Brayton Purcel is "Stepping Out to Celebrate Life"

Brayton Purcell is pleased to be a presenting sponsor for "Stepping Out To Celebrate Life," a dinner and dancing event to raise money and awareness for the Breast Cancer Foundation.

San Rafael, CA (PRWEB) October 1, 2007 -- Brayton Purcell is pleased to be a presenting sponsor for "Stepping Out To Celebrate Life," a dinner and dancing event to raise money and awareness for the Breast Cancer Foundation (www.tocelebratelife.org). The festivities at the Marin Civil Center begin with a Cocktail Reception at 5:30, followed by a scrumptious dinner at 7:00. The highlight of the evening will be a premier Fashion Show, featuring models that are breast cancer patients or survivors. You may want to bid on the tempting items offered at the Live Auction. Dance to the music by Pride and Joy! Tickets are $225 and supports local breast cancer organizations. Join us on Saturday, for one of the largest and most glamorous, black tie events in Marin!

This annual event has helped raise money for Bay Area non-profit organizations helping fight breast cancer. They provide grants for support programs, early detection screening, and emotional and educational services. This event will help raise money for these organizations while providing an exciting and engaging experience for everyone! The event will take place at the Marin Civic Center Exhibit Hall, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael; 455-5882. For more information on the event, please visit http://www.tocelebratelife.org/

About Brayton Purcell's Community Activities

Besides sponsoring "Stepping Out To Celebrate Life," Brayton Purcell has been active in local and national causes, supporting groups such as the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the Alzheimer's Association, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization and the Novato Human Needs Center. Local activities have included sponsoring these fundraisers: Labor Day at the Lake, A Night in Tuscany, Human Needs Center's 35th Anniversary, Blow the Whistle on Asthma (American Lung Association), Two Rock & Roll Bike Trek (American Lung Association), Bowl for Kids' Sake (Big Brothers, Big Sisters), and Relay for Life (American Cancer Society). In 2005, Brayton Purcell received awards as Business of the Year from the Rotary Club of Ignacio and from the Novato Chamber of Commerce.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

LawScribe Announces Inaugural Meeting of the International Association of Outsourcing Professional’s Legal Outsourcing Topic Chapter

LawScribe, Inc. announced today that the inaugural meeting of the International Association of Outsourcing Professional's (IAOP) Legal Outsourcing Topic Chapter will be held on Wednesday, November 7, 2007, 11:00 am EST.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 1, 2007 -- LawScribe, Inc., based in Los Angeles, with offices in New York and Gurgaon, India, announced today that the inaugural meeting of the International Association of Outsourcing Professional's (IAOP) Legal Outsourcing Topic Chapter will be held on Wednesday, November 7, 2007, 11:00 am EST. The topic for the first meeting will be: Legal Outsourcing: 2007 and Beyond. Panelists, which will include leading figures from the legal outsourcing industry, the legal profession, and the business process outsourcing world, will provide an overview of the legal outsourcing marketplace in 2007, as well as examine the entry of business process outsourcing companies into the legal process outsourcing marketplace.

The panel will consider the impact on the legal outsourcing industry of the potential liberalization of the Indian legal market to foreign law firms, as well as provide their predictions and analysis of where the offshore legal marketplace is heading and the impact on the market from the inevitable entry of the wider business process outsourcing community.

“Legal Process Outsourcing is a natural progression in the maturation of outsourcing of back office functions. I expect that LPO will be one of the emerging areas and IAOP, through its chapter, will be a key source of information for those looking to explore it,” said Jag Dalal, IAOP’s Managing Director of Thought Leadership.

Mark Ross, U.K. attorney and LawScribe Director added, "There is a compelling need for collaboration between clients, providers and advisors to address the requirements specific to the emerging legal outsourcing industry. There have been a number of calls from within the industry to bring about self-regulation and internal accreditation and quality standards. I believe that by bringing key stakeholders together through appropriate forums such as the IAOP we can help raise the standards and inspire confidence from within the industry."

IAOP members wishing to attend the meeting should email IAOP’s chapter coordinator at amanda.corbett@outsourcingprofessional.org. If you are not yet a member of IAOP and would like to attend the inaugural meeting, click here to request a guest pass. Information on this and other chapters is available on IAOP’s website www.outsourcingprofessional.org or further information about IAOP membership, please contact debi.hamill@outsourcingprofessinal.org.

About LawScribe, Inc: Founded in 2004, LawScribe, Inc. is on of the world's leading Legal Process Outsourcing companies offering innovative, offshore legal support to law firms, corporate legal departments and legal organizations. Kunoor Chopra, a practicing attorney, formerly of Fulbright and Jaworski, LLP is the founder and CEO of the company. For more information visit www.law-scribe.com or email Mark Ross at mross@law-scribe.com.

About the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP): The IAOP is the global standard-setting organization and advocate for the outsourcing profession. Customers, clients, providers and advisors alike join IAOP to access its global professional network and to participate in its ongoing investments in process benchmarking, standards development, training and certification. For more information, go to www.outsourcingprofessional.org.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

Prudential Financial Becomes a Ruby Sponsor of NAMWOLF`s 2007 Annual Meeting

The National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) announced today that Prudential Financial has agreed to sponsor the NAMWOLF 2007 Annual Meeting at the Ruby Sponsor level.

(PRWEB) October 1, 2007 -- The National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) announced today that Prudential Financial has agreed to sponsor the NAMWOLF 2007 Annual Meeting at the Ruby Sponsor level.

"NAMWOLF is very pleased to have Prudential Financial's support for this year's Annual Meeting," said Yolanda Coly, Managing Director of NAMWOLF. "It is encouraging to see Prudential Financial, one of the leading financial product and service providers in the nation, demonstrate its commitment to diversity by supporting our goal of increasing the utilization of minority and women-owned law firms."

Susan Blount, senior vice president and general counsel at Prudential Financial said, "Prudential realizes that a critical component of our success is the high value we have always placed on achieving and leveraging diversity in all our business operations. Our partnership with NAMWOLF gives us an additional opportunity to express and practice our commitment to diversity."

Prudential Financial is focused on helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. The company's businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. The 2007 NAMWOLF Annual Meeting will be held November 6th and 7th at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York. The meeting will include a Law Firm Expo the afternoon of November 7th. The Expo is open to all in-house counsel, at no cost, as an opportunity to develop stronger relationships with NAMWOLF member firms. For more information, please contact us at 414-277-1139.

The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (www.namwolf.org) was founded in June 2001. It is a national trade association comprised of a select group of minority and women-owned law firms who exhibit excellence in the legal profession. The primary aim of the organization is to advocate for the increased utilization of minority and women-owned law firms by major corporations and public entities throughout the United States.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

NAMWOLF Welcomes Prudential Financial as Corporate Sponsor

The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) announced today that Prudential Financial has become a Corporate Sponsor.

(PRWEB) October 1, 2007 -- The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) announced today that Prudential Financial has become a Corporate Sponsor.

"NAMWOLF is pleased to have Prudential Financial join the NAMWOLF family as a Corporate Sponsor," said Yolanda Coly, Managing Director. "It is encouraging to see Prudential Financial, one of the leading financial product and service providers in the nation, demonstrate its commitment to diversity by supporting our goal of increasing the utilization of minority and women-owned law firms. I hope that other corporations will follow suit."

Susan Blount, senior vice president and general counsel at Prudential Financial said, "Prudential realizes that a critical component of our success is the high value we have always placed on achieving and leveraging diversity in all our business operations. Our partnership with NAMWOLF gives us an additional opportunity to express and practice our commitment to diversity."

Prudential Financial is focused on helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. The company's businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services.

About NAMWOLF:
The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (www.namwolf.org) was founded in June 2001. It is a national trade association comprising a select group of minority and women-owned law firms who exhibit excellence in the legal profession. The primary aim of the organization is to advocate for the increased utilization of minority and women-owned law firms by major corporations and public entities throughout the United States.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

BigHand Releases Mobility Suite for Instant Remote Digital Dictation

Mobility tools offer efficiency boost via on-the-spot remote working and hardware convergence for professionals.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) October 1, 2007 -- BigHand, the Microsoft Gold Partner specializing in voice productivity, yesterday released a new 'Mobility Suite' at its Annual User Conference 07. The new BigHand3 Mobility Suite provides clients with a bundle of four instant mobility tools that enable networked digital dictation while out of the office: BlackBerry dictation, EmailGateway, Telephony dictation, and Web client.

The BigHand Mobility Suite allows lawyers to immediately connect to their dictation workflow software in the office regardless of where they may be, or the connection type available. Document turnaround times are significantly enhanced through this added flexibility. Furthermore the suite potentially removes the need for every user to carry specialist dictation hardware, and provides an additional cost benefit for the firm. The Mobility Suite contains:

BlackBerry dictation -- allows users using BlackBerry operating system 4.2 (or 4.2.1 on the 8700) to record, edit and playback digital dictations on their BlackBerry smartphone and immediately upload them wirelessly into their BigHand3 Server for flexible workflow routing and office-based completion or transcription. Both BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service architectures are supported

EmailGateway -- enables automated submission of audio recordings as email attachments into the digital dictation system from email systems such as Hotmail or Gmail. The user just requires a computer that has an internet connection, with no need for any BigHand client software. EmailGateway can also be used with Windows Mobile

Telephony dictation -- each lawyer has a personal number and login that allows them to call in dictations via a fixed line or their mobile/cell phone. These voice recordings are automatically routed to the correct assistant and tracked/managed within the workflow management system

Web client -- users can upload voice recordings into the office workflow and review work-in- progress via a normal internet browser or via Windows Mobile.

Director of IT at Lewis Silkin, Jan Durant, commented: "We have implemented the BigHand BlackBerry client with a group of our lawyers and found that the productivity enhancement from the instant delivery of dictations back into the office workflow is a major benefit. As we were one of the earliest firms to install the software the input of our lawyers has gone directly back into its ongoing development -- for example, we have helped suggest and refine some advanced features that will help users who produce a large amount of dictation. That way the transition away from a professional recording device is easier, and convergence to a BlackBerry becomes more of an option for the firm as a whole. We were delighted to work so closely with BigHand on what seems to be a 'first' for the digital dictation market."

Victoria Cumming, IT Manager at Bentleys Stokes & Lowless, added: "We were one of BigHand's very first digital dictation users back in 2001, and given the benefit that their software has provided the firm over that period we were more than happy to also be an early mover onto BlackBerry Dictation. Our lawyers have found being able to dictate on a BlackBerry extremely valuable, enabling a much faster turnaround on work recorded when out of the office, and the firm is set to realize savings when we no longer have to supply each person with two devices for remote working."

Steve Butterworth, CEO & President of BigHand, Inc describes: "Mobility is an area we are seeing law firms increasingly focus on, with our voice tools enabling greater connectivity and expediting document production while on the move. Turning your BlackBerry into a dictation device will also save law firm budgets as lawyers will not need to carry two devices for out of the office dictation. But most importantly, due to the immediate transfer of voice back to the office, legal documents are being provided to clients quicker than ever. Together with the other mobility tools in the BigHand suite, such as EmailGateway, our clients are set for a new level of 'on-the-go' productivity."

For more information on BigHand Digital Dictation software visit: http://www.bighand.com/digitaldictation/bighandsoftwareoverview.html

About BigHand:
A Microsoft Gold Partner based out of Chicago, London and Sydney BigHand is the leading digital dictation vendor in the global professional services sector, maintaining the five largest sites at international law firms and with more legal installations in total than all other suppliers combined. BigHand3 was nominated as "Best of Breed System of the Year" at the Legal Technology Awards 2007. BigHand was named as the fastest growing legal software developer in The Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 league tables for both 2006 and 2005. BigHand was also recognized by Deloitte as one of the 500 fastest growing software vendors in Europe in 2006. Additionally BigHand was voted "Best Legal Office Technology System 2004" from votes from over 14,000 lawyers and IT managers across the legal sector at the LOTIE Awards. BigHand's leading product also won the Society for Computers & Law IT Award in 2003 for "the most outstanding application of information technology to the law". Further information is available at http://www.bighand.com

BigHand is a BlackBerry ISV Partner. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties of and trademarks or registered trademarks of Research In Motion Limited - used by permission.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

LIMRA and CFM Partners Ally to Help Broker-Dealers Tackle Tough Compliance Challenges

LIMRA Expertise and Access Compliance™ combine to help companies develop and implement effective strategies, policies and procedures for today's regulatory environment.

Washington, D.C.; Windsor, CT (PRWEB) October 1, 2007 -- CFM Partners and LIMRA International today announced the formation of a new strategic alliance to provide online compliance solutions to LIMRA members. Now broker-dealers can leverage LIMRA’s compliance expertise and CFM’s web-based technology, Access Compliance™, to develop, communicate, and manage policies and procedures for regulatory compliance.

“Communicating policies and procedures, especially for those working in independent and broker-dealer settings, is a major compliance challenge,” said Tom Caraher, LIMRA’s vice president and director of Compliance and Regulatory Services. “Access Compliance helps meet this challenge, improve understanding, and reduce risk.”

LIMRA’s compliance consulting team works with companies to develop policies and procedures geared to meeting regulatory requirements efficiently and effectively. The entire process of authoring, reviewing and sign-off can occur directly on Access Compliance’s central platform. Following development, Access Compliance makes policies and procedures available online to employees 24/7, in an interactive, educational format.

Beth Murphy, president and CEO of CFM Partners, noted “LIMRA’s team of experienced compliance professionals and CFM’s Access Compliance provide a seamless approach to the development and rollout of policies and procedures to ensure that policies not only meet regulatory requirements, but are optimally integrated into the company’s business practices.”

Access Compliance is a full-featured, online solution that addresses management, distribution and employee education in policies and procedures. It combines patent-pending e-learning functionality, integrated comprehension testing, automated workflows, documentation and reporting to provide financial services companies with unprecedented ability to manage compliance effectively.

Access Compliance was developed to help reduce risk of non-compliance, while improving employee productivity and morale. Additional benefits include:

• Audience-appropriate information — Access Compliance’s “Push-to-Profile” feature ensures that each employee receives the information that is relevant to their role and responsibilities, taking the guesswork out of policy and procedure dissemination, while facilitating learning.
• Plain English communication, enhanced by meaningful examples – CFM Partners takes exceptional care to ensure that policies and procedures are presented as clearly as possible.
• Detailed reporting — Reporting and documentation capabilities fulfill an important requirement of outside regulators by generating a detailed, up-to-the-minute “audit trail” of employee dissemination, review and comprehension.
• Cost-effective, high-quality policy and procedure management:

–   Eliminates the need to pull employees off- task for classroom training
–   Requires no specialized trainers or facilities
–   Makes no demands on existing Information Technology resources
–   Does not require special end-user technology – an Internet connection is all that is needed
–   Demands no installation or maintenance – can be fully hosted by CFM, providing users with 24/7 availability

About CFM Partners
CFM Partners is a compliance and risk management education firm based in Washington. D.C. CFM develops, hosts, and supports the worldwide Financial Services industry’s most sophisticated and comprehensive Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC) education solutions. CFM solutions set the standard for high quality, audience-appropriate knowledge delivery and information management. Many of the world’s most successful financial service organizations turn to CFM for Policy and Procedure Management and GRC learning solutions. Further information is available by visiting www.cfmpartners.com.

About LIMRA International
LIMRA International is a worldwide research, consulting, and performance improvement organization that helps more than 800 insurance and financial services companies in 60 countries increase their marketing and distribution effectiveness. Further information is available by visiting www.limra.com.

(c) 2007 CFM Partners, Inc. All rights reserved. CFM Partners and Access Compliance are trademarks of CFM Partners Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACTS:
Melissa Macaulay Federico
For CFM Partners
508-359-9800

Howard Drescher
For LIMRA International
860-285-7875

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law

`Blue, Bunny,` Spoof of Vincent Gallo`s `Brown Bunny,` Yanked From Youtube; Cush Asks If Copyright Claim Masks Fear of Satire

Trailer for L.A. filmmaker Cush's film taken off popular video site after Gallo's complaint; satirist insists parody short skewering indie cinema is clear example of fair use.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 1, 2007 -- "Blue, Bunny," a short film by Cush, tells the story of an indie filmmaker who attempts to get an actress to engage in a certain intimate act in front of the camera -- assuring her that it's all in the name of art.

If that scenario sounds familiar, it's because such a scene made Vincent Gallo's film "The Brown Bunny" notorious. Gallo, the writer-director, also portrayed the character on the receiving end of said act.

L.A. filmmaker Cush, AKA Jim Cushinery, decided to create a playful satire imagining what might go on behind the scenes in a fictionalized version of such a production.

In "Blue, Bunny," ingénue Corey has landed her breakout role in the latest opus written, produced, directed by and starring bad-boy auteur Vic Salvestrin.

Early one shooting morning, Corey discovers that Vic has made changes to the script -- changes that require her to go far beyond the call of duty in her role as Iris, the love interest of Buck (played, coincidentally, by Vic). The young, naïve actress struggles to find her personal and professional boundaries as Vic attempts to manipulate her into a very compromising position.

Proud of his film, Cush posted a trailer to promote it on YouTube -- and on Sept. 25 was stunned to learn in an email from YouTube that a complaint from Gallo had resulted in the trailer being pulled from the popular video site. The trailer's YouTube webpage now displays a notice that the video is "no longer available due to a copyright claim by Vincent Gallo."

"It's a joke, because 'Blue, Bunny' is as clear an example of fair use as could possibly be imagined," Cush points out. "Satire has been protected as such in several landmark legal decisions*. Without that protection, there would be no Simpsons, Mad Magazine, Saturday Night Live or countless other classic parodies."

Cush has asked YouTube to allow the trailer to be reposted, but the site had not responded to his request at the time of this release. In the meantime, he invites indie-film fans and lovers of free speech to visit the "Blue, Bunny" page on MySpace.com/bluebunnymovie

*According to Wikipedia: Although a parody can be considered a derivative work under United States Copyright Law, it can be protected under the fair use doctrine, which is codified in 17 USC § 107. The Supreme Court of the United States stated that parody "is the use of some elements of a prior author's composition to create a new one that, at least in part, comments on that author's works." That commentary function provides some justification for use of the older work. See Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.
In 2001, the United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, in Suntrust v. Houghton Mifflin, upheld the right of Alice Randall to publish a parody of Gone with the Wind called The Wind Done Gone, which told the same story from the point of view of Scarlett O'Hara's slaves, who were glad to be rid of her.

Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law