Category Archives: Legal Services

Law Offices of James Scott Farrin Attorney Earns Board Certification

The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin is proud to announce that Attorney Barry Jennings has recently passed the exam to become a Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law.

Board Certified Specialists are lawyers certified by the North Carolina State Bar as having demonstrated special knowledge, skill and proficiency in a specific area of law. The certification process for workers’ compensation law requires at least five years of substantial involvement practicing workers’ compensation law, completing at least 36 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits in workers’ compensation and related legal fields, a satisfactory review by at least five legal peers, and passing a comprehensive written examination.

Prior to joining the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin in 2006, Jennings worked as a defense attorney defending employers against the claims of injured workers. This experience has given him a keen appreciation for workers’ compensation law from both sides of the table.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law, Jennings currently represents workers who have suffered serious injuries as a result of a work accident. He is a member of The Order of Barristers, the Workplace Injury Litigation Group and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.

Four of the six Board Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation law practicing in the city of Durham work for the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin. In addition, James Scott Farrin Attorney Rick Fleming is a Board Certified Specialist in Social Security Disability Law.

“We are committed to providing top notch legal talent for our clients,” says Founder and President James S. Farrin. “We believe that our experienced, capable attorneys, including our Board Certified Specialists, can make a difference in our client’s cases.”

ABOUT THE FIRM
Founded: 1997 by James S. Farrin, Duke University School of Law, J.D. (1990) in Durham

Number of employees: Approximately 130, including 24 attorneys. Approximately 20 staff members are fluently bilingual, speaking English and Spanish.

Offices: 13 statewide, including Durham , Raleigh , Charlotte , Fayetteville , Greensboro , Greenville , Goldsboro , Henderson , New Bern , Roanoke Rapids, Rocky Mount , Sanford , Wilson

Major practice areas: Personal Injury, Intellectual Property, Civil Rights, Social Security, Workers’ Compensation

Website: http://www.farrin.com

Presently leading one of the largest civil rights cases in United States history: In re Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation, Case No. 08-mc-0511 (PLF) (D.D.C.), which deals with the United States Department of Agriculture’s discrimination against African-American farmers.

The firm’s many philanthropic pursuits include Duke Children’s Hospital, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The firm has a matching-gift program wherein it matches an employee’s philanthropic contributions.

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Schillings Assist Earl And Lady Spencer In Winning Libel Action

Schillings solicitors has won their libel action against the Sunday Express on behalf of Earl Spencer and his daughter Lady Kitty Spencer.

The judgement has meant Earl Spencer and his daughter Lady Kitty Spencer have won an apology, Statement in Open Court as well as substantial damages and their legal costs from the Sunday Express after bringing a libel action in the High Court.

The Sunday Express article of 30 August 2009 entitled “The It girl making the Spencers glamorous”, made various false allegations concerning Earl Spencer’s divorce from his wife Caroline and was critical of his behaviour and that of Lady Kitty in connection with the divorce.

The Sunday Express has accepted that the allegations complained about were false. In an apology to be published on Sunday 6 December 2009 the Sunday Express will say:

“On 30 August 2009 in an article “The It girl making the Spencers glamorous” we published several false allegations about Earl Spencer and his eldest daughter, Lady Kitty Spencer. We regret the suggestion in that article that either of them acted improperly in any way in connection with Earl Spencer’s divorce from his wife Caroline, or in relation to the division of the family assets.

We would like to apologise to Earl Spencer and Lady Kitty Spencer for the distress and embarrassment we may have caused.”

The Sunday Express also joined with Earl Spencer and Lady Kitty Spencer in making a Statement in Open Court whereby Express Newspapers accepted that they should not have published the article as they did and formally apologised. Express Newspapers has also paid substantial damages and legal costs in full.

About Schillings
Schillings is one of Britain’s top law firms dedicated to reputation management and safeguarding the rights of international corporations and brands, high-profile business people and those in the public eye. The firm’s 25 year track-record in defamation, privacy law and copyright cases together with family law, matrimonial and commercial dispute resolution is second to none, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a “spectacularly efficient media law firm”.

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Schillings Grows Family Department To Meet Increasing Client Demand

Schillings, the leading law firm protecting the rights and reputations of corporate organisations, high-profile individuals and those in the public eye, has increased its family department to meet the growing demand from its clients, particularly those who want to ensure their family and matrimonial matters are not publicised by the media.

Schillings has recently recruited Davina Hay to join its family law department alongside Keith Schilling, Rachel Atkins and David Greer. A litigator with expertise in family law, Davina advises on separation, divorce and ancillary relief, jurisdictional disputes, multi-jurisdictional divorce cases involving significant assets and enforcement issues. Before she joined Schillings, Davina trained and qualified at a City law firm where she spent six years acting for a number of well known actors, successful entrepreneurs and international clients. She brings with her extensive experience as a litigator and enhances the firm’s provision of advice to high net-worth and high profile individuals in all aspects of divorce, relationship breakdown, ancillary relief, pre- and post-nuptial agreements and private children matters.

Schillings’ family department is led by Keith Schilling, the founder and senior partner of the firm, who represented Shan Lambert in her successful appeal in 2002, achieving the first 50/50 split of assets in a “big money” divorce.

Working alongside Mr Schilling is Partner Rachel Atkins who earlier this year, together with Associate David Greer, acted for a celebrity father in a test case following the introduction of new rules allowing media attendance in family proceedings, and succeeded in application to exclude the media from attending court hearings concerning his child.

When speaking about the growing family department Keith Schilling said, “In the last few years we have seen a significant increase in the demand for advice from high net worth and high profile individuals in connection with matters relating to divorce, often involving multiple jurisdictions, children and most notably pre- and post-nuptial agreements.”

Mr Schilling went on to say, “High net worth individuals and those in the public eye regularly discover their privacy has been invaded or their reputation defamed when details of their personal lives or the breakdown of their relationship are leaked to the press and publicised. It is logical, therefore, to respond to the demand from our clients by strengthening our team and combining our family and matrimonial advice with the firm’s pre-eminent experience in the area of reputation protection, so that we can ensure that press interest is managed to our client’s advantage.”

Speaking about the press interest surrounding high net worth individuals and those in the public eye Davina Hay said, “Clients, even those without a high public profile, are increasingly finding themselves the subject of intrusive press interest following relationship breakdown or in the event of disputes involving children. Aside from the unwanted emotional strain at an already stressful time, the financial consequences of the resulting reputational damage can be devastating. However, it is possible to manage such threats and give clients the space to resolve family issues free from unwanted media scrutiny.”

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The Co-Operative Legal Services Provide Will Writing Service

The Co-operative Legal Services (CLS) has teamed up with Emma’s Diary, the leading website for pregnant women and new mums, to provide an exclusive Will writing service.

Through extensive research amongst its members, Emma’s Diary understands what mums want and has recognised the need to provide further information on writing a will, which is one of the top things that parents do after having a baby. As a result, Emma’s Diary has chosen to work with CLS as its sole Will provider and will be promoting this service to all its members via the Money Matters finance section of the website.

Eddie Ryan, Managing Director of CLS said: “Emma’s Diary understands how writing a Will protects its members and their families.

“They wanted to work with a partner whose trusted, ethical and professional approach would ensure that writing a Will would be a positive experience whilst delivering the required legal expertise needed for such an important decision.”

Emma’s Diary has a membership base of just over 1.3 million members, which attracts appropriately 100,000 unique users on its website every month.

The Co-operative Legal Services provide a range of legal services to members and customers covering Will writing, Probate & Estate Administration, Conveyancing, Employment and Personal Injury Claims. A wide range of free legal advice is also provided.

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Schillings Announce Libel Claim Win For Michael Essien Against The People

The Chelsea premiership footballer Michael Essien, represented by London law firm Schillings, has won his libel claim (Case number HQ09X02164) against the People newspaper.

Libel proceedings were issued against MGN Limited, the publisher of the People newspaper, following the publication of two articles. The first article, published on 25 May 2008, carried the headline “Chelsea Cheat Michael Essien: I’ll Stand by my Love Child”. This was followed by another article on 3 May 2009 under the headline “Sex Cheat Star Essien Gets Boot”.

The articles claimed that Mr Essien had cheated on his long term partner by having numerous affairs with other women and fathered a child behind his partner’s back. As a result, his partner had called off their wedding. These allegations were found to be false and grossly defamatory towards Mr Essien.

The People has accepted that these allegations are untrue, and has paid Mr Essien substantial damages as well as agreeing to pay his legal costs. The People have also undertaken not to repeat the allegations.

In its apology, the People said: “On 25 May 2008 and 3 May 2009 we reported that Michael Essien had cheated on his long term girlfriend Nadia Buari by having numerous affairs behind her back including one in which he fathered a child. On 3 May we reported that as a result of his behaviour Ms Buari called their wedding off. We now accept that these allegations are untrue. We apologise to Mr Essien for any distress or embarrassment caused.”

A representative of Schillings who represented Michael Essien said: “There has been a lot of inaccurate reporting concerning Michael and he was not prepared to allow this misreporting to continue.”

Schillings also said that, “these allegations were not put to Michael or his representatives prior to publication and had the People done so they would have been informed of their utter falsity.”

Caroline McAteer of The Sports PR Company said on behalf of Michael Essien: “Michael is delighted to have won his case and to have set the record straight. He would have preferred not to take action, but had no alternative in this case. Michael is pleased that this matter has now been resolved.”

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Leading Libel And Defamation Law Firm, Russell Jones & Walker, Has Won A Libel Victory Against Publishers Random House

Leading libel and defamation law firm, Russell Jones & Walker, has won a libel victory (Case number: 606990.1) against publishers Random House on behalf of internationally renowned wine connoisseur Michael Broadbent, who was from 1966 until 1992 the head of Christie’s wine department.

The libel action centred on the book The Billionaire’s Vinegar, the subject of which was the provenance of a number of bottles of wine said to have been owned by Thomas Jefferson. The book made allegations which suggested that Mr Broadbent had behaved in an unprofessional manner in the way in which he had auctioned some of these bottles and that his relationship and dealings with Hardy Rodenstock, who discovered the original collection, was suspected of being improper.

In a statement read out in open court, Random House apologised unreservedly for making the allegations and accepted that they were untrue. It has given an undertaking not to repeat the allegations and paid Mr Broadbent undisclosed damages.

Commenting on the settlement Sarah Webb, head of Russell Jones & Walker’s Defamation department who acted for Mr Broadbent said:

“The Billionaire’s Vinegar made highly damaging claims about my client that seriously compromised both his professional and personal reputation. We are delighted that Random House has today accepted that these allegations are totally without foundation and avoided the need to proceed to a full trial. My client is relieved that the good name he has built up over many years as one of the country’s leading wine experts has been fully restored.”

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Shillings Win Apology And Damages For Olivier Martinez From The Sun

Olivier Martinez, represented by London law firm Schillings and Paris law firm Asmar & Assayag has won his libel action against The Sun, at the High Court in London, following the publication of false allegations that Mr. Martinez cheated on Kylie Minogue during their relationship. (Case number: HQ08X02862)

On 26 November 2007, The Sun published an article under the headline “Kylie ‘still loves’ ex Martinez” which contained the defamatory and untrue allegation that Mr Martinez had cheated on Kylie Minogue. In order to vindicate his reputation Mr. Martinez issued libel proceedings against News Group Newspapers Limited in relation to the article.

A representative of Schillings said that: “This false allegation has caused Mr. Martinez considerable embarrassment and distress.”

They also said that: “Mr. Martinez is glad that The Sun has accepted that the allegations are false and that the article should never have been published at all”.

In the High Court in London The Sun newspaper apologised to Mr. Martinez, agreed to publish an apology in the newspaper and to pay damages and legal costs.

The Sun’s lawyer said: “The Defendant sincerely apologises to the Claimant for the distress and embarrassment this article has caused. It accepts that the allegations are untrue and ought never to have been published.”

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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.

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New San Diego DUI Lawyer Website

San Diego DUI Attorney Cole Casey, California State Delegate to the prestigious National College of DUI Defense, announces the launch of the new San Diego DUI website, San Diego Lawyer DUI, which complements the law firm’s original web site, DUI San Diego.

New San Diego DUI Lawyer Website

The new San Diego DUI Lawyer website provides access to many valuable Drunk Driving Defense resources, such as San Diego DMV license suspension hearing information for DUI defendants, San Diego DUI Court and DMV case results, boating DUI, vehicular manslaughter, Pilot DUI, and other DUI facts.

The DUI Law Firm’s new website also provides victory strategies for other criminal defense lawyers taking cases to DUI Jury Trials in San Diego. In addition, www.duisandiego.com provides valuable information describing the entire DUI court process in California, and also states facts regarding San Diego DUI enhancements and case aggravators.

Attorney Casey devotes his entire law practice solely to defending DUI cases in California, no other criminal defense cases are accepted. In addition, Lawyer Casey has been invited to speak and deliver seminars across the country to other lawyers on the subject of DUI defense. Visit either website, sandiegolawyerdui.com, or www.duisandiego.com for everything you need to know to effectively manage a DUI arrest in San Diego.

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Texas and Houston Drunk Driving Car Accident Lawyers Help Fight Carnage Of DUI Deaths

This Labor Day weekend, millions of Americans will celebrate having an extra day of leisure. Sadly, many will celebrate too much. They will drink – too much – and then drive. And they’ll kill up to 300 other Americans, or as many as died on the three-day July 4 weekend. For families of such victims, the only solace may be pressing for damages via a drunk driving lawyer or car accident attorney.

America’s ongoing DUI carnage is why law enforcement officials nationwide, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, are gearing up for increased vigilance on roads and highways for the long Labor Day weekend. They know it’s inevitable that many will be killed by drunk drivers in that time, but hope that through checkpoints and other vigilance they can limit the loss.

How significant is America’s loss to drunk driving? In financial terms, it’s untold billions of dollars. But strictly in terms of human loss — and not counting the millions who suffer injury in drunk driving car accidents — the nation suffered 11,000 DUI car accident fatalities in 2008 alone.

Though annual drunk driving death totals have declined in recent years, 11,000 deaths is still a staggering tragedy. To place it in a broader historical perspective, since 1982 more than half a million Americans have died due to drunk drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Those half a million DUI deaths since 1982 dwarf — by 150,000 — the number of Americans killed in every war since World War II. And all such deaths could have been prevented if people did not drink and drive.

After the fact of a drunk driving death or injury, victims or their families at least have a legal recourse. They can engage skilled, knowledgeable and experienced Texas drunk driving car accident lawyers or auto accident attorneys from Jim S. Adler & Associates, a Texas law firm with zero tolerance for drunk drivers and complete support for drunk driving accident victims.

Whether your drunk driving accident was in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin or anywhere else in Texas, a Texas drunk driving accident lawyer from Jim S. Adler & Associates stands ready to fight for justice and for your own financial compensation, led by Jim “the Texas Hammer” Adler, a personal injury attorney who’s fought for victims’ rights for more than three decades.

About Jim Adler & Associates
Jim S. Adler & Associates is a Texas personal injury law firm with offices in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Channelview. Adler personal injury lawyers and attorneys have fought for Texans’ legal rights since 1973.

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Schillings Will Be Taking Part In A Panel Discussion At The 2009 Reputation Conference

Schillings, the leading law firm protecting individual and corporate reputations, will be taking part in a panel discussion, chaired by Dr Kevin Money Associate Professor and Director of the John Madejski Centre for Reputation, at the 2009 Reputation Conference.

Keith Schilling is Senior Partner and Co-Founder of Schillings and is a Solicitor-Advocate. He is one of the most sought after reputation management lawyers in Britain due to his work in defamation and privacy and in 2008 he was placed 10th in the Times list of the 100 most powerful and influential lawyers in England for his work in achieving a number of landmark decisions in privacy law. He has helped to protect the reputations of film, sports and entertainment stars as well as international corporations and business executives.

Keith Schilling, joins a panel of experts in protecting reputations to answer the question ‘Future avenues for building reputation. Where do we go from here?’ The panel will close the conference with a review of the learnings from the day and discuss how organisations should prepare themselves for the future challenges in managing reputations and corporate responsibility.

As a new decade approaches, the conference will examine the challenges of managing reputation and relationships in times of organisational change and will consider the lessons learnt from recent corporate scandals in the management of reputation.

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 law and copyright cases, as well as commercial litigation is second to none.

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Schillings Client Jacob Zuma, The President Of South Africa, Has Won Very Substantial Damages After A Libel Case Against The Guardian Newspaper Following False Allegations Printed Earlier This Year

On 6 March 2009, the Manchester based newspaper published an article that falsely claimed that President Zuma was guilty of rape, corruption and bribery. President Zuma began legal action against the daily newspaper earlier this year claiming defamation, saying the article was grossly false and indefensible.

schillings - Jacob Zuma

After being taken to court, the Guardian has apologised to the ANC leader and agreed to pay very substantial damages as well as cover legal costs.

In a statement read in the High Court on 30 July 2009, Schillings solicitor Jenny Afia described the allegations as being “of the utmost seriousness and totally untrue”. She went on to explain that: “In light of the facts that the [Guardian] is now willing to pay very substantial damages and it has publicly apologised to [President Zuma], [President Zuma] considers that his reputation in this matter has been entirely vindicated and he is prepared not to proceed any further in his action against the [Guardian].”

Speaking from Mahlambandlovu last night, the president’s official residence in Pretoria, President Zuma said: “What was said was extremely serious, not just for me but for the ANC. I am very pleased that the Guardian has now apologised. I firmly believe in press freedom and freedom of expression. I have fought for these and other basic rights my whole life and I will continue to support this. We had to take action in this matter because the publication crossed the line. Media around the world are obliged to exercise their freedom of speech in a responsible manner.”

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain’s top law firms dedicated to reputation management and the safeguarding of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm’s track-record in media management, privacy law and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution and sports law 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 Kate Winslet, 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.

Court case number: HQ09X01290

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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.

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Schillings Take First Place At The Lawyer Awards 2009

Once again Schillings has reason to celebrate the successes of their legal team as one of its lawyers, Matthew Himsworth, wins first place in the Assistant Solicitor of the Year category at the Lawyer Awards ceremony.

Matthew Himsworth is an associate at Schillings and specialises in reputation protection on behalf of corporations, brands and public figures. He has developed his career over the last seven years, having trained with Schillings, and has built a strong profile both within the firm and externally within the legal profession and with clients.

The award is presented to the solicitor who has demonstrated entrepreneurship, business building skills and technical legal skills. Matthew’s commitment to both the firm and its clients extends beyond his core role and is evident in the numerous projects he has initiated. In particular he developed the firm’s trainee coaching programme with the objective to provide full training in the practical legal tools as well as promoting thought-leadership on relevant topics. This training programme helps prepare trainees so that when they qualify they can build upon their legal technical know-how by enrolling in the Schillings Academy.

Matthew’s highest profile success was for the stock broking firm, Collins Stewart in its well documented libel action against the Financial Times. This was the largest claim ever brought and Matthew helped achieve a ground-breaking apology on the front page of the Companies and Markets section along with and substantial damages

Speaking after the awards, Matthew Himsworth said, “It was a great surprise and a huge honour to win the award. It’s a tremendous accolade to be recognised by your own profession.”

Matthew has received praise from many of his clients, mainly from the firm’s sports law practice, which he has been instrumental in developing. Clients commend Himsworth as, “Personable whilst providing clear and sensible advice”, and that, “He offers excellent strategic recommendations”. One major sporting body went on to state, “We have found Matt to be extremely professional and we are delighted to be associated with him”.

This award follows a number of recent achievements at various industry awards. Schillings won first place in the Partner of the Year category in 2008 and has twice been winners of the Niche Firm of the Year (2002 and 2003) at the Lawyer Awards. In addition, the firm won the Young Solicitor of the Year at the British Legal Awards 2008.

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 law and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution and sports law 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 Kate Winslet, 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.

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Dallas Digital Forensics Expert Erin Nealy Cox Has Earned A Spot On The Dallas Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” List Of The City’s Top Young Business Minds

Dallas digital forensics expert Erin Nealy Cox has earned a spot on the Dallas Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list of the city’s top young business minds. Ms. Nealy Cox is a Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel for the global digital forensics firm Stroz Friedberg.

She joins a high-caliber list of entrepreneurs and executives recognized for their accomplishments, business insights and potential to shape the city’s economic future for years to come. The Dallas Business Journal staff pored over hundreds of nominations from local business leaders to develop the annual “40 Under 40” list.

Ms. Nealy Cox leads Stroz Friedberg’s Dallas’ office and cutting-edge computer forensics lab. The firm represents public and private businesses, global corporations, law firms, government agencies and courts in digital forensics, electronic discovery and cyber security matters.

A former federal prosecutor, Ms. Nealy Cox previously served as the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas – Dallas Division. She led major cyber-crime prosecutions across the United States and handled numerous complex white-collar fraud, public corruption, intellectual property theft and child-exploitation cases. During her distinguished career with the Department of Justice, Ms. Cox also served as chief of staff and senior counsel for the Office of Legal Policy at Main Justice in Washington, D.C.

Prior to her work as a prosecutor, Ms. Nealy Cox served federal judicial clerkships for the Hon. Barefoot Sanders in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas and the Hon. Henry A. Politz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas before completing her legal studies at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.

About Stroz Friedberg
Stroz Friedberg is the leading global consulting firm for managing digital risk and uncovering digital evidence. We specialize in digital forensics, eDiscovery, data breach response, and cyber and traditional investigations, as well as other areas that involve the widening intersection between technology, law, and policy. With eleven offices throughout the US and the UK, Stroz Friedberg does work on behalf of eight of the top Fortune 10 companies, 72 of the top 100 US-headquartered law firms, and 16 of the top UK law firms. The firm is also Safe Harbor-certified to ensure data security standards for European Union clients. Find out more at www.strozfriedberg.com.

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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

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Is There A More Humane Way To Kill?

Does strangulation offer a better way to kill those on death row awaiting execution? This is the question being asked by Lawrence Gist, a professor and human rights attorney with the International Humanitarian Hypoxia Project. Following in the steps of professor Guillotin, who in 1789 proposed a “mechanism” that “beheads painlessly,” Gist proposes utilizing the latest research to ensure humane executions, not by beheading, but medical strangulation. Gist said that the proposed execution protocol is humane, and unlike other execution methods currently being used in the United States, this protocol maintains the viability of the corpse’s organs and tissue. The bodily remains of those executed, says Gist, “may then be used to offer hope to some of the estimated 55,000 people currently waiting for life-saving transplants.”

gistprobono

The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld the constitutionality of lethal injection, the most common method used for executions by the federal government and 36 states. However, it has been documented that the three-drug lethal injection protocol is frequently negligently administered, causing extreme pain and suffering. In Gist’s pending law review article, he advocates giving those on death row the option to choose between the potentially painful lethal injection protocol, or this new protocol which offers a humane and pain-free execution.

Gist notes that the “protocol does not involve the type of slow painful strangulation most people imagine when thinking of strangulation – in fact the protocol is far more humane than any previous method designed to end human life.” Hypoxia it’s called, when someone is deprived of the oxygen required to sustain life. So how can it be humane to deprive someone of oxygen to the point of death? Gist answers this question by stating the execution protocol he is advocating “requires inmate to be executed wear a standard medical face mask and breath in pure nitrogen, devoid of any oxygen. Nitrogen is an odorless and tasteless gas which, without oxygen, will lead to asphyxiation without any feeling of suffocation.” Gist said that the new protocol “is inexpensive and could be easily preformed by prison guards without the need for a physician’s supervision (other than to pronounce death), an allegedly violation of the Hippocratic oath to ‘do no harm.’”

While Gist is an opponent of capitol punishment, he believes that “pending it’s abolition, hypoxia is the perfect method for conducting humane executions.” Gist went on to say that “because the corpse of an asphyxiated prisoner does not contain toxins left over from lethal injection or the gas chamber, nor physical trauma from electrocution, the bodily remains are fully available for life-saving organ and tissue donation.” It would be highly unethical to use organs and tissue without voluntary consent, but Gist stated that his research suggest many of those awaiting execution would like the opportunity to redress a little of the harm they have done to society and give some meaning to their death by donating the gift of life to those awaiting life-saving transplants. Gist’s proposal would allow death row inmates the option to choose execution by lethal injection or hypoxia – and if hypoxia is chosen, giving them the additional option of making their body available for organ and tissue donation.

The International Humanitarian Hypoxia Project, founded by Gist, is calling on governors across the country to grant a temporary moratorium on all executions, allowing time for debate and legislative consideration of this new execution protocol. Of particular interest to Gist is the upcoming July 16th execution of Kennith Mosley, the 201st person scheduled to be executed during the tenure of Texas Governor Rick Perry. Gist said during a recent interview that he doubts Governor Perry will be persuaded to grant Mosley a stay. The political reality, Gist said, is that “lethal injection has been held to be constitutional, and most politicians won’t consider a new execution protocol, even if better, if subject to a new round of legal challenges.” However, Gist remains optimistic, “groups on both the left and right share a common value, the respect for human life, and once the public becomes aware of this protocol, and it’s incidental benefits, I believe previously divergent groups will join efforts and petition their state leaders for an immediate temporary moratorium on executions.” Gist said that “there is really nothing to lose, and much to gain – a humane execution protocol offering life to the terminally ill – it’s really a classic win-win proposal.”

Contact Details: Lawrence J. Gist II
Attorney at Law 4105 Exultant Drive
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
310-544-3137 or lgist@gistprobono.org

International Humanitarian Hypoxia Project at

International Humanitarian Law Pro Bono Project at www.gistprobono.org

lgist@gistprobono.org or lgist@msmc.la.edu

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Field Fisher Waterhouse Wins Compensation For Lung Cancer Sufferer Exposed To Asbestos

Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP has won £84,000 in compensation for Mr B, a 67 year old man from Hayes who contracted lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos dust whilst working as a labourer for Cape Building Products Limited in the 1960s.

During his 18 months at Cape Building Products, Mr B was heavily exposed to asbestosdust in the course of his work. His tasks included handling sacks of raw asbestos which he was required to open and empty out.

Generally it is very difficult to prove the connection between lung cancer and asbestos exposure where the sufferer has not first contracted asbestosis. In this case Mr B had also smoked heavily for most of his adult life, making it even harder to establish the connection.

Michael Osborne, solicitor in the Asbestos Claims Group at Field Fisher Waterhouse, was able to negotiate a settlement from Cape Building Products’ insurer with the help of a medical report proving that asbestosis did not need to be present for a patient’s lung cancer to be attributed to asbestos exposure. Mr B received a settlement of £84,000 in compensation which took into account a deduction of 17.5 % to reflect his history of smoking.

Michael Osborne, senior associate in the Asbestos Claims Group at Field Fisher Waterhouse, commented: “I am pleased that we were able to prove the connection between Mr B’s lung cancer and his exposure to asbestos at Cape Building Products in the 1960s. Despite being exposed to asbestos dust for only a short time, this was enough for him to contract a serious disease. This settlement will provide Mr B and his family with the necessary means to cover the costs of his ongoing care.”

Mr B’s son said: “I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of my father and myself, to thank the firm for the professional and sympathetic way they have dealt with our claim. On a personal note, I would like to thank Michael for making such a big difference to our situation.”

Notes to editors:
Case number: 44605.1

About Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP:
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP is a full service European law firm with offices in Brussels, Hamburg, Paris, London and Manchester and exclusive relationships with Spanish firm Jiménez de Parga and Italian firm, La Scala. The firm has over 120 partners, 220 other lawyers and nearly 300 support staff. Field Fisher Waterhouse assists a wide range of international clients, advising across the full range of legal issues.

The firm’s main areas of practice are corporate and commercial, IP and technology, banking and finance, regulatory and real estate. Field Fisher Waterhouse also has particular expertise in employment & pensions, dispute resolution, tax and competition & EU law, medical negligence, spinal injury, personal injury and brain injury claims.

The international client base includes listed and unlisted companies, multinationals, banks and other financial institutions, professional partnerships, trade associations and Government departments. A distinctive feature of the firm is its industry focus, acknowledged as leading experts in the public sector, technology and media sectors.

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Schillings Launches The Schillings Academy

Schillings the leading law firm protecting the privacy and reputation of corporates and high-profile individuals has launched the Schillings Academy, an advanced and unique course which will provide unparalleled training to staff at the firm.

schillings

The Schillings Academy will be delivered in-house and will equip the firm’s employees with the skills and specialist knowledge to provide the same excellent client service that the firm’s partners have become known for.

The Schillings Academy is the result of two years of development and will concentrate on building excellence in three key areas including advanced legal training for qualified lawyers, enhanced teaching for trainees and commercial skills training for the business support function. The first phase of the Schillings Academy will roll out a two year, 100 hour bespoke training programme in reputation management and privacy law to qualified lawyers currently working at the firm. Additionally the programme will carry CPD points and will ensure that all qualified lawyers exceed their CPD requirements without the need to go on external generic courses.

The four main components of Schillings Academy for qualified lawyers will be advanced modules on defamation, privacy law and confidence and advocacy and related reputation management laws. Working together with leading professors including Professor Gavin Phillipson and the College of Law, the Schillings Academy will foster and harness new ways of thinking on how to approach and deploy the law to achieve the best results for the firm’s clients.

Speaking on the firm’s 25th anniversary, Keith Schilling, founding partner of Schillings, said: “Schillings is fortunate to have created a reputation over the last 25 years for being at the forefront of privacy and reputation law. The launch of our Schillings Academy demonstrates to our clients our continued commitment to deliver excellence to our clients in everything that we do. It is with great pride that we are launching this market leading initiative, which demonstrates Schillings commitment to providing the best training to its lawyers, with the most advanced knowledge and expertise available. This academy takes the firm into a new season and we look forward to our next 25 years.”

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 25 year track-record in defamation, privacy law and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution and sports law, 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 Kate Winslet, 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.

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Hill Schwartz Spilker Keller LLC Announced The Successful Utilization Of Remlox, A Patent Pending Forensic ESI Collection Tool, In Africa, Central America, Europe And The United States

National firm Hill Schwartz Spilker Keller LLC (HSSK) announced the successful utilization of Remlox(tm), a patent pending forensic ESI collection tool, in Africa, Central America, Europe and the United States.

The use of Remlox allowed the firm to remotely acquire forensic images of hard drives located throughout Nigeria, Costa Rica, England and various locations in the United States. Before Remlox, such sector-by-sector forensic imaging required onsite collection by one of the firm’s computer forensics experts. HSSK distributed Remlox to several hundred custodians, avoiding the cost and logistical issues of on-site imaging. Complete, encrypted forensic images were verified in HSSK’s Houston Computer Forensics lab, the nation’s first non-governmental lab to be accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB).

“By remotely acquiring forensic images, Remlox answers a great need in the industry.” said David Greetham, Computer Forensics practice director at HSSK.

“Remlox now allows attorneys to forensically acquire ESI, without the usual high costs associated with traveling to different remote locations, while negating the risks associated with self collection.”

Remlox runs directly from a pre-configured external USB drive that is sent to the custodian and requires no installation. It performs a tamper proof system audit of the acquired computer and has the option to forensically acquire the contents of RAM. Greetham added, “Using Remlox is quick and simple. On one occasion, we sent over 350 units to individual locations in two days and had the data back in our lab for verification within one week. On other occasions, we have utilized Remlox in locations that would simply be cost prohibitive to travel to.”

Remlox utilizes AES 256 bit encryption, to protect the integrity of the forensic images in transit.

Hill Schwartz Spilker Keller LLC (www.hsskgroup.com) is a leader in providing Computer Forensic services. HSSK’s Houston lab holds the distinction of being the first non-governmental lab in the United States to obtain ASCLD accreditation. HSSK also provides business valuation, litigation consulting and forensic accounting services from its offices in Houston, Dallas and Washington D.C.

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