Daily Record (St. Louis, MO/St. Louis Countian) articles from September 2006

Daily Record (St. Louis, MO/St. Louis Countian) archives from September 2006

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri turns 50.
September 1, 2006... Byline: Emily Umbright Whether it was fighting for the freedom of mentally ill patients or the rights of consumers, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri's mission over the past 50 years has been providing a gateway to justice for people...

Memorable cases in Legal Service of Eastern Missouri history.
September 1, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Over the past 50 years, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has handled thousands of cases. Many, like the cases below, helped preserve and enhance the rights of the area's poorest residents: * In...

Charles E. Polk Jr. sentenced to maximum because he was a lawyer.
September 1, 2006... Byline: Geri Dreiling A federal judge gave former St. Louis lawyer Charles E Polk Jr. 46 months in prison at a criminal sentencing hearing Thursday in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri. Polk was also ordered to pay more...

Sasha's Wine Bar ordered to pay $14,000 over contract dispute.
September 1, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka A St. Louis County jury found Tuesday that a Clayton wine bar was in breach of contract when it failed to make $70,000 in payments on a wine dispensing machine. But the jury verdict ordered Sasha's Wine Bar and...

Litigation over option backdating increases.
September 2, 2006... Byline: Reni Gertner With new SEC enforcement proceedings and shareholder suits over stock option backdating cropping up almost daily, attorneys should be urging public companies to complete internal investigations of their options...

Real estate lawyers adding 'anti-terrorism' clauses to contracts.
September 2, 2006... Byline: Nora Lockwood Tooher In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, an executive order targeting supporters of terrorism has had implications for an unlikely group - real estate attorneys. Executive Order 13224 froze the assets...

Commentary: Securities regulators issue new warnings regarding hedge funds.
September 2, 2006... Byline: James J. Eccleston The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) recently published, "Hedge Fund Investing -- Is It a Suitable Investment For You?" That publication, available on the NYSE's website, is one of several pronouncements that...

Commentary: New traffic laws benefit safety but threaten accountability.
September 2, 2006... Byline: Mike Nixon Ours is a society of laws. But when legislation takes the place of personal responsibility there is reason for concern. Such is the case of three new traffic regulations that went into effect Monday in Missouri. ...

Tech roundup: Helpful products for lawyers.
September 2, 2006... Byline: Dick Dahl Voice recognition software, a "smart pen" and technology to assist with e-discovery are some of the new legal products on the market. In an effort to keep lawyers up-to-date on the ever-changing world of legal...

Commentary: Finding the needle in the electronic haystack.
September 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce L. Dorner One of the most vexing problems confronting lawyers is how to deal with electronic evidence. The e-mails in a divorce, the text messages on cellphones, the documents in a failed business transaction - each may be...

Ying Ko joins Argent Capital Management LLC as senior analyst.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Ying Ko has joined Argent Capital Management LLC as senior analyst and trader. In her new position, she monitors current portfolio holdings and identifies and analyzes companies for potential addition to...

Missourians in the news.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Linda Shapiro, a partner in Thompson Coburn's government contracts practice, was recently named one of the 2006 Most Influential Business Women by the St. Louis Business Journal. The 2006 award...

Allen J. Grieve appointed to Convention Committee of the Missouri Bankers Assn.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Allen J. Grieve, a senior vice president and division manager for First National Bank of St. Louis has been appointed to serve on the Convention Committee of the Missouri Bankers Association. Committee...

Missourians in the news.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Mark Nelson has been promoted to regional marketing president of Earth City at Frontenac Bank. Nelson has been in banking for more than 25 years. He spent the last seven years developing and overseeing a...

Frontenac Bank names president of St. Louis region.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff David Webb has been hired as president of the St. Louis region and senior lender at Frontenac Bank. He will be responsible for the bank's corporate and retail functions, and reporting. He is a CPA with...

Arthur Combs, M.D. appointed to Growth and Technology Advisory Board at Midwest BankCentre.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Arthur Combs, M.D. , president and founder of life sciences consulting firm FutureTech Strategies Inc., has been appointed to the Growth and Technology Advisory Board at Midwest BankCentre. FutureTech...

Welsch, Flatness & Lutz Inc. adds to staff.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Christopher O'Hagan of Webster Groves has joined Welsch, Flatness & Lutz Inc. as vice president producer. O'Hagan has more than five years of experience in the mortgage industry, with 14 years of...

Brown Smith Wallace adds to staff.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Larry Newell joins Brown Smith Wallace as IT audit manager in the risk services practice. As a certified information systems auditor, Newell is responsible for performing evaluations and assessments on...

7th Circuit rules cash balance pension plan not discriminatory.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Correy E. Stephenson A cash balance pension plan doesn't violate ERISA's prohibition against age discrimination, the 7th Circuit has ruled in a case closely watched by employers. Following a growing trend, IBM adopted a cash...

Commentary: Limitations on censure through adverse publicity.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Barry S. Pollack and Joshua L. Solomon In 1973, Professor Ernest Gellhorn commented in the Harvard Law Review that "little attention" had been focused on the use of adverse publicity by government agencies "and almost no effective...

IRS issues rules on health savings account contributions.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Lawyers Weekly USA The Treasury Department and the IRS have released a final guidance for employers that make contributions to employees' health savings accounts. Health savings accounts were established under the Medicare...

Lawyer with chronic liver disease awarded $1.1 million.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Natalie White A California jury has awarded nearly $1.1 million to a lawyer who sued his firm for wrongful termination and failure to accommodate after he was fired while undergoing treatment for a chronic liver disease. After...

Commentary: Using your case management system to avoid malpractice.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey S. Krause Case management systems have become an essential tool for law firms. These applications organize client data in a relational framework and allow easy access to the entire file including calendars, documents,...

Commentary: The obstacles and benefits of client satisfaction surveys.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Jeffery A. Miller Many lawyers would agree that a client satisfaction survey is a practical tool for strengthening client loyalty and bringing in more business. Still, many lawyers resist doing surveys because of deep concerns and...

Commentary: Cyberinsurance could save you from an IT disaster.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Edward Poll "Disaster" for any law firm is not a question of "if," but rather of "when." The only unknowns are the type of disaster, when it will occur and how bad it will be. That's particularly the case when disaster...

Florida jury awards $5.2 million to family of man who died shortly after being released from hospital.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Natalie White A Florida jury has awarded $5.2 million to the family of a man who died of a heart attack shortly after being released from the hospital. Plaintiffs' attorney Charles Baumberger said Dr. Arnold Ghitis should have...

Report: Immigration prosecutions decline.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Lawyers Weekly USA Staff Immigration prosecutions in April declined 15.6 percent from the previous month, according to a report released by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. The report represents the most recent...

Unwavering legal advice about waivers.
September 4, 2006... Byline: April Rockstead Barker When it comes to releases, clients may just want the forms - but they also need some instructions. Attorneys need to do more than provide their clients the documents when "deploying" exculpatory...

Definition of 'employer' debated in case before St. Louis County Circuit Court.
September 5, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka A disabled dishwasher is suing the Renaissance St. Louis Hotel Airport for firing him and failing to explore on-the-job accommodations for his substantial mental impairments. Timothy Hogan of Arnold worked for 17...

St. Louis Circuit judge rules school board cannot impose restrictions on board candidates.
September 5, 2006... Byline: Emily Umbright William Purdy can stay keep his seat as vice president of the board because the St. Louis Board of Education cannot impose restrictions on board candidates that do not exist in state law, ruled St. Louis Circuit...

Lawyers who loaned money to judge may be named, 8th Circuit rules.
September 5, 2006... Byline: Bridget Heos (This article was originally published in The Daily Record, Kansas City, a sister publication.) Is having your named released as a lawyer who loaned money to a judge scandalous? Perhaps, practically speaking, it...

St. Louis attorney ordered to pay more than $1.1M.
September 6, 2006... Byline: Donna Walter A federal judge has ordered a St. Louis attorney to pay more than $1.1 million to resolve charges of fraud and breach of contract. Senior District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh also ordered the attorney, Gerald M....

St. Louis County jury awards secretary $850K in sexual harassment trial.
September 6, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka On the eve of a long Labor Day weekend, a jury stayed in St. Louis County Circuit Court until 8 p.m. last Friday to return an $850,000 verdict to a woman in her sexual harassment case against St. Louis Community...

Suit claims pig farms lower quality of life.
September 6, 2006... Byline: Charles Emerick On the eve of a long Labor Day weekend, a jury stayed in St. Louis County Circuit Court until 8 p.m. last Friday to return an $850,000 verdict to a woman in her sexual harassment case against St. Louis Community...

Commentary: Overcome brick walls - it's your duty as a lawyer.
September 6, 2006... Byline: Jim Wirken This week's topic is "the brick wall." You have all probably heard of the concept of running into a brick wall. I have used two quotes regarding the brick wall, and I think both of them are incredibly true. The...

Plastic surgeon faces malpractice suit after patient's eye injury.
September 7, 2006... Byline: Emily Umbright A doctor facing liability for the chemical burn on his patient's eye appeared before a St. Louis jury Wednesday in the medical malpractice suit's first day of testimony. Plaintiff Mary Burke entered outpatient...

Shareholder's suit against art gallery goes to court.
September 7, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka Against a backdrop of country club visits, mink coats and astrology, a disgruntled shareholder is suing a Ballwin art gallery and its owner for alleged financial mismanagement. Deborah Harris claims former "close...

Lawsuit against SPvG firm centers on conflict-of-interest allegation.
September 7, 2006... Byline: Donna Walter The St. Louis law firm of Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard says it will fight allegations of fraud and legal malpractice filed by a doctor the law firm represented 10 years ago. The lawsuit alleges the firm had a...

Bryan Cave firm appoints new CFO.
September 7, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Bryan Cave LLP has promoted Michael D. Stolte to chief financial officer of the international firm's St. Louis office. Stolte previously worked for 10 years as the firm's accounting projects and tax...

Lawsuit in federal court challenges online store's 'Zoo' merchandise.
September 8, 2006... Byline: Donna Walter There is no love lost between the St. Louis Zoo and a man who says he owns the trademark for "I Love St. Louis Zoo." The Zoological Subdistrict of the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District filed a...

Guilty plea entered in million-dollar investment scam.
September 8, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff A Hazelwood man who stole more than $1 million by posing as a business dealer pleaded guilty Thursday to fraud charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. James "Jimmy" Knight, 57, told St....

Report: High turnover for minority women attorneys.
September 8, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff (This article also appears in The Daily Record, Kansas City, another Dolan Media publication.) Mischa Buford Epps reached her 12th year as an attorney at Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Kansas City on...

Commentary: Employees lose 8th Circuit duty and discrimination cases.
September 9, 2006... Byline: Marshall H. Tanick (This article originally appeared in Minnesota Lawyer, Minneapolis, MN, another Dolan Media publication). As the nation commemorates Labor Day, a union and two companies had occasion to celebrate their...

Commentary: Effective mediation preparation involves communication.
September 9, 2006... Byline: Lee Hornberger (This article originally appeared in Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Detroit, MI, another Dolan Media publication). This article reviews effective mediation preparation techniques. This includes suggestions on how the...

Commentary: Sentencing marks another embarrassment among lawyers.
September 9, 2006... Byline: Mike Nixon The behavior of legal professionals indicates their standards. Unfortunately the actions of a few can make a bad name for many. A 46-month prison sentence and order for convicted St. Louis lawyer Charles E. Polk Jr.,...

Commentary: When 'irrevocable' doesn't really mean irrevocable.
September 9, 2006... Byline: Perry Ganz (This article originally appeared in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Boston, MA, another Dolan Media publication). At the time, it seemed an appropriate estate planning strategy: purchase life insurance, set up an...

Commentary: Taking the mystery out of the hiring process.
September 9, 2006... Byline: Edward Poll (This article originally appeared in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Boston, MA, another Dolan Media publication). Technology has conspired with traditional attitudes to make many solo practitioners think they truly...

The Appellate Judicial Commission selects nominees to fill appeals court vacancy.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff The Appellate Judicial Commission has selected M. Susan Appelquist, W. Edward Reeves and Daniel E. Scott as the panel of nominees for submission to Gov. Matt Blunt to fill a vacancy on the Missouri Court...

Evans & Dixon adds to civil defense practice group.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Reno R. Cova III has joined the civil defense practice group of Evans & Dixon LLC as an associate. Cova is licensed to practice in Missouri and Illinois. His two years of case experience include FELA...

Brown Smith Wallace adds to staff.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Tosha Fritz joins Brown Smith Wallace as staff accountant in the audit group. Her responsibilities include conducting full scope audits, completing financial statement reviews and performing employee...

Blair K. Mehlman joins Mark S. Mehlman Realty.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Blair K. Mehlman recently joined Mark S. Mehlman Realty. Mehlman's background in real estate includes experiences with residential custom home building, commercial multi-tenant retail development,...

Andrew W. Manuel elected to board of alliance of midsize law firms.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Andrew W. Manuel, an officer in the construction law practice group at Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale P.C., has been elected to the board of Meritas, the world's largest alliance of midsize law firms with...

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri adds paralegal to staff.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Claudia Harris has joined Legal Services of Eastern Missouri as a paralegal and officer manager for the St. Louis County Family Court Project. Prior to joining LSEM, Harris served as a paralegal with...

Anders Minkler & Diehl hires human resources director.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Judith M. Roach, has joined Anders Minkler & Diehl LLP as the human resources director. Roach is an experienced human resources professional and in her new role, will focus on AMD's external recruitment...

Auvi Technologies names director of product development.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Auvi Technologies, a hardware designer and developer of digital entertainment and emerging technologies, has announced the appointment of Shailesh Patel as its director of product development. In his...

Benjamin F. Evans joins Gallop, Johnson & Neuman.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Benjamin F. Evans has joined the firm of Gallop, Johnson & Neuman as an associate in the firm's real estate law practice group, one of the firm's largest practice areas. Evans concentrates his practice...

Karen A. Lenk receives Certified Fraud Examiner designation.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Karen A. Lenk of Schowalter & Jabouri P.C. has received the Certified Fraud Examiner designation from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. The association's Board of Regents selectively awards...

Gov. Blunt names chair of St. Louis City Board of Election Commissioners.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Gov. Matt Blunt has selected Kimberley J. Mathis to chair the St. Louis City Board of Election Commissioners. She will be replacing Edward R. Martin Jr., who was recently tapped to serve as Blunt's chief...

Three join Collaborative Family Law Association.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Rosalyn Schultz, Ph.D; Dawn Holeman, M.D.; and Sam Marwit, Ph.D, have joined the Collaborative Family Law Association. Last year, the organization began accepting mental health professionals as full team...

Lawyers, judges seek out adjunct-faculty work at law schools.
September 10, 2006... Byline: Barbara Rabinovitz As law schools in Massachusetts fling open their doors this month to welcome students for the 2006-2007 academic year, they also are giving wide berth to adjunct faculty members - lawyers and judges who...

Commentary: Book review: Book teaches lawyers lessons they can learn from card players.
September 10, 2006... Byline: Press Millen and Todd Sullivan (This article originally appeared in North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, Raleigh, NC, another Dolan Media publication). Let's start with the obligatory caveat: law is not a game. It's a serious...

Another American Equity Mortgage lawsuit works through St. Louis County Circuit Court.
September 12, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka In yet another legal outshoot of the Vinson v. Vinson divorce proceedings in St. Louis County Circuit Court, Deanna Daughhetee's company, American Equity Mortgage, is suing a former marketing executive for bringing...

Heartland Automotive Services, Jiffy Lube managers reach global settlement.
September 12, 2006... Byline: Donna Walter Heartland Automotive Services and 239 managers of Jiffy Lube stores have settled lawsuits in which the store managers accused the company of violating federal and state overtime laws. Originally filed as one...

St. Louis County Circuit Court hosts fraud dispute on downtown office building deal.
September 13, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka Two Texas attorneys are camped out in St. Louis County Circuit Court this week to argue a contract dispute over One City Centre, the office building resting atop the failed St. Louis Centre mall downtown. A...

Smaller companies may get Sarbanes-Oxley relief from SEC.
September 13, 2006... Byline: Lawyers Weekly USA Smaller public companies burdened by the regulatory requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act would be given some relief by a proposed rule issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC is attempting...

Commentary: Let go of past; embrace your efforts.
September 13, 2006... Byline: Jim Wirken One of my favorite quotes is from my wife, who I constantly tell people is one of the smartest people I know. The two of us have raised six children, and she is still raising me. She always tells the children and me, "Do...

Vinita Park Police Dept. sues MA-based firm to get its money back on body armor.
September 14, 2006... Byline: Emily Umbright In a town known for its heat and humidity, imagine the dismay of local law enforcement upon discovering the "stronger than steel" material within their bulletproof vests decreases in effectiveness under those...

St. Louis County Circuit Court awards Army colonel $25,000 for back injuries.
September 14, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka An army colonel was awarded $25,000 Tuesday afternoon in her personal injury case against another driver. Col. Kathleen Swacina appeared in St. Louis County Circuit Court in uniform this week, with claims she...

St. Louis County jury finds deaf man guilty of credit card fraud in Ferguson.
September 14, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka A Hermann man was found guilty Tuesday of stealing three credit cards from the employee room of a coffee shop and using them at a nearby gas station 15 minutes later. The case of Kevin Rosenthal is like many that...

School district in southeastern Missouri appeals Bible ruling.
September 15, 2006... Byline: Donna Walter A battle is brewing in southeastern Missouri about a school board's decision to allow representatives of Gideons International to distribute Bibles to fifth-graders. A lawsuit pending in the federal court in St....

St. Louis attorney Charles Oldham dies at 83.
September 15, 2006... Byline: Emily Umbright Charles R. Oldham, a local attorney and civil rights advocate, remembered for his commitment to justice died Wednesday at the age of 83. "When he represented people, he really gave you his all," said Elaine...

Washington Univ. law school hosts Constitution Day events.
September 15, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff As part of Constitution Day festivities Sept. 18, the Washington University School of Law will host a nationwide video presentation featuring several U.S. Supreme Court justices. Justices Stephen G....

Lawsuits filed over 9/11 deaths move forward.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Dick Dahl (This article originally appeared in Lawyers USA, another Dolan Media publication). To Loretta Filipov, it was never about the money. Her 70-year-old husband, Alexander, an electrical engineer, was on Flight 11...

Divorce coaches help clients to stay focused on achieving positive results.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Dick Dahl (This article originally appeared in Lawyers USA, another Dolan Media publication). When a suicidal doctor blew up a Manhattan townhouse in July, it was an extreme example of how tensions in a messy divorce can spiral...

Patent process may be revised by U.S. Senate.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Lawyers USA (This article originally appeared in Lawyers USA, another Dolan Media publication). The right to a patent would be awarded to the first inventor to file under a bill introduced in the Senate. The House...

Medicaid changes are increasing workload for estate planners.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Reni Gertner (This article originally appeared in Lawyers USA, another Dolan Media publication). Six months after the federal Deficit Reduction Act went into effect, its sweeping changes to the Medicaid eligibility rules for...

Five years after 9/11: Law enforcement and prevention of terrorism.
September 16, 2006... Byline: The Daily Record Rochester Staff (This article was originally published in The Daily Record, Rochester, N.Y., another Dolan Media publication). The following remarks were given by U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales last...

Commentary: Effective communication is more difficult than it appears.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Ellen Ostrow (This article originally appeared in Lawyers USA, another Dolan Media publication). Deborah, an equity partner in a mid-sized east coast firm, was having a problem with secretaries. She hired a secretary whose...

Commentary: Streamlining through software.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Molly F. Dilbeck, J.D. (This article was originally published in Michigan Lawyers Weekly, another Dolan Media publication). Are stacks of files keeping you from finding anything on your desk? Does it take you an eternity to...

Henderson joins Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.
September 16, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Tiajuana Henderson has joined Legal Services of Eastern Missouri as a healthcare advocate in the MC+ Project in the Health and Public Benefits Unit. Henderson will provide healthcare advocacy in LSEM's...

Gliedt joins J.W. Terrill as an underwriter.
September 16, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Anne Gliedt has joined the bond division of J.W. Terrill as an underwriter. In her new position, Gliedt will assist in underwriting and marketing commercial and contract surety bonds. She has 12 years...

Clayton attorney selected for 2007 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
September 16, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Dan Sokol of Capes, Sokol, Goodman & Sarachan P.C. has been selected by his peers to be listed in the 2007 edition of The Best Lawyers in America[R] in the specialty of family law. He has been chosen...

Missourians in the news.
September 16, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff The Best Lawyers In America has selected 22 attorneys from Husch & Eppenberger LLC's Missouri offices to join its 2007 roster. Since 1983, The Best Lawyers in America has been compiled annually by...

Thompson Coburn adds 21 associates to St. Louis office.
September 16, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Thompson Coburn LLP has recently added 21 associates to its attorney roster. In the St. Louis office: Benjamin R. Askew - George Washington University; Lauren J. Buckner - Saint Louis University;...