Law Firm News

---

Law Firm News

Firm Name

News Title

News

News Date

25383 matches |  1646-1652 displayed

1  236 237 238 239 240  3627

---

Haskell, Slaughter, Young & Gallion, L.L.C.

Haskell Slaughter Lawyers Named “Best of the Bar
Fifteen attorneys with Haskell Slaughter Young & Rediker, LLC were recently named to the 2007 “Best of the Bar” list in Birmingham’s top business publication. According to the Birmingham Business Journal, the following Haskell Slaughter attorneys were honored by vote of their peers in the legal profession:

“This year’s Best of the Bar poll results once again confirm our commitment to outstanding client service across a wide range of practice areas,” said Thomas E. Reynolds, Haskell Slaughter’s Managing Partner. “As our firm continues to grow, we are proud that our peers recognize the strength of our legal team.”

Haskell Slaughter has grown by over 35% over the past four years. The firm’s main office occupies two-and-a-half floors in Park Place Tower in downtown Birmingham. The firm maintains offices in Montgomery and New York City as well.

For more information on Haskell Slaughter Young & Rediker, LLC, please visit www.hsy.com. To speak with any of the individuals listed, please contact Ashley Fulmer at 205.933.8893.

08-14-2007

---

Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP

Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP Receives Career Advancement For Women Award
Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP (GH&R) was honored with the Career Advancement for Women Award at the CREW 2007 Impact Awards event on Thursday, July 20, 2007. Graydon Head Partner Monica Donath Kohnen accepted the award on behalf of the Firm.

Graydon Head was nominated for the award sponsored by Commercial Real Estate Women, Inc. of Greater Cincinnati (GCCREW) for its efforts in promoting the career advancement of women in real estate. GCCREW is a professional organization comprised of approximately 100 of the most senior women professionals actively involved in the commercial real estate industry in the Cincinnati area.

Graydon Head has demonstrated its commitment to women in real estate through the support of the professional development and community involvement of the Firm’s women who practice in the area of real estate, namely: Monica Donath Kohnen, Karen Renz, Susan Argo, Allison Cook, Sharon Parsley, Shannon Barrow, Aine Baldwin and Jennifer Pearson.

In addition to involvement in CREW, the Firm supports the professional development and involvement of its women attorneys in community organizations and industry trade groups such as, Women in Construction, Chamber’s Women Excel (WE) program, Junior League and the YWCA of Cincinnati. Also, in the 1990s, the Firm formed the Women’s Professional Development Group (WPDG) to bolster client relationships and to provide an internal structure for the development of the Firm’s women attorneys who practice in a variety of industries, including real estate. The WPDG affords women attorneys the opportunity for candid discussion of issues pertaining to professional women. WPDG members provide quality mentoring and training for colleagues, educational seminars, and host social networking events, which enable GH&R clients and friends to meet, develop new business relationships and benefit from one another’s individual expertise.

08-14-2007

---

Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP

Gérard Dugré elected Executive Member of CBA’s National Civil Litigation Section
Gérard Dugré has been elected as Executive Member of the National Civil Litigation Section of The Canadian Bar Association for the 2007-2008 term. This nomination will take effect on September 1, 2007.

08-14-2007

---

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

Farella Braun + Martel Named Best Law Firm For Women By Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers
Working Mother magazine, the authoritative source for career mothers, and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, a national consulting firm advising attorneys and legal employers on work-life balance and the retention and advancement of women, have named Farella Braun + Martel a 2007 Best Law Firm for Women. The firm is one of only 50 nationwide honored for its commitment to the retention and advancement of female talent.

"Since its founding, Working Mother magazine has been the champion of progressive, women-friendly changes in the workplace," said Carol Evans, CEO, Working Mother Media. "Every year we see substantive advances in companies' policies across the country, and we are so excited to be able to pair with Flex-Time Lawyers to celebrate change in a field that has historically struggled to support women and their life choices. I commend Farella Braun + Martel for taking the lead for women lawyers."

"Farella Braun + Martel has always prided itself on being ahead of the curve when it comes to working creatively to find ways to meet the needs of our working parents," said Steve Lowenthal, chairman of Farella Braun + Martel. "We are thrilled to be recognized by Working Mother for our efforts - but we're even more pleased that the working mothers in our offices and their families recognize our efforts."

Profiled in the August/September issue of Working Mother magazine, Farella Braun + Martel is honored for creating a work environment that is hospitable to and encouraging of the advancement of women. With innovative programs and policies that help women attorneys achieve balance in their personal and professional lives and thrive as practitioners, FBM is ensuring that women are the future of private law practice.

A few highlights of FBM's family friendly policies are: part-time working policies that allow for a reduced hours schedule; flexible schedules that allow both men and women to meet the demands of their own unique situations; paid childcare leave; paid sabbatical policy for partners and associates; subsidized emergency dependant care; concierge service; and technology allowances for remote access. Farella Braun + Martel also has an active Women's Initiative, which provides professional, personal and business development opportunities for women attorneys, including networking and educational opportunities. Lawyer moms and moms-to-be may also elect to participate in an internal lunch group known as MMIW (Moms Making It Work).

Methodology: The application and evaluation process for the 2007 Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers Best Law Firms for Women initiative was developed based on Working Mother's annual 100 Best Companies, a groundbreaking initiative that was first introduced in 1986 and continues to set the standard for family friendly workplaces. To apply for the Best Law Firms for Women, Farella Braun + Martel provided detailed information on the issues that are most important to the retention and promotion of women lawyers in six measured areas: workforce profile, benefits and compensation, parental leave, childcare, flexibility, and retention and advancement of women.

08-14-2007

---

Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC

Eckert Seamans Ranked by Working Mother Magazine Among Top Women-friendly Law Firms Nationwide
The national law firm Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC today announced that the inaugural 2007 Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers Best Law Firms for Women initiative has named Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott among its top-ranked women-friendly firms nationwide.

Published in the August/September issue of Working Mother magazine, the rankings recognize those law firms that have demonstrated a commitment to work-life balance and retaining and promoting women. This initiative follows in the tradition of the Working Mother 100 Best Companies.

Women-friendly firms were selected based on surveys of large law firms with more than 100 attorneys each. The surveys addressed six measured areas of firm management: workforce profile, benefits and compensation, parental leave, childcare, flexibility, and retention and advancement of women.

“We are delighted to celebrate Eckert Seamans for its efforts and successes in retaining and promoting women,” said Deborah Epstein Henry, Founder and President of Flex-Time Lawyers LLC. “We hope its landing on the list of Best Law Firms for Women will further inspire the firm to use the national benchmarking data now available to it through participation in this initiative to improve the status of women in the profession and raise the bar on what makes a best law firm for women,” added Henry.

“This is a tremendous honor for our firm,” said Wendy West Feinstein, a member of Eckert Seamans and coordinator of the firm’s survey response. “As more and more women take on leadership roles at our firm and throughout the legal profession, these rankings and this recognition are a reflection of the progress that has been made. Our goal is to build on this and to continue to work to make our firm even more women-friendly with increased attention to work-life balance, mentoring and women’s leadership development programs.”

Eckert Seamans has a formalized women’s initiative headed by Dorothy Davis, a member of the Litigation Group in the firm’s Pittsburgh office. “The mission of the initiative,” according to Ms. Davis, “is to support, mentor and showcase women’s achievements within the firm and the communities where we have offices. This is a mission supported by the entire firm.”

08-14-2007

---

Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring Financial Services Group Client Wins Tax Lien Case in New York State Supreme Court
At a time of great difficulty for lenders in the current financial market, a New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division decision clarifies the rights of assignees of mortgages from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in its capacity as receiver of failed lenders. Lawyers from Crowell & Moring’s New York-based Financial Services Group successfully litigated the interests of the tax lien trusts, NYCTL 1998-1, 1998-2 and 1996-1, and the trusts’ servicer, JER Revenue Services, LLC (JER), in what is one of the largest consolidated tax lien foreclosure cases ever to be litigated in the state of New York.

“This case clears up over a decade of differing decisions concerning the rights of assignees of the FDIC as receiver that acquire loans from failed or distressed institutions in receivership. The court’s decision was timely as we see more financial institutions having difficulty in the current market, in large part due to mortgage securities, and both trust and superior mortgage holders need to know their rights when working with the FDIC,” said partner William M. O’Connor, who leads Crowell & Moring’s financial services team.

The dispute involves the ability of assignees of mortgages from the FDIC to assert the FDIC’s ability to withhold consent to a superior lien holder’s foreclosure action. In the case, FDIC became the receiver of notes and mortgages upon approximately 300 different parcels of land from an insolvent bank and, in an effort to recover the value of that bank’s assets and pay creditors, assigned the notes and mortgages to the North Country Conservancy, Inc. The mortgages were eventually acquired by RPK Realty Group, LLC (RPK). Real estate taxes and other real property related charges were not paid on those parcels and became liens on the real estate. Those liens were assigned to the NYCTL 1998-1, 1998-2 and 1996-1 Trusts (Trusts). Acting as a lien servicing company for the Trusts, JER commenced actions to foreclose the tax liens on the 298 parcels of real estate on behalf of the Trusts.

Notes and mortgages are subordinate to the interests of the Trusts, and are subject to foreclosure; however, the FDIC as the holder of the notes and mortgages, must provide its consent to the foreclosure by a superior lien holder pursuant to 12 U.S.C. §1825(b)(2), often known as the “Consent Statute.” The FDIC consented to the Trusts foreclosure of the tax liens, but RPK disputed the foreclosure, counterclaiming that, as an assignee of the FDIC, it retained all of the rights of the FDIC, including the ability to withhold consent to the Trusts’ foreclosure actions. RPK asserted that its mortgages were superior to the Trusts’ interests and RPK had not consented to the foreclosures. RPK sought dismissal of the action. The Trusts moved for summary judgment and sought dismissal of RPK’s counterclaim on the ground that only the FDIC’s consent and not RPK’s consent was necessary to foreclose the tax liens. RPK cross-moved for summary judgment.

The New York State Supreme Court granted the Trusts’ motion for summary judgment, denied RPK’s cross-motion for summary judgment and held that the Trusts made out a prima facie showing that they were entitled to foreclose the tax liens. The Supreme Court specifically found that the junior interests of RPK did not preclude the Trusts foreclosure actions since, pursuant to the FDIC Regulations and Policy Statement, the FDIC’s right to consent under 12 U.S.C. §1825(b)(2) could not be assigned or transferred to any assignee of the FDIC. RPK appealed to the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division.

Clarifying more than a decade of differing court decisions concerning the rights of assignees of the FDIC that have acquired failed or distressed loans, the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the lower court’s order granting the Trusts summary judgment. The Court specifically found that it is the FDIC’s policy not to assign the right to consent to foreclosure to an assignee. The FDIC submitted an amicus curiae brief in support of the Trusts’ position. The case is NYCTL 1998-1 Trust et. al., v. Cooper Third Associates def, RPK Realty Group, LLC.

“The Appellate Division affirmed that the purchasers of distressed debt do not retain all of the super powers of the FDIC after they acquire the debt, including the requirement of consent before one can foreclose out a position held by the FDIC,” said O’Connor.

The Crowell & Moring financial services lawyers that litigated the case included Evelyn H. Seeler, Timothy J. Fierst, and Jamie C. Krapf.

08-14-2007

---

Alston & Bird LLP

Alston & Bird Named Among the 50 Best Law Firms for Women
Alston & Bird has been named to Working Mother magazine’s 50 Best Law Firms for Women list. The list, presented by Working Mother magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, recognizes 50 law firms for their commitment to the retention and advancement of women.

“Alston & Bird is honored to be named to the Working Mother magazine list of the 50 Best Law Firms for Women,” said Ben F. Johnson III, Alston & Bird’s managing partner. “Alston & Bird has been a leader in establishing programs and opportunities to meet the challenges faced by men and women of combining a family with a legal career. We recognize the importance of providing support and resources to our professionals, who are the key to the success of this firm, and we will continue to look for innovative ways to meet their needs.”

Alston & Bird was cited for creating a work environment that encourages the advancement of women. With state of the art features such as on-site day care, an alternative career path program, and a variety of maternity leave programs, Alston & Bird demonstrates its commitment to creating an environment that enables women to succeed in both personal and professional lives; ensuring female attorneys achieve balance in their personal and professional lives, as well as thrive as practitioners.

Profiled in the August/September issue of Working Mother magazine, applicants provided information on six issues that are important to retaining and promoting women attorneys: workforce profile, benefits and compensation, parental leave, childcare, flexibility and retention and advancement of women. Alston & Bird ranked above average in all categories and high in workforce profile, child care, parental leave and benefits.

08-14-2007

---

25383 matches |  1646-1652 displayed

1  236 237 238 239 240  3627