Law Firm News

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Law Firm News

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Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.

Harleigh Brown Selected As One of Minnesota Lawyer's 2007 Up & Coming Attorneys
Minnesota Lawyer has selected Fredrikson & Byron associate, Harleigh Brown, as a 2007 Up & Coming Attorney. Attorneys who receive this award show significant records of accomplishment during the first 10 years of practice including leadership, service to the community or profession, and/or achievement as in-house counsel. Harleigh will be recognized at a May 22 luncheon event at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.

Harleigh is a member of Fredrikson & Byron’s Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, International, and Securities Groups

05-02-2007

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Dickstein Shapiro LLP

Dickstein Shapiro LLP Forms Strategic Alliance With Former State Attorney General Patricia A. Madrid
Dickstein Shapiro LLP is pleased to announce the formation of a strategic alliance with former Attorney General of New Mexico Patricia A. Madrid. Ms. Madrid will serve as an exclusive consultant to the firm and its State Attorneys General Practice, providing advice and counsel to clients on a full range of State Attorneys General matters and other issues.

“We are very excited to form this alliance with Patricia,” said Dickstein Shapiro Chairman Michael Nannes. “Her experience and perspective as a former state Attorney General will be a strong complement to our top-tier State Attorneys General Practice and a valuable asset to our clients.”

In 1999, Ms. Madrid was elected New Mexico’s first female Attorney General and first Hispanic female Attorney General in the United States. In addition, Ms. Madrid was the first woman to be elected to the New Mexico District Court Bench, a court of general jurisdiction (1978 to 1983). Among her notable achievements as Attorney General, Ms. Madrid helped establish a Capital Litigation Unit to assist district attorneys statewide prosecuting violent crimes and death penalty cases; established the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; and helped found the Endangered Species Act Working Group.

“Our alliance with Patricia will drive our State AG practice to new heights,” said Bernard Nash, Partner and head of Dickstein Shapiro’s State Attorneys General Practice. “Patricia was one of the most well-respected Attorneys General in the country during her two terms. Her experience, judgment, and credibility will enable us to better serve our clients.”

Ms. Madrid was Co-Founder and Chair of the Democratic Attorneys General Association (2004) and the Chair of the Conference of Western Attorneys General (2004). She has received numerous awards and distinctions, including being named the Latina Lawyer of the Year by the Hispanic National Bar Association (2001), and one of the Top Five Hispanic Women in the Country by Hispanic Business Magazine (2006). Ms. Madrid currently is Vice Chair of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

“In my eight years as Attorney General of New Mexico, I had the opportunity to work with Dickstein Shapiro on a number of issues and was always extremely impressed,” said Patricia

Madrid. “The firm and its attorneys possess the highest levels of legal scholarship and political judgment.”

Ms. Madrid was a partner at Messina, Madrid & Smith, P.A. from 1984 to 1998. Prior to being elected to the bench, she was an associate with Kool, Bloomfield & Eaves, P.A. from 1974 to 1978. Ms. Madrid earned both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of New Mexico, where she was an editor of the New Mexico Law Review.

Dickstein Shapiro’s State Attorneys General Practice is the largest in the United States. For more than 25 years, Dickstein Shapiro attorneys successfully have represented leading companies in a wide range of industries before State Attorneys General. Representative clients include AT&T, DuPont, Pfizer, Recording Industry Association of America, Time, and HBO. Firm attorneys have earned the trust and respect of State Attorneys General, both as a result of years of working with them on behalf of corporate clients, and through representation of the states themselves.

05-02-2007

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Bryan Cave LLP

Firm Sponsors Lambda Legal Dinner
After the recent tragedy on the Virginia Tech campus, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has commissioned a Campus Security Task Force to evaluate Missouri's campus emergency response plans. The group is to provide a comprehensive report focused on initiatives to i

05-02-2007

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Bryan Cave LLP

Partner’s Help with Franciscan Friars Highlighted by 'Wall Street Journal'
Not long ago, the state of Arizona seemed poised to bring an enforcement action against the Franciscan Friars of California over contamination seeping from a deserted mine the order partially owned as the result of a donation. With scant resources and no knowledge of either mining or toxic-waste cleanup, it was a situation that definitely called for “prayer and a good lawyer,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

That’s where Phoenix Partner Mike Ford came in. Ford practices environmental and occupational safety law. His work focuses on regulatory compliance, transactional issues and enforcement defense under federal, state and local environmental laws. He had represented the friars on a pro bono basis since 2002. Ford urged them to take full responsibility for the deserted Gibson Mine to get some leeway in what could be messy negotiations with the government agencies overseeing the effort. He also asked other Bryan Cave clients to help. Several other Bryan Cave lawyers assisted in the representation, including Luke Narducci, Mitch Klein, Stan Lutz and Margaret LaBianca. Paralegal Susan Malone and Legal Assistants Beth Caldwell and Amanda Reeve also were of key help.

Ford’s spearheading of the large-scale community effort to clean up the deserted Gibson Mine was chronicled in The Wall Street Journal April 20 in a front page article. Click here to read the full article.

05-02-2007

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Brinks, Hofer, Gilson & Lione, P.C.

Stankovic Awarded Prestigious Fulbright Scholarship
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., is pleased to announce that Dr. Bratislav Stankovic, an attorney in Brinks' Chicago office, is the recipient of a J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship award to help modernize the status of intellectual property in his native country of Macedonia. From September 2007 to mid-January 2008, Dr. Stankovic will lecture and conduct research activities at the University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, to assist in establishing a foundation for the country to begin valuing, protecting and managing its intellectual property assets, in particular, its patentable inventions. Dr. Stankovic is one of approximately 800 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad this year through the Fulbright Program.

"Recently, a Center for Intellectual Property was established at the Law School Iustinianus Primus at the University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, which has made great progress in creating a reputable intellectual property educational institution and clearinghouse, primarily focused on trademark and copyright law," said Dr. Stankovic. "However, patent law and global patent protection of Macedonian inventions are virtually nonexistent. In the last 15 years, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted only one patent that originated in Macedonia. There is a critical and pressing need to expand activities in the education and practice of patent law."

Born in Skopje, Dr. Stankovic received his B.S. in agricultural engineering from the University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and his M.S. in plant physiology from the University of Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. After coming to the United States in 1991, he received his Ph.D. in biological sciences with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he received his J.D. with honors. Prior to his legal career, Dr. Stankovic spent 17 years as a scientist in academic settings, including four years as a Chief Scientist at the NASA-funded Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics at UW-Madison, where he was the principal or co-principal investigator for several experiments on the space shuttle and the International Space Station.

Joining Brinks in 2005, Dr. Stankovic focuses his practice on patent prosecution and litigation in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and engineering, specifically molecular biology, developmental biology, biochemistry and nanobiology. He has written more than 30 book chapters and scientific articles that have appeared in peer-reviewed journals, is the author of more than 40 technical articles and abstracts and has provided many invited scientific talks on plant signaling and plant space biology. He is the recipient of numerous honors and is a member of many legal and professional associations. Dr. Stankovic is fluent in English, Macedonian, Serbian and Croatian and is proficient in French.

About the Fulbright Program

The flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, widely known as the Fulbright Program, was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by former Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The program is designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries" and over the past sixty years, has provided more than 273,000 participants, chosen for their exemplary leadership potential, the opportunity to observe each others' political, economic, educational and cultural institutions, to exchange ideas and to embark on joint ventures for the betterment and general welfare of the world. The program operates in more than 150 countries.

05-02-2007

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Baker Botts LLP

Business Litigator Victor Vital Joins Baker Botts in Dallas
Victor Vital, who has built a significant trial practice by successfully representing clients in complex commercial matters and business disputes, has joined Baker Botts L.L.P. as a partner in the Firm’s Litigation Department. Vital will be based in Baker Botts’ Dallas office.

A former Harris County prosecutor, Vital handles business cases that involve a variety of claims such as breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference, misappropriation of trade secrets, defamation and other business torts. He has also defended businesses against complex product liability claims. He has tried more than 100 cases in a variety of forums, including arbitration, state court, federal court and bankruptcy court.

“Victor’s experience in business litigation, representing clients in a broad number of forums, further strengthens our litigation team,” said Baker Botts Managing Partner Walt Smith. “Victor’s legal skills will offer creative, timely and strategic advice to help our clients solve complex legal issues.”

Prior to joining Baker Botts, Vital was a partner in the Dallas office of Haynes and Boone LLP. He has been published in a variety of legal and business journals concerning commercial litigation and general trial practice. He is currently editor of a quarterly newsletter entitled Commercial Litigation for the Texas Association of Defense Counsel (TADC).

“Victor’s record in representing clients in complex business litigation speaks volumes about the skills he brings to Baker Botts,” said Robb Voyles, chair of Baker Botts’ Litigation Department. “In representing energy companies, financial firms and Fortune 100 companies, Victor has the depth of knowledge in business litigation to help us to continue to provide our clients the service they have become accustomed to from Baker Botts.”

Vital earned his law degree with honors from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 1995. He was executive editor of the Thurgood Marshall Law review.

He is a member of the National Bar Association, Commercial Law Section (Executive Board and Editorial Board); Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Board of Directors; Dallas Bar Association; Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL); DAYL Foundation, Fellow; J.L. Turner Legal Association, Board of Directors; and the American Bar Association, Section of Litigation.

05-02-2007

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Hagens, Berman, Sobol & Shapiro, L.L.P.

UPS Accused of Cheating Their Customers and Franchises
Today shipping giant UPS (NYSE:UPS) was hit with a proposed class-action lawsuit claiming the shipping giant routinely uses an inaccurate measurement system that causes tens of thousands of account holders to be back-charged for higher shipping rates.

According to the complaint filed by the law firm of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, a UPS customer measures packages and then ships the package to UPS where the company re-measures the package using what the suit claims is inaccurate techniques and back-charges the customer for the difference.

In the complaint, UPS account holders argue that since the re-measurement process occurs at UPS facilities, they have no ability to argue the revised measurements, nor do they have the ability to reassess the additional charges.

According to attorneys representing the proposed class, the problem is widespread costing UPS six digit account holders millions of dollars in back charges.

Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro says that his clients are most upset with their inability to dispute additional charges.

“The packages are reassessed in an external location where owners can’t see the process or results, he said. “This reminds me of the old trick of the butcher placing his thumb on the scale. Back then though at least you could see the scale.”

The accuracy of the laser technology UPS uses to measure packages has long been suspect, the compliant notes, citing complaints by trade associations that represent franchise owners.

The laser measuring system used at UPS has not been approved by any state Weights and Measures Departments, the complaint notes, and any calibration or adjustments are completely under the control of UPS.

“Our investigation has show that this may be a very widespread problem at UPS, not just with franchises, but also with the shipper’s largest corporate customers who compute charges in-house and online before shipping to UPS,” Berman added. “When you ship 15 million packages a day adding a few bucks to each package can quickly add up to millions.”

The suit was filed in San Francisco in U.S. District Court on behalf of named plaintiff Persepolis Enterprise. If certified as a class action, the suit would represent the named plaintiff on behalf of all UPS account holders worldwide including UPS Store, Mail Box Etc. and companies that are account-holders with UPS.

The complaint states several counts against UPS including breach of contract, fraud and unjust enrichment. Within those claims UPS violated the contractual agreement between the company and individual franchises and account holders stating that UPS had no right to charge for alleged mismeasurements. UPS also failed to use accurate, properly calibrated and tested machines as promised in its obligations to franchise owners.

The suit is seeking damages for all UPS account holders. A small sampling of the plaintiff’s additional charges range from $3.52 - $31.43 per package and that is only a very small number of the thousands of charges it has incurred.

“UPS has an obligation to its customers to deal fairly and in good faith, “said Berman.
According to the compliant UPS is one of the most recognized brands in the world and has become the largest package delivery company. The company’s focus is enabling commerce worldwide and has grown into a $42.6 billion business since its founding in 1907.

05-02-2007

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