ASPCA Applauds Strong Sentencing of Michael Vick’s Co-Defendants Today: Justice Is Being Served

New York (Vocus/PRWEB ) November 30, 2007 -- The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today applauded the strong sentences received by two co-defendants of NFL quarterback, Michael Vick, in the Federal investigation against them. Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips received sentences of 18 and 21 months respectively, which fall on the higher end of the Federal sentencing guidelines. In addition, they will each be on probation for an additional three years, during which time they cannot own or have any contact with dogs.

“Today’s sentencing by Judge Henry Hudson is an extremely significant moment in the history of the prosecution of animal cruelty,” said Ed Sayres, president & CEO of the ASPCA. “His decision clearly reflects the outrage that many of us felt upon hearing details of the cruelty that had been inflicted upon these animals—the innocent victims in this terrible situation. We are deeply grateful that justice is being served.”

Earlier this year, the two men, along with Vick and a fourth co-defendant, Tony Taylor, pleaded guilty to Federal charges, which included conspiring to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities (“Travel Act”), and to sponsoring a dog in an animal fighting venture. Vick, who voluntarily surrendered himself on November 19 to begin serving his prison term early, will face sentencing on December 10.

“The ASPCA has assisted Federal authorities with this investigation from its early stages, most recently having led a team of animal behavior experts in evaluating the dogs seized from Vick’s Virginia property by Federal officials,” continued Mr. Sayres. “We are incredibly proud to have played such an instrumental role in this landmark case which, I believe, will change the way America regards and reacts to the cruel treatment of animals.”

The ASPCA continues to assist in the case and is working closely with the Guardian/Special Master of the dogs, Rebecca Huss, to further evaluate the dogs. Due to the sensitive nature of the evaluations and the ongoing criminal process, further details are not possible at this time. For more information on the ASPCA, or to learn more about staying alert to animal cruelty, please visit www.aspca.org/cruelty.

About the ASPCA®

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first humane organization established in the Americas, and today has one million supporters. A 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and national leadership in animal-assisted therapy, animal behavior, animal poison control, anti-cruelty, humane education, legislative services, and shelter outreach. The New York City headquarters houses a full-service, accredited, animal hospital, adoption center, and mobile clinic outreach program. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York’s animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series “Animal Precinct” on Animal Planet. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.

Media Contacts:
Shonali Burke
(212) 876-7700 x 4565

Inga Fairclough
(212) 876-7700 x 4564

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Farmington Savings Bank Selects Goldleaf's Imaged-based Remittance/Lockbox Solution

Legal Advantage, LLC's Latest Customer Service Web Portal Provides Enhanced Features and Functionality

Legal Advantage, LLC releases new customer service web portal to further solidify position as premier provider of legal support and patent illustration services.

Bethesda, MD (PRWEB) November 30, 2007 -- Legal Advantage, LLC (http://www.LegalAdvantage.net), a premier provider of legal support services to clients throughout the United States and abroad, announced today the release of Version 2.0 of their customer service web portal. It is anticipated that this workflow and web-based application will set the standard for customer service in the rapidly growing legal support and patent illustration marketplace.

Some of the many feature and functionality enhancements include;

• Enhanced security with 128 bit Encryption and SSL Authentication
• Expanded user log-in and user viewing features
• Improved export control processes
• User definable project viewing controls
• Additional project archiving capacity
• Customized project and invoice reporting
• The ability to designate projects as expedited
• Expanded workflow capabilities
• Updated query, sorting and filtering capabilities
• Improved user interface
• The ability to directly upload project revisions
• Streamlined project collaboration capabilities.

"In order to maintain our position as providing the industry's highest levels of customer support and service, we understood the importance and need to continue to make a sizable investment in technology, infrastructure and processes. This latest version of our customer web portal clearly demonstrates our commitment to our clients and will serve as a key marketing and sales differentiator," stated James Eglin, VP of Sales and Marketing in making this announcement.

About Legal Advantage, LLC
Legal Advantage, LLC is a leading provider of cost-effective legal support services. Our patent illustration, trial graphics/animation, patent proofreading, document review, memo writing and immigration application processing service offerings enable law firms and corporations to work more efficiently and effectively. To date, we have successfully completed over 15,000 projects for law firms and corporations throughout the United States and abroad.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Quicken Loans Says FHA Loans Offer Consumers Choices Despite Tight Credit Market

New SyberWorks Media Center Article: 'Municipal Police Department Utilizes Learning Management to Improve Training Programs-A Law Enforcement Training Management Case Study'

SyberWorks, Inc., a leader in custom e-Learning Solutions and the Learning Management System (LMS) industry, today announces a new white paper available in the SyberWorks Online Media Center: "Municipal Police Department Utilizes Learning Management to Improve Training Programs-A Law Enforcement Training Management Case Study" by Dave Boggs, CEO of SyberWorks, Inc.

(PRWEB) November 30, 2007 -- SyberWorks, Inc., a leader in custom e-Learning Solutions and the Learning Management System (LMS) industry, today announces a new white paper available in the SyberWorks Online Media Center: "Municipal Police Department Utilizes Learning Management to Improve Training Programs-A Law Enforcement Training Management Case Study" by Dave Boggs, CEO of SyberWorks, Inc.

Dave Boggs, states, "This white paper examines the training challenges faced by law enforcement agencies on a daily basis. Some of their problems are common to many training organizations, such as the limitations of homegrown information systems, managing records and certifications via spreadsheet, and deploying e-Learning using non-technical staff. But many law enforcement agencies have additional special needs, including tracking and managing firearms qualification and recertification, roll-call training, less-lethal weapons management and training, and generating training-record documents for use as evidence in trials and hearings."

Boggs continues, "The white paper also offers an operational blueprint for deploying training in law enforcement environments. In general, law enforcement agencies have especially critical needs for tracking and managing training, because they are under constant scrutiny by local, state, and federal governments, and because they must follow strict policing and enforcement regulations in their communities."

Dave Bogg's article is located in the SyberWorks Online Media Center at
http://www.syberworks.com/articles/cs_police.htm

About the Author
Dave Boggs is the founder and CEO of SyberWorks, Inc. He has been involved with computer-based and web-based training for more than twelve years. Before founding SyberWorks, Dave was the VP of Sales and Business Development for Relational Courseware. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.

Dave Boggs also writes two blogs in the e-Learning space. The first blog, the Boggs e-Learning Chronicle (http://boggse-learningchronicle.typepad.com/) covers news, trends, and observations about the e-Learning and web-based-training industries. His second blog, the Online Training Content Journal Blog (http://boggse-learningchronicle.typepad.com/the_online_training_conte/) discusses best practices, techniques, and trends in online training development and e-Learning instructional design.

About SyberWorks
SyberWorks, Inc. (http://www.syberworks.com) is a leader in the custom e-Learning Solutions and Learning Management System industries for Fortune 1000 corporations, higher education, and other industries. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, the company serves the multi-billion-dollar e-Learning market. Since 1995, SyberWorks has developed and delivered unique and economical solutions to create, manage, measure, and improve e-Learning programs at companies and organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and other countries.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Scotiabank to open representative office in Moscow in early 2008

Los Angeles Jury Awards $2.1 Million in False Arrest Civil Rights Case Involving Walgreens

On November 28, 2007, in a clear vindication of the rights of California consumers to be free from the abuse of security guards, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded Alicia Benham a total of $2.1 million because she was falsely arrested, incarcerated for a felony, and was threatened with and subjected to violence based on her sex in violation of California's Ralph Civil Rights Act.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 30, 2007 -- A Los Angeles jury has awarded $2.1 million in the false arrest civil rights case of Alicia Benham against Walgreens and S&J Security (Alicia Benham v. Walgreens et al. Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BC323316).

On April 17, 2004, Ms. Benham went to Walgreens, located at 6th and Vermont in Los Angeles, California, to exchange diet drinks which were expired and had made her sick. Instead of honoring her request, Walgreens had its security guards take her to a back room where they intimidated and bullied Ms. Benham and her friend by repeatedly insisting they were seen, on a videotape, stealing the drinks from Walgreen's shelf. The jury found that the evidence at trial showed that security guards were lying as the video tape never showed them stealing and, in fact, Ms. Benham was completely innocent of any crime.

The jury concluded that Ms. Benham was falsely arrested by Walgreens' security agent, who threatened and assaulted her while holding her in a small back room of the Walgreens. Ms. Benham testified that he made sexually explicit comments and implied that he would let her go if she gave him sexual favors. The jury found that when she insisted on her innocence and refused to comply with his unlawful demands, he made a citizens arrest and lied to the police that he observed her committing a crime. Ms. Benham testified that she was extremely traumatized by the conduct of the security guards and the jury's verdict reflects the harm which was done to her. Ms. Benham would like to use the verdict as a springboard to help others abused by those in authority.    

The jury's verdict concluded that security company that employed Mr. Ray, S&J Security and Investigation, failed to perform a criminal background check prior to hiring him and failed to make sure he was licensed as required by California law. Incredibly, the expert witness hired by defendants testified that the President of the California's Bureau of Security and Investigative Services informed him that loss prevention agents do not have to be licensed. The jury disbelieved this testimony and found that the law requires loss prevention agents to be licensed, which requires finger prints to be sent to the California Department of Justice and the FBI.
   
Commenting on the decision, Ms. Benham's attorney, V. James De Simone of Schonbrun DeSimone Seplow Harris & Hoffman, LLP stated, "This is an important victory. Walgreen's security guard was unfit to work because he had a felony record. He not only abused Alicia Benham but he sexually assaulted a thirteen year old girl in another case while working at an Albertson's. Had the security company complied with the law, none of this would have happened."

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Singapore's Temasek sells shares in 2 mainland Chinese banks, netting more than $800 mln

Advanced Card Technologies Settles Patent Lawsuit with UV Color And Licenses its Patents to Several Other Companies: General Patent Represented Advanced Card Technologies in These Transactions

Advanced Card Technologies LLC (ACT) announced today that it has settled its patent infringement lawsuit against UV Color, a plastic card manufacturer located in Minneapolis, MN, and licensed its patents to several other companies in the plastic card industry. General Patent Corporation International (GPCI), a leading patent licensing and enforcement firm headquartered in Suffern, New York, represented ACT in the licensing transactions.

Suffern, NY (PRWEB) November 29, 2007 -- Advanced Card Technologies LLC (ACT) announced today that it has settled its patent infringement lawsuit against UV Color, a plastic card manufacturer located in Minneapolis, MN, and licensed its patents to several other companies in the plastic card industry. General Patent Corporation International (GPCI), a leading patent licensing and enforcement firm headquartered in Suffern, New York, represented ACT in the licensing transactions.

The lawsuit, originally filed in September 2006 in the Western District of Oklahoma (5:06 CV 957), alleged infringement of ACT's U.S. Patent Nos. 5,720,158 and 5,921,584 (Patents) by breakaway plastic card products bearing magnetic stripes, such as phone cards and gift cards. As part of the settlement, UV Color and its sister companies, Plastag Corporation and Lucas Color Card, took a license under the Patents.

"We are pleased to have finally settled our case against UV Color," said Paul Lerner, GPCI's General Counsel. "We can now focus our licensing efforts on others."

Other companies that have recently licensed the ACT Patents include Allegheny Plastics of Leetsdale, PA, Card USA of Hollywood, FL, and Custom Plastic Card of Pompano Beach, FL.

ACT's U.S. Patent Nos. 5,720,158 and 5,921,584 generally relate to gift, loyalty and phone cards. GPCI, the manager and exclusive licensing agent for ACT, has successfully represented ACT in 22 licensing transactions and 3 lawsuits related to the Patents.

About Advanced Card Technologies LLC
Advanced Card Technologies (ACT) of Suffern, NY is the owner of U.S. Patent Nos. 5,720,158 titled "Information Card Package" and 5,921,584 titled "Card Display Package". A non-exclusive license under these patents is available. For licensing terms, contact Kathlene Ingham at (845) 368-4000, x107.

About General Patent Corporation International
General Patent Corporation International (GPCI) is a premier IP licensing and enforcement firm headquartered in Suffern, NY. GPCI represents clients in assertive licensing and intellectual property enforcement on a contingency basis. GPCI is the oldest such organization in the US. For more information on GPCI visit www.patentclaim.com.

General Patent Corporation (GPC), an affiliate of GPCI, is a leading intellectual property management firm. GPC provides IP analysis and strategy, IP audit and valuation, IP portfolio mining and management, licensing and technology transfer services to domestic and foreign businesses, universities, research institutions and individual inventors. For more information on GPC visit www.generalpatent.com.

IP Holdings LLC, another affiliate of GPCI, is an IP-centric merchant banking organization. IP Holding also operates an idea incubator. For more information on IP Holdings visit www.ip-holdings.com.

For further information on ACT, GPCI, GPC and IP Holdings contact General Patent Corporation, Montebello Park, 75 Montebello Road, Suffern, NY 10901-3740; telephone: (845) 368-4000; e-mail: kingham(at)gpci.com.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Hill to start investment firm with ex-analyst

Fred Pritzker Calls on American Foods Group to Explain 800 Tons of Potentially-Contaminated Meat

Fred Pritzker, one of America's leading food safety lawyers, calls on the company and the USDA to explain why this company is producing so much adulterated meat; why the outbreaks continue to occur; and what steps will be taken to immediately end this problem.

(PRWEB) November 29, 2007 -- Fred Pritzker, one of America's leading food safety lawyers, calls on American Foods Group, LLC and the USDA to explain why this company is producing so much adulterated meat; why the outbreaks continue to occur; and what steps will be taken to immediately end this problem.

American Foods Group, LLC, a Green Bay, Wisconsin firm, is voluntarily recalling almost 48 tons of ground beef products that may be contaminated with potentially deadly E. coli O157:H7, according to a November 24, 2007 announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The ground beef products were produced on October 10, 2007 and were distributed to retail stores and distributors in Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Virginia. According to the FSIS, the problem was discovered through an investigation into two illnesses initiated by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

American Foods Group, LLC is the name of a company resulting from a merger between American Foods Group and another meat processor, Rosen's Diversified. The company claims it is among the top three privately held meat processors in the United States and employs approximately 4,000 people.

This is not the first E. coli O157:H7 recall involving American Foods Group, one of the merged companies. In December 2000 Green Bay Dressed Beef Inc. also doing business as American Foods Group recalled over 500 tons of ground beef contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. Over 20 people were sickened as a result of that outbreak including a number of individuals with severe and permanent injuries. Pritzker | Ruohonen represented a number of victims from that outbreak.

Fewer than ten months later, on August 27, 2001, the same company recalled 265 tons of fresh ground beef products contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

Fred Pritzker, founding partner of Pritzker | Ruohonen, and one of America's leading food safety lawyers, said, "this company (American Foods Group) is responsible for recalling over 800 tons, 1,600,000 pounds, of ground beef adulterated with E. coli O157:H7." Despite its claim that its "Food Safety Mission" "is to ensure that all products manufactured are safe and wholesome" and that "Our commitment to Food Safety drives our success. We realize our responsibility to produce a safe & wholesome product for our customers," the company continues to produce and sell ground beef products that have been recalled for one of the deadliest foodborne pathogens, E. coli O157:H7.

Pritzker calls on the company and the USDA to explain why this company is producing so much adulterated meat; why the outbreaks continue to occur; and what steps will be taken to immediately end this problem. In the meantime, Pritzker says something must be done to help any victims of this most recent outbreak: "At the very least, the company should publicly take responsibility for this recall and immediately pay the medical bills, wage loss and related costs for any E. coli O157:H7 victim linked to this outbreak. The company should also retain the services of a totally independent group of food safety experts, with input from consumer groups (and not just meat industry representatives) to examine its practices and prevent these recurring outbreaks. The USDA should also significantly increase its monitoring of this company and do everything in its power to prevent further outbreaks."

Fred Pritzker, of Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A., practices in Minnesota and represents survivors of foodborne illness throughout the United States. He may be reached toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, by email at fhp@pritzkerlaw.com, or through the firm's web site at http://www.pritzkerlaw.com

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• JK Harris Warns Poker Players and Sponsors of New Regulations

Fred Pritzker, Food Safety Lawyer, Calls for Food Safety Disclosure Laws Following American Foods Group, LLC Recently Announced E. coli O157:H7 Recall

Fred Pritzker, a leading food safety lawyer, calls for food safety disclosure laws following a recently announced recall involving 48 tons of ground beef products by American Foods Group, LLC.

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) November 29, 2007 -- So far this year over 28 million pounds of beef products have been recalled due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. Most recently, American Foods Group, LLC, a Green Bay, Wisconsin firm, recalled 48 tons of ground beef products.

Fred Pritzker, a leading food safety lawyer, believes more information about recalls and the companies involved in them should be readily available to consumers. "It is extremely difficult for the average consumer to learn anything about a company's E. coli O157:H7 track record and just as hard to find out if recalled hamburger made its way into the consumer's household (much less the mouths of his/her loved ones)," states Pritzker. "That's because the labels on most ground beef products do not disclose the identity of the company that produced it. In other words, even if a consumer wanted to avoid products from a company that consistently produced hamburger laced with E. coli O157:H7, there is no way to find out."

Pritzker continues, "There is simply no readily accessible source of information, other than digging through old press releases from the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), about a meat producer's prior safety record. Even that won't tell you how many people were sickened in prior outbreaks, the cause of the outbreaks, what corrective action, if any, was taken, and what fines or penalties were levied."

According to Pritzker, consumers do not have important information about recalls because no law requires adequate labeling and no government agency is required to produce readily accessible information that allows consumers to make informed choices.

To remedy this situation, Pritzker recommends a two-pronged approach: 1) enact a federal law requiring every meat package to identify the name of the company that produced it and the date on which it was produced and 2) have a federally-funded web site that lists data about each federally inspected producer including the company's past history of recalls, amount of product recalled, the number of people injured or killed in past foodborne illness outbreaks and other information that allows for informed consumer choice.

Fred Pritzker, is the founding partner of Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A., one of America's leading food safety law firms. He practices in Minnesota and represents survivors of foodborne illness throughout the United States. He may be reached toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or through the firm's web site at http://www.pritzkerlaw.com

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Quicken Loans Says FHA Loans Offer Consumers Choices Despite Tight Credit Market

GPS Golf Guru and ISaAC Golf Team Up to Streamline Golf Handicapping

Assistant Pro Inc., the developer of the GPS Golf Guru handheld personal golf assistant, have released their integration with ISaAC Golf's USGA online handicapping. Through this partnership with ISaAC golf, the Golf Guru is the first GPS golf product to provide seamless integration of scoring and online, USGA handicapping.

(PRWEB) November 29, 2007 -- Assistant Pro Inc., the developer of the GPS Golf Guru handheld personal golf assistant, have released their integration with ISaAC Golf's USGA online handicapping. Through this partnership with ISaAC golf, the Golf Guru is the first GPS golf product to provide seamless integration of scoring and online, USGA handicapping.

Another first for the GPS Golf Guru Team, Golf Guru users can now connect to www.gpsgolfguru.com and download a GuruWare upgrade that includes integration of the Guru Scoring software with ISaAC golf's online handicapping system. Dubbed GuruCap, this integration with ISaAC golf's online handicapping system allows Guru users to keep score on their Guru and easily upload their scores to any of over fifty-six ISaAC Golf USGA handicapping sites. The $29.95 Guru Annual Membership includes GuruCap support as well as unlimited access to the Guru online course database. The GuruCap integration is the first step in a series of GuruWare releases that will include statistics capture, game analysis and more.

When asked about the ISaAC / Guru partnership, Murdoch McEwan, PGA Pro and ISaAc President, said, "We looked at all of the GPS Golf devices on the market before deciding to work with the Golf Guru team. What we found was that the Golf Guru is more accurate, smaller, lighter, more functional and easier to use that any of the competitors. Add this to the fact that the Golf Guru team invented GPS Golf, have the only product licensed under the dominant patent in the business, and have been building these systems for seventeen years, and the decision on who to choose was easy."

Greg Oglethorpe, ISaAC CEO, revealed that, "The current GuruCap integration is just the first phase of our integration with the GPS Golf Guru product line. I am extremely excited by the potential for game improvement that this and our planned future releases will provide. We are moving toward a system that will let golfers effortlessly track, manage, and improve their game in ways that were not only difficult, but close to impossible in the past."

"From day one, the GPS Golf Guru mission has been to unobtrusively provide golfers with the information they need when they need it to: 1) help improve their game, 2) make golf more enjoyable and 3) to speed up play. Providing a seamless scoring, handicapping and statistics capture system has always been an integral part of our strategy for achieving this mission. The trick is to do it in an easy to use, unobtrusive and cost effective way. We believe that we have accomplished this for handicapping with GuruCap. This doesn't mean that we will rest on our laurels, so expect to see a stream for new, customer driven GuruWare in the coming months," commented Golf Guru co-founder Darryl Cornish.

The only GPS golf handheld device licensed under the pioneering 5,364,093 US patent, the GPS Golf Guru is based on state-of-the-art GPS technology and open source solutions, allowing it to be smaller, lighter, more accurate and more functional that the competition (Compare Guru to the Competition). Like the Google Android and the iPhone, Golf Guru is on the leading edge of the emerging wave of embedded devices that leverage open source software to provide cutting edge solutions.

ISaAC Golf is America's fastest growing USGA online handicapping and game analysis system. Based in Houston, Texas, ISaAC provides an online handicapping and game analysis engine that is used by over 150 golf websites and 95,000 golfers. For more information go to www.isaacgolf.com.

Assistant Pro, Inc, maker of the GPS Golf Guru is based in Austin, Texas, and was created to help golfers improve their game using the founders' patented golf GPS technology. The founders include the developers of the first cart-based GPS golf systems and the Guru team have broad experience marketing technology to the golf and leisure industries. For more information, visit www.gpsgolfguru.com or www.isaacgolf.com.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• JK Harris Warns Poker Players and Sponsors of New Regulations

Intellectual Property Practice Expands at Troutman Sanders

The law firm of Troutman Sanders LLP adds three attorneys to its Intellectual Property practice group in Raleigh, N.C.

Raleigh, N.C. (PRWEB) November 29, 2007 -- The law firm of Troutman Sanders LLP (www.troutmansanders.com) is pleased to announce the addition of three attorneys to its Intellectual Property practice group, significantly bolstering the presence of this group firm-wide and particularly in Raleigh.

The group, led by James A. Thomas as partner and Sheldon R. Pontaoe as of counsel, is the fourth in two years that Troutman Sanders has added as it aggressively builds its Raleigh office. In November of 2005, the firm hired five litigation attorneys from Bailey & Dixon, a team led by Gary Parsons. In the first quarter of 2007, Lee Cheney, a litigator formerly with Womble Carlyle, and Jamie Cox, a real estate attorney formerly with Smith Moore LLP, joined Troutman Sanders and brought additional attorneys with them. These additions have doubled Troutman Sanders' attorney count in Raleigh to 22.

"I'm thrilled to welcome James and his IP team to the firm," said Ashley Story, managing partner of Troutman Sanders' Raleigh office. "Their extensive IP experience will greatly enhance the firm's intellectual property practice. They will also be a cornerstone for the continued growth of our North Carolina presence."

Troutman Sanders' Intellectual Property practice group provides a comprehensive and integrated array of legal services in the areas of patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, outsourcing, computer, technology, software, restrictive covenant and franchise law. Additionally, the group counsels on licensing, marketing, distribution and other commercial transactions regarding products, services and technologies that can be protected under international, federal, state or local intellectual property laws.

James A. Thomas comes to Troutman Sanders from the Raleigh office of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, where he was a partner from 2004 until the present and headed up the firm's intellectual property group in the Commercial and International Practice Team. Prior to Parker Poe, he served as Vice President and Trademark Counsel for GlaxoSmithKline plc, where he spent seven years working in the company's European headquarters and managed its pharmaceutical trademarks group based in London.

Thomas is a member of the board of directors of the Triangle Intellectual Property Law Association and a member of the Pharmaceutical Trademarks Group and the International Trademark Association. He received his undergraduate degree from Asbury College and his law degree from Duke University Law School. He is admitted to the District of Columbia, Georgia and North Carolina bars.

Sheldon R. Pontaoe also comes to Troutman Sanders from the Raleigh office of Parker Poe, where he was special counsel in the intellectual property group of the Commercial and International Practice Team. Prior to Parker Poe, he was Director and Trademark Counsel for GlaxoSmithKline, where he managed the trademarks group based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Pontaoe is a member of the USPTO Subcommittee of the International Trademark Association, and is President-Elect and serves on the board of directors for the Triangle Intellectual Property Law Association. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern Indiana and his law degree from New York Law School. He is admitted to the New Jersey bar.

About Troutman Sanders:
Troutman Sanders LLP (www.troutmansanders.com), founded in 1897, is an international law firm with over 600 attorneys serving clients from offices in Atlanta, Hong Kong, London, New York, Newark, Norfolk, Raleigh, Richmond, Shanghai, Tysons Corner, Virginia Beach and Washington, D.C. The full-service firm provides advice and counsel in over 30 legal practice areas and is committed to delivering professional service throughout all its locations.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• American Express Online Promotion Offers Free Gadget Lover's Card with Gift Card Purchase: Buy Five American Express(R) Gift Cards in One Online Order, Receive Free Gadget Lover's Card Worth $25 for Purchases of this Season&#

Trial Solutions Ranks 13th on Houston Fast Tech 50 by Achieving 128% Year-Over-Year Sales Growth

Trial Solutions, a Houston based Litigation Technology and Services Firm, announced it has been honored as one of the fastest-growing technology-based companies in the Houston area.

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) November 29, 2007 -- Trial Solutions, a Houston based Litigation Technology and Services Firm, announced it has been honored as one of the fastest-growing technology-based companies in the Houston area. Now in its seventh year, the Fast Tech 50 Awards program, published annually by the Houston Business Journal, evaluates and recognizes Houston's top 50 technology-based businesses that demonstrate exceptional leadership and achieve the highest year-over-year revenue growth.

"We are honored to be recognized by the sponsors of the Fast Tech 50. Our continued growth is evidence of our employees' dedication and our steadfast commitment to understanding and fulfilling the needs of our clients in the litigation support market," stated Brad Jenkins, President and CEO of Trial Solutions. "We founded Trial Solutions to create a single source litigation support technology and services organization capable of managing litigation documents throughout the entire case life-cycle," added Mr. Jenkins.

"There are thousands of technology companies in Houston that contribute to the economy and serve our technology needs. Among them, however, are a select few that have demonstrated phenomenal growth and success--the Fast Tech 50," stated John Beddow, Publisher of the Houston Business Journal.

About Trial Solutions
Founded in 2002, Trial Solutions and its family of companies including ImageDepot, Discovery Law and Attorney Solutions, along with its partnerships and reseller alliance network servicing 90 metropolitan markets in the US and Canada, has developed the first true single source Litigation Support Ecosystem™ to provide all of the expert services, technology and geographic coverage required to support the entire litigation case life-cycle. Trial Solutions provides on-demand litigation document hosting, computer forensics, electronic discovery, attorney staffing and trial preparation services. For more information about Trial Solutions, please visit http://www.trialgraphic.com

About Fast Tech 50
Originating in 2000, the Fast Tech 50 recognizes annually the top fifty companies, headquartered in a ten-county Houston area, that have experienced the greatest percentage revenue growth throughout 2006. The incumbent companies must be involved in the original manufacture, design or development of technical products or services. Previous winners include Compaq Computer Corporation, BMC Software Inc. and Neon Software, Inc. Sponsors of the award include The Houston Business Journal, Frost Bank, the Houston Technology Center, Oracle, PKF Texas, Pierpont Communications, Rice Alliance for Technology & Entrepreneurship and Winstead PC. For more information about the Fast Tech 50 please visit http://consult.pkftexas.com/fasttech50/

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Within Reach: Countrywide Home Loans Highlights Tips and Tools to Help Consumers Attain Their Dream Homes

Fairfax Law Firm Welcomes New Associate, Enhances Legal Services

The Northern Virginia law firm of Gross & Romanick has well established legal divisions offering services around traffic law, criminal defense, personal injury and business law. The firm recently bolstered its computer and technology law services for businesses with the addition of attorney A. Charles Dean.

Fairfax, VA (PRWEB) November 29, 2007 -- Fairfax, Virginia-based Gross & Romanick, P.C. is pleased to announce that Mr. A. Charles Dean has become an associate of the law firm. Mr. Dean graduated magna cum laude from the George Mason University School of Law in May 2007 and summa cum laude from Dickinson College in 2003 earning his BA in Computer Science and Political Science with a minor in Philosophy. Mr. Dean expects to receive his M.S. in Computer Science from George Mason University in January 2008.

"We're delighted to have such an esteemed and versatile addition to our practice," says Senior Partner, Edward Gross. "His specialized skills make him a perfect addition to our technology team."

Gross & Romanick, P.C. is a law firm located in Fairfax, Virginia. Known for providing practical and creative legal solutions, the law firm built its success by being responsive to client concerns and applying hard work with integrity. Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® as having "an exemplary reputation ..." with "high professional standing," Gross & Romanick, P.C. has been delivering premier legal services to clients in the Metro DC area since 1980. Also known for representing the best in Northern Virginia's highly acclaimed technology sector, Gross & Romanick, P.C. offers premier technological law services that have allowed them to not only redefine and optimize their legal approach but also how they interact with their entire client base.

Mr. Dean previously served Gross & Romanick P.C. as a law clerk in 2006 following an internship at the Loudoun County Public Defender's Office. Mr. Dean's legal education focused on business litigation and he served as the President of the Trial Advocacy Association.

"With today's growing technological workforce, its imperative that cutting edge law firms understand the breadth and language of the interactive age," says Gross. "Mr. Dean advances our ability to tackle the legal cases that come along with the progress we've seen in the last few years, and to keep us at the top of the game."

Gross and Romanick, P.C. is a premier legal service provider serving the greater Metro DC area serving Fairfax County, Arlington County, City of Alexandria, Loudoun County and Prince William County. With great experience in criminal defense work, Fairfax traffic law (Fairfax DWI and reckless driving), technology law, Virginia business law, and Northern Virginia personal injury cases, Gross and Romanick, P.C offers a unique legal style and perspective that offers their clients with serious defense and the tools to win. Focused on personal attention, integrity, and technological acumen, Gross and Romanick, P.C represents the complete melding of professionalism and innovation all clients deserve. To contact Gross and Romanick, P.C visit http://www.Gross.com or any of their firm divisions at http://www.dwitrafficlawyer.com, http://www.fairfaxbusinesslawyer.com, and http://www.fairfaxaccidentlawyer.com

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Within Reach: Countrywide Home Loans Highlights Tips and Tools to Help Consumers Attain Their Dream Homes

Secure Talent Announces Additions to Leadership Team

New 1099 compliance firm garners key industry experts.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 29, 2007 -- Secure Talent, a new 1099 compliance and payrolling firm, has already attracted some of the industry’s best and brightest to serve on its leadership team. Officially launched on Nov. 1, 2007, Secure Talent is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., and provides nationwide worker classification and payrolling services.

Backed by a team of seasoned professionals, Secure Talent kicks off with a lineup of executives bringing years of experience from a multitude of industries. Teresa Creech joins Secure Talent as vice president of business development, serving as an integral part in the launch and growth of the company.

Formerly vice president of sales, channel alliances and supplier management at WorkforceLogic, Creech comes to the company with years of business development success. "Being involved in the start-up of a progressive company such as Secure Talent is a creative and rewarding process," says Creech.

"Secure Talent has taken an innovative and meticulous approach to 1099 compliance and payrolling services," she adds. "This has demanded some very hard work, but the payoff for our clients will be tremendous because the quality of services and technology speaks for itself."
   
Aaron Chavez is Secure Talent’s newest senior compliance analyst, formerly compliance manager at WorkforceLogic. With nearly a decade of compliance expertise, Chavez joins Secure Talent having conducted thousands of independent contractor evaluations—none of which have ever been overturned. Chavez is highly regarded for consistently delivering exceptional results.

"Secure Talent’s relationship-driven approach to compliance services is something I believe in," says Chavez. "I look forward to being a part of 1099 evaluation and compliance processes that provide clients with complete confidence."   

Jeff Phelps is founder and president of Secure Talent and is pleased "to have garnered such a strong and visionary management team." He adds, "I have no doubt that, together, our experience and creativity will grow a compliance and payrolling business unlike any other."

Announcements of additional key staff and services are expected, as the demand for Secure Talent has outweighed initial expectations, says Phelps. "Clients and colleagues have certainly taken notice since we’ve been in business," he adds. "People want to be involved with Secure Talent’s proven approach to 1099 compliance and payrolling solutions."

Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., Secure Talent, Inc. offers nationwide 1099 compliance and complete payroll services to businesses. Its parent company, Eplica, Inc., is a provider of "back office" services for staffing companies across the United States. For more information about Secure Talent, please visit Securetalent.com. For more information about Eplica, please visit www.eplicaservices.com.

This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Bank of Montreal profit sinks 35 per cent in Q4 after charges

PassGo Announces Support for the Latest RSA SecurID® AES Tokens With 9-Digit Serial Numbers

PassGo Technologies and RSA, The Security Division of EMC, have today announced joint support on the System z platform for the latest RSA SecurID® AES token with 9-Digit Serial numbers. PassGo has for some time provided support for RSA SecurID technology on the System z platform with its suite of NC-Pass Network Security Managers, and continues to show its commitment to the RSA SecurID two-factor authentication solution on this platform.

Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) November 29, 2007 -- PassGo Technologies and RSA, The Security Division of EMC, have today announced joint support on the System z platform for the latest RSA SecurID® AES token with 9-Digit Serial numbers. PassGo has for some time provided support for RSA SecurID technology on the System z platform with its suite of NC-Pass Network Security Managers, and continues to show its commitment to the RSA SecurID two-factor authentication solution on this platform.

Whether you require security for your entire z/Series mainframe network, or a single business transaction, NC-Pass Network Security Managers provide a wide range of user authentication and access controls. NC-Pass gives you the ability to authenticate users via any of the leading dynamic password tokens at three levels:

• Network entry
• Application selection
• Business transaction

Resource control systems do not protect your mainframe network. Anyone can enter a network, roam around at will and probe for weaknesses. NC-Pass products are designed to extend security defences from the kernel of the individual mainframe systems to the network periphery so that users are validated before they enter the network.

Now, NC-Pass has been further extended to encompass support for the latest 128 Bit cryptographic developments in hardware technology from RSA, including support for AES and 9 digit serial numbers.

These optional components are available from PassGo as individual software 'plug-ins' providing rapid support for multiple token types, to help ensure that NC-Pass remains in line with the pace of technology.

"We have hundreds of thousands of users worldwide authenticating using RSA SecurID tokens against our NC-Pass Enterprise product," said Edward Blunt, VP of Sales & Marketing at PassGo. "The combination of PassGo's unrivalled expertise on the System z platform, combined with the simplicity of the RSA SecurID solution, makes for a truly global enterprise authentication solution."

If you would like more information on NC-Pass 128 Bit component licenses, please contact PassGo Technologies by email on sales(at)passgo.com.

About PassGo
PassGo Technologies, ranked 360 in the Software 500, with expected revenue of $16.2 million in 2007, operates with an exclusive license from Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ:SYMC). PassGo, a world leader in Internet security technology, has over 1000 customers worldwide and a long established reputation in the security arena. PassGo provides interoperable solutions for controlling, enabling and managing access rights and privileges for people, applications and devices. To learn more about PassGo visit PassGo Technologies

RSA and SecurID are either registered trademarks or trademarks of RSA Security Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation. All other products and/or services mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies.

For further information or enquiries please contact:
PassGo Technologies
651 Holiday Drive
Suite 300
PMB #310
Pittsburgh, PA 15220
1 888 652 3983 (US toll-free)

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• American Express Online Promotion Offers Free Gadget Lover's Card with Gift Card Purchase: Buy Five American Express(R) Gift Cards in One Online Order, Receive Free Gadget Lover's Card Worth $25 for Purchases of this Season&#

InterLegis Enhances Concept Analysis Feature of Discovery360

InterLegis, Inc., an innovator of Web-based digital document management services, unveiled significant improvements to the concept analysis function of Discovery 360™, InterLegis' flagship e-discovery product. Discovery360's Concept Analysis feature now processes data 500 percent faster, has smarter concept extraction, includes advanced concept clustering functionality plus enhanced foreign language support. Discovery360 enables corporations, law firms and service providers to reduce the risk, complexity and cost of litigation, regulatory requests and internal investigations.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) November 28, 2007 -- InterLegis, Inc., an innovator of Web-based digital document management services, today unveiled significant improvements to the concept analysis function of Discovery 360™, InterLegis' flagship e-discovery product. Discovery360's Concept Analysis feature now processes data 500 percent faster, has smarter concept extraction, includes advanced concept clustering functionality plus enhanced foreign language support. Discovery360 enables corporations, law firms and service providers to reduce the risk, complexity and cost of litigation, regulatory requests and internal investigations.

Discovery360 can process about 12,000 documents per minute which is an increase in processing speed of 500 percent. The enhancement also includes improved concept extraction. This is where the technology learns from meta data titles and custom keywords provided by the user enabling the application to get smarter as it analyzes the data. Other changes to Discovery360 include improved relevance ranking of extracted concepts, advanced concept clustering and enhanced foreign language support.

"Conceptual analysis remains a critical function in order to speed e-discovery review. The investments we are making in this and other features are further establishing Discovery360 as an application in its own category within the marketplace," said Kevin Carr, president of InterLegis. "With so many robust analytic tools encompassed in this single program, legal teams are finding they no longer want to manage multiple review tools to accomplish what Discovery360 does all on its own."

InterLegis' latest product enhancements further strengthen the company's value proposition. The company recently announced enhancements to DataMapper™, a data preview module within Discovery360 and soon will be introducing the ability to find key relationships among documents within a collection by using the unique attributes or personalities contained in each document.

About InterLegis, Inc.
Founded in 1998, InterLegis, Inc. enables corporations, law firms and legal service providers reduce the risk, complexity and cost of litigation, regulatory requests and internal investigations. InterLegis uses unparalleled meta data and concept technologies to identify unique document relationships, resulting in faster review and effective coding. The company's flagship product, Discovery360™, includes powerful analysis tools that provide a 360 degree view of all documents based on all possible document attributes and highly advanced analytical technologies. These capabilities help legal teams to drive early and accurate case assessments using multiple analytic capabilities including concept, timeline, and message thread analysis, among others. InterLegis is a privately held company headquartered in Dallas, TX. For more information, visit www.InterLegis.com.

Contact:
Kevin Carr
President
InterLegis, Inc.
1801 N. Lamar, Suite 201
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: 214-468-8800

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Within Reach: Countrywide Home Loans Highlights Tips and Tools to Help Consumers Attain Their Dream Homes

Kentucky Resident Files Lawsuit Against Medtronic For Faulty Defibrillator Lead Wire That Caused Devastating Electrical Shocks

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Business Wire EON) November 28, 2007 -- Kim Orange of Bowling Green, Kentucky, today filed a personal injury lawsuit against Medtronic Inc., for suffering devastating electrical shocks due to a defective lead wire system for her defibrillator. The lawsuit, filed in Minnesota state court where Medtronic is based, seeks damages for the physical pain and medical expenses Ms. Orange has incurred, as well as compensation for Ms. Orange future medical care and expenses due to the defective Medtronic device.

On August 12, 2007, the Sprint Fidelis lead, the wiring that connected her defibrillator to her heart, failed, causing three devastating electrical shocks. Ms. Orange was transported by ambulance from Bowling Green to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, suffering two additional shocks the same day. The failure of the Sprint Fidelis lead forced Ms. Orange to undergo complicated surgery on August 15, 2007, to remove the faulty device and implant a new lead system. The early explant and implant of a new lead system, as well as a new defibrillator, scarred her already fragile heart.

"I felt like I was being repeatedly shot or kicked in the chest by a horse," Ms. Orange stated. "The pain was intense and has the power to knock you down or out of a chair."

Ms. Orange's life has been substantially affected by the incident. Ms. Orange's physician instructed her to take off work. "You fear that you have a ticking time bomb inside your body that could unexpectedly explode or be triggered by a quick movement or vibration," Ms. Orange explained. "Exertion such as bending over to make a bed, mowing the lawn and other everyday tasks have become frightening experiences."

Medtronic has not disclosed the precise mechanism of the Sprint Fidelis lead fracture failures. The complaint charges that a design defect was responsible for the failure of Ms. Orange's lead. It appears the defect is attributable to the small diameter of the coil and conductors used in the leads. Because of this, the leads are subject to stress damage both during and after the implant. Fracture eventually occurs when the conductors are critically overstressed.

"Manufacturers of medical devices have a duty to patients to produce safe products," stated H. Philip Grossman, counsel for Ms. Orange. "Medtronic failed to comply with this duty with regard to the recalled lead wires. The Medtronic Sprint Fidelis lead has a significantly higher than expected failure rate that appears in just the first two years after implantation."

"The defect is potentially fatal. Yet, Medtronic has not agreed to compensate patients for their extreme injuries and having to undergo invasive surgeries to replace the fractured leads," noted Mark P. Chalos of the Nashville office of the national plaintiffs' law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, which is also representing Ms. Orange. "Only by filing a lawsuit or otherwise making a claim against Medtronic can injured patients obtain justice and compensation for their injuries."

Information for Heart Patients

On October 15, 2007, due to reports of adverse events and at least five patient deaths with defibrillator leads sold under the brand name Sprint Fidelis, Medtronic issued a recall of the product.

Leads are the thin insulated wires connected to a defibrillator that carry electric impulses to the heart. Your wallet card will specify the manufacturer of your defibrillator leads

If you would like to learn more about the Medtronic recall and your legal rights, please visit http://www.medtronicheartleadrecall.com/

Patients that have had to undergo surgery to replace a faulty lead or have been advised by a physician their lead may be defective are also welcome to call counsel toll free at 1-800-541-7358 and ask to speak to attorney Heather A. Foster of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP.

Resources for Reporters

Reporters that wish to receive a copy of the complaint are welcome to contact Brandan de Coteau of Lieff Cabraser at bdecoteau@lchb.com or (415) 956-1000.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Bank of Montreal profit sinks 35 per cent in Q4 after charges

National Business Ethics Survey Shows Ethics Risk Landscape Just As Treacherous As Before Enron

WASHINGTON (Business Wire EON) November 28, 2007 -- Six years after high-profile corporate scandals rocked American business, there has been little if any meaningful reduction in the enterprise-wide risk of unethical behavior at U.S. companies, according to the Ethics Resource Center's 2007 National Business Ethics Survey®. ERC is a private, nonprofit organization whose research and advocacy focus on the advancement of high ethical standards and practices in public and private institutions.

Interviews with almost 2,000 employees at U.S. public and private companies of all sizes for the biennial NBES® show disturbing shares of workers witnessing ethical misconduct at work - and tending not to report what they see. Conflicts of interest, abusive behavior and lying pose the most severe ethics risks to companies today.

The measurable lack of progress in business ethics should signal a need for company management, Boards of Directors, policy-makers, investors and consumers to reassess their approach to that challenge, said ERC President Patricia Harned, Ph.D.

“Despite new regulation and significant efforts to reduce misconduct and increase reporting when it does occur, the ethics risk landscape in American business is as treacherous as it was before implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,” Dr. Harned said.

Over the past year, more than half (56 percent) of employees surveyed had personally observed violations of company ethics standards, policy, or the law. Many saw multiple violations. More than two of five employees (42 percent) who witnessed misconduct did not report it through any company channels.

According to Dr. Harned, “There is a strong sense of futility and fear among employees when it comes to reporting ethical misconduct, and that increases the danger to business. More than half (54 percent) of employees who witnessed but did not report misconduct believed that reporting would not lead to corrective action. More than a third (36 percent) of non-reporters feared retaliation from at least one source; but our research shows that having a strong ethical culture virtually eliminates retaliation.”

“Employees at all levels have not increased their ‘ethical courage' in recent years,” Dr. Harned said. “The rate of observed misconduct has crept back above where it was in 2000. And employees' willingness to report misconduct has not improved, either.”

“The good news is that the rate of misconduct is cut by three-fourths at companies with strong ethical cultures, and reporting is doubled at companies with comprehensive business ethics programs,” said Dr. Harned. ERC helps organizations design and measure the strength of their culture and the effectiveness of ethics programs.

The study found less than 40 percent of employees are aware of comprehensive business ethics and compliance programs at their companies. The programs are largely driven by legal and regulatory compliance, and designed in reaction to past mistakes, Dr. Harned observed. “The fact is, only about 25 percent of companies actually have a well-implemented ethics and compliance program in place, despite their transformative impact,” she said.

The NBES also found most employees prefer to report misconduct to a person, especially someone with whom they already have a relationship, rather than to a company “hotline.” Only 3 percent of misconduct reports were made to company hotlines.

As part of the latest National Business Ethics Survey, ERC developed The ERC Ethics Risk IndexSM. It categorizes 18 different types of misconduct by their incidence and whether they would be likely to be reported, and assigns a value to that type of misconduct. While the Index presents data in a continuum, the projected risk of various types of misconduct falls generally into three categories: severe risk (happens frequently and usually goes unreported), high risk (happens often and often goes unreported), and guarded risk (happens less frequently and may go unreported).

To download the full NBES report, go to http://www.ethics.org/download.asp?fid=91.

More About NBES

First conducted in 1994, the NBES is the national benchmark on organizational ethics - the country's most rigorous measurement of trends in workplace ethics and compliance, a snapshot of current behaviors and thinking, and a guide in identifying ethics risk and measures of program effectiveness.

The 2007 NBES is part of a larger workplace survey conducted for ERC this year; data collection was managed by the Opinion Research Corporation, with ERC establishing the survey questions and sampling methodology. A total of 3,452 employees in the business, government and nonprofit sectors were polled; responses from 1,929 individuals in the business sector have been isolated and are presented in the NBES. Survey participants were: age 18 or older; currently employed at least 20 hours per week for their primary employer; and working for an organization that employs at least two people. They were randomly selected to attain a representative national distribution. All interviews were conducted during the period June 25-August 15, 2007, via telephone; participants were assured that their individual responses to all survey questions would be confidential. The sampling error of findings presented in the report is +/- 2.2 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

For more information about Ethics Resource Center, visit http://www.ethics.org.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• LiveMortgageFree.com Reveals A Sneaky, Fun Way To Pay Off Your Mortgage In 4 Years Or Less

Spam Arrest LLC Wins Lawsuit Against Hormel Over SPAM Trademark

After a five year litigation, Spam Arrest wins the David and Goliath battle to keep its trademark and protect the anti-spam industry from further lawsuits

Seattle (PRWEB) November 28, 2007 -- Spam Arrest LLC, which provides the popular SPAM ARREST software and services to eliminate email spam, finally won its five year legal battle against Hormel.

Hormel filed suit against Spam Arrest in 2002 before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (Number: 92042134), the federal administrative court charged with overseeing the national trademark office, alleging canned meat consumers would confuse the SPAM ARREST trademark with the notorious SPAM mark.

This week, a panel of three judges found that Hormel’s trademark may be famous, but “that fame does not extend to computer software for filtering spam.” The 63 page decision noted that the SPAM ARREST trademark is “different in connotation and commercial impression” than Hormel’s.

Hormel filed dozens of similar actions against other companies using the term "spam" in connection with email, including Yahoo! (Number – 91120897), Earthlink (Number 91116405), and Google’s Postini subsidiary (Number 91166098). Most of those cases settled in favor of Hormel or were suspended pending the outcome of the Spam Arrest matter.

“Hormel retained several high priced expert witnesses in an effort to deprive Spam Arrest of its lawful use of the trademark,” said Derek A. Newman of Newman & Newman, lead counsel for Spam Arrest. “Spam Arrest successfully overcame that testimony, and now Spam Arrest is not only the first company other than Hormel to achieve a federal trademark registration with the term ‘spam’, but also first to prevail against the processed food giant.”

"We are thrilled the court affirmed our right to continue using the SPAM ARREST trademark to identify the best spam elimination software available,” added Brian Cartmell, CEO of Spam Arrest. “Spam Arrest made a decision that we would not be bullied. Consumers are smarter than to confuse us with the source for meat called spam.”

Spam Arrest has successfully prevented billions of unwanted spam messages from reaching customer email boxes since 2001.

ABOUT SPAM ARREST
Spam Arrest LLC is a Seattle-based company that has developed a patent-protected efficient, simple and inexpensive system that stops spam. The company has grown substantially, and
steadily, since its 2001 launch while continuously expanding services and functionality. Spam Arrest continually monitors automated junk email techniques and upgrades automatically as necessary to protect its users. For more information visit http://www.spamarrest.com.

FOR INTERVIEWS OR QUESTIONS:
Derek A. Newman of Newman & Newman by Telephone at +1 206 274 2800 or by
email at Derek@newmanlaw.com

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Sovereign wealth funds' might grows

Patent Troll Victim Bodog Entertainment Group, S.A. Seeks to Create New Law Regarding Internet Domain Names

Bodog Entertainment Group, S.A., recent patent troll victim, file a key motion in Washington State Court to create a new law regarding internet domain names.

St. John's, Antigua (PRWEB) November 28, 2007 -- In order to have BODOG trademark-bearing domain names returned from seizure, lawyers for defendant Bodog Entertainment Group, S.A. in the ongoing litigation against 1st Technology, LLC (1st Technology, LLC v. Bodog Entertainment Group, S.A ., Superior Court for State of Washington, County of King, Case No. 07-2-25305-0 SEA) are trying to make a new law in the state of Washington.

On Nov. 13, Bodog Entertainment Group, S.A. (which is NOT the operator of BODOG online entertainment businesses or domain names) filed a key motion in Washington state court, where 1st Technology, LLC obtained seizure of numerous domain names incorporating the BODOG and related trademarks asking the court to answer a question which had not yet been answered in Washington law: Are Internet domain names considered "property" that can be subject to seizure to collect on a judgment? For Bodog Entertainment Group, S.A., the answer is a resounding "No."

Specifically, Bodog Entertainment Group filed a motion to have the Washington court reconsider its prior ruling granting a writ of execution which permitted 1st Technology LLC to seize thousands of Internet domain names, including domain names that incorporated BODOG trademarks. Through its lawyers, Bodog Entertainment Group, S.A. points out that there is no previously established case law in the state of Washington which specifically permits Internet domain names to be seized or finds that domain names are "property" that can be seized under Washington law.

Defense team lawyer James Nguyen, an entertainment, intellectual property and Internet law specialist at Foley & Lardner LLP, explains, "This is a new legal issue triggered by the emergence of Internet technology." Because there are no current legal decisions in Washington about this important issue, the defending legal team is asking the Washington judge to look to established law in the state of Virginia, which holds that domain names should not be subject to seizure. The state of Virginia is an appropriate jurisdiction for legal reference, because the second largest domain name registrar in North America, Network Solutions, is located in Virginia. Virginia courts thus have considerable experience with Internet domain name legal issues.

Furthermore, Nguyen points out that "in a number of jurisdictions, trademarks are not considered assets that are subject to seizure." Likewise, Bodog Entertainment Group, S.A.'s legal team argues that domain names which incorporate the BODOG and related trademarks cannot be transferred, because those domain names could not be used by a third party (such as anyone who might purchase the domain name through an Internet auction) without infringing on BODOG trademarks. As Bodog Entertainment Group, S.A.'s motion argues, "If a court does not have the power to permit seizure of trademarks, it likewise should not have the power to seize or transfer domain names which contain those trademarks."

This issue potentially has far-reaching consequences. A decision in favor of Bodog Entertainment Group, S.A. would benefit trademark and domain name owners all across cyberspace.

"The company in court from whom our domains were seized has never done any business in the U.S. nor was aware of being served or that a subsequent default judgment had been issued in their absence. The company is now a defunct ex-supplier of data entry and domain management services to Bodog. Bodog is still and has always been the beneficiary of the BODOG domain names. We are confident that the defendant's legal team can articulate these facts in addition to
convincing the Washington judge to take consideration of established Virginia law with regards to domain names. This is a groundbreaking case in the muddy waters of Internet law, and we are confident that we have many aspects in our favor to potentially solidify some clarity on this issue and have our domains returned to us," said Bodog Founder Calvin Ayre.

The motion was filed on Nov. 13 in the case 1st Technology, LLC v. Bodog Entertainment Group, S.A., Superior Court for State of Washington, County of King, Case No. 07-2-25305-0 SEA, and is currently under consideration before the Honorable John Erlick.

About Bodog
Bodog, with its head office located in Antigua, is licensed in the United Kingdom and Antigua. Bodog Entertainment Founder Calvin Ayre, recognized as a world authority on branding in digital entertainment, was featured on the cover of Forbes magazine's best-selling 2006 "Billionaires" issue. Bodog (www.bodoglife.com) offers a host of entertainment services, comprising: online gaming which includes Poker, Casino and a host of other gaming products; an international record label, Bodog Music; a million-dollar band search competition and accompanying TV series, Bodog Battle; a publishing division (with an online magazine, Bodog Nation, and blog, Bodog Beat; and an international television division, Bodog TV which produces reality series, such as Bodog Fight and Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker. For more information, contact Media Relations at pr@bodoglife.com. BODOG is a registered trademark. The Bodog brand is operated for gaming in North America by Morris Mohawk Gaming Group under License.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Rain delays holiday travelers going home

California Attorney Launches Blog Dedicated to Trade Secrets Law for Informing and Assisting Business Owners and Individuals

California Attorney Benjamin C. Johnson has launched a blog dedicated to informing the public about Trade Secrets law at www.TheTradeSecretsBlog.com. The blog will be providing pertinent information relating to Trade Secrets Law, tracking development of Trade Secrets law and litigation, and offering practical advice to business owners on how to best protect their Trade Secrets.

Santa Monica, CA Bluehost) November 28, 2007 -- California Attorney Benjamin C. Johnson has launched a blog dedicated to informing the public about Trade Secrets law at www.TheTradeSecretsBlog.com. The blog will be providing pertinent information relating to Trade Secrets Law, tracking development of Trade Secrets law and litigation, and offering practical advice to business owners on how to best protect their Trade Secrets.

Many business owners have confidential and proprietary information which they know they should protect but have no idea how such protection is acquired or what steps they should take to protect the information. Not knowing how to protect such critical information, or making mistakes when protecting such critical information, can lead to the loss of any protection to which your confidential information might otherwise be entitled. Such costly mistakes or omissions might destroy the entire business when, for example, an employee resigns to accept work for a competitor taking your confidential information with them. The time to enact a Trade Secrets Protection Plan is right now, not when you find out that your Trade Secrets have been stolen. You can access a free report on the "5 Biggest Mistakes Businesses Make Protecting Trade Secrets" by visiting the blog.

www.TheTradeSecretsBlog.com is envisioned as a resource where business owners, individuals and others can find information relating to basic Trade Secrets law, the definition of a Trade Secret, the various statutory authorities for the protection of Trade Secrets, practical advice regarding Trade Secret Protection Plans, free reports regarding Trade Secrets, and various forms relating to the protection of Trade Secrets such as confidentiality agreements and non-disclosure agreements. Of course, there is no substitute for legal advice about any business owner's particular situation and specific facts--anyone using the blog should understand that no attorney-client relationship is created.

About Benjamin C. Johnson, Esq.:
Benjamin C. Johnson is an attorney practicing with the Boesch Law Group in Santa Monica, California (www.boeschlawgroup.com) and focuses his legal practice on Trade Secrets protection strategies and Trade Secrets litigation for medium-sized businesses. Mr. Johnson believes that a strong Trade Secrets protection plan can prevent others from appropriating your Trade Secrets and undermining your competitive advantage in the marketplace. For more information, visit www.TheTradeSecretsBlog.com, or to schedule a free consultation call 1-310-578-7881.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Moving Blind: Pre-Retirees May Overlook Healthcare Costs When Relocating

PS|Ship™ Adds New Functionality to Shipping Software

PS|Ship™, a division of Lynch Marks and the leading provider of shipping automation tools for professional services firms including more than 60 of the AMLAW 200 firms, today announced new features and functionality for the PS|Ship™ suite of software products.

Albany, CA (PRWEB) November 28, 2007 -- PS|Ship™, a division of Lynch Marks and the leading provider of shipping automation tools for professional services firms including more than 60 of the AMLAW 200 firms, today announced new features and functionality for the PS|Ship™ suite of software products.

PS|Shop™, a new price shopping module, allows users to quickly and easily shop for the lowest shipping rates and fastest delivery times available. PS|Shop™ displays all available service levels and shipping fees in a simple and easy-to-understand matrix, allowing users to select the best available option to meet the particular shipping need.

An upgraded PS|Ship EDI/Invoice Server also is available, now supporting formats from DHL, UPS and EDI x12 compliant local couriers in addition to the software's prior support of FedEx invoices. The new EDI/Invoice Server also includes many new features and enhancements including batch processing, improved searching and sorting functions, and enhanced reporting capabilities.

Finally, PS|Ship™ Label Server now supports additional USPS shipping options, extending the software's existing support for USPS Certified Mail™ to include USPS Express®, Priority® and Registered™ mail processing and cost recovery. PS|Ship's fully integrated billing validation and tracking capabilities are also available for these services.

"We are constantly striving to add more features to PS|Ship's products to make the end-users' experience even better," said Peter Marks, Founder and CEO of PS|Ship. "These new upgrades will make the software even easier to use and help law firms recover 85+ percent of all shipping charges, which even in this day and age can still be a big part of a firm's expenses."

PS|Ship™'s products automate and simplify the entire shipping cycle by linking a firm's contact management data, shipping vendor services and billing systems through a single, unified, Web-based interface. The PS|Ship™ Label Server allows the user to add contact information, allocate charges to a client and matter, generate a shipping label, track shipments, and more. PS|Ship™'s Invoice Server allows the firm's accounting staff to reconcile all shipping bills in one location, increasing cost recovery while reducing turn-around time on cost allocation and preparing client billings. A reporting function quickly generates complete reports required to justify all shipping related expenditures.

About PS|Ship™:
PS|Ship™ is a product of Lynch Marks, L.L.C., a leader in providing technology solutions and consulting to the professional services industry. The PS|Ship™ suite of modules (Label Server and EDI/Invoice Server) streamline the entire shipping process by integrating internal data/systems with the global providers -- including FedEx, UPS, DHL and USPS -- and local couriers from the point a label is created at the desktop to automated accounting and cost recovery. PS|Ship™ is currently used by more than 80,000 legal professionals in more than 60 of the AmLaw 200 law firms. For more information, visit www.psship.com

For more information contact:   
Peter Marks
PS|Ship™
Phone: 510-559-7200
www.psship.com

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Rain delays holiday travelers going home

The Cartwright Law Firm (San Francisco, CA): Partnership Announcement Strengthens Top California Personal Injury Firm

Robert E. Cartwright, Jr. and Matthew J. Quinlan have agreed to a partnership at The Cartwright Law Firm, a San Francisco-based personal injury law firm. Robert Cartwright, the firm's founding and managing partner, is widely known as one of the nation's top trial lawyers. Matthew Quinlan, a 2004 law school graduate, is believed to be the youngest partner at an established plaintiff's firm in the state and one of the country's fastest rising plaintiff attorneys. "Our new relationship strengthens what I believe is one of the top trial firms in the country," Cartwright said of his partnership relationship with Quinlan.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 28, 2007 -- Robert E. Cartwright, Jr. has announced that Matthew J. Quinlan has become a partner of The Cartwright Law Firm. The Cartwright Law Firm is a San Francisco-based personal injury law firm that has served families of Northern California for over 50 years. "Our new relationship strengthens what I believe is one of the top trial firms in the country," Robert Cartwright said of his partnership relationship with Matthew Quinlan. According to Matthew Quinlan (pictured), "it really just memorializes the working relationship that Rob and I have had for several years. We work well together and have achieved tremendous results and we wanted to build upon that success into the future." "We have a well-developed plan for our law firm and will continue to assemble the top talent in the country so that we may provide our clients with the best legal representation, which history has shown us yields extraordinary results," said Cartwright.

Robert Cartwright, Jr. is the former President of The Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) and is a regular legal commentator on FOX National News. He is a current member of American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), which is an exclusive group of the nation's top trial lawyers. "I have been helping the 'little guy' for over 25 years and take great pride in making the world a safer place by way of my client's cases," said Robert Cartwright.

The Cartwright Law Firm focuses much of its resources on wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases and has built a national reputation as a tough, aggressive trial firm capable of receiving unprecedented settlements and verdicts. In addition to Cartwright and Quinlan, The Cartwright Law Firm currently has several other talented attorneys that work as Associates or Of Counsel. The Firm also employs an experienced team of paralegals, para-professionals and administrative staff persons. More information on The Cartwright Law Firm can be found at http://www.cartwrightlaw.com

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Moving Blind: Pre-Retirees May Overlook Healthcare Costs When Relocating

Chicago Personal Injury Attorney Offers Free Access to Legal Articles

Clifford Law Offices is offering a series of legal articles based upon real-life cases, free to the public for educational purposes. An example abstract - Introducing Medical Records Without The Physician - is included.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) November 28, 2007 -- Clifford Law Offices is offering a series of legal articles based upon real-life cases, free to the public for educational purposes. An example abstract:

Introducing Medical Records Without The Physician
By Robert A. Clifford

John Paul Troyan suffered a permanent injury to his cervical spine when he was involved in an automobile accident with Dana Reyes in Joliet in 1993. He went immediately to a hospital emergency room, where he was given pain medication and referred to an orthopedic specialist for follow-up treatment. Troyan received prescribed physical therapy at a rehabilitation center, and saw his orthopedic doctor several times. His bills related to the accident amounted to $4,052.38.

Troyan sued Reyes and, following a jury trial, was awarded $359.92 for medical expenses and $2,042.60 for property damage to his car. His lawyer appealed the case on several grounds, including the fact that the trial court admitted only redacted portions of Troyan's three pages of medical records, inasmuch as the physician had died and the rehabilitation specialist could no longer be found.

The plaintiff contended that preventing the jury from seeing his full medical records was misleading and prejudicially impacted his award because, without the complete records, the defendant was allowed to argue that the plaintiff received medical treatment due to his complaints that his neck hurt, not based on any medical exam by a doctor.

Who should see the full medical records?
Click here to see the full article

"We are providing useful legal information such as this because we think it helps people understand their options under the law", says Robert A Clifford, Founder.

The original articles are also available at
Chicago Law Bulletin website

About Clifford Law Offices
Clifford Law Offices is ranked one of the top Chicago personal injury law firms. The staff includes an experienced auto accident attorney, car accident lawyer, Chicago accident attorney, Chicago car accident lawyer, medical malpractice attorney, medical malpractice lawyers, spinal cord injury lawyer, and more.

Toll Free: (800) 899-0410
Phone: (312) 899-9090
Fax: (312) 251-1160
Email: TKP @ CliffordLaw.com
Clifford Law Offices

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

See Also

• Give Them What They Really Want This Year: A Smaller Mortgage