Category Archives: Business Law

Business Law, Consumer Law, Corporate Law, Law Firm, Lawyers, Legal Services, Legal Solutions, Technology

Online Attorney Search Website To Offer Nationwide Service

Quigal, LLC, a leading provider of online attorney search services in Massachusetts , announced today that it will be offering nationwide service. Quigal.com is an attorney search engine that allows users to easily search for and quickly contact top quality legal professionals located in their area. Quigal first launched its initial beta website in Massachusetts in October of last year.

Online Attorney Search Website To Offer Nationwide Service

“Quigal.com has continued to grow as expected and we are excited to bring this service to users nationwide,” commented Renate Harrison, founder and CEO. “The entire country can now have access to quality attorneys anytime.”

Since first launching its site, Quigal.com has been steadily changing the way the public searches for attorneys online. Its attorney search service allows a user to simultaneously contact up to ten distinguished attorneys by geographical location and practice area.

In preparation for launching nationwide, Quigal.com made sure its database infrastructure was ready to handle the challenges of going national. “We took the time we needed to make sure that our national launch would go smoothly and seamlessly, we know our users expect nothing less,” explained Harrison .

In conjunction with its national launch, Quigal.com has also announced that it will be running a sweepstakes campaign. More information regarding that campaign can be found by visiting www.Quigal.com.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Administrative, Bankruptcy, Business Law, Law Firm, Lawyers, Legal Services, Legal Solutions

A Solution to Streamline Chapter 7 and 13 Bankruptcy Law Firm Operations

When a consumer is interested in filing bankruptcy, they will normally contact a bankruptcy attorney in their area or simply walk into their office with no prior appointment. The average consumer will also want to know how much it will cost to file bankruptcy, at which time the attorney must gather enough information about their financial situation to provide a reasonable quote for services. The majority of attorneys do this by providing a free initial consultation.

A Solution to Streamline Chapter 7 and 13 Bankruptcy Law Firm Operations

Unfortunately, this method is proving to be extremely unsuccessful for many Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorneys. For example, a small law practice in Denver, Colorado recently said that she often only coverts 2 out of 10 free consultations to actual bankruptcy clients who retain her services. This is a great loss of time and money; in fact, about 80% of it.

Another attorney in Los Angeles, California said that he spends about 25 hours of free consultations per week to average 3 new clients who pay a retainer. And still, another attorney in Phoenix, Arizona said that he is spending so much of his time with free client consultations that end up resulting in a total loss of income, that he has little time to dedicate to clients who have retained him. He is considering hiring an in-house attorney or law student but is afraid he cannot afford it right now.

Problems like these, and thousands more like them are not uncommon in the average Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy office today. However, attorneys are finding the necessity to streamline operations just to keep up with the increased workload within the bankruptcy industry itself. They no longer can afford to spend 3, 4 or more hours per day interviewing clients, only to find out they either are ineligible to file bankruptcy; or even worse, to discover there are potential problems that may cost more time for the attorney or paralegal that were not anticipated during the initial client meeting.

A Proposed Solution
The Initial Intake Form, a tool recently developed by Colorado Bankruptcy Training, is designed to enable law firms to meet these time saving goals as well as accomplish much more.

The Initial Intake Form is a 4-page form that is basically comprised of yes and no questions. This makes it very simple and fast for potential client(s) to fill out and complete either at the law firm or over the internet by accessing the law firm’s website. The information gathered from these yes and no responses is designed to be simple and fast for the attorney to interpret also. This is accomplished through the extremely detailed, 75-page Operations Manual that comes with the package.

To find out more and watch a product demo VIDEO about the Initial Intake Form Kit, visit: http://www.coloradobankruptcytraining.com/products_intakeform.html.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Business Law, Consumer Law, Corporate Law, Law Firm, Lawyers, Legal Services, Legal Solutions, Technology

Online Attorney Search Service To Offer Nationwide Service

Quigal, LLC, a leading provider of online attorney search services in Massachusetts , today announced that it will start offering its search service nationwide beginning April 5, 2010. Currently, the website (www.quigal.com) allows users in Massachusetts to easily search for and quickly contact top quality legal professionals located in their area. Quigal first launched its initial beta web site in Massachusetts in October of last year.

“The steady increase in web traffic we have successfully serviced since our launch has demonstrated that we are ready to offer our service nationwide,” commented Renate Harrison, founder and CEO. “Fortunately, things have gone pretty much as planned and we feel that this is the right time to take this next step.”

Since first launching its site, Quigal.com has been steadily changing the way the public searches for attorneys online. Its attorney search service allows a user to simultaneously contact up to ten top-tier attorneys by geographical location and practice area. This announcement means that, starting April 5 th , the entire country will have access to top-tier attorneys anytime.

To handle the expected influx of new users, Ms. Harrison added: “In the next couple of months, Quigal will be making sure its database infrastructure will be ready for the challenge of going national. We are taking the time we need to make sure we do this right. We know our users expect nothing less.”

Are you interested in registering with Quigal? Please visit Quigal’s website at www.quigal.com. For more information about Quigal, please contact Juliana Gaita-Monjaraz.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Administrative, Business Law, Compensation, Disability Law, Employment Law, Law Firm, Lawyers, Legal Services

Employee Dismissal Law In Netherlands

De Graauw Legal Services specializes in assisting employees who are confronted with summary dismissal and are subject to Dutch law which is also referred to as Ontslag op staande voet in dutch legal terms.The firm also helps individuals dealing with settlement terms and Termination Agreement also referred as vaststellingsovereenkomst and Beëindigingsovereenkomst.

Employee Dismissal Law In Netherlands

Most individuals focus on the direct financial damage such a dismissal can cause through loss of unemployment benefit, salary and severance pay. However another very important aspect in these cases that is too often neglected is formed by possible career damage.

According to the founder and managing director Roland de Graauw LL.M “When no regulation concerning secrecy and statements to third parties is agreed upon, such a dismissal can pursue the client in the future.” This is especially the case when the client worked a long time for the company involved as under these circumstances chances increase that the former employer will be contacted in a selection procedure by a possible future employer increase. When the former employer, that fired the client on the spot due to culpable actions, informs the inquirer, the client can forget about the new job. Also, lying about a summary dismissal can according to jurisprudence be a ground for dismissal for the new employer. Therefore it is essential to agree upon a regulation which includes secrecy as well as a conversion of the summary dismissal to a termination by mutual consent on neutral grounds.

Degraauw legal services assists individuals in dealing with their employment dismissal cases and provides them with swift legal assistance.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Business Law, Consumer Law, Corporate Law, Law Firm, Lawyers, Legal Services, Legal Solutions, Technology

Quigal Launches New Search Site for High-Achieving Attorneys

Quigal, LLC announced today that it was launching its attorney search web site for residents of Massachusetts. Quigal’s site allows the public to search for attorneys who have impressive educational backgrounds or substantial work experience in complex legal matters and allows users to communicate with multiple attorneys quickly and easily. During the initial launch period, attorneys authorized to practice law in Massachusetts are invited to register with the site free of charge until April 1, 2010.

For Quigal attorney members, a unique feature of the web site is that the number of attorneys who can register is limited to ten per zip code, which increases each registered attorney’s visibility vis-à-vis potential clients.

The inspiration for Quigal came from attorneys and clients who complained about the poor quality of existing directory services, both online and print, recalled Renate Harrison, Quigal co-founder. “My colleagues complained that existing directories contained so many lawyers that the odds of engaging a client were too low to justify the expense, while users felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of attorneys they had to choose from and the multiple pages of information they had to fill out,” Harrison noted. “So I asked what I thought was a simple question: how can we improve the way clients find lawyers online? I believe Quigal is the answer.”

As of today, Massachusetts residents can begin using Quigal. Quigal is built on the idea that users should have confidence in the quality of attorneys made available to them on attorney search sites, and that the number of registered attorneys should be limited, so that each attorney has a realistic opportunity to engage clients. Key features of Quigal include:

• Search: Quigal enables the public to search for attorneys by zip code, city, state, practice area, or law school attended. Quigal also permits potential clients to search for attorneys who are available for a live chat.

• Exclusivity: Quigal attorney members who subscribe to a zip code always appear on the first page search results for that zip code. A maximum of ten attorneys can register for each zip code.

• Quality: Quigal only registers attorneys who have graduated from a top-tier law school or who have substantial work experience managing complex legal matters.

• Ease of Use: Quigal offers several options for potential clients to contact attorney members. A simple online query form and attorney profiles with full contact information appear on every search results page. Also, a live chat option allows potential clients to chat real-time with attorneys. Quigal also allows its registered attorneys to link to their social and professional networking sites (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.).
In the coming months, Quigal will be rolling out its web site nationally, as well as introducing new site features.

Are you interested in registering with Quigal? Please visit Quigal’s website at www.quigal.com. For more information about Quigal, please contact Renate Harrison.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Administrative, Business Law, Cases, Compensation, Law Firm, Lawyers, Legal Education, Legal Services

New Educational Site Empowers Lawyers and Plaintiffs

In 1999, Bill Tilley launched the legal finance industry in California, helping lawyers and firms get their finances on track with Themis Capital. Since then, he’s been instrumental in building that industry as the largest provider of legal financial services. His financial expertise in the area of law grew to include guiding plaintiffs through the settlement process with comprehensive settlement planning. This devotion to creating a full service financial company for the legal community led to Amicus Capital Services, LLC.

comprehensive settlement planning

Now, Bill Tilley and Amicus Capital Services are taking that extra step, launching an educational site on innovative settlement planning. Amicus Capital Services’ Settlement Planning Blog provides attorneys and plaintiffs with in depth information on legal finance, settlement planning, structured attorney’s fees and structured settlements, among other topics.

“The path to a settlement or verdict can be a very difficult process, but achieving the resolution is just the beginning,” says Mr. Tilley. “There are many settlement planning issues to consider to maximize the recovery. Generally speaking Medicaid, Medicare and ERISA liens should be negotiated; often trusts have to be created. Investment decisions have to be made.

“Too many lawyers and plaintiffs are unprepared for what happens after the settlement or favorable judgment is achieved. The Settlement Planning Blog is setup to empower plaintiffs and attorneys with necessary knowledge and innovative settlement planning.”

What are the plaintiff’s fiscal options to create a secure future with their settlement? The site answers this question with a break down of those options. What is the attorney’s responsibility towards the plaintiff in settlement planning? This question is asked and answered as well, pointing toward pertinent areas of law.

In addition, the Settlement Planning Blog provides the resources necessary to further investigate the various issues of settlement planning. These resources include a list of insurance companies that offer structured settlements, and links to settlement resources such as the Academy of Special Needs Planners and the Society of Settlement Planners, among others. Government resources are covered as well, adding information such as disability benefits, SSI death benefits and retirement benefits.

“We’re not lawyers,” Mr. Tilley states. “We’re the pioneers – financial experts that specialize in settlement planning and helping law firms move up to the next level. Through the Settlement Planning Blog we share with our readers the knowledge gained from over ten years’ experience in the industry.”

To read more on settlement planning, please visit:
http://settlementplanningservices.com/
For more information on Amicus Capital Services, LLC, please visit their website at:
http://www.amicuscapitalservices.com/

About Amicus Capital Services, LLC
Created by the founders of the attorney financing industry, Amicus offers the financing you require and the expertise you need to further leverage your expertise in your fight for justice.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Administrative, Business Law, Employment Law, Legal Services

Increased Number Of People Seeking Legal Advice On Employment Issues

Data from home insurer LV= reveals a sharp rise of 21% in calls to its legal helpline for advice. A quarter of all calls relate to employment issues such as redundancy – a rise of a third compared with 2008.

lv.com

Further research conducted by LV= found that consumers are increasingly seeking legal advice in the recession, with up to one million people having to take legal advice on employment issues in the last 12 months*. Current unemployment numbers stand at 1.92 million people in the UK*.

Almost half of the people who have sought legal advice about an employment issue in the last year (47%) cited the recession as the cause of their problems*. Common problems included being asked to work reduced hours, requested to take a pay cut or being made redundant.

LV=’s analysis of employment related calls made to its legal advice helpline in the first quarter of 2009 shows that employers were acting illegally in one in three cases. In addition to the helpline, the legal cover that LV= offers as part of its home insurance will pay solicitors fees of up to £50,000 in the event of a case being pursued, with any payouts won being unaffected.

Almost half of the people questioned in the LV= research (48%) said that the company they work for has made redundancies since the onset of the credit crunch. A quarter (26%) also said that hours have been cut and the same number said that pay rises had been cancelled*.

The research by LV= revealed that potentially over half of all UK adults (55%) have had to take some form of legal advice in the past, with the majority opting to speak to a private solicitor as the first port of call despite the high costs involved*. The average cost of such advice is £708 per case. This compares with a cost of just £18.90 a year for adding legal cover – including unlimited use of the helpline and up to £50,000 in legal fees – to a LV= home insurance policy.

John O’Roarke, managing director of LV= home insurance, said: “The statistics from our helpline show that an increasing number of people are looking for legal help because of employment problems caused directly by the recession. The issues are far ranging, covering redundancies, a reduction in hours and pay, or changes in employment contracts.

All statistics taken from internal data are based on calls made to the LV= legal helpline, unless otherwise specified. Wider research conducted by Opinium among 2,013 people from 1-5 May 2009.

* National Statistics taken from www.statistics.gov.uk

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Administrative, Business Law, Copyright, Defamation, Disputes, Law Firm, Legal Services, Privacy, Reputation Management

PR, Communications and the Law – Annual Briefing 2009

Schillings, top UK law firm dedicated to protecting the reputations of international corporations, brands and celebrities, has announced the new conference programme for the upcoming ‘PR, Communications and the Law – Annual Briefing 2009’ at the Paramount Club, Centre Point in London on 28th April.

The event will take the form of a breakfast briefing and will cover the subjects of what should drive communications strategies and corporate reputation management.

Joining Rod Christie-Miller, Partner at Schillings, to help lead the briefing will be Dr Kevin Money, Associate Professor at Henley Business School and Director of The John Madejski Centre for Reputation.

Dr Kevin Money will cover the subject of motivational drives and organizational theories. An understanding of these drives (the drive to acquire, learn, bond and protect) and how they may change during times of economic uncertainty – can provide a competitive edge to anyone shaping communications strategies.

Recent research suggests that in an economic downturn, the drive to protect is likely to assume greater importance in our lives, and Kevin will explore how that drive is likely to be the biggest driver of reputation.

Rod will then take over to present a talk on the important subject of reputation management. In the sphere of reputation management, the unconscious drive to protect is borne out by the very real threats that corporates now face.

Over the coming year, the three key threats for people working in PR and communications are liable to be:

– Responding to leaks and whistleblowers
– Tax gaps and the Board
– Protecting the corporate reputation during high-profile employment disputes

Rod will explain how despite these new threats, the potential to protect reputations via a combined PR and legal approach is actually stronger than ever.

The briefing will finish off with a round of questions to the panel.

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain’s top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm’s track-record in defamation, privacy and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution is second to none.

Defamation, privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm’s work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a “spectacularly efficient media law firm.”

Schillings clients include supermodel Naomi Campbell, actress Nicole Kidman, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, premiership footballer Wayne Rooney, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pharmaceuticals maker GlaxoSmithKline, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harrods Group and the London Stock Exchange.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Administrative, Business Law, Cases, Compensation, Criminal Justice

WestLB Apologies And Pays Undisclosed Amount to Balli Group

Bloomberg Markets has carried an article confirming that WestLB paid undisclosed damages and issued a letter of apology to Vahid Alaghband and Balli Group plc.

Former WestLB CEO Alexander Stuhlmann told Vahid Alaghband the bank regretted the hardships to him and Balli.

“You have always acted professionally and honourably in your dealings with WestLB,” Stuhlmann said in a letter that Alaghband received in November. “From our point of view, there are no obstacles to establishing business relations with your group.”

The ‘Alaghband’s Nightmare Ends’ article states that in November 2008, WestLB offered an undisclosed financial settlement and agreed to withdraw allegations of credit fraud levelled at Balli Group in connection with its takeover of Kloeckner & Co AG in 2001. The WestLB allegations led to the arrest and investigative custody of Alaghband in 2003 by German authorities. He was released after 11 months without charge.

Bloomberg states that Vahid Alaghband, Chairman of Balli Group Plc, had to wait seven years to close the book on his failed takeover of German steel trader Kloeckner & Co. and to try to put the acquisition that cost him 11 months in jail behind him.

Balli Steel, Alaghband’s London-based steel trading company, bought Kloeckner for 1.1 billion euros ($1.42 billion) in 2001.

Alaghband’s partner in the deal, WestLB AG, Germany’s third-biggest state-owned bank, filed a criminal complaint accusing Alaghband of fraud. He was jailed in Zurich in 2003 and then transferred to Duisburg where Kloeckner was based. In May 2003, while he was behind bars and couldn’t repay a €212.5 million loan, WestLB bought Kloeckner. BLOOMBERG MARKETS reported on the ordeal in “The Long Nightmare of Vahid Alaghband” (May 2005).

Following the reconciliation at the end of 2008, a joint statement was issued which said, “Kloeckner & Co Beteiligungs GmbH and the Balli Group of Companies are pleased to announce that they have reached an amicable settlement to the disputes with WestLB AG which arose from the sale of Kloeckner & Co AG to Balli by E.ON in 2001.”

Balli is delighted that the seven year saga of misunderstandings and legal proceedings involving German trade unions, central and regional German state politicians, a plethora of international banking, investment and accounting consultants, and steel-trading tycoons – has now been settled and put to rest.

Vahid Alaghband, Chairman of Balli Group, commented: “We are pleased with the outcome of this case, from which many lessons were learnt. This settlement is proof yet again of the wisdom that most business litigations launched on grounds of receiving justice and litigating on issues of principal eventually become a means for reaching the inevitable pragmatic peace. We believe that the financial settlement is a good one for us and avoids the need for the continuation of a costly multi-jurisdictional litigation by us. Most importantly for us as a family business with a long tradition of trading over three generations, we feel that the WestLB admission has finally set the record straight and confirms our contention throughout that we have always acted honourably and professionally in our dealings with our counterparts.”

Case number: Landgericht Düsseldorf Gz.: 40 O 61 /05

About Balli Holdings
Balli Holdings, established in 1982 is a private, multi-national corporation, headquartered in London, with offices around the world. Headed by Vahid, Hassan and Nasser Alaghband, Balli operates a number of affiliated companies specialising in commodity trading, industrial, real estate and private equity with operations in over 20 countries. Balli’s acquisition from utility company E.ON in 2000 of Germany’s Kloeckner Steel Trade GmbH led, in 2001, to Balli’s offer – with the financial backing of Credit Suisse and WestLB – for “senior” company Kloeckner & Co AG. Goldman Sachs had acted as M&A adviser Balli on the deal.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Business Law, Copyright, Corporate Law, Defamation, Intellectual Property, Law Firm, Litigation, Privacy

Schillings Will Be Delivering The Closing Keynote Address At This Year’s Trust & Estates Litigation Forum

Schillings, one of the UK’s top law firms dedicated to protecting the reputations of international corporations, brands and celebrities, will be delivering the closing keynote address at this year’s Trust & Estates Litigation Forum.

Rod Christie-Miller, a partner at Schillings, will deliver the closing speech at the Legal Week-sponsored conference, which will discuss and offer advice on managing disputes amid market turbulence to a target audience of lawyers, banks and other financial companies.

With the world’s financial markets having been in the grip of a debilitating crisis since mid-2008, this has inevitably affected the work of trust and estate litigators. The 2009 Trust and Estates Litigation conference programme will examine the impact of this turmoil along with some of the key issues surrounding the current contentious trust markets.

Rod Christie-Miller’s closing address will highlight how the press will report on commercial litigation in the next year and what can be done about it. The press have always been interested in reporting on publicly available Court documents and public testimony as an easy and quick news source and recent commercial and legal developments mean that is going to be increasingly prevalent. Rod will look at the reasons behind this trend, and also outline how the law can be used to counteract that threat.

Rod Christie-Miller is a litigator and leading expert in using the law of defamation, privacy and breach of confidence to protect clients who find themselves in the media spotlight. He specialises in reputation management for companies and their senior executives, public figures, overseas investors, high-net worth individuals and entrepreneurs particularly from the UK and the former Soviet states.

The Legal Week Trust & Estates Forum will take place from the 26th – 28th February at the Four Seasons Resort Provence at Terre Blanche, France, in association with The American Lawyer and principally sponsored by Legal Week and RBC Wealth Management, with Blackberry, Appleby and Carey Olsen also offering their sponsorship to the event.

For further information about the event please contact Steve Hands on 020 7316 9602 or steve.hands@incisivemedia.com.

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain’s top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm’s track-record in defamation, privacy and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution is second to none.

Defamation privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm’s work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a “spectacularly efficient media law firm.”

Schillings clients include Lord Browne of Madingley, Las Vegas Sands Casino owner Sheldon Adelson, supermodel Naomi Campbell, actress Nicole Kidman, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Harry Potter author JK Rowling as well as corporations such as GlaxoSmithKline, Kaupthing bank, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harrods Group and the London Stock Exchange.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Business Law, Copyright, Defamation, Intellectual Property, Law Firm, Lawyers, Legal Services, Privacy

Schillings announce briefing to businesses on protecting investor value in a downturn

Leave a comment

Following on from the success of the previous BITESized briefings Schillings, one of Britain’s top law firms, dedicated to safeguarding the privacy and reputations of international corporations, celebrities and high-profile business people, has announced the subject of the latest event to be held on 28th January.

These information events by Schillings are intended to help their clients and PR professionals keep up to date with how to use the law as a tool in protecting reputations and this event will cover the extremely pertinent and important subject of protecting investor value in a downturn.

Previous Schillings BITESized briefings were extremely well received and covered subjects such as handling social media threats, legal tools for crisis management, the importance of HR in averting media crisis, executive Reputation Management, cleaning up and restoring an online reputation and brand management

The upcoming event is intended to help businesses prevent and deal with scurrilous rumours which can badly damage investor confidence, in turn causing serious problems for companies and their directors. Subjects being addressed include finding out how to act quickly to identify and quell the sources of harmful false allegations before they do more harm, and the steps that can be taken to prevent these allegations from crossing into the mainstream media.

This briefing forms just part of the wide ranging regular calendar of Schillings events and seminars for specific interest groups where people come together to learn about how the law can be used to help protect both personal and corporate reputations.

Registrations are already being taken for the event and based on previous briefings, places are expected to fill up quickly.

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain’s top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm’s track-record in defamation, privacy and copyright cases, as well as dispute resolution is second to none.

Defamation, privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm’s work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a “spectacularly efficient media law firm.”

Schillings clients include supermodel Naomi Campbell, actress Nicole Kidman, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pharmaceuticals maker GlaxoSmithKline, leading investment bank Kaupthing, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harrods Group and the London Stock Exchange.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Business Law, Copyright, Corporate Law, Defamation, Intellectual Property, International Law, Law Firm, Lawyers, Legal Services, Privacy, Technology

Schillings to discuss privacy and reputation management issues at Legal Weeks Private Client Forum

Schillings, one of Britain’s top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the privacy and reputations of international corporates, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people, will be represented by senior partner Keith Schilling at Legal Week’s Private Client Forum. The main theme will be “Assessing Risk in a Volatile World”, which will be looking at changes the international wealth market has faced in 2008 and the new risks brought about in an ever increasingly volatile market.

Keith Schilling, senior partner at Schillings, will participate in a panel discussion on the topics of privacy, reputation management and human rights and will discuss, along with fellow panelists, how the world’s high-net worth individuals are in a constant battle with the media to protect their own privacy and reputations.

The conference will examine the major issues that have arisen following the advent of the credit crunch and the economic strain currently being suffered on a global scale. Increased pressure from regulatory authorities in Europe and the US government also spell uncertain times for the world’s financial safe havens.

These developments and more will provide the basis for a three day programme for the world’s leading private client lawyers.

The first day of the conference will offer a view of the impact of the credit crunch and how the shift of wealth globally has brought about new risks in wealth management.

The second day will feature a Q & A style debate on the future of international financial centers and a discussion assessing the effects of new US exit tax laws which will form a wider discussion on the reach of exit, gift and inheritance taxes globally.

The third day will see Keith Schilling, recently voted one of the 1000 most influential people in London, join a European panel discussion on privacy and reputations. His fellow panelists include Basile Ader from the French law firm Ader, Amigues et Jolibois; Professor Dr. Matthias Prinz from the German law firm Prinz Neidhardt Engelschall and Jennifer McDermott from Withers in the UK. The panel will outline the differences in privacy laws across a number of jurisdictions and the steps to take to avoid unwanted media attention and what to do if it arises.

Keith Schilling said about the conference, “At this time of volatile market conditions, the threat of a global recession and fears about the security of individuals’ wealth, the media are increasingly focusing on the private wealth of high-profile people. We are seeing a trend in the media towards ‘money being the new celebrity’ and we are working with our high-net worth clients to advise them how to protect their reputations and manage their own and their families private lives. This conference is on at a time of unprecedented financial turmoil and proves just how important an issue it is.”

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain’s top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm’s track-record in defamation, privacy and copyright cases, as well as dispute resolution is second to none.

Defamation, privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm’s work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a “spectacularly efficient media law firm.”

The firm uses the law to protect the reputations, privacy and confidentiality of clients by helping them and their PR advisers to manage what is published and broadcast about them. It is their ability to adapt to the threats posed by the ever changing media landscape which keeps them at the forefront of this specialist area.

Schillings clients include supermodel Naomi Campbell, actress Nicole Kidman, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pharmaceuticals maker GlaxoSmithKline, leading investment bank Kaupthing, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harrods Group and the London Stock Exchange.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Administrative, Bankruptcy, Business Law, Consumer Law, Law Firm, Lawyers, Legal Services

The bankruptcy laws require the utility company to restore the service of any utility that was terminated prior to the filing

Immediately upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition, no creditor may pursue or commence an action against the debtor (person filing the petition). It’s the law. Therefore, after the filing, a utility company may not terminate the debtor’s service, even though there may be substantial arrears. Also, in the event that the debtor’s service was terminated prior to the filing, the service must be restored, upon notifying the utility provider after the filing. Generally, the provider will restore the service within 24 to 48 hours after the filing.

New Jersey residents can obtain answers to questions regarding foreclosure resolution and bankruptcy laws by visiting http://www.bankruptcylawyer-nj.com

The bankruptcy code states that within 20 days after the filing, the debtor must pay a security deposit to establish a new account. Each utility company may apply a different criteria in determining the deposit amount. The utility companies generally apply the following criteria to determine the amount of the security deposit: 1. average monthly usage for the 12 months prior to the filing; 2. average of the highest two months of usage during the 12 months prior to the filing; 3. twice the average monthly usage for the 12 months prior to the filing.

Is the debtor required to pay the pre-bankruptcy debt owed to the utility provider? If the debtor has filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and meets all of the requirements for a discharge, the debt is eliminated without any payment. After a debtor has established a new account, subsequent to a chapter 7 discharge, the utility company may terminate the service for payment arrears, based on their typical standards.

New Jersey residents can obtain answers to questions regarding foreclosure resolution and bankruptcy laws by visiting http://www.bankruptcylawyer-nj.com

The following pertains to chapter 13 protection. An individual may file a chapter 13 case for numerous reasons that are unrelated to utility issues. A chapter 13 typically requires the debtor to make monthly payments to a trustee (bankruptcy administrator) over a 36 to 60 month period. The trustee payments may be paid to various creditors based on the debtor’s financial position and desires. Utility debt is classified as unsecured. The debtor may be required to pay none, some, or all of their unsecured debt, based on the following factors: personal and household income; personal and household expenses; real and personal property values; amount of arrears on secured debt; and, to some extent, the debtor’s desires. A chapter 13 may permit the debtor to eliminate the entire utility balance, without payment.

Similar to a chapter 7, in the event that a debtor falls behind with the utility payments after the chapter 13 filing and the establishment of a new account, the company may terminate the service, based on their typical standards relating to payment default.

For more information on bankruptcy laws in New Jersey, visit
http://www.bankruptcylawyer-nj.com

Robert Manchel is a New Jersey, Board Certified Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney, whose practice is limited to foreclosure resolution and bankruptcy law. For more information, please contact Mr. Manchel at (856) 797-1500, 1(866) –503-5655 or go to his web site at http://www.bankruptcylawyer-nj.com

Robert Manchel handles cases from the following counties: Cumberland, Atlantic, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Ocean, Mercer, Monmouth, and Philadelphia.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

 

Business Law, Corporate Law, Defamation, Lawyers, Legal Services

Schillings Support The Cancer Research Charity As They Take Part In The Annual Fundraising Event In The Mothers And Daughters Ultimate Challenge

Leave a comment

Schillings, the UK’s leading law firm dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people is set to join other corporate teams as they take part in the Mothers and Daughters Ultimate Challenge, all day fun-packed ‘It’s a Knockout’ style event in aid of the Cancer Research UK charity.

This will be the 10th consecutive year of the Ultimate Challenge and it will be the first time Schillings has entered a team, taking some time off from the world of reputation management to battle against several other teams in the Corporate Challenge, which promises to be a series of outlandish games and exciting challenges.

Schillings fundraising attempts in the run up to the charity day fuels the hopes that their involvement will help surpass the success of last year’s Ultimate Challenge event, which raised a tremendous £165,000 for Cancer Research. The money was donated to the research of Professor Richard Begent of the Cancer Research UK Targeting and Imaging group at the Royal Free and University College Medical School.

The 2008 Mothers and Daughters Cancer Research Ultimate Challenge featuring the team from Schillings is scheduled to take place on Sunday 7 September in the scenic grounds of Haberdashers Boys Askes Boys School, in Elstree, Hertfordshire. The games themselves will be run by a professional events company to help raise money for Cancer Research UK, and will include several huge wet and dry inflatables which always make these events so much fun for participants and spectators alike.

The Mothers & Daughters committee was founded in 1999 by a group of concerned women whose aim was to ensure a better future for their children and future generations through research into cures for cancer. Each year they choose a different Cancer Research UK project to support and eight years on they have raised a total of over a million pounds.

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain’s top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm’s track-record in defamation, privacy and copyright cases is second to none.

Defamation, privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm’s work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a “spectacularly efficient media law firm.”

The firm uses the law to protect the reputations, privacy and confidentiality of clients by helping them and their PR advisers to manage what is published and broadcast about them. It is their ability to adapt to the threats posed by the ever changing media landscape which keeps them at the forefront of this specialist area.

Schillings clients include supermodel Naomi Campbell, actress Nicole Kidman, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pharmaceuticals maker GlaxoSmithKline, leading investment bank Kaupthing, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harrods Group and the London Stock Exchange.

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, Business Law, Expert Witnesses, Industrial Law, Intellectual Property, International Law, Lawyers, Legal Services, Litigation, Technology

Warren S. Reid – founder of WSR Consulting Group – 20 Years of Pioneering and Leadership As Computer Expert Witnesses in Software Failure Projects and IP Infringement Litigation

Leave a comment

Warren S. Reid founded WSR Consulting Group, LLC (WSRcg) in 1988, and since then the firm has grown to 15 expert witnesses, including ex-Big-6 Consulting Firm partners and managers, CIO’s and an IT lawyer. WSRcg team members have served as experts and expert witnesses in computer, software and Internet disputes and turnaround projects, large system/software project failure litigation, and software intellectual property (IP) litigation. They have been recognized and accepted as IT expert witnesses in U.S. arbitration hearings, state and federal courts, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and in Canada, Asia and Europe.

Our prime areas of expertise and main services are acting as consultants in IT Project Turnaround situations, and acting as testifying expert witnesses in the following arenas: computer system failure; software project failure; ERP implementation project/systems failure; internet systems and website failures; software intellectual property disputes; and high-technology valuation situations.

WSR Consulting Group, LLC experts have testified as expert witnesses where their engagement counsel represented: President William Clinton, Her Royal Majesty the Queen of England In right of Canada; Fortune 500 companies; the Malaysian Stock Exchange; renowned hospitals; worldwide restaurant chains and big box retailers; Big 4 consulting firms; ERP customers, vendors and system integrators.

Warren S. Reid, founder and Managing Director of WSR Consulting Group, in his previous career as a management and computer technology consultant and partner/manager at two of the world’s largest consulting firms, was a principal author of one of the first large-scale Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodologies, which evolved into “Method/1” and which is still used internationally by some of the world’s largest companies. He was also one of a small team of consultants that helped to create and launch the Federal Energy Office for President Jimmy Carter in just 75 days, and managed and oversaw the testing and acceptance of California’s Lotto Lottery games in just 100 days.

As quoted by Ed Yourdon, CEO, NODRUOY Inc., February 21, 2007 on Linkedin: “Warren is one of the sharpest and most insightful of all the computer experts and management consultants I’ve known. He’s got a broad range of experience, and doesn’t pull any punches when he advises clients and senior executives how to get themselves out of the technical problems they’ve gotten into, and how to achieve competitive advantage in today’s fast-moving global environment.”

The scope of the systems that Warren S. Reid and/or WSR Consulting Group, LLC systems experts have built and/or testified about cross multiple platforms and industries. WSRcg’s industry specialties include: manufacturing and distribution; health care systems/HIPAA; retail & restaurant service; e-business and web 2.0; gaming and ticketing; automotive; government, military and law enforcement; higher-education; financial services; and software and high-technology.

Speaking about Warren S. Reid’s work as an expert witness, Richard Bernacchi, Esq., one of the pioneers of the computer law industry in the U.S. had this comment: “Extremely thorough and organized, very articulate, and has a very credible courtroom presence”.

Michael D. Scott, Esquire, Law Professor, and author of more than seven books on technology and the law comments: “I have had the pleasure of working with Warren on two major system failure cases. He leaves no stone unturned in getting to the truth of what happened (and more importantly, what should have happened but didn’t). His small but specialized team does better, faster and more thorough work than even the largest consulting firms.”

WSRcg’s IT configuration and platform expertise includes: internet, social and web-based systems; legacy mainframes; 3-tiered host-client-server architectures; mobile and networked PCs and devices; multi-state, multi-level point-of-sale (POS) systems; robotic manufacturing, warehouse and distribution facilities; Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems including SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, JDEdwards, Retek, Cerner, IBM, and Microsoft ERP systems; software testing, project management and SDLC tools.

Warren Reid is the author of approximately 100 published business articles (many in peer-reviewed journals), and is quoted in numerous books, newspapers and magazines. He is the co-author with Michael D. Scott, Esquire, of a best-selling book: “The Year 2000 Computer Crisis: Law, Business and Technology”. He has been a keynote speaker and/or featured presenter at many prestigious international summits, congresses and conferences.

WSR Consulting Group, LLC’s Blog 

Via EPR Network
More Law press releases

Bankruptcy, Business Law, Corporate Law, Lawyers, Legal Services

Information Portal on Alabama Bankruptcy Protection

Leave a comment

Dionne & Dionne Law today announced an expanded service area to include Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and all surrounding areas. The firm also has expanded its recently launched information portal, www.BankruptcyLawyerInAlabama.com. The portal serves as a comprehensive source for Birmingham area consumers to find information about bankruptcy solutions and bankruptcy protection. It also offers consumers a way to speak directly with an attorney at the firm to discuss their case without obligation.

As previously announced, the portal includes bankruptcy FAQs on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Consumers can also download a free financial analysis form to use in determining the need for bankruptcy.

The web site will be an invaluable resource to Birmingham consumers in finding accessible information to address their bankruptcy questions and gain access to Birmingham bankruptcy lawyers for one-on-one advice.

Melinda Dionne of Dionne & Dionne stated, “By expanding into the Birmingham area we’re able to help more Alabama consumers who are in financial distress. Our goal is to put our nearly 40 years of combined experience to work for them. We specifically designed the resources at www.BankruptcyLawyerInAlabama.com to be simple, concise and to offer every consumer something of value.”

About Dionne & Dionne Law – Dionne & Dionne Law was founded in 1996 by husband/wife team Don and Melinda Dionne. Don and Melinda tout nearly 40 years of combined experience serving and advising consumers. The firm specializes in bankruptcy, family law, and estate planning services. The firm has offices in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Via EPR Network
Via EPR Financial News
More Financial press releases
More Law press releases

Accidents, Administrative, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Antitrust, Bankruptcy, Business Law, Cases, Constitutional, Consumer Law, Corporate Law, Criminal Justice, Defamation, Disability Law, Elder Law, Employment Law, Entertainment Law, Environmental Law, Estate and Probate, Health Law, Immigration and Naturalization, Indigenous Peoples, Industrial Law, Intellectual Property, International Law, Jury Duty, Law Enforcement, Lawyers, Legal Education, Legal Ethics, Legal Services, Legal Software, Legal Solutions, Malicious Litigation, National Security, Privacy, Property Law, Securities, Sexual Harassment, Tax Law, Technology, Telephone Surveillance, Tobacco Cases, Trade Law

Welcome to EPR Law News

Leave a comment

EPR Law News is a new blog, part of EPR Network, that is going to be focused on and will be covering the law news and stories from press releases published on EPR Network.

EPR Network (EPR stands for express press release) is one of the nation’s largest press release distribution networks on Web. The EPR’s nationwide network includes 12 State based PR sites, one major PR forum and a number of industry specific PR blogs and what started as a hobby on Internet years ago turned out to be a rapidly growing business today. EPR Network is also known as one of the most trusted (human optimized, published, edited and monitored, spam/scam/low quality PR content free) PR sites on the web with more than 10,000 company and individual press releases distributed per month. EPR Network is putting your press releases on top of all major search engines’ results and is reaching thousands of individuals, companies, PR specialists, media professionals, bloggers and journalists every day.

EPR Network has thousands of clients around the world including global 500 corporations like Hilton Hotels, Barclays Bank, AXA Insurance, Tesco UK, eBay/Skype, Emirates, just to name a few. The network’s PR web sites are currently reaching from 150,000 to sometimes 500,000 unique visitors per month while our viral reach could possibly go to as much as 1M people per month through our presence across various social media sites. EPR Network was established in 2004 and as of May 2008 it had more than 800,000 press releases (pages) published on its network.

If you have a press release to be distributed, you can do it over here: press release distribution