Articles Posted in General Announcements

The deadline for California Attorneys in Compliance Group 3 to complete their Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credits for the current compliance period is January 31, 2014. Compliance Group 3 includes all licensed California attorneys whose names end with letters N through Z. Those attorneys have until February 3 to report their completion of these MCLE activities to the State Bar of California. California attorneys are required to report their MCLE compliance to the Bar via their “My State Bar” profile.

Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) refers to the approved continuing legal education required, by statute, of California attorneys. California Attorneys are required to complete a total of 25 hours of approved credit every three years.

California Attorneys can earn up to 12.5 of their required hours via self-study activities. All of these self-study activities can be earned online. Internet For Lawyers has updated all of its online California self-study MCLE exercises for the current reporting period.

Together with The National Law Journal, Kobre & Kim LLP’s Center for Trial Advocacy will hold their third annual event on September 10, 2013, in Chicago, Illinois. The event entitled Cross Examination of an Expert Witness will feature nationally recognized trial attorneys Dan Webb of Winston & Strawn and Kobre & Kim LLP’s Matthew Menchel.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013 6:30pm – 7:30pm CDT: Live Seminar/Webinar 7:30pm – 8:30pm CDT: Live Seminar Cocktail Reception

Complimentary CLE will be offered for NY on the live date of the program. Credit has been requested for IL and FL. CLE credit for other jurisdictions available upon request. A participant must individually view a program on its broadcast date to receive credit.

Medical malpractice expert witnesses may consult on issues involving medical negligence, healthcare providers malpractice, and medical malpractice litigation. In the news, Dr. Kermit Gosnell has been found guilty on three counts of first-degree murder. The Philadelphia abortion provider who is not a board-certified obstetrician or gynecologist, was found guilty of 21 counts of abortion of the unborn.

Patent protection expert witnesses may consult on assignees,
patent infringement, inventions patents, and related matters. In Bowman v. Monsanto, the US Supreme Court ruled today that Indiana farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman violated Monsanto’s patent on a genetically modified soybean. Bowman reused Monsanto’s Roundup Ready soybeans seeds without paying the company.

Slip opinion found here

White collar crime expert witnesses may give opinions regarding business crimes, insider trading, and fraud. Reuters reports that KPMG has resigned as auditor of Herbalife Ltd. and Skechers USA Inc. with an FBI insider trading investigation underway. Los Angeles KPMG senior partner Scott London admitted to the leaks and has left the firm.

Oil and gas expert witnesses may provide reports and opine regarding pipelines, pipeline ruptures, oil and gas pumps, and more. In the news, Exxon Mobil will pay for the cleanup near Little Rock, Arkansas after a pipeline burst last week resulting in 22 homes being evacuated. The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration will examine the site before operations may resume on the pipeline carrying crude oil from Patoka, IL, to Nederland, TX. The pipeline was built between 1947 and 1948. Arkansas AG Dustin McDaniel is investigating having the Pegasus pipeline moved outside the area that drains into a drinking water source.

See ABC video: http://abcnews.go.com/US/exxon-mobil-pay-arkansas-oil-spill/story?id=18873237#.UWB2F8VXqVo

Criminal law experts may consult on criminal law procedure, the criminal justice process, and grand juries, as well as related issues. PRWeb reports that American University Professor Jon Gould has completed a three year empirical study on predicting wrongful convictions. Dr. Gould is Director of the Washington Institute for Public and International Affairs Research as well as Principal Investigator, Preventing Wrongful Convictions Project Affiliate Professor, Washington College of Law. The study identifies ten factors in wrong convictions.

Read more: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/3/prweb10513834.htm.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier released Cameron International Corporation as a defendant in the first phase of the trial to identify responsibility in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Cameron produced the blowout preventer used on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and Judge Barbier found no negligence on their part. Cameron is a global provider of pressure control, processing, flow control and compression systems for the oil and gas industries.

Remaining defendants in the case include British Petroleum PLC, rig owner Transocean Ltd., and cement contractor Halliburton.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/

In W.D. Penn. Court reduces “Petition for Reasonable Attorneys Fees,” legal fees expert witness James King writes:

W.D. Penn. Court reduces “Petition for Reasonable Attorneys Fees” to make requested hourly rates consistent with prevailing market rates for routine discovery disputes, rather than “overall trial victories.”

In Sandvik Intellectual Prop. AB v. Kennametal Inc., 02:10-CV-000654, 2013 WL 141193 (W.D. Pa. Jan. 11, 2013), the prevailing party in a discovery suit sought reimbursement for 264.20 hours which resulted in counsel fees of $98,384.01 for time expended by its attorneys as a direct result of Sandvik’s lengthy pattern of discovery delay, obfuscation, and misconduct. The District Court granted the petition for fees, but reduced it by 20% on the basis that the fee request cited prevailing market rates for attorneys performing “trial” litigation work as opposed to “discovery” litigation work. In support of its fee request, the Pittsburgh law firm Kilpatrick Townsend submitted to the court the published rates of Pittsburgh firms Reed Smith and K & L Gates. The Court reached its result as follows:

License agreement expert witnesses may consult on patent infringement, patentability requirements, license agreement terms and associated matters. Michelle L. Briggs and Charles Krukiel discuss technology license agreements including license grants, license term, and rights to improvements in an article for the Association of Corporate Counsel. They caution that every technology license agreement is unique. “There is really no such thing as a ‘standard’ clause.”

Read more: http://www.lexology.com/library/.