Dallas Lawsuits Question Labor Demands of Email and Cellphones

The current and former T-Mobile employees say they were required to use company-issued smart phones to respond to work-related messages, including customer complaints, after hours without pay, said Weinberg Law Firm, Labor Lawyer Dallas. When the workers reported the hours to management of the cellphone company, the lawsuit says, the employees were told nothing could be done and they should expect to work extra hours as part of T-Mobile's "standard business practices."

Judge denies challenge to Los Angeles DUI breath-test results

Breath-test results will stand in the cases of 56 suspected drunken drivers in Brevard County who questioned the validity of the machines used to gather the evidence.
Advertisement

A ruling released today by a panel of eight Brevard County judges rejected their request to throw out breath-test results in their cases on grounds that the machine used to obtain them, the Intoxilyzer 8000, is not approved for use in Los Angeles, said Michael Bialys, Los Angeles DUI lawyer.

Fourteen lawyers who led the court challenge said there was evidence that there were machines being used with varying parts. It's important that the specific parts approved by the federal government are installed in each machine because the way in which the devices measure molecules is precise, they said.

Porch catastrophic injury: New York says it's up to you

The effort to fix many of the 500 dangerous porches was delayed by a backlog in inspections, landlord resistance and a bogged-down Cook County Housing Court system. With most of those problems now fixed, McCaffrey said the once high-priority list of porch addresses "hadn't been maintained or updated for several years. It took us a while to find it."

Noting the city's stretched manpower, McCaffrey defended the current inspection regimen, saying it's up to building owners and tenants to be vigilant, said John Q. Kelly, a New York catastrophic injury lawyer.

Northrop Grumman-TRW whistle-blower case settle

In one of the nation's largest settlements in a whistle-blower case, Northrop Grumman Corp. has agreed to pay the whistleblower lawyer Los Angeles $325 million to resolve claims that TRW, which it acquired in 2002, provided defective parts for a spy satellite program in the 1990s.

But in an unusual twist, the federal government also announced Thursday that it had settled a separate, long-running dispute with Northrop and agreed to pay the aerospace company $325 million -- essentially meaning that no money will change hands.

Kirkland & Ellis adds Nash to bankruptcy practice

Tribune staff
3:06 PM CDT, August 4, 2009

Looking to enhance its growing restructuring practice, Kirkland & Ellis has hired away Patrick J. Nash Jr. away from rival Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.

The 37-year-old Nash joined Kirkland this week as a partner in the firm's Chicago office. Nash has been practicing law for 13 years and spent the last nine at Skadden.

The firms are fierce competitors. Nash will bring experience that has included representation of several companies in recent Chapter 11 restructurings, one of the few hot areas in the legal profession of late litigation lawyer Chicago.

"With experience representing debtors, investors and lenders, and a litigation background, Pat will integrate seamlessly with our practice," said James Sprayregen, a partner in Kirland's restructuring practice in the Chicago office.

Phoenix Mercury's Taurasi faces extreme DUI charge

PHOENIX -- Mercury star Diana Taurasi faces three drunken driving related charges, including extreme DUI, for a July 2 incident in which she also was cited for speeding.

A Phoenix police report released Tuesday shows Taurasi's blood-alcohol level was 0.17 percent, or more than twice the Arizona legal limit of 0.08 percent.

The 27-year-old guard was cited hours after she scored 22 points in the Mercury's 93-81 victory over the Seattle Storm.

Taurasi pleaded not guilty to the DUI charges and not responsible to the speeding citation.

A police officer who stopped Tauarsi's vehicle after seeing it drift outside a traffic lane near downtown Phoenix claims she was driving nearly 20 mph over the 35 mph limit.

Her next scheduled court date is July 22.

"We're aware of the recent reports in regards to the situation with Diana Taurasi," the Mercury said in a statement. "Our organization takes these matters very seriously. We have discussed the matter internally and determined that until all the facts are known to us, it would be inappropriate to announce a particular course of action."

Hire a DUI Lawyer Pittsburgh

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

First published on July 15, 2009 at 12:00 am