USLAW Radio

If you use an ATM machine – and particularly if you happen to own a business that offers the services of an ATM machine – this edition of USLAW Radio will be of real interest. A company called Automated Transactions LLC has been quite busy with suits around Patent Infringement which has impacted quite a few businesses, large & small. New Hampshire USLAW member John Funk, partner in the firm Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell has significant experience with these cases and joins us to talk about it.  CLICK TO LISTEN

If you've gone shopping in California anytime since 1979, there's a good chance you've been asked for money or a signature in front of a grocery store or at a shopping center. Chances are also high that you may have been asked by someone who wouldn't take no for an answer. Most retailers and shopping centers think there's nothing they can do about this chronic problem because local police do not arrest trespassers. John Dahlberg, a partner at Dillingham Murphy in San Francisco, talks about this problem many retailers face and solutions that you may not have heard about. CLICK TO LISTEN

When borrowers or clients show signs of financial distress, proactive lendors and creditors step in early to maximize recoverable value. Numerous strategies can be employed, but using them effectively and without creating more risks for the creditor in an emotionally-charged, time-pressured situation takes knowledge, experience and thoughtful planning. USLAW member David Warren is a Creditor's Rights Litigator at the law firm Poyner Spruill in Raleigh NC, and talks about the subject of avoiding creditor pitfalls. CLICK TO LISTEN

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace…Social Networking. USLAW Member Charlie Meyer is head of Labor & Employment at LeClairRyan and offers up some warning signs, and helpful tips on mitigating risk in the workplace. (originally aired 6/30/10) CLICK TO LISTEN

The oil spill in the Gulf has dominated the news over the summer, and the impact is far-reaching. One of the areas of concern is whether the incident will have a lasting market-changing effect on the insurance industry, on consumers and the parties involved. USLAW member Dan Gerber is a partner at the firm Goldberg Segalla in Buffalo, New York, and is an expert in insurance litigation. Dan spends a few minutes bringing us up to date on the topic.  CLICK TO LISTEN

If your firm, or your client’s firm, has decided the best person for a job opening is a foreign national, an essential next step is that of obtaining a visa for your candidate. Newcomers to the process might find it complex and confusing, but USLAW member and Immigration Attorney Jackie Lentini of the firm SmithAmundsen in St. Charles Illinois spends a few minutes with us on the subject of H1-B Visa, and how to navigate those waters.  (originally aired 6/7/10)  CLICK TO LISTEN

The Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law by earlier this year and is the most sweeping change to financial regulation in the United States since the Great Depression. So what, if anything, does it all mean to us? USLAW Member Jonathan Wegner is an attorney with the firm Baird Holm in Omaha Nebraska – he specializes in banking law and financial & securities law matters and stops by to help sort things out.  CLICK TO LISTEN

When your company has in-house counsel, it’s a good idea to understand what they can & can’t do. There are some legal and ethical considerations you should be aware of. So USLAW Radio brings you some of the top questions about in-house counsel you always wanted to know the answers to, but just never got around to asking. USLAW member Heather Linn Rosing is shareholder & CFO of the law firm, KLINEDINST in San Diego. Heather is also the Chair of the Professional Liability Group, and answers some of the top in-house legal counsel questions. CLICK TO LISTEN

One of the things we can count on in life is that with every New Year comes a bevy of changes in the law. For many of us, the changes don’t really make a big difference, but if you’re an employer or you represent employers, the winds of change are blowing for 2011. USLAW Member Jon Seacrest is with the firm Roetzel & Andress in Columbus Ohio – he’s been studying and practicing employment law for a long time, and he stops by to spotlight the Top 10 Employment issues for 2011.  CLICK TO LISTEN

The complexion of commercial lending and borrowing has taken on a new look over the past couple of years. The economic downturn has taken its toll, and that’s resulted in a number of changes in lending that we should all be aware of. USLAW members John Cromie and Thomas Scuderi of the law firm Connell Foley in Roseland New Jersey have been doing a lot of work with their clients in commercial loans and offer their thoughts on navigating these sometimes rough waters. CLICK TO LISTEN

When the issue of corporate compliance comes up, it’s more than the government we have to concern ourselves with. Now it’s claims and law suits from whistle blowers.  USLAW Member Glen Amundsen is Chairman of the firm SmithAmundsen  in Chicago. He heads their litigation practice with an emphasis on corporate and commercial litigation and he works a lot with corporate compliance officers to help them stay on the right side of the law. Glen spotlights new and important changes in the world of corporate compliance. CLICK TO LISTEN

Running a law firm, as many USLAW members are well aware, can be a very costly proposition. And as with most things, prices aren’t going down – quite the opposite. That’s why the subject of law firm cost containment is one that’s garnering plenty of attention lately. USLAW Member Neil Goldberg is a founding partner in the firm Goldberg Segalla in upstate New York and joins us now to share some ideas on running a fiscally leaner, meaner law firm.   CLICK TO LISTEN

If you’re a regular listener to USLAW Radio podcasts, you know that one of our proud sponsors is SEA Limited, the forensic engineering and origin cause experts. We’ve actually received some feedback in essence saying, “Forensic engineering? Origin cause? More information please!” So we decided to take this opportunity to chat with Douglas Morr,  Sr. Project Engineer with SEA Limited, to learn about the value they bring in building cases, and talk about some advances in technology.  CLICK TO LISTEN

Food borne illnesses - certainly not the most pleasant subject, particularly if you happen to be involved in a case. And now, more than ever, these cases are ending up in court with the objective being large settlements. It’s a topic that demands a closer look.  USLAW members Dean Nickas, a partner with Wicker Smith in Miami, Florida and Brian Donnelly, a partner with Ahmuty, Demers & McManus in New York, have spent quite a bit of time researching the subject and join us on this week's podcast to talk about it.  CLICK TO LISTEN

If you’re an employer, large or small, public or private, you probably know that retaliation is a real and costly threat. What you may not know is that a recent Supreme Court ruling has just made the threat even more of a problem, requiring extra caution on the part of employers. USLAW member Claudia Williams, a partner at Thomas, Thomas & Hafer in Harrisburg PA explains.  CLICK TO LISTEN

Fans of USLAW Radio know very well that one of our fine sponsors is Ringler Associates. They provide structured settlement services nationwide. But the question has come up as to whether, in these interesting economic times, structured settlements make sense. USLAW member Mike Casey is Chairman of the Board for Ringler Associates in Chicago and joins us to talk about it on this edition of USLAW Radio.  CLICK TO LISTEN

If you’re close to the construction industry and you stay in touch with the news, you’re undoubtedly aware of a number of unfortunate crane accidents around the country, and incidents are on the rise. And when crane accidents do occur, they usually don’t come out well. But how is the Federal Government responding?  USLAW member David Johnson, a partner with the Chicago firm SmithAmundsen is very close to the situation and joins us this week with some answers.  CLICK TO LISTEN

One of the most frequently litigated issues in the insurance industry is the additional insured and contractual indemnity provisions in the contract. Is the coverage you depend on really in place? USLAW member Rob Nobel is a partner at the firm Traub Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry in New York. He keeps a close watch on this issue and joins us with an update from his perspective.  CLICK TO LISTEN

If you've gone shopping in California anytime since 1979, there's a good chance you've been asked for money or a signature in front of a grocery store or at a shopping center. Chances are also high that you may have been asked by someone who wouldn't take no for an answer. Most retailers and shopping centers think there's nothing they can do about this chronic problem because local police do not arrest trespassers. John Dahlberg, a partner at Dillingham Murphy in San Francisco, talks about this problem many retailers face and solutions that you may not have heard about.  CLICK TO LISTEN

In the last few years, strict government enforcement of corporate compliance regulations has become an unavoidable and expensive reality for companies in the U.S.  And despite the fact that the majority of U.S. companies are conducting their business without violating any laws, companies need to always need to be alert with corporate compliance. USLAW member Kevin Devore is the chair of the government regulation white collar criminal defense practice at Larson King in St. Paul, Minnesota, and talks about steps corporations can take to stay compliant and what to do if they receive a letter from the government.  CLICK TO LISTEN

An occasional Grey Goose with a couple of blue cheese olives sounds pretty enticing, but in the world of litigation, there are many downsides we need to be aware of, namely Dram Shop liability. With liquor liability lawsuits resulting in millions of dollars in damages all over the nation these days, there are growing tensions between risk management and the business side of retail organizations that serve alcohol. USLAW members Brian Donnelly and Mike Rabus, partners at the Manhattan offices of Ahmuty, Demer & McManus, walk us through what we need to know about dram shop liability and litigation.  CLICK TO LISTEN

In the last few years, there’s been major growth in retaliation liability. Employees are  winning a lot of battles out there and employers are facing greater and greater potential liability. USLAW member Steven Leach is a partner at Jones, Skelton and Hochuli in Phoenix, and joins us on this edition of USLAW Radio to discuss the latest trends in retaliation liability, and how employers can protect themselves.  CLICK TO LISTEN

The Dept. of Justice has just come out with a set of guidelines reiterating that the Obama administration will be aggressively pursuing civil-criminal claims under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act . In fact in the last four years, this administration has already pursued more damages than any President before him. What’s the impact on businesses? USLAW member Brian Dickerson is a partner at Roetzel & Andress based in Washington DC, and give us some highlights and cautions.  CLICK TO LISTEN

In 2010, the community of Montcoal, West Virginia, was rocked by one of the country's worst coal mine disasters. An explosion at the Upper Big Branch coal mine left 29 dead and prompted a massive local, state and federal investigation that resulted in a number of major new Mine Safety and Health Administration regulations. It prompted an important and interesting turn of events and USLAW member Michael Addair of Huddleston Bolen in Charleston, West Virginia provides an overview of these new regulations.  CLICK TO LISTEN

If you have a business and employees, one letter you’d most likely rather not receive is from the Department of Labor notifying you that you’re the subject of an audit. The good news is, there are steps you can take to be prepared and make the best of a potentially bad situation. USLAW member Ashley French is a partner at the firm Huddleston Bolen in Charleston, West Virginia, and talks about how to prepare for a DOL inspection and what to expect.  CLICK TO LISTEN