O'Hagan, Smith & Amundsen, L.L.C. (Chicago, Illinois)

Katie Irvine, Daniel Meyer and Daniel Nolan were promoted to partner in May 2004. All three were hired as new associates during the first few months of the firm's existence and therefore represent OSA's 1st "home grown" partners. We are very proud to welcome all three of them into the Partnership.

Carr Allison Builds Habitat Home (Birmingham, AL & Gulfport, MS)

Lawyers, clerks, runners, secretaries, staff and their families of the Carr Allison firm in Alabama and southern Mississippi joined together to build a Habitat for Humanity home in Birmingham in June of this year.  The inspiration for building the home came from a recent presentation of the history of Habitat presented by Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat.  Millard was a law school graduate of the University of Alabama who gave up a very successful post law school business to pursue the dream of building affordable housing for those that could least afford it.

Carr Allison’s Habitat organizer, Brett Ross, and the firm’s President, Charles Carr, urge other USLAW firms to consider building a Habitat home in their area.  They feel that the spirit of giving, the ability to work together on a project totally outside the practice of law, the knowledge gained about elementary construction principles, and the joy that the firm has felt as a whole when the key to the house was turned over to new owner, Lavilla Debardlabon, have far outweighed the costs incurred in the construction of the home.  Other than one broken arm, a lot of  scratches, bruises and aching old joints, Carr Allison personnel survived without significant injury.

Either Brett or Charles would be glad to share with USLAW members what was involved in the construction process.

Dillingham & Murphy, LLP
Seminar: Handling Employment Jury Cases in California

Dillingham & Murphy, LLP is conducting a seminar on handling employment jury cases in California on August 20, 2004 at the Pan Pacific Hotel, 500 Post Street; San Francisco, California from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Dillingham and Murphy employment law partners experienced in jury trials will make presentations on voir dire, opening statements, closing arguments, jury instructions, discovery and other issues.  In addition, Dan Gallipeau of Dispute Dynamics, Inc. in Torrance, California, a nationally-known focus group and jury selection consultant will discuss what his research shows on the obstacles employers face with California juries and where the opportunities are to overcome them. 

Our seminar in March, 2004 Employment Law from A to Z, sponsored by our Sonoma County office, drew approximately 40 attendees from throughout the North Bay area.  There is a charge for these seminars, but Dillingham & Murphy may have a limited number of complimentary admissions for clients of USLAW Network members.  For more information, visit the Dillingham & Murphy website at Dillingham & Murphy, LLP or e-mail Bill Gaus at wg@wirepaladin.com
 

LeClair Ryan Attorneys Win 7 of 10 Biggest Defense Verdicts in 2003

The May 17, 2004 edition of the Virginia Lawyers Weekly featured an article citing survey results of the largest defense verdicts in the Virginia for 2003 (“Med Mal Cases Dominate ‘Biggest’ Defense Verdicts” by Matthew Philips). Of the ten (10) largest defense verdicts in 2003, seven (7) were won by attorneys now practicing at LeClair Ryan or who practiced for LeClair Ryan at the time of the verdict. In the 2002 survey, LeClair Ryan attorneys won three (3) of the top ten (10) defense verdicts.

All the cases were defended by members of the LeClair Ryan Medical Malpractice Defense team. The team has several of the most active and diverse medical malpractice defense attorneys in Virginia. They defend physicians, dentists, chiropractors, hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care providers in state and federal courts throughout the nation. Our attorneys are among the most experienced of any defense firm in the Richmond, Tidewater, Charlottesville and Fredericksburg area in taking major medical malpractice cases to verdict and obtaining favorable results for our clients. LeClair Ryan attorneys have prevailed in the most difficult venues, including Richmond, Norfolk and Portsmouth.