litigation Webinar

 

Free webinar on Best Practice in Multidistrict Litigation

In a free Xtalks webinar on Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST, Laura Kibbe, Senior Counsel, Pfizer, Keith Altman, Partner, Finkelstein & Partners, LLC, and Rebecca Prince, National Litigation Technology Manager, McDermott Will & Emery, will discuss Multidistrict Litigation.

(PRWEB) January 12, 2006 -- In a free Xtalks webinar on Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST, Laura Kibbe, Senior Counsel, Pfizer, Keith Altman, Partner, Finkelstein & Partners, LLC, and Rebecca Prince, National Litigation Technology Manager, McDermott Will & Emery, will discuss Multidistrict Litigation.

There is still time to register for free at: http://www.xtalks.com/multidistrictlitigations.ashx
Xtalks' is pleased to present the Best Practice in Multidistrict Litigation Conference. Whether you are working for the plaintiff or the defense side of a multidistrict litigation case, your workload is substantial and can be incredible costly and time consuming. In this special three part presentation, you will hear from three very different perspectives: Laura Kibbe the Senior Corporate Counsel at Pfizer who has been working on the defense side for many years, Keith Altman of Finkelstein and Partners who works on the plaintiff's side and thirdly you will hear from Rebecca Prince of McDermott Will and Emery who concentrates her efforts on ensuring that the technology is being optimized and that information can be gathered and retrieved in the most efficient way.

The web conference is sponsored by Summation Legal Technologies, Inc., who will host a workshop following the keynote presentation and before the Q&A session.

Registration for the event is currently open and free at: http://www.xtalks.com/multidistrictlitigations.ashx

About Summation Legal Technologies, Inc.
Summation Legal Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of CT Corporation (a Wolters Kluwer company), pioneered PC-based integrated litigation support software in 1988. The company's products are now in use by over 50,000 litigation professionals in law firms large and small, in corporations, and in government agencies. Summation software products are widely used by parties and counsel in multi-district litigation, including designation as the standardized system for the MDL 926 Breast Implant litigation and MDL 1206 Oil Royalties Qui Tam litigation. Summation is a recognized leader in its field, and has won numerous distinctions including Law Technology News 2nd Annual Award for Litigation Support Software and Product of the Year (iBlaze), Law Office Computing's Readers' Choice Award for 2004 & 2005, and selected as the most used litigation support software in the 2005 Legal Assistant Today Technology Survey and the 2004 LawNet Technology Survey.
http://www.summation.com/

About Xtalks
Xtalks (recently featured in the London Times article Conference call that spans the globe) brings industry experts to executives’ desktops around the world in a web-based information network that provides insight into breaking business issues through interactive digital web conferences. By leveraging the best of hi-speed Internet and telecom technology, Xtalks provides a fantastic forum for highly interactive communication. Xtalks web conferences allow anyone with interest in a particular topic to participate in a web meeting by synchronizing their desktop computer and phone alongside industry experts. Xtalks is part of The Honeycomb Worldwide Group of Companies (www.honeycombworldwide.com), including Honeycomb Connect, a leader in executive networking, event management, web conferencing, publishing, and digital media with offices in North America and Europe.

“Xtalks' webinar brought together the top end users, technology vendors, and thinkers in the space,” says Ed Hess, Editor of Integrated Solutions Magazine, referring to a previous Xtalks’ event. “As a media sponsor of the event, we were ecstatic to see the level of commitment and execution that Xtalks showed in making the event a huge success. It was informative and filled with new and fresh insights. The Q&A session was highly interactive and addressed a range of issues. In terms of online events, it set a standard that others will have trouble matching."

For more information on this conference or Xtalks in general, or to enquire about speaking opportunities or sponsoring future events, visit www.xtalks.com or contact JP Fozo, Group Vice President, Business Development, at phone: 416-977-6555 x291.

Register for free at http://www.xtalks.com/multidistrictlitigations.ashx

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Press Contact: Jp Fozo
Company Name: Xtalks, Part of The Honeycomb Worldwide Group of Companies
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 416-977-6555-291
Website: http://www.xtalks.com/multidistrictlitigations.ashx

Intellectual Property Law Webinar Offered At No Cost

 

Free Webinar on Intellectual Property Law

In a free Xtalks webinar on January 24, 2006, Chris Israel , Coordinator Of International Intellectual Property Enforcement, Department of Commerce, will provide an overview of Intellectual Property Law.

(PRWEB) January 12, 2006 -- In a free Xtalks webinar on January 24, 2006, Chris Israel , Coordinator Of International Intellectual Property Enforcement, Department of Commerce, will provide an overview of Intellectual Property Law.

There is still time to register for free at: http://www.xtalks.com/iplaw.ashx
Xtalks' is pleased to present the Intellectual Property Law Conference. The Bush administration has stated that through a stricter enforcement and prosecution it has worked aggressively to combat intellectual property theft and intellectual property crimes. Chris Israel was recently appointed by President Bush as the Coordinator of International Intellectual Property Enforcement. In this special online presentation, Mr. Israel will discuss how he will be working with various agencies within the US administration to combat the growing problems in international intellectual property violations and enforce intellectual property laws overseas.

The web conference is sponsored by Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, who will host a workshop following the keynote presentation and before the Q&A session.

Registration for the event is currently open and free at: http://www.xtalks.com/iplaw.ashx

About the Keynote Speaker
Chris Israel is Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy at the U.S. Department of Education. From January 2001 until moving to Commerce, Israel was Deputy Director of International Public Policy for AOL Time Warner, and previously worked as a Senior Public Policy Analyst for Time Warner Inc. beginning in 1997. His experience includes working on high profile policy issues such as the protection of personal data collected online, safety of children online and international e-commerce. Earlier in his career, Mr. Israel served as a legislative aide to U.S. Representative Jan Meyers (R-KS) and later with U.S. Representative Todd Tiahrt (R-KS). Chris Israel received his B.A. from the University of Kansas and his M.B.A. from The George Washington University.

About Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP was founded on a simple belief: Our success would come from our clients' success. Out of this thinking grew our focus on client service and our appreciation of the importance of building and maintaining long-term relationships. With more than 360 attorneys at the firm today, our practice areas—business reorganization, business transactions, employment and employee benefits, finance, individual client services, intellectual property, investment management, litigation, real estate, structured products, and tax—address our clients' business and individual needs. In addition, SRZ recognizes the importance of and dedicates significant time to pro bono, professional development and client services.
About Xtalks

Xtalks (recently featured in the London Times article Conference call that spans the globe) brings industry experts to executives’ desktops around the world in a web-based information network that provides insight into breaking business issues through interactive digital web conferences. By leveraging the best of hi-speed Internet and telecom technology, Xtalks provides a fantastic forum for highly interactive communication. Xtalks web conferences allow anyone with interest in a particular topic to participate in a web meeting by synchronizing their desktop computer and phone alongside industry experts. Xtalks is part of The Honeycomb Worldwide Group of Companies (www.honeycombworldwide.com), including Honeycomb Connect, a leader in executive networking, event management, web conferencing, publishing, and digital media with offices in North America and Europe.

“Xtalks' webinar brought together the top end users, technology vendors, and thinkers in the space,” says Ed Hess, Editor of Integrated Solutions Magazine, referring to a previous Xtalks’ event. “As a media sponsor of the event, we were ecstatic to see the level of commitment and execution that Xtalks showed in making the event a huge success. It was informative and filled with new and fresh insights. The Q&A session was highly interactive and addressed a range of issues. In terms of online events, it set a standard that others will have trouble matching."

For more information on this conference or Xtalks in general, or to enquire about speaking opportunities or sponsoring future events, visit www.xtalks.com or contact JP Fozo, Group Vice President, Business Development, at phone: 416-977-6555 x291.

Register for free at http://www.xtalks.com/iplaw.ashx

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Press Contact: Jp Fozo
Company Name: Xtalks, Part of The Honeycomb Worldwide Group of Companies
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 416-977-6555-291
Website: http://www.xtalks.com/iplaw.ashx

Internet Software Development Vendor Selected By Acclaim Legal Services

Acclaim Legal Services selects vendor for internet software development

Press Release by: Acclaim Legal Services, Inc.

Published on openPR 01-11-2006 08:12 am - CET

(openPR) - Acclaim Legal Services announced today that it has selected SCC Web Data ( www.sccwebdata.com ) for a new version of DepoManage; their web-based deposition transcript and exhibit file repository. This project will upgrade the existing deposition exhibit and transcript file repository to improve it's usability for court reporting firm, court reporter, and attorney users.

Fort Collins Colorado Acclaim Legal Services, Inc. 4:00 pm

Acclaim Legal Services, Inc. ( www.acclaimlegal.com ) is proud to announce the exclusive software development for DepoManage, the secure internet file repository. This tool currently allows court reporting firms and law firms to host deposition schedules and files on the internet. Each user, in the court reporting firm office, the court reporter, or the attorney, has a unique login to ensure they only see what they are allowed to see. The new version of the software will extend the usability of the product to include case notes, job level reminders, and more information for the court reporting firm to market itself to the attorneys.

According to Terry Etl, Acclaim Legal Services, Inc. President and founder, "We are very excited to really upgrade this software. Until recently there were very few court reporting firms that were technologically advanced enough to offer a repository to their law firm clients and court reporters. Last year we saw an explosion in demand for the repository as attorneys demanded it as a vehicle for their transcript and exhibit files. Attorneys also expect the court reporting firm to keep the files secure and have them available 24 x 7 for their clients. DepoManage has done this well... but our vision is to make it a portal for all the attorney case information. This will allow our court reporting firm owners to offer an exclusive service for their law firms... which means a distinct marketing advantage for the court reporting firm."

This contract allows the Acclaim Legal development team to continue it's focus on Solaria, it's court reporting firm calendar, attorney billing, and court reporter payroll management software. "By focusing on our core products and having such an elite development company handle the upgrade to our web-based repository we can move forward rapidly on all fronts. This responsiveness is what our clients need as they provide input and maintain their competitive advantage," said Etl.

"Acclaim Legal's solutions for court reporting businesses are very functional and easy-to-use. What really impressed us was Acclaim Legal's willingness to listen to our needs and suggestions. It's clear that our opinion really matters - and their responsiveness and support is absolutely top-notch. In addition, Acclaim Legal's business solutions help us improve our own client satisfaction by allowing us to offer more robust services such as the Transcript Repository." JD Pennsylvania


Contact Terry Etl for more information Direct line: 1-888-211-8397 Email: Sales@acclaimlegal.com
Other information can be found at: http://www.acclaimlegal.com/solutions-depomanage.html


For More Information:

Terry Etl
Sales@acclaimlegal.com
http://www.acclaimlegal.com

Large National Accounts Merchant & Gould and Holland & Knight Help LawDocsXpress

 

LawDocsXpress Credits Their 2005 Growth to Acquisition of Large National Accounts

LawDocsXpress, a leader in providing online legal secretarial services for law firms, corporate legal departments and governmental entities, announced yearly revenue growth of 80% crediting their growth engaging large national accounts such as Merchant & Gould, LLP (www.merchantgould.com) and Holland & Knight (www.hklaw.com).

ATLANTA, GA (PRWEB) January 11, 2006 -– LawDocsXpress, (www.lawdocsxpress.com) a leader in providing online legal secretarial services for law firms, corporate legal departments and governmental entities, announced yearly revenue growth of 80%. In addition to the growth in outsourcing trends in the legal market, they attribute their growth to their emphasis on quality and engaging large national accounts such as Merchant & Gould, LLP (www.merchantgould.com) and Holland & Knight (www.hklaw.com).

“We chose LawDocsXpress for a number of reasons – including their commitment to service, their experience and their patent-pending conflicts checks process. We found that their service compliments ours,” says Greg Rimes, Atlanta Business Manager. “Holland & Knight uses integrated practice groups and industry-based teams to provide efficient and responsive legal representation anywhere in the world. Our interdisciplinary approach assures that clients have access to the lawyers with the most appropriate experience – a type of “virtual” approach complimented by the LawDocsXpress service,” he added.

"We expanded our use of LawDocsXpress nationally for several reasons," says Chris Leonard, Chair, Electrical and Software Practice Group, Merchant & Gould, LLP. "We were pleased with their work quality, customer service and knowledge of intellectual property law. In addition, using LDX resulted in great cost savings for our firm."    

“Large firms have outsourced some functions for a long time – like mailrooms. But 2005 is really the first time that major firms began looking seriously at services like ours,” says Catherine Massey, Co-founder and Chairman of LawDocsXpress.

In addition to only using experienced, U.S. labor, LawDocsXpress uses a series of processes to maintain their quality of service. They match experienced labor to attorneys by practice area and then use the same secretaries each time to improve accuracy and turnaround time. They uniquely offer “conflict checks” using the client’s procedure or LawDocsXpress patent-pending process.

“These national accounts have helped propel us to being the industry leader,” says Sharon Quaintance, Co-founder and CEO of LawDocsXpress. “We’ll continue to see substantial growth as a function of both our high-quality service and the legal community becoming more accustomed to using the Internet for anytime-anywhere access.”

About the Company
LawDocsXpress, a recent winner of the Excalibur Award that recognizes unique use of technology, was founded at the beginning of 2002. The company provides reliable and secure, online legal secretarial services for law firms, corporate legal departments and governmental entities. LawDocsXpress has been able to differentiate its offering and acquire a significant client base by using only U.S. labor with years of legal secretarial experience and emphasizing a high quality of service. Due to its extreme attention to detail, LawDocsXpress specializes in intellectual property (patent and trademark), workers’ compensation, corporate transactional and litigation (including appellate). Firms see benefits through improving margins, cash flow and workflow. For more information, visit www.lawdocsxpress.com.

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Press Contact: Sharon Cuppett
Company Name: LawDocsXpress
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 404 271 8046
Website: www.lawdocsxpress.com

JurInnov Acquires Computer Forensic Analysis Technology

 

JurInnov Acquires Powerful Computer Forensic Analysis Technology

The New Leading-Edge Investigative Tool Provides Real-Time Advanced Data Acquisition, Preservation and Analysis Capabilities with No System Downtime

CLEVELAND, OH (PRWEB) January 10, 2006 –- JurInnov Ltd. (www.jurinnov.com), a consulting company that provides technology solutions for the legal and business communities, today announced the acquisition of additional computer forensic analysis technology to bolster the software toolkits used by the company’s computer forensic and electronic discovery experts. This powerful new tool will allow real-time advanced data acquisition, preservation and analysis capabilities on a mobile platform that does not require system downtime to capture and preserve data in a forensic manner.

The application of the new technology has a range of benefits that will provide an immediate impact to current and prospective clients. “We are excited to provide our clients with a data harvesting solution that provides the assurance of approved forensic techniques without the typical operational disruptions and downtime associated with other utilities,” stated Timothy M. Opsitnick, Senior Partner and General Counsel of JurInnov. Gregory M. Cancilla, Forensic Technical Manager and a certified computer forensics technician for JurInnov, added, “We are now able to provide an immediate response to harvesting and investigative requests without the need for advanced downtime scheduling or alerting potential targets. From one central location we can analyze workstations and servers located anywhere on the network, even remotely if project needs require it”.

JurInnov, in the midst of a multi-year implementation of a software, hardware and intellectual capital growth plan, acquired this new technology to allow the company’s acquisition teams to provide project specific electronic data solutions at remote, on-site and international locations. These flexible teams leverage the forensic analysis, electronic discovery, engineering and management skills of JurInnov’s experts to provide law firms, corporations and vendors with the critical capture and analysis resources required to successfully collect and manage the high volumes of electronic data associated with today’s legal and regulatory proceedings.

About JurInnov Ltd.

Established in the year 2000 by Timothy M. Opsitnick, JurInnov Ltd. has become a trusted resource for companies whose litigation technology needs are as varied and specialized as the companies themselves. JurInnov’s consulting practice focuses on the application of technology solutions to challenging litigation demands of law firms and their clients, including the development of litigation and document management systems, document and electronic data warehousing, electronic discovery processing and consulting, electronic risk management consulting, and computer forensics. JurInnov is a certified partner of Microsoft ® Corporation (www.microsoft.com), developers of the Windows SharePoint™ Portal Server, and one of the select Application Service Providers for Ringtail Casebook (www.ringtailsolutions.com). For further information about JurInnov please call +1.440.835.3600 or visit our website at www.jurinnov.com .

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Press Contact: Brad Mixner
Company Name: JurInnov Ltd.
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 440-835-3600
Website: http://www.jurinnov.com

Federal Court of Appeals Ruling in Favor of Pokagon Casino

 

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 2006--Lakes Entertainment, Inc. (LACO) announced today that on Friday, January 6, 2006, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians ("Pokagon Band") by affirming the Federal District Court's grant of summary judgment in the lawsuit by the Taxpayers of Michigan Against Casinos (TOMAC) versus the U.S. Department of the Interior. Referring to TOMAC's claims as "specious" and "missing their mark," the Court soundly rejected TOMAC's appeal, concluding that its claims "have no merit." "We have been heard and understood," said Pokagon Band Tribal Chairman John Miller. "The Tribe is jubilant. This court decision is a monumental victory for the membership of the Pokagon Band, residents of Southwest Michigan, and all of Indian Country."

The ruling clears the way for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to take a 675-acre parcel of land in New Buffalo Township, Michigan, into trust for the Pokagon Band which paves the way for the Pokagon Band to move forward with their Four Winds Casino Resort project. Lakes has an agreement with the Pokagon Band to develop and manage the casino and will continue to work together with the Pokagon Band to successfully open and operate the planned casino development project. While TOMAC could try to obtain review of the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the unanimous decision by the Court makes it unlikely that TOMAC would prevail.

Lyle Berman, Chairman and CEO of Lakes stated, "We are pleased with the Court's decision and we are extremely happy for the Pokagon Band. This is a lawsuit that has taken years to resolve and has delayed the Pokagon Band's goal of becoming self-sufficient." Tim Cope, President and CFO of Lakes, added "We look forward to beginning construction of the Four Winds Casino as soon as the land-to-trust process is completed. The first phase of development is planned to include approximately 3,000 slot machines and 100 table games, as well as numerous restaurants, enclosed parking and several other casino resort amenities. The Four Winds Casino will be the only land-based casino in the northern Indiana/western Michigan market. We currently anticipate opening the casino approximately twelve months after construction begins."

About Lakes Entertainment

Lakes Entertainment, Inc. currently has development and management agreements with five separate Tribes for new casino operations in Michigan, California, and Oklahoma, a total of eight separate casino sites. In addition, Lakes has announced plans to develop a company owned casino resort project in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Company also owns approximately 62% of WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq "WPTE"), a separate publicly held media and entertainment company principally engaged in the development, production and marketing of gaming themed televised programming including the World Poker Tour television series, the licensing and sale of branded products and the sale of corporate sponsorships.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this press release (as well as information included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by Lakes Entertainment, Inc.) contains statements that are forward-looking, such as statements relating to plans for future expansion and other business development activities as well as other capital spending, financing sources and the effects of regulation (including gaming and tax regulation) and competition. Such forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect anticipated results in the future and, accordingly, such results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company.

These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the relisting of Lakes' common stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market; need for current financing to meet Lakes' operational and development needs; those relating to the inability to complete or possible delays in completion of Lakes' casino projects, including various regulatory approvals and numerous other conditions which must be satisfied before completion of these projects; possible termination or adverse modification of management contracts; Lakes operates in a highly competitive industry; possible changes in regulations; reliance on continued positive relationships with Indian tribes and repayment of amounts owed to Lakes by Indian tribes; possible need for future financing to meet Lakes' expansion goals; risks of entry into new businesses; reliance on Lakes' management; and the fact that the WPTE shares held by Lakes are currently not liquid assets, and there is no assurance that Lakes will be able to realize value from these holdings equal to the current or future market value of WPTE common stock.

There are also risks and uncertainties relating to WPTE that may have a material effect on the Company's consolidated results of operations or the market value of the WPTE shares held by the Company, including WPTE's significant dependence on the Travel Channel as a source of revenue; the potential that WPTE's television programming will fail to maintain a sufficient audience; difficulty of predicting the growth of WPTE's online casino business, which is a relatively new industry with an increasing number of market entrants; the uncertainty of the regulatory environment for online gaming, which may affect WPTE's ability to pursue its online gaming business fully or cause WPTE's activities to be found to be in violation of applicable United State or foreign regulations; the risk that competitors with greater financial resources or marketplace presence might develop television programming that would directly compete with WPTE's television programming; the risk that WPTE may not be able to protect its entertainment concepts, current and future brands and other intellectual property rights; risks associated with future expansion into new or complementary businesses; the termination or impairment of WPTE's relationships with key licensing and strategic partners; and WPTE's dependence on its senior management team. For more information, review the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contacts

Lakes Entertainment, Inc., Minneapolis
Timothy J. Cope, 952-449-7030

Free Searchable Database Of Basel II Accord in Available

 

Basel II Accord in Available in Free Searchable Database.

A free, searchable database of the Basel II accord has been released by askSam Systems. Search on-line or download a free eBook with the text from the Basel II accord.

Perry, FL (PRWEB) January 9, 2006 -- A free, searchable database of the Basel II accord has been released by askSam Systems. Basel II contains recommendations by bank supervisors and central bankers from the 13 countries making up the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to revise the international standards for measuring the adequacy of a bank's capital. It was created to promote greater consistency in the way banks and banking regulators approach risk management across national borders.

The text from the act has been imported into a searchable, hypertext-linked askSam database. The individual sections of the legislation are divided into separate documents in the database. This allows you to easily locate sections pertaining to specific topics.

The askSam version allows you to search, browse, and analyze the text from the Basel II accord. You can either view the text on-line, or you can download the searchable version with the free askSam viewer at:

     http://www.asksam.com/ebooks/Basel_II/    


There is no charge for the software or information.

In addition to Basel II, askSam has also prepared free searchable versions other legislative and political texts, works of literature, and government reports, including:

     * Sarbanes-Oxley Act
     * HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act)
     * Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act
     * USA Patriot Act
     * 9-11 Commission Report
     * Judge Alito's Published Opinions
     * Judge Roberts' Published Opinions

You can find more information on these and other files at:
     http://www.asksam.com/eBooks/

askSam Systems publishes software that allows you to collect, organize, and distribute information. It is widely used by researchers, businesses, and information professionals to manage their information.

_______________________________________________________________

Background:
Since 1985 askSam Systems has created some of the world's most popular free-form database and information management tools. askSam products are used worldwide by over 350,000 users to collect, organize and distribute information. For more
information on askSam Systems see: http://www.askSam.com/


Press Contact:
Ann Hartman
askSam Systems
P.O. Box 1428
Perry, FL 32348
850-584-6590 ext. 100
Fax: 850-584-7481
http://www.askSam.com/

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Press Contact: Phil Schnyder
Company Name: askSam Systems
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 850-584-6590
Website: http://www.asksam.com/ebooks/Basel_II/

Litigation Support Company Offers New Electronic Discovery Production Center

 

Xact’s New Electronic Discovery Production Center Fully Operational - Leading Litigation Support Company Completes State Of The Art Facility

Xact, a leading provider of electronic data discovery (EDD) and litigation support services, announced today that its new electronic discovery production center in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area is fully operational. This is Xact’s largest production center to date, housing another expansion of their electronic discovery division. Xact provides electronic discovery, legal document management, and duplicating services to the legal industry at production centers throughout the United States.

DALLAS, Texas, (PRWEB) January 9, 2006 -- Xact, a leading provider of electronic data discovery (EDD) and litigation support services, announced today that its new electronic discovery production center in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area is fully operational. This is Xact’s largest production center to date, housing another expansion of their electronic discovery division. Xact provides electronic discovery, legal document management, and duplicating services to the legal industry at production centers throughout the United States.

“We spent the last several months finalizing capacity, training staff, and transitioning production to the new facility,” said Tony Scott, Xact’s vice president of technology and development. “Our new litigation support data center is a state of the art EDD processing facility — we can process nearly 20 million emails every 24 hours. It is one of the most technologically advanced data processing centers in the U.S.”

“In 2005, Xact’s EDD business grew to exceed the existing capacity at our Kansas City production facility,” said Xact president Kent Teague. “Our new EDD center in Dallas triples our capacity to process electronic discovery data and help our clients use litigation technologies to save time and money throughout the discovery process. We are poised to continue our exponential growth in 2006.”

Xact was founded in 1994 specializing in legal document services and began offering electronic discovery in 2002. In 2003 Xact opened a state of the art EDD production facility in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. The Texas facility is Xact’s second electronic discovery data center. It is located in the Sherwin Williams building in Richardson, Texas, part of the Dallas telecom corridor near the Campbell Road and Central Expressway/I 75 interchange. The address is 2100 Lakeside Boulevard, Suite 200, Richardson, Texas, 75082. The telephone number is 800-545-9228.

About Xact
Xact is a leading provider of litigation support services including electronic data discovery (EDD), imaging & coding, web-based document review, and digital reprographics. Xact assists litigation teams in law firms and corporate legal departments to manage their discovery documents. Xact has an industry-recognized reputation for excellence in litigation support, technology leadership in the discovery process, and outstanding customer service. Through Xact’s unique imaging methods and electronic discovery process, document review is more efficient for legal teams and less costly for their clients. Xact is headquartered in Kansas City and operates over 25 production centers throughout the United States.

For Further Information:
Scott Sperry, Director of Marketing
214-545-6045

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Press Contact: Scott Sperry
Company Name: Xact
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 214-545-6045
Website: http://www.xactids.com

Defense Trial Lawyers to Host Construction Law Seminars

 

Washington Defense Trial Lawyers to Host Annual Construction Law Seminars in Seattle and Vancouver, WA

Construction Law Seminars Announced today to be held in Seattle and Vancouver.

Seattle, Wash (PRWEB) January 8, 2006 -- Washington Defense Trial Lawyers is hosting its annual Construction Law Seminars on Friday, February 24th at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, and on Friday, March 31st at the Vancouver Hilton, in Vancouver Washington.

The Vancouver location is a first for the association and was necessary to meet the growing demand for construction defect continuing legal education in southwest Washington and Portland.. This seminar, chaired by Pauline Smetka of the law firm of Helsell Fetterman, will cover a number of construction issues and advice to avoid law suits for contractors and attorneys. Registration fees vary. Register at www.wdtl.org or call Kristin Lewis at (206) 749-0319 for more information.

Washington Defense Trial Lawyers is a statewide association of civil defense attorneys dedicated to the highest professional standards of integrity, excellence and commitment to a fair and just legal system. From informal beginnings in 1956, Washington Defense Trial Lawyers has grown into a vital organization of over 750 members statewide. Our mission is to promote the highest professional and ethical standards for Washington civil defense attorneys and to serve our members through education, recognition, collegiality, professional development and advocacy.

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Press Contact: Kristin Baldwin
Company Name: WASHINGTON DEFENSE TRIAL LAWYERS
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 206.749.0319
Website: www.wdtl.org

Trademark Attorney Scott J. Fields Ranked #1 in Top 25 By Name Protect Trademark Insider

 

Name Protect Trademark Insider Ranks Scott J. Fields #1 in Top 25 Trademark Filing Attorneys

National IP Rights Center, LLC of Blue Bell, PA and its CEO, Attorney Scott J. Fields, have been identified in NameProtect’s Trademark Insider® as major national players in the field of trademark law. Fields was listed as the highest filing lawyer in the United States for the first three quarters of 2005. Fields filed 567 trademark/service mark applications during the first nine months of 2005. National IP Rights Center was listed 8th nationally in the law firm category.

(PRWEB) January 6, 2006 -- National IP Rights Center, LLC of Blue Bell, PA and its CEO, Attorney Scott J. Fields, have been identified in NameProtect’s Trademark Insider® as major national players in the field of trademark law. Fields was listed as the highest filing lawyer in the United States for the first three quarters of 2005. Fields filed 567 trademark/service mark applications during the first nine months of 2005. National IP Rights Center was listed 8th nationally in the law firm category.

NameProtect is a major commercial domain and name protection service. Trademark Insider® continuously publishes rankings of leading trademark law firms, companies, and individual trademark filers in the nation. The Top 100 U.S. Trademark Law Firms and Companies as well as the Top 25 Individual Attorney Filers are published in year-to-date rankings. Scott J. Fields was ranked third nationwide in total trademark filings in 2004 and was the largest filing attorney in the Philadelphia area.

National IP Rights Center, LLC provides a full range of intellectual property and related legal services to a broad-based clientele. The firm’s philosophy continues high technology communications and affordable high quality legal services.

Please contact Angela Jeon 610-680-2301 for more information.

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Press Contact: Scott Fields
Company Name: NATIONAL IP RIGHTS CENTER, LLC
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 610-680-2301
Website: www.niprc.com

New Houston Traffic Court Computer System ICMS Fails - Film at 10

 

Houston Traffic Court Computer Flops

New $26 million computer system goes live for only 4 hours. Courts come to near halt. Old computer system turned back on.

(PRWEB) January 4, 2006 -- On Tuesday, January 3, 2006, the new computer system at the City of Houston Municipal Courts went live. The new computer system which has cost the City of Houston more than $26 million began serving the public around 7:00 A.M. The new computer system called ICMS , which stands for Integrated Case Management System, began experiencing problems almost immediately. Behind the public service counter, personnel wearing badges that read "ICMS" scurried about quickly making cell phone calls and assisting clerks who were experiencing difficulties.

Attorneys who had waited over two weeks to post bonds, while the courts were closed, could not do so because of "form" problems with the new computer system. "I waited over an hour to post two sets of bonds," said Houston traffic ticket attorney Kameron Searle. "Under the old computer system, posting two bonds would take less than 5 minutes." Because of the backups at the public service counters, Searle, a former City of Houston prosecutor, was never assisted by a single clerk in posting his bonds. Finally, he had to leave to go to another court.

Problems at the public service counters were followed by huge bottlenecks due to technical problems in each of the city's many courtrooms. Around 11:00 A.M., after only 4 hours of operation, the City of Houston stopped using the new ICMS computer system and returned to the old computer system known as "Rhumba."

The old Rhumba computer system has served the City of Houston Municipal Courts very well for over a decade. After Rhumba started back up, things began moving smoothly again at the public service counters and in the courtrooms. Hundreds of Houstonians who had been waiting for hours in the courts began to be served again.

The design phase of the new ICMS computer system was completed more than two years ago. In 2005, the City of Houston had previously scheduled the new ICMS computer to go live on at least three different occasions. On all three occasions, the new ICMS computer system failed to go live. On each occasion, the City of Houston Municipal Courts were closed for one or two weeks at a time.

On December 16, 2005, the old Rhumba computer system was shut down so that the new ICMS computer system could be brought on line on January 3, 2006. For two weeks, no trials were heard and most of the court's business was brought to a stand still. On January 3, 2006, after a mere 4 hours of less than successful operation by the new computer system, the old Rhumba computer system has returned and the future of the city's new ICMS computer system is unknown.

# # #

Press Contact: Kameron Searle
Company Name: LAW OFFICE OF KAMERON SEARLE
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 713-880-4529
Website: http://www.houstonticketlawyer.com

Oakley and Motorola Sued for Infringement of Sunglass Headphone Patent

 

Oakley and Motorola Sued for Infringement of Sunglass Headphone Patent

USAmerican LLC of Beverly Hills has filed a complaint for patent infringement against Oakley and Motorola alleging that the "Razrwire" sunglass/bluetooth headset product marketed jointly by Oakley and Motorola infringes a patent issued in 1990 for "Sunglass Headphones."

(PRWEB) January 4, 2006 -- USAmerican LLC of Beverly Hills announced today that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Oakley, Inc. and Motorola, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleging that the popular "Razrwire" sunglasses and headset combination jointly marketed by Oakley and Motorola infringes U.S. Patent No. 4,902,120 ("the '120 patent"). The lawsuit, Civil Action No. CV06-0010 CAS (SSx) was filed in Los Angeles on January 3, 2006.

The '120 patent was filed in November 1988 by Frank Weyer, an attorney and engineer, who was annoyed by his earphones falling out while jogging. While jogging past the UN building in New York City, Mr. Weyer came up with the idea of attaching earphones to his sunglasses, thereby keeping them comfortably in place.

After the '120 patent issued in February 1990, Mr. Weyer formed a company, American Innovative Products, Inc., to market his invention. Advertising in running magazines and at running events, Mr. Weyer sold several thousand pairs of his sunglasses/earphone product, which were called "Cruisers (TM)." Mr. Weyer also licensed his invention to Virtual I/O, who used the patented earphone mounting system in a virtual reality goggle product called "Iglasses."

In 1994, Oakley unsuccessfully sued Mr. Weyer's company for patent infringement, alleging that the sunglasses American Innovative Products was using infringed on several Oakley patents. Mr. Weyer, who is a patent attorney, countersued, pointing out that if what Oakley alleged was true, Oakley's patents were invalid. Oakley quickly dropped the case.

"In the early 1990's, sunglasses with earphones were ahead of their time," explained Mr. Weyer. "Now, with the convergence of leisure activities and technology, their time has finally come."

The irony of his company sueing Oakley for patent infringment over ten years after Oakley sued his company is not lost on Mr. Weyer. "Oakley is known for filing multiple patent applications, obtaining patents of questionable validity, and aggressively asserting those patents, mostly against small companies, in an effort to prevent competition with its generally good quality but greatly overpriced products. There is some justice in Oakley finally getting a taste of its own medicine."

Mr. Weyer recently formed his new company, USAmerican LLC, to produce and market an updated version of the "Cruisers" product, as well as an MP3 player/sunglasses product to compete with Oakley's popular "Thump" product. "Our product," says Mr. Weyer, "will be lower cost, more comfortable, look better, and sound better than Oakley's Thump. We are calling the product 'Stompers', and our motto will be 'Why only thump, when you can stomp!'"

Mr. Weyer, inventor on more than 10 patents, is not a stranger to patent lawsuits against large companies. Last year, he successfully sued Ford for infringement of his patent for changing the color of automobile instrument panel illumination, used in the wildly successful new Ford Mustang. The year before that, he successfully sued Register.com and Network Solutions for infringement of an internet domain name naming system.

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Press Contact: Frank Weyer
Company Name: USAMERICAN
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 310-926-3928
Website:

Dena Rafte to Speak to Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators

 

Rafte & Company’s Dena Rafte to Speak to Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators

Dena Rafte, founder and president of Rafte & Company, is scheduled to present, “Building a Competitive Edge: Creating a Client-Focused Firm,” to the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators on Feb. 16, 2006. Rafte’s presentation comes on the heels of recent surveys that illustrate just how out of touch many law firms are with their clients.

(PRWEB) January 4, 2006 -- Dena Rafte, founder and president of Rafte & Company, is scheduled to present, “Building a Competitive Edge: Creating a Client-Focused Firm,” to the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators on Feb. 16, 2006. Rafte & Company is a leading provider of business strategy and technology solutions for law firms and other professional services firms.

Rafte’s presentation comes on the heels of recent surveys that illustrate just how out of touch many law firms are with their clients. While clients routinely put a high value on communication, a survey published in The American Lawyer (December 2005) found that almost half (48 percent) of the law firms it polled had met with just five or fewer of their 20 top-billing clients in the last 12 months to discuss the firm’s performance. Remarkably, only one percent of respondents had met with all 20, while six percent said they had not met with any clients.

“Now more than ever clients are demanding greater access to their attorneys and their data, which for many firms requires a significant change in how the business is run,” said Rafte. “I look forward to discussing how legal administrators can enhance the business practices of their law firms to accelerate revenue growth, increase profit margins and protect brand equity, all while strengthening relationships with their clients.”

Rafte will be the featured presenter at the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the ALA’s February Chapter Meeting, which begins with networking at 11:45 a.m. on Feb. 16, at Union Station’s Zephyr Room, 30 West Pershing Road, in Kansas City, Mo. To register, RSVP to Janet Gooch by calling 816-983-8000. The cost is $25.

Editor's Note: A high-resolution photo of Dena Rafte is available for download at www.rafte.com/attachments/files/7/HBJ_Dena_1.JPG.

About the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the ALA

The Greater Kansas City Chapter of the ALA, formed in 1975, provides support to professionals involved in the management of law firms, corporate legal departments and government legal agencies. The organization is committed to offering high-quality educational programs, a newsletter and extensive networking opportunities with members, vendors and the legal community. Learn more about the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the ALA at www.kcala.org.

About Rafte & Company

Based in Houston, Rafte & Company is a leading provider of strategy and technology consulting services for law firms and other professional services firms. Established in 1983, Rafte & Company specializes in designing, implementing and managing strategic business solutions that accelerate growth by aligning a firm’s processes, infrastructure, strategy and culture with a clear understanding of the current and future wants and needs of clients and prospects. Learn more about Rafte and Company at www.rafte.com or by calling 713.993.9637 (call toll free: 800.396.9390).

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Press Contact: Dan Keeney
Company Name: DPK PUBLIC RELATIONS
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 800-396-9390
Website: www.rafte.com

SafeHood.com Puts Sex Offenders on the Defensive

 

SafeHood.com Puts Sex Offenders on the Defensive

SafeHood.com announces the release of its new interactive site which gives a free map of sex offenders near user's homes. In addition to sex offender information, the site also provides toxic waste dump sites, banned persons and new neighbor information.

Prosper, TX (PRWEB) December 29, 2005 -- SafeHood.com today announced the implementation of their revolutionary -- and free -- Sex Offender search engine. The Sex Offender search engine allows users to simply enter their address and instantly have all sex offenders near their home displayed on a map. This search tool is the product of over 2 years of preparation in acquiring data from multiple state agencies and developing technologies that can provide visual indications of the locations of sex offenders in relation to a searcher's home address.

"The new National Sex Offender Registry simply gives the address of the offender," said Patrick Stauber who spear-headed the development project. "Unfortunately, few people know many of the streets outside a few blocks of their home or the main thoroughfares in their community. SafeHood.com solves that problem by showing the public a map of their home and the location of sex offenders near it."

Police agencies, social agencies and private foundations interested in the protection of children in our communities have anxiously awaited the release of the system since beta testing began in mid-summer. Although the development costs have been extremely high, the company refuses to charge for sex offender searches, although it has indicated the contributions are welcomed. "Our motive was not financially driven. We simply want to provide a service to our community. If just one child can be saved from a sex offender or predator, then our investment has been worth the cost."

In addition to providing maps of sexual offenders in neighborhoods, SafeHood.com also provides "Instant Alerts" which can immediately email members when a sex offender moves into a user's area. Other information -- such as locations of toxic waste dumps and banned persons -- can also be viewed upon becoming a member of the site.

In addition to being a tool used by the public, many agencies see great benefits of such a system. "Police departments have long been requesting mapping technologies such as SafeHood.com which can instantly show officers which offenders are within their area. With sex offenders among the most mobile groups in society, it is very difficult to keep track of where they are residing. SafeHood.com allows them to instantly see where sex offenders are residing -- which is as helpful to the newcomers on the force as to those who have been in service for 20 years or more."

Everyone is invited -- and encouraged -- to participate with the free sex offenders searches on the website located at http://www.SafeHood.com. More information can be obtained by contacting Patrick Stauber.

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Press Contact: Patrick Stauber
Company Name: SIMSHERLOCK
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 310-766-2374
Website: http://SafeHood.com

Chitika Account Suspension Notice (N) - Chitika Meltdown...?

I had my Chitika account suspended the other day (December 29, 2005) and they will not respond to the calls, emails, and support ticket I entered on their site.

I wanted to know what the problem was and try to resolve it, but they won't get in touch with me no matter what I do. So I am starting the big job of pulling all of their ads from the sites I added them to. Man, what a pain!

My sites weren't making much from them anyway, I think they owe me $30-$40, but I had been working to try and generate more traffic to the sites that have their ads. Now they pull this BS.

So if you were considering using Chitika on your site(s), I would recommend instead that you copy the style of ads they were using and try that with some good affiliate programs. The ad style seemed to be effective, but the company really, really sucks.

I thought I waited long enough to make sure it was going to be worth the trouble, but at least now some of you won't have to go through what I am. The program from Google is so far the easiest, the best run, and pays very well so I can recommend that you try that completely.

Don't take my word for it, do a search in Google for "chitika sucks" or "shitika" (Not to be confused with the mushroom with a similar name...) and you will find a few others that are not happy with what seemed like a good system.

(hris

Keywords: Chitika, Chitika ads, Chitika advertising, contextual ads, eminimalls, e-minimalls, e mini malls, web publishers, best deals, Impulse Merchandising, eMiniMall services, Venkat Kolluri, Alden DoRosario, Dave Andre, Russell Franks