Avandia Lawsuit Filed

Lawsuit filed against makers of drug Avandia
Lufkin Daily News - Lufkin,TX,USA
By SANDRA CASON MARSHALL -- A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in federal court here against the manufacturer of Avandia, a diabetes treatment drug ...

Patients taking Avandia should consult doctor
Therapeutics Daily (subscription) (press release) - Newtown,PA,USA
As I promised readers, here's an update on Avandia. The drug has been at the epicenter of controversy since findings from a recent meta-analysis suggested ...

Avandia Fight: Drs. Nissen And Home "Battle" Over Drug
CNBC - Englewood Cliffs,NJ,USA
(%) ] sponsored study that, so far, supports Avandia's safety. Because of the predicament the conflicting reports have put doctors in, the ADA added this ...

In Defense Of Home Remedies To Treat Ailments
Hartford Courant - United States
Vioxx for arthritis and Avandia for diabetes have both reinforced the fear that long-term side effects may not show up for years. Vioxx increased the risk ...

Congress Debates Avandia's Safety, Researchers' Motives and FDA Role
U.S. Medicine - Washington,DC,USA
By Stephen Spotswood WASHINGTON-Whether Avandia, the GlaxoSmithKline's blockbuster diabetes drug, raises the risk of heart attacks while it lowers blood ...

Understand How Recent Safety Concerns Will Affect PPAR-Gamma Agonists
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
Sales of the two PPAR-gamma agonists, GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia and Takeda's Actos, are significant drivers of type 2 diabetes market sales. ...

What do all the studies on diabetes drug Avandia really mean?
Nature.com (subscription) - London,England,UK
In this case Steve Nissen, who published the analysis on Avandia, pooled information from 42 randomized trials (N. Engl. J. Med. 356, 2457-2471; 2007). ...

Avandia Story Heats Up
dLife.com - Westport,CT,USA
By Daniel Trecroci It seems every week there is a new twist to the Avandia(r) plot that makes it more and more of a soap opera--as the TZDs turn! ...

Avandia - What You Should Know
dLife.com - Westport,CT,USA
If you are taking Avandia as part of your diabetes treatment - or are considering it - you've probably been glued to news surrounding the potential ...

Glaxo's Avandia in spotlight at diabetes meet
Reuters.uk - UK
By Kim Dixon CHICAGO (Reuters) - Controversy over the popular diabetes pill Avandia is taking centre stage among the world's experts on the disease on ...

Conflict of interest?
Chemistry World - London,UK
Panic-stricken headlines about Avandia have damaged the FDA's reputation once again. This time it was quick to respond and a safety alert about the drug ...

Avandia Sales Drop
InjuryBoard.com - Tampa,FL,USA
By Greg Owen Sales of Avandia, the drug developed to aid diabetes patients, have dropped by approximately 10% since The New England Journal of Medicine ...

Glaxo plays down new study on Avandia bone risk
Reuters.uk - UK
LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - A new small clinical study suggests diabetes drug Avandia could lead to bone fractures in men as well as women, ...

The right diet could change lives for diabetics
San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA
By Caroline Trapp Larry Alan Stanford died of a heart attack May 21 - the very same day that a study came out revealing that Avandia, a diabetes drug he had ...

Lawsuits Hit Merck for Fosamax Osteoporosis Drug

Four Lawsuits Filed against Merck for Osteoporosis Drug, Fosamax

Anapol Schwartz Weiss Cohan Feldman & Smalley announce that the Firm has filed four lawsuits against Merck for osteonecrosis of the jaw caused by Fosamax.

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) July 26, 2007 -- The Philadelphia law firm of Anapol Schwartz Weiss Cohan Feldman & Smalley has filed four lawsuits against Merck in NJ Superior Court, Middlesex County, New Brunswick NJ against the manufacturer of Fosamax (see: Stroup v. Merck - L-5869-07; Mahuron v. Merck - L-5863-07; Metcalf v. Merck - L-5836-07; & Sambrano v. Merck - L-5867-07). Fosamax is one of a class of drugs called bisphosphonates, which have been found to cause osteonecrosis of the jaw ("ONJ") or jaw bone death (See: Osteonecrosis of the Jaw and Bisphosphonates, N Engl J Med 2005;353(25):2728). Osteonecrosis of the jaw is a disabling and disfiguring jawbone condition that suffers literal death of the jaw or rotting of the jaw. ONJ is manifested by exposed jaw bone, rotting jaw bone, jaw bone fractures, gum lesions, severe jaw pain, loose teeth, and secondary infections.

The allegations include that Merck & Co., Inc. ("Merck"), a New Jersey corporation, was engaged in the business of testing, developing, manufacturing, distributing, licensing, labeling, and marketing the drug Fosamax. The compound used in Fosamax, called alendronate, was approved by the FDA in 1995 for the treatment of osteoporosis and Paget's disease. Fosamax is a bisphosphonate drug, with sales peaking in excess of $3 billion per year.

One of the plaintiffs' Fosamax Lawyers in these cases said that plaintiffs have a strong case. Tracy Finken, Esq. explains, "Medical articles and studies appeared in the 1990's and 2000's reporting the frequent and common occurrence of osteonecrosis of the jaw of chemotherapy patients using nitrogenous bisphosphonates. Based on this information, and based on adverse event reports that Merck and the FDA received, Merck should have known, with their heightened knowledge and experience, that bisphosphonates inhibit vascularization of the jaw bones, leading to the ONJ disease."

According to Attorney Finken, "we have already identified thirty more lawsuits we expect to file." Litigation is nothing new to Merck, as Ms. Finken points out, "Merck is the same company facing many lawsuits involving its pain reliever, Vioxx."

There is already consolidated litigation in Federal Court -- Multi-District Litigation (MDL-1789) -- in regards to Fosamax. This means that the Federal Courts have identified so many Fosamax cases that they have consolidated these cases for the purposes of discovery. This will allow a team of attorneys (a plaintiffs' steering committee) appointed by the court to conduct discovery (depositions, interrogatories, requests for documents, requests for admissions) on behalf of many plaintiffs. Upon the completion of discovery, the cases can then proceed individually on their merits.

Attorney Finken indicated that "it is likely that there will be similar consolidation of Fosamax lawsuits in State Court in New Jersey so that plaintiffs suing Merck in New Jersey will have a common work product produced for the purposes of discovery."

Tracey A. Finken, Esquire
Ms. Finken is a civil trial attorney known for her ability to present each case in such a way that brings out her clients' unique situation. In 2002, Ms. Finken was recognized as one of the "40 on the Fast Track", a listing of the top 40 young attorneys in the State of Pennsylvania by the Legal Intelligencer. Ms. Finken was also named a Pennsylvania "Rising Star Super Lawyer" in the December 2005 and 2006 editions of Philadelphia magazine which recognizes the top 2.5 percent of attorneys 40 years old or younger in the state of Pennsylvania. Ms. Finken concentrates on class actions, pharmaceutical liability, medical and other professional malpractice, products liability, and other complex civil litigation.

SOURCE: Anapol Schwartz, Weiss, Cohan, Feldman and Smalley, P.C. CONTACT: Anapol Schwartz, Tracey Finken, 215-735-1130.

About Anapol Schwartz P.C. Since 1977 Anapol Schwartz has been of the nation's preeminent law firms known for landmark verdicts and settlements and for providing clients with the highest level of personalized legal services. Eleven of Anapol Schwartz's lawyers have received jury verdicts in excess of $1 million. The firm focuses on maintaining its tradition of excellence in personal injury, medical malpractice, pharmaceutical, toxic tort, class actions, construction site accidents, products liability, automobile litigation, security/investment fraud, and employment litigation.

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Press Contact: TRACY FINKEN
Company Name: Anapol Schwartz Weiss Cohan Feldman & Smalley
Phone: 215-735-1130
Website: http://www.anapolschwartz.com/practices/fosamax/index.shtml

Bankruptcy Business Good

2000+ Bankruptcies Filed Daily Means Attorneys Need MBA Services

With the dramatic increase in petitions being filed combined with staff having to know the new laws effective the last quarter of 2005, there is now more work placed on attorneys than ever before but there is a solution.

Panama City, FL (PRWEB) August 25, 2006 -- As the news headlines are reporting, bankruptcy filings have soared to over 2,000 per day with the potential of total filings reaching 1,000,000 by end of year. This dramatic increase in petitions being filed and the new laws that went into effect October 2005 means more work on the attorneys and their staff.

Victoria L. Rivera, president of MyBankruptcyAssistant.com, provides petition preparation services to attorneys. This allows the attorney the freedom for more billable hours.

The average billable time savings amount to an average of 7.5 hours per filing. By utilizing the services of MBA[My Bankruptcy Assistant, the attorney can figuratively save one work day for each client they have that files a bankruptcy petition.

My Bankruptcy Assistant provides personalized Client Intake Forms with the law firm's name, telephone and fax in electronic format to allow for quick distribution to the client, based on their internet/email access. These forms can be loaded to the lawyer's website for the client to access and download, the forms can be emailed to the client or printed at the office and handed to the client.

MyBankruptcyAssistant.com saves time by providing the Client Intake Interview, Pre-petition Follow-up, Petition Drafting, Online Research, and Client Follow-Up. All of these things will aid in reducing excessive telephone calls from clients, reducing overhead for employee space, equipment and benefits. With the benefits of the internet, MBA can assist attorneys in all states.

Services are tailored to meet the needs of the individual attorney or small firm. Client Intake Forms can be sent to MyBankruptcyAssistant.com electronically via email or faxed for preparation.

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Press Contact: Victoria Rivera
Company Name: My Bankruptcy Assistant
Phone: 850-647-3113
Website: http://www.mybankruptcyassistant.com

Mesothelioma Portal Work Continues

LegalView.com Continues Development of Comprehensive Mesothelioma Portal

Far from being a fading issue, mesothelioma related to asbestos exposure is an ongoing problem, particularly for disaster relief workers who may have been exposed during Hurricane Katrina and September 11th cleanup efforts. LegalView.com is proud to keep its readers updated with the latest news and science on mesothelioma, asbestosis and other asbestos-related diseases.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) July 13, 2007 -- Your resource on the web for legal issues that affect contemporary America, LegalView.com, is pleased to continue bringing readers up-to-date on the news, research and legal developments about mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare and severe type of lung cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos, a once-popular building material that doctors now know is a carcinogen. Visitors to LegalView.com's mesothelioma lawyer portal may browse continually-updated news feeds, original articles, encyclopedia entries, a glossary of mesothelioma-related terms and an Asbestos & Mesothelioma blog, where users can read and comment on the latest news related to these important topics.

Thousands of Americans, mostly men, were exposed to asbestos through their jobs in the first half of the 20th century, when the material was widely mined and used in building insulation, shipyards, brake pads and other industrial applications. Decades later, many of these workers discovered too late that their work with asbestos led to developing mesothelioma, a crippling type of lung cancer that attacks the lining of the lung. Others may have been exposed more recently, due to illegal and unsafe practices at modern work sites, disaster relief work near buildings that contain asbestos, or work in the few industries that still use asbestos, despite decades of evidence that it causes serious cancers. Unlike most lung cancers, mesothelioma is not caused by smoking, according to the National Cancer Institute; the Institute reports that 80 percent of mesothelioma patients had known asbestos exposure earlier in life. Mesothelioma can kill quickly; on average, doctors give patients six months to a year to live after their diagnosis. With this in mind, LegalView.com continues to provide factual information, news and links to more information for mesothelioma patients and their families through its mesothelioma and asbestos internet portal.

LegalView.com strives to bring its readers complete, up-to-date information on legal issues that affect ordinary Americans. In addition to the mesothelioma resources, LegalView.com offers comprehensive sites with information concerning brain injury litigation, auto accident lawsuits, diabetes drug Avandia attorneys and peanut butter recall lawyers. These are in addition to general resources LegalView.com maintains on possible unsafe drugs, medical malpractice cases, and defective consumer products and foods. All of these sites, and others at LegalView.com, combine easy-to-understand information facts with the latest news, government information, jury verdicts and settlements, as well as links to more information specific to each legal issue. And for those who are ready to seek out a mesothelioma attorney or other type of experienced lawyer can find one in their areas using LegalView.com's free attorney search service.

LegalView.com is a free public service brought to you by Legal WebTV Network, LLC, a Limited Liability Corporation created by a group of the nation's most highly respected law firms: Anapol Schwartz; Brent Coon and Associates; Burg Simpson; Cohen, Placitella and Roth; James F. Humphreys and Associates; Lopez Hodes; and Thornton and Naumes. For more information on the accomplishments and track records of LegalView.com's respected sponsoring law firms and to get in touch with LegalView.com attorneys, visit LegalView.com at http://www.legalview.com/.

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Press Contact: Alan Haburchak
Company Name: LegalView.com
Phone: 720-226-6613
Website: http://www.legalview.com

E-Prescribing Might Reduce Medication Errors

RxHub Fully Supports New Study Findings Indicating That E-Prescribing can Reduce Medication Errors and Generate Up to $29 Billion in Savings

July 12, 2007 - ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RxHub® today commended the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) for its foresight and leadership in commissioning a comprehensive study of the costs and benefits of electronic prescribing to the Nation's health care system.

The study found that widespread adoption of ePrescribing could save the federal government $29 billion and prevent nearly 2 million medication errors over the next decade if physicians were required to use the technology in caring for Medicare beneficiaries. Currently, fewer than 10 percent of physicians are estimated to be using electronic prescribing, which ultimately denies patients, providers, and the American taxpayers of the significant safety benefits and cost savings that result from ePrescribing adoption. Study details are on the PCMA website, www.pcmanet.org.

"This study further substantiates the necessity to provide physicians with immediate access to patient medication histories, preferred drug options, and pharmacy choices so that they can better counsel patients on safe and affordable choices before prescriptions are electronically transmitted to the pharmacy," stated JP Little, Chief Operating Officer for RxHub. "The study indicated that approximately 70% of the safety and savings advantages of ePrescribing result from this information being provided to the physician at the point of care."

RxHub - operating the RxHub National Patient Health Information NetworkT - has access to medication-related information for more than 160 million patients in the United States through certified connections to contracted Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and payers. Access to this information is only granted to authorized physicians utilizing RxHub certified technology applications and is only available for patients who provide consent. The secure RxHub infrastructure has processed more than 30 million requests for patient eligibility, benefits, formulary and medication history information so far this year. Although this volume is significantly higher than the volume processed through RxHub during the same time last year, it still only represents a fraction of patient visits that could benefit from providing physicians with patient specific pharmacy information before prescriptions are written.

"The growth in ePrescribing transactions through RxHub is due to the early adopters of ePrescribing technology," noted COO Little. "RxHub is ready to facilitate and process an increased volume of ePrescribing transactions nationwide."

RxHub was founded in 2001 by the three largest Pharmacy Benefit Managers - CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Medco Health Solutions, Inc. - to establish a national ePrescribing solution that connects authorized physicians with critical patient information at the point of care and enables prescriptions to be electronically routed to retail and mail order pharmacies in real-time. In the past year 12 additional PBMs and Payers, representing over 50 million additional lives, have contracted with RxHub to provide physicians and pharmacists with access to pharmacy information for consenting patients. With the addition of these new lives, RxHub will have the ability to provide vital patient-specific information for over 200 million Americans. This represents over 90% of the commercially covered lives in the United States, establishing the RxHub National Patient Health Information NetworkT as the largest in the country.

On a national basis, RxHub is participating in a number of ePrescribing initiatives including the two programs highlighted in the PCMA report - one in Massachusetts and one in South East Michigan (SEMI). In addition, RxHub is an advisor to ePrescribe Florida and is an active participant in ePrescribing initiatives within Illinois, New Jersey and North Carolina as well as others.

About RxHub LLC

RxHub® (www.rxhub.net) manages the RxHub National Patient Health Information NetworkT which electronically routes up-to-date patient-specific medication history and pharmacy benefit information to caregivers at every point of care. Our end-to-end solution enables physicians to prescribe the most clinically appropriate and cost effective prescription and send it electronically to the patient's pharmacy of choice. Operating as a cost recovery business model, RxHub partners with stakeholders in the prescribing industry to improve patient safety, increase workflow efficiency and reduce the overall cost of health care delivery. For more information on RxHub Certified Partners, please visit: http://www.rxhub.net/partners.html.

Contacts

RxHub, LLC
Media Contact:
Chris Van Horrick, 651-855-3078
Chris.vanhorrick@rxhub.net

Now AKA is Also Known As....

ALWAYSKNOWNAS -YOUR ID
Stay Connected and Current
WHAT'S YOUR AKA?

Toronto, ON/April 20, 2006 - Bono. Sting. Superman. Everyone wishes they could be known by one, simple name. Well - this is your day.

AlwaysKnownAs, or AKA for short, is a simple, revolutionary way to keep in touch. It is a new online solution that uses names and nicknames to keep you in contact with friends, family and co-workers. Similar to keeping your cell phone number when you change phones, with AKA you keep your name forever. (After all, once you're Superman, you should always be Superman.) But it's not just a name, your AKA is a permanent link to your current contact information.

"It's a fast-paced world and as we move through different jobs and cities we lose contact with people," said Terry Anderson, founder of AKA. "AKA is simple and safe. By simply choosing and sharing your AKA, friends and colleagues can stay in touch wherever they are."

Stay Connected. First you choose your AKA name, then enter it with your contact information at AlwaysKnownAs.com, and include phone numbers, addresses, emails, etc. From there, you choose different levels of privacy, controlling how much information people can see and access. For example, Superman can choose to share his work contact information with colleagues, though his home address and phone may only be available to Lois. By having complete control over which information is hidden or visible, Superman can decide who sees his private info and who doesn't.

Looking for Superman? Simply enter his AKA name (Superman) at AlwaysKnownAs.com and his current contact information will be displayed. Since he's already chosen his public and private information, he knows his personal information is safe.

You control which of your information is hidden and which is visible to the public:

Any user can request to view your hidden information. You choose which of your information is shared with any user. And you can block any user from seeing any of your information.

If you choose, public information may include nothing more than your name and city. You get to choose exactly who can see more of your info on a case by case basis. With this personalized filtering system, AKA protects you and your information.

Automate Your Address Book. AKA Connect is a family of software plug-ins for major e-mail applications that let you add to or edit your address book effortlessly. Simply type in a person's AKA, and all their current contact info is automatically entered for you. In addition, if their information ever changes, your address book will be automatically updated. Plus we've developed a special interface that will soon allow popular web-based address books and e-mail applications to integrate with AKA. Currently supported address books include Microsoft Outlook and Blackberry. Support for Palm and Mac OS 10 Address Book coming soon.

AKA Beginnings. Backed by experienced management with proven records of accomplishment, AKA is a creative and fast-paced online service designed with the user in mind. Founded in January 2005, Terry Anderson and Greg Sharp developed AlwaysKnownAs.com based on the belief that the world needs a simple and safe way to for people to stay in touch with each other. Anderson is a former CEO and founder of e.Media group in Minneapolis, Minnesota, while Sharp is a former CEO and founder of Multimedia Productions Inc. (MPI) in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Sublime Solutions in Toronto, Canada.

"Everyone has been looking for permanence in a temporary world, for that one online ID that they can take with them anywhere. We believe this service is the right product at the right time," said Anderson.

Industry Facts. According to Internetworldstats.com, over 200 million people, or two-thirds of the American public are current Internet users. With the increasingly popularity of mobile devices such as smart phones, mp3 players, PDAs and the growing availability of WiFi access, the ability for people to stay current and connected has never been more important. AKA's services are developed to accommodate the fast-growing pace of Internet technology. New updates and additions will be made on an on-going basis.

I Want My AKA. The AKA service can be used by consumers and corporate Internet users over 18 years of age. Share your AKA name with others via e-mail, in a meeting, at a party, or printed on your business card. You do not have to be an AKA member to find out someone's contact details; however, to list your information on AKA, you must subscribe to the service. The cost is $9.95 per year, but for a limited time AKA is offered free for your first 12 months.

About AlwaysKnownAs.com
AlwaysKnownAs.com is a business offering a simple yet revolutionary online software service for consumers and corporate Internet users. The service, called AKA (short for "Always Known As"), is a new online service that provides a simple and secure way to always stay connected with your personal and business contacts. For your own AKA, go to www.AlwaysKnownAs.com.

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CONTACT: Susan Evans, Evans Larson, (612) 338-6999
E-mail: susan@evanslarson.com

Best Legal Document Process Outsourcing

Integreon Ranked #1 Outsourcing Provider Globally for Second Year Running for Research & Analytics, #1 for Legal Document Outsourcing and #2 for Legal Process Outsourcing

Brown-Wilson's 2007 Survey Also Ranks Firm Among Top 50 (Top 2%) of Global Outsourcing Vendors

June 29, 2007 - LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Integreon Managed Solutions, Inc., a global leader in corporate, legal and financial complex business process outsourcing, also known as knowledge process outsourcing (KPO), announced today it was named the world's leading provider of Research & Analytics outsourcing for the second year running, and the world's leading provider of Legal Document outsourcing in the fourth annual "Black Book of Outsourcing," the Brown-Wilson Group's prestigious annual survey of outsourcing vendors and advisors. The company also ranked number two worldwide in the rapidly emerging full Legal Process outsourcing (LPO) category.

Integreon was also ranked among the top 50 global outsourcing providers, which places the company in the top two percent of all 3,000-plus vendors surveyed.

Results published in the survey were compiled using information received from more than 22,000 global outsourcing users, decision-makers, analysts, employees and customers.

"Integreon's strategy has consistently been to focus on offering high-value outsourcing solutions to corporate, legal and financial markets. This ongoing focus has allowed us to build deep domain knowledge, broad global management, and mature systems. In the last year we completed a Management Buy Out, made an important U.S. acquisition, expanded our delivery footprint globally, and grew by over 80% organically," said Liam Brown, President and CEO of Integreon. "I'd like to thank our customers and industry analysts who ranked us so highly, which is a reflection of our associates' ongoing attention to the highest levels of service and quality."

Describing Integreon's emergence among the top global providers, the Brown-Wilson survey stated that "innovative leadership is hard charging this firm.acquisitions broadened lines to financial and legal clients who rank Integreon top in LPO." Among the categories that Integreon received top marks for from survey participants include innovation, client relationships, scalability, trust, support and customer care.

The top ten results in each sector appear in the following table:
KPO Research and Analytics Knowledge Process Outsourcing   Legal DPO Legal Document Process Outsourcing LPO

Legal Process Outsourcing and Litigation Support
1. Integreon
2. Evalueserve
3. WNS Marketics
4. Adventity
5. Accenture
6. Copal Partners
7. Inductis EXL
8. Exevo
9. Genpact
10. Nipuna Satyam

1. Integreon
2. Pangea3
3. Merrill Corporation
4. Kroll
5. Aptara/Techbooks
6. Suntec
7. SPi
8. CompuLit/Ibis/Pitney Bowes
9. Law-Scribe
10. Williams Lea

1. Pangea3
2. Integreon
3. QuisLex
4. Law-Scribe
5. Mindcrest
6. Law Wave
7. Atlas Legal
8. Ius Juris
9. Lexidigm
10. NeoWorth LPO

About Integreon

Integreon's mission is to become the most trusted provider of knowledge support services to professionals at financial services institutions, law firms and corporations, which typically operate in highly regulated environments.

Integreon focuses on corporate, legal and financial complex business process outsourcing, also known as knowledge process outsourcing (KPO), such as e-discovery, litigation attorney review, research and analytics, and professional document services. The company delivers a full suite of integrated knowledge services from multiple, low-cost centers in India, the Philippines and the USA as well as on-site at customer locations. Transition planning and program management teams work closely with customers from offices in New York, London and Los Angeles.

Integreon's customers include 6 of the 10 largest global investment banks, 2 of the 3 largest global law firms, many Fortune 100 and FTSE 100 corporations and several top-tier private equity firms and hedge funds. Integreon was founded in 1998 and employs around 2,000 associates worldwide.

For more information please visit www.integreon.com

About The Black Book of Outsourcing

The Black Book of Outsourcing (Wiley Publishers) is an international business book and outsourcing resource manual written by co-authors Doug Brown and Scott Wilson of the Brown-Wilson Group. The survey solicits information from global outsourcing users, decision makers, analysts, employees, and customers to compile the industry's only independent and unbiased ranking of outsourcing provider organizational performance. These rankings are esteemed by outsourcing clients, prospects, and corporate procurement officers.
Contacts

Starkman & Associates
Jeff Richardson, 212-252-8545, ext. 11
jrichardson@starkmanpr.com

Avandia Information Portal

LegalView.com Tracks Avandia Litigation, Other Important Avandia Information through its Avandia Information Portal

LegalView.com is pleased to continue bringing its readers important news about Avandia in the aftermath of a recent lawsuit filed by the family of an Avandia patient. LegalView.com also has an extensive collection of resources related to Avandia and other important, relevant legal issues.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) July 4, 2007 -- In the wake of one of the nation's first lawsuits related to diabetes drug Avandia (filed in US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Case No. 207CV254), LegalView.com is pleased to remind readers that a complete -- and completely free -- collection of news and information on the drug is available 24 hours a day at avandia.legalview.com.

Avandia is a medication prescribed to control Type 2 diabetes. It came under fire this spring when the New England Journal of Medicine published a study showing that using the drug increased patients' risk of heart attacks by up to an alarming 43 percent. The study also showed that the subjects' risk of death from a cardiac incident was increased by up to 64 percent. In response, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline to place a "black box" warning on the drug's label. This represents the most serious warning that the FDA can require. As the web's most complete resource for the legal issues that affect Americans, LegalView.com is following the issue closely at its Avandia side effects information portal and related Avandia blog.

While an increased risk of heart attack represents a serious danger to the sufferer of any illness, it is especially devastating for diabetes patients, who already run an increased risk of heart disease. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), heart disease or stroke (which has its roots in vascular problems) will be the cause of death for two out of three diabetics, statistically speaking. Visitors looking for this and other factual information on the drug can find it at the Avandia blog, which tracks news and research information as it appears. A recent post discusses the Avandia lawsuit filed in late June in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Case No. 207CV254), by the family of Larry Alan Stafford, who died May 21, 2007 of a heart attack at age 60 -- and had been taking a drug that contained Avandia as one of it components. From there, visitors can move to LegalView.com's free Avandia portal, intended as a complete resource for Avandia patients and their loved ones. The portal collects LegalView.com's original articles on Avandia, news feeds and government announcements on the drug, a glossary of scientific terms related to Avandia, and legal information for concerned patients. In addition, visitors who may want information on finding their own Avandia attorney can take advantage of LegalView.com's attorney referral service, which is confidential, nationwide and always completely free.

The Avandia portal is just part of LegalView.com's extensive collections of factual information on the web about legal issues relevant to Americans. In fact, LegalView.com has built many portals on hot-button legal issues that include original articles, blogs, news feeds, glossaries of unfamiliar scientific or legal terms, jury verdicts and settlements, encyclopedia entries and much more. Some of these portals discuss issues such as the AMO Complete Moisture Plus recall, with information on the possibly tainted contact lens solution; finding a truck accident lawyer, for those who may need legal advice regarding a truck accident; or resources for contacting traumatic brain injury attorneys, who can help obtain compensation for brain-damaged and sometimes permanently disabled individuals. These information portals exist in addition to LegalView.com's wide collection of fast facts and original articles on other important legal topics such as unsafe drugs, defective consumer products, occupational chemical exposure, and recalled or tainted foods. Those who are ready to seek an attorney for these or any other issue can use LegalView.com's free, nationwide attorney referral search to help them find an attorney in their area.

LegalView.com is a free public service put together by Legal WebTV Network, LLC, a Limited Liability Corporation created by a group of distinguished law firms from around the United States: Anapol Schwartz; Brent Coon and Associates; Burg Simpson; Cohen, Placitella and Roth; James F. Humphhreys and Associates; Lopez McHugh; and Thornton and Naumes. For more information on LegalView.com's distinguised law firm sponsors and their accomplishments, or to get in touch with LegalView.com's accomplished member attorneys, visit LegalView.com at www.legalview.com.

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Press Contact: Alan Haburchak
Company Name: LegalView.com
Phone: 720-226-6613
Website: http://www.legalview.com

Plastic Card Security Act

Minnesota Plastic Card Security Act advances

News Release - April 11, 2007 - The Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection recommend the passage of legislation aimed at protecting consumers from credit card fraud on Tuesday. The Committee referred the bill, Senate File 1574, to the Senate's Judiciary Committee.

The legislation, authored by Sen. Mary Olson, DFL - Bemidji, prohibits companies or retailers from keeping the secure information stored on a credit- or debit-card's magnetic strip in their computer databases after a transaction is completed. The magnetic strips on payment cards contain sensitive information such as the customer's name, account number, PIN, card expiration date, and security code data.

"Credit card fraud can be devastating to consumers," said Sen. Olson. "It often takes months or years to completely resolve fraudulent charges, and to reestablish one's credit. Companies and merchants should not be allowed keep this information where it can fall into the wrong hands."

Currently, payment card industry standards prohibit companies from retaining magnetic strip information. Sen. Olson's bill would put these industry standards into Minnesota law, allowing the state to impose penalties on companies that are not securely purging their customers' private information from their computer systems.

Sen. Olson cited the recent security breach at TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshall's, and several other retailers, as one of the primary reasons for bringing this bill forward. Investigators estimate that hackers gained access to private information from an estimated 45 million credit- and debit-cards in the breach, which TJX had stored in their computer system. Florida investigators have charged six people in connection with the breach, claiming they used this stolen credit card information to make over $8 million in fraudulent purchases.

"The TJX scandal confirms the need for this legislation," said Sen. Olson. "Consumers trust companies to protect their financial information. The state should take an active role in ensuring that companies take that trust seriously."

Sen. Olson's legislation also specifies that a company or retailer violating this provision is responsible for both notifying their customers and covering the expenses of potential fraud if their customer's information is compromised. Currently, the responsibility for notification and fraud repayment typically falls on the financial institution backing the credit card. This responsibility will only be shifted to retailers if they are found to have improperly stored credit card information.

The Commerce Committee took lengthy testimony on the bill, hearing from both banking and credit union representatives who issue cards and from witnesses representing the retail industry. After retailer representatives expressed concern about some provisions of the bill, Sen. Olson asked the Committee for an opportunity to resolve the differences between the two groups. After negotiating for several hours, Sen. Olson re-presented the bill late Tuesday night and offered an amendment that addressed practical difficulties the retailers raised with implementing the proposed legislation.

"I'm pleased we were able to find common ground on this issue," said Sen. Olson. "This bill offers protection to consumers, while not placing unnecessary or undue hardships on businesses."

Rep. Jim Davnie, DFL - Minneapolis, is carrying companion legislation in the House of Representatives. The bill, House File 1758, has passed through several committees, and is awaiting a vote on the House floor.

For more information, please contact Sen. Olson's office at (651) 296-4913, or sen.mary.olson@senate.mn.

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State Senator Mary A. Olson
District 04
124 Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
Telephone (651) 296-4913
sen.mary.olson@senate.mn       

Magazine Features Mesothelioma Lawyers

New York Magazine Features Mesothelioma Lawyers from Levy Phillips & Konigsberg LLP on List of New York Area's Best Lawyers

The "Best Lawyers" list is the "gold standard of reliability and integrity in lawyer ratings."

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 2, 2007 -- The July 2, 2007, issue of New York Magazine features New York mesothelioma lawyers Stanley J. Levy, Robert I. Komitor, and Jerome H. Block on its list of "New York Area's Best Lawyers."

The list published by New York Magazine comprises New York area lawyers who are also listed in the 2007 edition of Best Lawyers in America. According to the magazine, the "Best Lawyers" list is the "gold standard of reliability and integrity in lawyer ratings." Lawyers are selected through an "exhaustive survey" in which lawyers "confidentially evaluate their professional peers". The 2007 edition of Best Lawyers "is based upon more than 2 million evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers."

Messrs. Levy, Komitor and Block all practice with the nationally recognized mesothelioma cancer law firm of Levy Phillips & Konigsberg LLP. The selection of these three mesothelioma lawyers - all born in different generations -- reflects the long history of success the firm has had in asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits and the valuable role of mentoring in the law firm's ability to reproduce top lawyers generation upon generation.

Mr. Levy has been a pioneer in the effort to obtain compensation for asbestos and mesothelioma victims, filing some of the earliest asbestos lawsuit cases in the 1970s. Mr. Levy litigated many of the first groundbreaking asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits that established the knowledge of the dangers of asbestos that were known within the asbestos industry, but kept from workers. Mr. Levy's trail-blazing work has paved the way for many thousands of victims of asbestos and mesothelioma to obtain financial compensation nationwide. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Mr. Levy graduated Columbia Law School in 1959 and served for four years as Assistant Attorney General for the State of New York.

Mr. Komitor, who was mentored by Mr. Levy, has become one of the most formidable cancer and mesothelioma lawyers in the nation. Mr. Komitor, the head of the firm's New York Mesothelioma practice, has won many multi-million dollar jury verdicts in asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits including several verdicts in excess of $10 million dollars. Mr. Komitor's jury verdicts include a $19.5 million dollar jury verdict -- the largest jury verdict ever handed down against a manufacturer of insulated cable. Mr. Komitor grew up on Long Island, and is a 1980 graduate from Hofstra School of Law and teaches jury trial skills to law students as part of the NITA (National Institute of Trial Advocacy) program. Mr. Komitor is a frequent lecturer on topics relating to mass tort litigation, particularly mesothelioma and asbestos.

Mr. Block, at the age of 35, is among the youngest lawyers ever selected to the Best Lawyers List. After graduating law school in 1997 and clerking for a United States District Court Judge, Mr. Block was mentored into a prominent trial lawyer by Messrs. Levy and Komitor, as well as the other accomplished partners at Levy Phillips & Konigsberg. While developing a specialty in mesothelioma cancer law, Mr. Block has become nationally known for his jury verdicts in mesothelioma and lung cancer cases. Mr. Block's jury verdicts include a $22 million verdict on behalf of two New York mesothelioma victims, as well as the first ever asbestos jury verdicts against the welding industry.

To speak to mesothelioma lawyers Levy, Komitor or Block, you may call 212-605-6200 or 1.800.MESO.LAW. You may also visit New York and New Jersey mesothelioma information ranging from clinical trials and treatments to developments in asbestos litigation and mesothelioma cancer law.

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Press Contact: Jay Berkowitz
Company Name: CEPAC Phone: (561) 716-1334
Website: http://www.lpklaw.com/