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Week Of Monday January 23, 2012
New Partners, New Optimism FREE
If this were his grandfather’s law business, Geoffrey M. Goodale might have just settled in at one law firm and worked his way up to partner after earning his juris doctorate from George Washington University in 2001. Instead, he earned his reputation as a go-to guy on trade and export compliance issues at two other large firms before recently jumping ship to become a partner at Shipman & Goodwin.
Getting Technical FREE
A decade ago, the state’s law library advisory committee basically had to meet once a year and satisfied itself that the book collections were up to “minimum standards.” Now, with the legislature proposing wildly different annual budgets in recent years — from zero dollars three years ago, to $2 million, and now $1 million — committee members are being asked to actively reinvent the state’s shrinking collection of law libraries.
Baby Name Dispute Grows Old In Court FREE
What’s in a name? Ask lawyers Tamara Shockley and Edward Okeke. Their dispute over the name of their son has spanned a dozen years and has consumed the attention of judges in four different levels of Connecticut courts, including the state Supreme Court. The dispute started when the boy was born in Stamford Hospital on May 25, 2000, to the couple, who are licensed to practice law in New York and at the time worked for the United Nations. In an acknowledgement of paternity signed by both parties before a notary, the child was named Nnamdi Ikwunne Okeke.
Elder Law & Estate Planning
Challenging Issues In Estate, Gift Tax Valuations FREE
The valuation of a business or business interest for estate and gift tax purposes presents certain challenges due to unique facts and circumstances specific to each engagement, requiring consideration of and an understanding of recent topics, court opinions, and legislative changes. Over the years, there have been some lively debates within the business valuation community over a number of hot topics, three of which are: 1) tax-affecting earnings of pass-through entities; 2) calculating deductions for built-in capital gains taxes; and 3) consideration of subsequent events.
Feds Targeting White Collar Crime FREE
In what white collar crime experts say is no surprise, federal prosecutors in Connecticut are targeting insider trading and similar financial crimes for the first time.
Governor Nominates Six To Superior Court BenchFREE
Legal experience comes in many forms, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s selection of six new judicial candidates showcases that variety. Upon confirmation by the legislature, they will replace slightly more than a quarter of the 23 current vacancies on the bench.
Verdicts & Settlements
Passenger Gets $1.6M After Breaking Back FREE
Gary Merrill et al. v. Joseph F. Marie, Commissioner of the Department of Transportation: A man who fractured his back when a vehicle driven by his wife skidded off of an ice-covered highway sued the state and was recently awarded $1.6 million by a Litchfield jury. Gary Merrill, 55, of Thomaston, was a front-seat passenger on March 2, 2007. His wife, Denise, was behind the wheel and their daughter, Andye, and a friend were in the back seat.
In-House Connecticut
GC Says No To Non-Lawyer Investment In Firms FREE
The idea of allowing non-lawyers to hold ownership in law firms has taken hold in Australia, the United Kingdom, parts of Canada, and in Washington, D.C. Now the American Bar Association is discussing whether the concept should expand across the United States.
Survey Finds Concern About Business ConditionsFREE
General counsel are the nerve center of the company. They have to make it their business to know something about every business their corporation works in. And they are paid to worry about what former U.S. Department of Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld called “unknown unknowns.” So who better in the company to ask what issues they are most concerned about in 2012? To find out the answers, Corporate Counsel, an affiliate of the Connecticut Law Tribune, surveyed 107 general counsel and some of their deputies at U.S. companies. Their responses suggest that they and their companies will face a challenging year ahead.
Elder Law & Estate Planning
Embezzlement Lessons Learned From Monopoly FREE
There’s a lot you can learn about fiduciary relationships from a game of Monopoly. I found that out recently when I took a look at the rules after being away from the game for many years. The section I found most interesting pertained to “The Banker.”
Harassment Claim Turns Into Terrorism Accusation FREE
Balayla Ahmad appeared to be a bright student. She earned a master’s degree at Central Michigan University and then began studying at the University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic in January 2009. But Ahmad, an African-American Muslim who regularly wore the hijab head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women, suddenly stopped going to class. School officials allegedly received a report that Ahmad had terrorist ties. When she failed to complete her final exams, the university expelled her.
Q & A
Consumer Counsel Gets Jolt From Electrifying Work FREE
When consumer counsel Elin Swanson Katz took office Oct. 3, life was comparatively calm. The state Public Utility Regulatory Authority, the successor to the Department of Public Utility Control, had officially decided it had no authority to review the looming merger between Boston-based NStar and Northeast Utilities, the corporate parent of Connecticut Light & Power and Yankee Gas.
Elder Law & Estate Planning
Powers Of Attorney – Use And Abuse FREE
A general durable financial power of attorney is one of the simplest, most flexible, efficient and cost-effective tools available to address the need for property management in the event someone becomes ill or incompetent. There is, perhaps, no more essential document to have in place when planning for possible incapacity. A well-crafted instrument can broaden options available to an incapacitated client as well as provide safeguards to restrain an overreaching agent. Most importantly, with a durable power of attorney, one can avoid an intrusive and cumbersome conservator proceeding in the event of incapacity.
Trooper Staffing Triggers Clash Between Branches FREE
On the surface, the issue is fairly simple: Gov. Danell Malloy, in a money-saving measure, wants to limit the number of state troopers. In response, the troopers and their union have argued that public safety is compromised when their ranks are less than full.
Judicial Branch Joins World Of Twitter FREE
The next time there’s a sizable snow storm, just check Twitter to find out if your jurisdiction’s courthouse is closed or not.
That’s because last week the state Judicial Branch announced it had launched an account with the social media phenomenon Twitter, signifying in Connecticut that tweeting may officially have gone from a trend met with skepticism by some in the legal field to an accepted form of modern communication.
Lawyer Seeks Witness AccessFREE
Richard Rochlin, the lawyer who represents 17 state employees facing harsh discipline in a state storm relief investigation, is seeking a court order rescinding a state agency’s attempts to prevent him from interviewing witnesses.
Rochlin believes that some employees of the state Department of Social Services may be responsible for errors attributed to his clients that allowed them to collect storm relief aid when they were not eligible. But in a Jan. 5 memo for distribution to DSS employees, agency lawyer Brenda Perella asked DSS employees to refer Rochlin to her, claiming his efforts to question them violate ethics rules against lawyers contacting a represented party.
Lights, Camera, Actions FREE
And lawyers on each side of the courtroom better learn to love it. That’s because at the start of January, a new rule went into effect allowing a photographer and video camera into the courtroom for criminal proceedings in state courts. There are exceptions to the rule, of course, but according to a high ranking official with the state Judicial Branch, judges must adhere to the rule more often than not.
A Familiar Face At The Top FREE
In the next 90 days, the 130 partners at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP can expect to get a knock on their doors. When they open them in Stamford or in other offices in the U.S. and Europe, they will see a familiar face in a new role. Paul McCurdy, a New Canaan resident and 25-year veteran of the firm, recently was elected chair of the executive board. The move marks the first time in two decades that former chair John M. Callagy has not been in charge of the 175-year-old, New-York based firm.
Law School Energized By Internship Project FREE
Law student Alexander Judd doesn’t need to put his finger to the air to test whether his pursuit of a career in energy and environmental law is the right course. From a national move away from oil dependence to a state focus on so-called “green jobs,” the field seems ripe for more career opportunities.
Training Now A Must For All Children’s Lawyers FREE
Historically, the roles of court-appointed guardians ad litem and lawyers for minor children have been blurred. But in the past year, both their duties and qualifications have snapped into sharper focus. As of Jan. 1, training is now mandatory before court appointment to either position. Under new Practice Book rules, both guardians ad litem (GALs) and attorneys for the minor child (AMCs) need to have passed a 30-hour, six-session training course.
Live, From New Britain, It’s CLE! FREE
Some 30 attorneys filed into the New Britain classroom for a lecture last week by Judith Stein on Medicaid and Medicare. Also benefiting from the CLE course were an additional eight people from New York City, Greenwich, Cheshire, Westport, Darien and Fairfield.
Split Court Rules On Evidence Withholding Issue FREE
A state Supreme Court ruling released last week may make it harder for people to get new trials when they discover that opposing lawyers withheld key evidence from them, labor and human rights lawyers said.
Q & A
Lawyer Gets Down To Business FREE
Thirty years ago, when Craig L. Sylvester was finishing law school, new lawyers were advised to combine practice-building with community involvement. That he has done.
Case of the Week
Gun-Wielding Defendant Appeals Manslaughter Conviction FREE
Summary: A man charged with manslaughter as an accessory and sentenced to 45 years in prison is appealing his conviction, claiming that, even though he had pointed a gun at the victim, the state could not prove he intended to cause serious harm.
Verdicts & Settlements
Popular Psychic Awarded $500K After Crash FREE
Angelina D. Ekenbarger v. Evanna Holloway: A psychic medium who injured her neck in a car accident has recovered just over $500,000 following a December trial in Hartford Superior Court. Angelina Diana, 47, of Enfield, whose last name was Ekenbarger when the lawsuit was filed prior to a divorce, was injured in a two-car crash in East Hartford on the morning of July 30, 2009. According to her lawyer, Brian Flood, of Cheshire’s Moore, O’Brien, Jacques & Yelenak, Diana was driving a 2009 Nissan Murano and traveling east on Governor Street in East Hartford.
Employment Suits Target UConn Health Center FREE
Situated off Interstate 84 in Farmington, the University of Connecticut Health Center has made headlines a number of times in recent years. On the down side, it’s struggled financially and required several legislative bailouts. On the plus side, last year it became home to Bioscience Connecticut, an $864 million business and research initiative that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy projects will create thousands of jobs.
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