Court Filings, Decisions and Legal Articles : JD Supra : Cases, Briefs, Documents, Forms

Here's a round-up of some of our the newest members who started sharing their work on JD Supra this past week:

	Levin & Perconti - a Chicago  "law firm concentrating in all types of personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death litigation . . . Levin & Perconti has recovered more than $250 million in verdicts and settlements for [their] clients, many of them in high-profile cases that received national media attention."
	Richard Farkas - whose firm, "based in Sherman Oaks, California, is a practice engaged in general civil, commercial and corporate litigation in all California State and Federal Courts, business planning, insurance and computer law. The firm has been actively involved in complex, multi-party business litigation, civil appeals (State and Federal), as well as wrongful termination, business organization and maintenance, and commercial and corporate transactions."
	Ellyn Law LLP - "a Toronto business litigation, commercial litigation, shareholder litigation and enforcement judgments."  The firm is "a member of the International Network of Boutique Law Firms (INBLF) and of the Association of European Lawyers, a global legal network with more than 400 legal offices."
	William Walzer - "head of the Real Estate practice at Roy P. Kozupsky & Associates, LLP. The firm negotiates and documents sophisticated real estate matters, including sales and acquisitions, financing, construction anddevelopment, retail, office and industrial leasing, property management and multi-party, tax-deferred exchanges.
	Kenneth Fink of Cheriff & Fink, PC - a New York firm that "offers a wide array of legal services including civil litigation, real estate, corporate and business law, estate planning, and entertainment law." The firm "is driven by the twin guiding principles of providing effective professional representation and establishing and maintaining long lasting attorney-client relationships."
	PCT Law Group, PLLC - a law firm with offices in Washington, D.C. and McLean, Virginia. The firm's "practice focuses on providing legal counsel and representation in the complimentary core areas of: Corporate, Intellectual Property and Litigation.
	Simons & Wiskin - a New Jersey firm that "concentrates its practice in the area of customs, export, international trade and related transactional law.
	Teresa R. Martin - owner of a "New York based Real Estate, Bankruptcy and Foreclosure Defense Firm representing purchasers, sellers and investors in all aspects of the real estate transactions including asset protection and litigation. Additional service areas include credit restoration and real estate education and consulting services."
	Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC - a Washington state firm which provides "legal counsel and representation for businesses - small and large, privately-held and public, domestic and international."

So many of our contributors have interesting and distinguished histories. Here are just a few of them:

J. Hue Henry - "Some highlights of Mr. Henry's appellate practice include a case of first impression establishing a client's right to access his attorney's files, and other cases of first impression recognizing torts in Georgia for embracery (jury tampering) and breach of hospital bylaws. The appellate decisions resolving those issues are posted on this site [JD Supra]."

Thomas H. Clarke, Jr., Senior Partner at Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentley - who previously served as Principal Consultant (Chief of Staff) to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and worked for President Carter in the Executive Office of the President, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

Michael Hamden - former executive director of North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services and co-editor, The Law & Policy of Sentencing & Corrections (7th ed. WestLaw American Case Law Series, 2005).

Gary B. Freidman, partner at  Greenfield Stein & Senior, LLP - former appellate law assistant to the Justices of the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court, Second Judicial Department.

G. William Hubbard of Hubbard Business Counsel - formerly an infantry officer in the U.S. Army in Berlin and, after law school, as a Staff Judge Advocate in Augsburg, Germany, where he prosecuted more than 100 courts-martial and managed the law office. Author and co-author of numerous publications in his field of practice, as business legal counsel to primarily closely held corporations.

Kristen Patty - legal ghost writer who clerked for for the Hon. James A. Pusateri of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas in Topeka.

Jay Bernstein of Kirsch, Gelband, & Stone - former legal clerk for the Ministry of Justice, State of Israel, in Jerusalem, and original founding member of the NJ Mass Disaster Legal Response Program, which has served families of the 9/11 Terror attack, and hurricane and flood victims in the region, giving free legal aid and services.

Jimmy L. Verner, partner at Verner & Brumley - former law clerk to the Honorable William C. Keady, Chief Judge, United States District Court, Northern District of Mississippi.

Stephen J. Hyland -  appointed by Governor Jon Corzine to the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission, for which he is the Secretary. He was also appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court to serve a two-year term on the Family Practice Committee of the Administrative Office of the Courts. In December 2007, Mr. Hyland was honored with a Distinguished Legislative Services Award by the New Jersey State Bar Association Board of Trustees.

David Newdorf of the San Francisco City Attorney's Office - earlier in his career took a one-year hiatus  to clerk for Judge Charles A. Legge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Michael W. Dolan - former law clerk to Judge Catherine B. Kelly, District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

We are pleased to announce (for those of you who may have missed it) that The New York Times covered JD Supra and our contributors in an article entitled "Lawyers Open Their File Cabinets for a Web Resource" in the Business section of yesterday's paper.

The article featured a great picture of JD Supra contributor Mitchell Matorin, as well as comments about the site and its benefits from Mitchell, Marc Stern, and Elena Garella. It brought lots of new visitors to the site, many of whom joined our growing community of contributors, sharing court filings, decisions, and articles on diverse subjects of use to all of us. (Keep an eye out for an upcoming roundup of new contributors and documents). 

As the Times article noted, JD Supra:

• helps people who want more background on a legal issue, or who would like to find and contact lawyers with expertise in a particular area;
  
• provides a resource of lawyers (who can search the database for work by other legal professionals involved in similar cases).

And, not surprisingly, yesterday many more visitors searched the JD Supra documents and profiles for information about the law and the people behind it. Not surprisingly, the contributors who have shared the most documents received the most exposure.

We are keenly aware that JD Supra is only as good as the lawyers who participate and the content they share. The many visitors who emailed us over the past 48 hours, clearly found the site useful and the content compelling.

For example, a company seeking a class action firm to file suit relating to the mortgage crises wrote:

"Thanks for setting up this service. It will certainly help all who need access to legal expertise and opinions"

Another, who was seeking an attorney for advice on changing his estate plan wrote:

"I want to find an attorney with a specialty in estate planning, but one I can first research on your database. Thank you."

And yet another wrote:

"This is very close to the best thing that can be done for the public and for clients and lawyers in the US."

So, from the entire team at JD Supra, please accept our most sincere THANK YOU to all of you who have crafted such professional profiles and shared your high quality work!

JD Supra founding contributor, Havkins, Rosefeld, Ritzert & Varriale, recently opened a new office in White Plains, New York. They wanted everyone to know about it, and, especially, to get the word out about the partner leading their new office - Tara Fappiano.  Sure, they issued a press release. But HRRV didn't stop there. They also created a JD Supra profile for Tara, listing the new office location, and posting documents (an article and decision) that demonstrate Tara's experience and success in her practice area of insurance defense for construction accidents. 

Smart. Long after the buzz generated by the press release dies down,Tara's JD Supra profile and her growing record of documents will continue to announce the existence of HRRV's White Plains office.

Congratulations to HRRV and to Tara Fappiano on their new office and their marketing savvy.

Here's a roundup of some of the newest members of the legal community to join JD Supra. We're pleased to say, they continue to add to the  wonderful diversity of our group:

Nina Kallen - "a civil litigator in Massachusetts since 1994. She has particular knowledge on insurance coverage issues, and represents claimants, insureds, and insurers in disputes over motor vehicle, homeowners', and general liability insurance policies. She also represents parties in personal injury lawsuits. In addition, as "the lawyer's lawyer" she drafts briefs for other attorneys on a subcontract basis."

Studio legale Tedioli - a law firm "located in Mantova (Italy), offering services for matters including debt collection, bankruptcy proceedings and liquidations, contract law, and international purchase law."

Roberts & Roberts - "a civil law firm in Bell County, Texas.  The firm's clients include municipalities, financial institutions, title companies, builders, developers, property management companies, and a wide range of professionals, as well as many other leading businesses in the local economy."

Douglas Lytle - "a member of Duckor Spradling Metzger & Wynne’s commercial litigation practice group in San Diego, California. Doug’s practice emphasizes litigation involving claims of fraud, unfair competition, trademark and service mark infringement, false advertising, defamation, misappropriation of trade secrets, and related claims, as well as disputes arising from the purchase and sale of real property."

Robert Kraft of Kraft & Associates - a Dallas, Texas Personal Injury, Social Security Disability, and Immigration law firm.

Charron Favell Anctil LLP - "a well-established labor relations and employment law firm in British Columbia, Canada. The firm is known for providing practical legal advice in the areas of labor relations, employment law and human rights. "

JD Supra contributor Scott Riddle recently shared this decision by Judge Thomas Agresti of the Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania in the Scoop section of JD Supra.  And the document certainly is Scoop-worthy.

In his decision, Judge Agresti ruled that the U.S. Trustee has the standing and power to investigate a creditor (in this case, Countrywide) - and not only regarding the specifics of the particular bankrupt debtor, but also the creditor's policies and procedures relating to bankruptcy claims. Though I am not a bankruptcy expert, this decision appears to be the first of its kind, and quite provocative.

Here is what  Brian McCaffrey of Leffler, Marcus & McCaffrey, LLC had to say about it:

This is the tip of the iceberg. It is ironic, and, personally pleasing, that the constituencies that shoved this amendment to the bankruptcy code down the throat of a compliant and complicit Congress are now squealing because the Courts are appropriately saying that fraud by anyone, whether creditor or debtor, is an issue of national concern. The Trustee not only has the authority to investigate Countrywide, but the obligation to look for assets of the bankruptcy estate - which may well include a claim against Countrywide for predatory lending practices. 

And bankruptcy attorney Marc Stern's reaction:

It's about time the U.S. Trustee's office did what it was intended to do - oversee the bankruptcy system and investigate fraud by not only debtors, but creditors, as well - who are some of the worst perpetrators. Most debtors do not have the resources to pursue these kinds of claims. Until now, the U.S. Trustee's office was basically a super-collection agency working for creditors. I am glad the judge did his job.

What are your thoughts about this decision? We'd love to hear them.

 At JD Supra we like the term content marketing. It describes one key service of our user-generated legal research directory. Lawyers and members of the legal community share their content in order to build the directory (briefs, articles, decisions, filings) - and as a result they're able to market themselves to anyone using the directory by calling attention to one of the most compelling pieces of marketing material available to them, their product, their expertise, the written evidence of their daily work.

But, there's more to it. You - not just your legal documents - are part of the story. Undoubtedly you've seen it written in other ways in the marketing books and on blogs ("You are your own brand!"). At JD Supra, think of it like this: via your professional profile, you are your first piece of content in content marketing. (Consider that the profile is not just available to visitors at JDSupra.com; often it is also what people see when they, to borrow a phrase, "Google" you.)

Meaning? Take full advantage of your JD Supra profile. Make it human, tell a story, stand out in the crowd. Definitely include your academic and professional accreditations, your employment history, your publications, your professional successes - referrals and prospective clients will want to see all of this information - but also use the page to paint the whole picture. Describe how you make a difference, how you made a difference. Don't just give your title; explain your role. (And if you are part of a large firm with a single presence on JD Supra, stand up and create your very own profile.)

There is no single way to do this. Quoted from active JD Supra profiles, here are a few varied examples of the kind of extra language we think makes a difference:

"Some of my cases involve representing petitioners and aliens where the CIS has denied (or revoked its approval of) a petition, and who are advised by the agency that 'there is no appeal from this decision.' It has been my pleasure to prove them wrong on several occasions."
- Edward Reisman

"A law firm founded by six Muslim women, they realized, was likely a first in the nation, and indeed, their investigation confirmed their suspicions. Carrying this banner and their passion for the law, the partners understood that they were paving a new path for future Muslim women, providing society an example ... and giving hope to a community ..."
- Amal Law Group

"Hagan’s research continues to fuse crime and justice issues, examining the projection of human rights advocacy in an era characterized by the increasing perpetration of war crimes. His current work on Darfur argues that criminology has too long neglected crimes against humanity and genocide, 'the crime of crimes.'"
- John Hagan

How are you telling your story?

JD Supra contributors were busy sharing their insightful newsletters and articles last month.  Here's a roundup of some of the most popular recent posts:

• Patent Happenings, the monthly newsletter of Latimer, Mayberry & Matthews IP Law LLP, providing in-depth analysis of judicial, legislative, and administrative developments in patent law. (April 1, 2008, issue is available here.)
  
• Monthly articles from Lane Powell PC covering breaking developments in the firm's diverse practice areas including insurance, environmental law, taxation, health, finance & banking, construction law, labor & employment, and a host of other subjects.
• Immigration Law Alerts - regular alerts, advisories, and updates, from the Mintz Levin Immigration Group.
• SecuritiesBrief Spring 2008 - one of the many securities updates and intellectual property law articles (including InBrief and others) published by Lang Michener LLP. 
• An article on the Writer's Guild Strike discussing the resolution and its legal implications, by Troy Gould entertainment law attorney, Jonathan Handel.
•  MoFo Tax Talk, a timely new publication from Morrison & Foerster.
  

Recently the Electronic Privacy Information Center joined the ranks at JD Supra. To learn more about this public interest group, please visit their profile page. One of EPIC's first posted documents was a Complaint for Injunctive Relief challenging the Federal Trade Commission in its actions to do with the Google-Doubleclick merger (for more details, download the document here.) The Complaint was tagged as newsworthy and as a result appeared in our Hot Document section - JD Supra's media source of the latest newsworthy filings (also available via RSS feed).

Within two hours of uploading, Executive Director Marc Rotenberg was on the phone with someone from the National Law Journal, who had found the Complaint on JD Supra. (We learned this from Mr. Rotenberg, who emailed us a note of thanks.) The result: a mention in the NLJ's IN BRIEF for March 24, 2008, titled "Suit centers on possible conflict in Google deal." (The piece is available here with paid NLJ subscription.)

That, in a nutshell, is JD Supra's Hot Documents section at work. If you are uploading something that deserves media attention, we encourage you to tag it as a "Hot Document."  And, before you prepare document summaries with the media in mind, be sure to read Jordan Furlong's writing tips on the subject. Give content. Get noticed.

Tomorrow: Content marketing with consumers in mind. What's the real question you should be asking yourself?

JD Supra is happy to announce the arrival of two new contributors, each a luminary in the legal marketing field and, despite the following short biographies, really in no need of an introduction:

Often described as the grandfather (and godfather) of Internet legal marketing, Gregory Siskind is the founder of Siskind Susser Bland, one of the largest immigration law firms in North America. He is also a co-founder of Visalaw International - the Global Immigration Law Alliance - and works with many of the world's top immigration specialists assisting companies and individuals to relocate anywhere in the world. Mr. Siskind is the very definition of an early adapter and has leveraged the power of content marketing via online technologies for more than a decade. The Siskind Susser Bland site, launched in June, 1994, "was the first immigration law firm web site and one of the very first law firm web sites in any category." The firm was also the first to distribute their newsletters using listserv and one the first to serve clients via Internet voice and video conferencing. Mr. Siskind is the author of, among other publications, The Lawyers Guide to Marketing on the Internet. You can read his blog here.

Bruce W. Marcus is a pioneer in law firm and professional services marketing. He is the publisher and editor of the online publication The Marcus Letter and the blog, The Marcus Perspective. His writing has appeared in major business, professional, and financial publications, and he has been a regular columnist for several Microsoft industry pages. Mr. Marcus has been a speech writer for many of the Fortune 500 companies, and major national political figures, including Robert Kennedy and Senator Jacob Javits, and was the author of a major report for President Carter. As a marketing consultant and strategic market planner, he has served a diversified clientele that includes most of the Big Four accounting firms and their predecessors, and many major law firms. It is always an extraordinary pleasure to read precise thinking well captured by precise writing - Mr. Marcus typifies the very best of such precision. Be careful: start with just one of his excellent newsletters (available here) and you will find yourself sucked in and thoroughly enjoying them all.

[The above passages borrow language from their respective JD Supra profiles, as well as www.visalaw.com.]

Here's a roundup of some of the newest members of the legal community to join JD Supra. We're proud to say that they create a wonderfully diverse group:

Electronic Privacy Information Center - a public interest research center in Washington, D.C., established in 1994 to focus attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values and to promote the Public Voice in decisions concerning the future of the Internet.

Immigration Legal Counsel, LLC - the firm's president, Sonia Munoz, is a multi-lingual attorney admitted to the Florida Bar with experience in litigation and legal counsel, research and writing in both the private sector and the judicial system. Ms. Munoz has worked as a political analyst with top secret clearance from the CIA; resided and worked in the European Union and for the International Court of The Hague; co-authored a bench book regarding International law and its application and effects on domestic hearings. Barred in several courts.

Hodes, Pessin & Katz, P.A. - with offices in Towson, Columbia, Bel Air, Bethesda and Cambridge, Maryland, HPK’s attorneys are experienced in more than twenty practice areas including corporate law, litigation, environmental, insurance and wealth preservation, to employment, elder law, real estate, white collar criminal defense, and intellectual property and patent law.

Kimbro Legal Services, LLC - a completely virtual law office powered by Virtual Law Office Technology (VLOTECH). The technology is a secure, hosted, software as a service (SaaS) application. Focuses on estate planning, small business assistance and some family law services. Principal: Stephanie Kimbro.

 Melody A. Kramer - Ms. Kramer began her career as Deputy Public Defender in rural Columbus, Nebraska, but soon returned to Lincoln to open her own law firm specializing in criminal defense, juvenile law, and general civil litigation. Never deterred by seeming impossibilities, Ms. Kramer has taken on challenging, sometimes seemingly unwinable cases, with a marked level of success. (Co-founder of the National Association of Freelance Legal Professionals.)

Amal Law Group,  LLC - an Illinois-based law firm law founded (and run) by six Muslim women with diverse ethnic backgrounds including African American, Arab, South Asian and European American. Areas of practice include civil rights,commercial law & contracts , family law, immigration law, real estate, estate planning, and more.

To our latest and members and all of you we say, again: thank you for participating!

One of our newest contributors, the Electronic Privacy Information Center ("EPIC"), is sharing some very Scoop-worthy filings, including the complaint it filed today seeking documents about the federal government's role in an effort to limit accountability of state "Fusion Centers."   According to EPIC, the Virginia Fusion Center is  a database that collects detailed information on ordinary citizens. The Virginia legislature is considering a bill that would limit Virginia's open government and privacy statutes, as well as Virginia's common law right of privacy, for Virginia agencies connected to the Fusion Center - thereby shrouding it in secrecy.

EPIC  had previously submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Virginia State Police for records relating to the Fusion Center.  EPIC's FOIA request focused on the possible role of the US Department of Justice and the US Department of Homeland Security in the development of the Virginia legislation. The Virginia State Police refused to comply with the request, apparently on the grounds that these documents (correspondence and communications between the Police Department and the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice about e.g. the Fusion Center's funding and development) were "relevant to the identification of criminal activity" among other things.

Sign up to JD Supra's RSS Feed for simultaneous access to new filings as this case progresses, and visit EPIC's Information Fusion Centers and Privacy page to learn more about Fusion Centers and the work that EPIC is doing.

JD Supra contributor, Patrick Barone, has been steadily posting filings, decisions, and articles related to his specialty - drunk driving litigation. Today, he posted the March 17, 2008 decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court in the case of State v. Chun. The Court held that the Alcotest was a scientifically reliable way to test alcohol levels for prosecution of defendants under New Jersey's drunk driving laws, and that its results were admissible in court, though the machine contained certain errors that required correction. While Mr. Barone is not involved in this litigation, he is friendly with the lawyers involved - and is certainly an expert on the scientific issues surrounding alcohol level testing.

Mr. Barone received an undergraduate degree in Science and Biology. After law school, he worked as a medical malpractice defense attorney, but then turned his attention to drunk driving defense. According to Mr. Barone, his scientific background enables him to better represent his clients, as drunk driving prosecutions are often rife with troubling scientific issues. These issues are not limited to breath tests but include, among other things, the ankle bracelet known as SCRAM, which purports to measure  alcohol levels through skin perspiration. Mr. Barone will be lecturing on this device at the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association's 15th Annual "Mastering Scientific Evidence in DWI/DUI Cases" on March 27, 2008.

For more information about Patrick Barone, peruse his JD Supra profile and documents, and visit his website.
 

Marc Stern recently wrote that JD Supra takes lawyer marketing into the 21st century. Well, there's no question that our contributors live and work in the here-and-now. Just look at these smart (one might even say hip) profile portraits for proof of that:

Not your grandfather's legal directory.

[From top left to bottom right, these JD Supra members are: Scott Riddle, Ekaterina Schoenefeld, Connie Crosby, Dan Canon, Faith L. Charles, Robert Chilvers, Janet H. Moore, and Lisa Solomon.]

When Seattle Center implemented rules prohibiting park performers from engaging in free speech activities without first obtaining a permit, and limiting the locations in which they could perform,  sole practitioner and JD Supra contributor Elena Garella stepped in. The District Court agreed with Elena and local performer, Magic Mike, that these rules violated the First Amendment on their face, but the 9th Circuit reversed.  Elena has now petitioned for rehearing en banc, and is hopeful the Court will grant her petition as it almost immediately requested that the City file a response.

This case, posted as a JD Supra Scoop, caught my attention. I was intrigued by the contrast between this decision (which involved a physical public forum and the right of individuals to avoid speech activities by others) and the ruling in the WikLeak's case, also posted in the Scoop (which involved the virtual public forum of the Internet and the right of individuals to have access to speech).

But, as I looked at the brief something else caught my eye: the significance of a sole practitioner embroiled in a multi-year constitutional case for a client with limited resources, and the presence of Davis Wright Tremaine attorneys on Elena's petition. I telephoned Elena to learn more.  She explained that First Amendment cases give her a lot of satisfaction - she takes them when she is moved by a client's story. Her complete discretion to take these kind of cases is one of the things she cherishes most about her solo practice. Nevertheless, such cases can be taxing. 

So, when the 9th Circuit reversed the district court's ruling, and an attorney at Davis Wright Tremaine contacted Elena and offered the assistance of their First Amendment experts, pro bono, Elena gladly accepted. The collaboration, according to Elena, has been a very positive experience.

Kudos to Elena for pursuing her passion, and to Davis Wright Tremaine for sharing their expertise  pro bono in support of a cause in which they believe.

Can publication of confidential and allegedly forged bank records justify shutting down an entire website? Apparently not - thanks to EFF and other public interest groups.

Yesterday, Judge Jeffrey S. White dissolved an injunction that locked the wikileaks.org domain name and disabled the WikiLeaks website. Among the most interesting aspects of this decision:

1. EFF and other public interest organizations intervened as the sole champions of users' First Amendment rights (and did so on a very tight schedule) - one of the defendants (Dynadot) had stipulated to the injunction, and neither defendant briefed this issue;
2. The judge's decision was based, in large part, on his recognition that shutting down WikiLeaks could not, in this day and age, prevent dissemination of the challenged documents - and, in fact, had increased their visibility (p.6); and
3. The judge recognized that, if any order were appropriate, it would be the far more narrow order of requiring the documents to be redacted (p.6).

Whether or not you agree with the decision (I do) - kudos to EFF and the other interveners for stepping up on such short notice to so capably make sure the public's First Amendment rights were addressed.

[More information about this case is available at: JD Supra;  WikiLeaks, and EFF]

Building community - that's one of the many things that excites us about what we're doing here at JD Supra.

Sure, yesterday saw the launch of a new online legal research tool that also happens to be an excellent marketing platform for lawyers and members of the legal community - but, we so often return to that last word: community. With the arrival of each new JD Supra contributor, we are seeing the birth of a new and vital community network. That thrills us to no end. Good reason to start off JD Scoop with a quick look at some of the people (and firms) joining ranks right here, right now.

Friends, without further delay, we give you a small slice of the growing JD Supra community. Forgive us if you're not included here today; we have plans to feature as many of you as possible in this blog, just not all at once. (Note: much of the text below is quoted directly from the profiles of the people we've included.) Drum roll, please:

Edward Zuger III - seeking employment: currently residing in Chicago, IL; recently admitted to the Kentucky Bar and hoping to relocate with family to that state. (Also contemplating opening a solo practice.) Before graduating (Valparaiso University School of Law, J.D.) served the Indiana state civil courts through a Lake County clerkship.

Lisa Solomon - for over a decade has focused her practice exclusively on assisting attorneys with all of their legal research and writing needs, including preparing and arguing appeals and drafting substantive motions and trial memoranda. Works in almost every area of law, teaming with her clients to determine the best strategy to apply to the unique facts and legal issues in each case.

Jim Walsh - law librarian and professor teaching legal research and writing at Mercer University Law School in Macon, Georgia.

Alicia Butler - has spent her eleven-year legal career primarily working as an advocate for ordinary people victimized by corporate wrongdoing. Since January 2006, she has served of counsel to the Law Offices of Joel M. Fineberg, P.C., in Dallas, Texas, handling medical malpractice cases and providing as-needed help on commercial class-actions.

Law Offices of Michael L. Wise, LLC - focusing on procuring patents in a diverse set of technical areas including electrical, semiconductor, software, chemical, optical, and mechanical technologies. Principal attorney (Michael L. Wise) has a Ph.D. from Stanford University in physical chemistry and over nine years of experience as an engineer in the semiconductor industry. Also offered: trademark registration services.

Cato Institute - founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, a non-profit public policy research foundation headquartered in Washington, D.C. (and named for Cato's Letters, a series of libertarian pamphlets that helped lay the philosophical foundation for the American Revolution). Included in the institute's mission: [seeking] to broaden the parameters of public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional American principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets and peace. (Eds.: at time of writing, the CI is a top-10 contributor.)

Lane Powell PC - a full-service law firm that has helped emerging and established businesses navigate the Pacific Northwest and beyond for more than 130 years. A survey of Fortune 500 general counsels lists Lane Powell as one of the prestigious "Go-To Law Firms of Top U.S. Companies." Clients include: Nordstrom, Wells Fargo, Nike, among others.

John Hagan - John D. MacArthur Professor of Sociology and Law at Northwestern University and Senior Research Fellow at the American Bar Foundation in Chicago. Editor of the Annual Review of Law & Social Science. His research with a network of scholars spans topics from causes of crime to war crimes and human rights. He is the author most recently with Alberto Palloni of “Death in Darfur,” which will appear in a September issue of Science.

Amy L. Becerra - with an office conveniently located in the heart of the Historic Triangle, Hampton Roads, Tidewater Areas of Virginia, Ms. Becerra provides counsel and representation to clients in matters of U.S. immigration and naturalization law.

The Harlow Group LLC - health care law and consulting. Principal David Harlow's experience in the public and private sectors over the past twenty years affords him a unique perspective on legal, policy and business issues facing the health care community. Health care providers, vendors and payors of all shapes and sizes rely on him to help them navigate the maze of regulatory and business issues facing them on a daily basis.

Sheila M. O'Sullivan - bankruptcy, estate planning, probate, real estate and small business formation. Ms. O'Sullivan is a Title 11 Guardian ad Litem in Snohomish County, Washington, and volunteers with the King County Bar Association's Neighborhood Debt Clinic and the King County Superior Court Probate and Guardianship Review Calendar. She was selected as a "Rising Star" for 2002, 2003 and 2004 by Washington Law & Politics magazine.

Joseph Kershenbaum - COO and General Counsel of The Mortgage SuperCenter. Formerly worked as COO of E-Solutions Integrator, Inc., and as a corporate attorney with Day, Berry & Howard, advising clients on strategic business and legal issues. Experience includes mergers & acquisitions, securities, corporate governance, contracts and contractual issues, financial transactions, real estate/leasing, human resources / employment law, insurance / risk management, regulatory issues, IP and litigation management.

Faith L. Charles - a member in Mintz Levin's Corporate practice. Focusing on corporate, commercial and securities matters, including strategic transactions and corporate structuring. Among other things, handles all aspects of public offerings and private placements, representing issuers, underwriters and placement agents. (Eds.: at time of writing, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo is a top-10 contributor, with a number of practices included in the JD Supra ranks.)

Electronic Frontier Foundation - championing the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights. (And at time of writing, coming in as our top contributor!)

We'll stop here for now, but only for the sake of space. Browsing the stacks, the profiles, is wonderfully satisfying - and so, for now, we say: here's to you, our contributors, the people behind the law, the new members of our new legal community. Thanks to all of you for joining us!

 

 

 

 

Tags: JD Supra Contributors, JD Supra launch, community, contributors, practices, profiles