Recent Updates
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U.S., big tobacco take racketeering case to top court
Lawyer Blogs 02/21/2010Altria Group Inc's Philip Morris USA unit and two co-defendants filed to overturn the verdict, while the government argues the appeals court wrongly denied the disgorgement of billions of dollars in ill-gotten gains by the tobacco industry.In May, a ...
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Supreme Court: Ex-Gov. Ryan can't keep pension
Lawyer Blogs 02/19/2010The Illinois Supreme Court today rejected a bid by imprisoned former Gov. George Ryan to keep a portion of his lucrative government pension that was built up before his corrupt reign as governor and secretary of state.The high court’s 6-1 decision co...
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Philip Morris Takes Case to Supreme Court
Lawyer Blogs 02/19/2010Cigarette maker Philip Morris, a unit of Altria Group Inc., asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a landmark ruling that found the tobacco industry violated federal racketeering laws for deceiving the public about the dangers of smoking. The U.S. ...
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Hawaii county sues Merrill Lynch in federal court
Lawyer Blogs 02/18/2010Maui County is suing Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. in federal court over access to $32 million invested in student-loan auction-rate securities, county officials announced Wednesday.The county purchased securities from Merrill Lynch ...
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Freedom asks court to OK sale of Ariz. newspapers
Lawyer Blogs 02/17/2010Freedom Communications asked a bankruptcy judge on Tuesday to approve the sale of the East Valley Tribune and several other Phoenix-area publications for about $2 million.Irvine, Calif.-based Freedom Communications Holdings Inc. put the Tribune up fo...
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Smith & Nephew Wins $4.7 Million in Arthrex Trial
Lawyer Blogs 02/16/2010Smith & Nephew Plc, Europe’s largest maker of shoulder and knee implants, was awarded $4.7 million in a patent-infringement trial against smaller rival Arthrex Inc. over a device to fix a graft to a bone.Arthrex said in a statement it will appeal...
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Associates promoted to partners at law firm
Lawyer Blogs 02/16/2010Commercial law firm Carson McDowell has promoted four associates to partners of the firm, reflecting the growth of the business. The firm, which has over 100 people working in its Belfast office, made Emma Cooper a partner in its property practice, S...
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Law firm employee indicted in embezzling
Lawyer Blogs 02/12/2010A grand jury has indicted a Salisbury woman for embezzling more than $140,000 from a local attorney.The Rowan County grand jury meeting Monday indicted Kimberly "Kim" Osborne on the charge of felony embezzlement.The indictment charges that she took $...
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Ex-Ill. gov. to answer revised corruption charges
Lawyer Blogs 02/10/2010Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is heading to court to answer revised charges that he schemed to sell or trade President Barack Obama's old Senate seat and swap official favors for campaign money.Marshals have warned they will not tolerate the k...
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Campaign case may have set course for Supreme Court
Lawyer Blogs 02/08/2010As the Supreme Court nears the midpoint of its annual term and prepares to hear several momentous cases, one question looms: Will the justices' split decision reversing past rulings and allowing new corporate spending in political races set the tone ...
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Prop 8 Attorneys Already Looking To Supreme Court
Lawyer Blogs 02/07/2010Lawyers in the Proposition 8 trial are keeping an eye on Washington as they draft papers for the federal judge in San Francisco. The two sides in the legal battle over California's ban on same sex marriage have two more weeks to tell Judge Vaughn Wal...
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Illinois Court Overturns Malpractice Statute
Lawyer Blogs 02/05/2010In a case that could resonate in Washington, the Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the state’s five-year-old medical malpractice law because it limited compensation to injured patients for pain, suffering and other non-economic harms.The ...