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New Heights for Old Attorney Patrick Heelen
New Heights for Old Attorney Patrick Heelen
Lubbock, Texas (PRWEB) February 06, 2012
Attorney Patrick Heelen doesn’t get older – he gets better.
And if it’s true of the namesake, it’s true of his Patrick Heelen & Associates law firm, a 38-year-old Lubbock, Texas institution that enjoyed its biggest year ever in 2011. According to a statement released today by Patrick Heelen & Associates’ marketing department, the firm – which focuses on personal-injury matters – set new records last year for number of cases taken, number of cases successfully resolved and total valuation of recovered settlements.
“I’m so very proud of our partners and our excellent administrative staff,” said Patrick Heelen, 67, who graduated in 1973 from the University of Texas Law School and immediately opened his firm, staffed at the time only by himself, his girlfriend Lynn and his nephew Nicholas, who “answered phones and got lunch and made himself really helpful around the office after school and during the summer.”
Nearly four decades later, a few things have changed. Nicholas himself is an attorney – practicing environmental law on Long Island, New York – and Lynn is Patrick Heelen’s wife (they tied the knot in 1975). And Patrick is no longer the only attorney in his firm; Patrick Heelen & Associates boasts three partners, including Patrick, and 12 other attorneys, as well as a team of more than 20 legal aides, secretaries and office managers.
“I’ve certainly been blessed in business,” Patrick Heelen said. “Through the years, we’ve managed to grow the firm somewhat, through honest effort and a good work ethic.”
Never was that truer than in 2011, when Patrick Heelen & Associates took on and won more cases than ever in its history. Noting his staff “delivered some impressive settlements and real peace of mind” to hundreds of clients, Patrick Heelen credited his firm’s success to a strong advertising campaign and a healthy number of referrals.
“We advertise heavily on the radio and the Internet, and through social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook,” Patrick Heelen said. “I’m not an expert when it comes to the Internet, but we have a smart marketing department that knows what it is doing.
“And probably half of our business comes from word-of-mouth referrals from existing clients,” he added. “That’s just about the best endorsement any business can get.”
Those referrals, Patrick Heelen noted, stem from the fact that he and his staff are not only legal eagles, but are dedicated to the idea and ideals of proper customer service.
“That’s where it starts, whether you’re an attorney or a butcher or you sell cars,” said Sandra Adar, who became Patrick Heelen & Associates’ third partner in 2010. “We put the clients’ needs first and made sure they know their concerns are our concerns. That’s something Patrick Heelen has drilled into every attorney that’s ever passed through these doors.”
Patrick Heelen also cited several successful medical malpractice settlements and an uptick in worker’s compensation cases (“People are much more interested in suing after they get laid off”) as ingredients in the firm’s successful stew. But nothing has benefitted Patrick Heelen & Associates, which added its 14th and 15th attorneys in December, more than that service-first attitude, according to its founder.
“It’s always been that way,” he said. “You grow your business by knowing your industry better than everyone else – in our case, knowing Texas law better than anyone else – and by making sure your customers or clients know you really care about them.
“That mindset has helped me ever since I got out of school,” Patrick Heelen added. “And it definitely helped us grow in 2011.”
About Patrick Heelen
Attorney at Law Patrick Heelen, 67, was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. A 1973 graduate of the University of Texas Law School, he has been in private legal practice in Lubbock, Texas, for the past 39 years. A former president of the Lubbock Merchants Association and candidate for the Lubbock City Council, Patrick Heelen lives in Abernathy, Texas, with his wife of 37 years, Lynn, and their golden retrievers Elvis and Priscilla.
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Peter Thomas Senese & The CARE Foundation Supports GAO Recommendation to Create Departure Screening List for High-Risk U.S. Citizens Considered High-Risk Child Abductors
Peter Thomas Senese & The CARE Foundation Supports GAO Recommendation to Create Departure Screening List for High-Risk U.S. Citizens Considered High-Risk Child Abductors
Washington, D.C (PRWEB) February 03, 2012
Peter Thomas Senese and The I CARE Foundation is urging Washington policymakers to implement the recommendations contained in a recent GAO landmark report titled ‘Program Aimed at High-Risk Parent Abductors Could Aid in Preventing Abductions’ that calls for a no-fly screening list for American citizens considered high-risk child abductors similar to the existing ‘Prevent Departure Program’ that exists for non-U.S. citizens.
A response from Jim Crumpacker of the Departmental GAO/OIG Liaison Office of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contained in the GAO report titled ‘Program Aimed at High-Risk Parent Abductors Could Aid in Preventing Abductions’ concurs with the GAO recommendation to create a secondary security screening list in order to stop American child-citizens from being illegally abducted abroad; Specifically, “DHS strongly agrees that preventing international child abduction is a very important issue. The Department also agrees that expanding its current efforts along these lines to include pre-departure flight screening for potential U.S. citizen abductors could be helped in preventing some abductions.”
The recommendations by the GAO and DHS of the grave necessity for a security screening program in the face of the rapid expansion of the criminal international child abduction of American child-citizens originating from the United States offers keen insight for the courts of local jurisdiction who are responsible in issuing orders and remedies that will protect a child from abduction.
Peter Thomas Senese, the author of the critically acclaimed novel on international child abduction that is educating others about the severity on international child abduction and is titled ‘Chasing The Cyclone’ commented, “The recommendation from the GAO, agreed by both the DHS and the DOS, sends an important message to local courts involved with a child’s welfare when they consider the potential for a child’s international abduction that there is a real and growing problem of American child-citizens who are either criminally abducted from the United States or illegally detained in a foreign country after travel orders are granted. The local courts charged with oversight of a child must take note that the United States federal government is directly saying that existing state and federal government programs and policies created to prevent abduction are not enough to prevent child abduction, and serious loopholes exist that allow for children to be stolen and taken abroad – where too many defenseless children are never recovered. It is my hope that the convergence of multiple government agencies cited in the GAO report, each declaring that IPCA is a real problem, will cause local courts to realize their need to act prudently and with keen insight on all the local and international issues involving a potential child abduction. This recommended policy is exactly what the child abduction prevention community has been calling for.”
According to the new report, government and non-government stakeholders agree that the creation of a security program similar to the existing ‘Prevent Departure Program’ (established in 2003) which is administered by the Department of Homeland Security and utilized by the Department of State’s Office Of Children’s Issues may significantly reduce the growing number of cross-border parental child abductions each year. According to Peter Thomas Senese, “Prevent Departure Program’ allows for precautionary security checks to occur, whereas a legal or illegal alien resident living in the United States and who is considered to be a potential parental child abductor is prohibited from traveling abroad with their child due to court orders prohibiting the child from international travel. Additionally, in order for an individual to be placed on the Prevent Departure Program, either a court or law enforcement must determine that a potential international child abduction threat is a possibility. Once this occurs, it is up to the Department of State to request to the Department of Homeland Security that a person be placed on the non-departure list.”
I CARE Foundation advisory board member Gloria Nyberg added, “Presently, one of the troubling ways that a parent of dual nationality living in the United States is able to illegally remove a child from the country is if they and their child travel by air on either a valid United States passport, or, if they travel on a secondary passport issued by their country of origin, which, in most cases, the child would have automatic rights of citizenship to. In both scenarios, a program such as the Prevent Departure Program would not be able to prevent abduction from occurring because the individual is a U.S. citizen and as such is not eligible for inclusion in the Prevent Departure Program. In addition, international abduction by either land or sea would have similar challenges.”
According to Joel S. Walter, a New York City based attorney who focuses on federal court and family law matters including international child custody, “Without a security screening process for parents possessing American citizenship that are considered high-risk abduction threats, prevention of these types of cases will remain extremely difficult. There is no question in my mind that children who face potential international abduction need the United States government to establish additional policy or program that will protect them such as the secondary screening program recommended by the Government Accountability Office.”
Patricia M. Lee, a senior mentor for the Department of State’s “Hague Convention Attorney Network” and I CARE director based out of St. Petersburg and Orlando, Florida added, “I believe that the recommendations by the GAO are appropriate, timely and much needed. For example, without the creation of a secondary screening departure list established to prevent would-be abductors who possesses a United States passport and/or a secondary passport issued from another country, there are limited remedies available that could realistically prevent a child from being wrongfully taken abroad. What is needed is exactly what the GAO and the DHS are recommending: a preventive program that focuses on the point of departure that ensures that children who are not permitted to leave the country with a particular parent due to potential child abduction are unable to do so. This type of program would be of great benefit to at risk parents seeking to prevent child abduction by a dual national and/or American citizen parent. In our ever shrinking world, this is a very real threat that is not currently being addressed.”
The GAO report further adds, “DHS officials told us that their Prevent Departure list – which requires a custody or court order specifically banning the child in question from traveling internationally with a specified parent or someone acting on behalf of the parent – is quite effective at preventing abductions involving non-U.S. citizen abductors. DOS officials added that a similar list for U.S. citizens would be very effective in cases where there was already a custody or court order preventing the child from traveling abroad with the specified parent.”
The I CARE Foundation, which is actively recruiting lawyers to join the DOS “Hague Convention Attorney Network” is urging policymakers to implement the GAO recommendation. I CARE director Peter Thomas Senese, who is donating 100% of his author proceeds earned from ‘Chasing The Cyclone’ to the I CARE Foundation commented, “It is clear that a no-fly screening list would create much-needed safeguards against abduction. With an estimated number of U.S. child-citizens who will be abducted to potentially pass 100,000 over the next decade, we must implement safeguards like the GAO recommendation.”
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Former Las Vegas Mayor and Mob Lawyer Oscar B. Goodman Ordained as Universal Life Church Minister for Valentine?s Day Weddings
Former Las Vegas Mayor and Mob Lawyer Oscar B. Goodman Ordained as Universal Life Church Minister for Valentine’s Day Weddings
Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) January 31, 2012
The Universal Life Church Monastery has ordained former Las Vegas Mayor and mob lawyer Oscar B. Goodman. His ordination as a ULC wedding minister comes just weeks before the opening of the new Mob Museum in Las Vegas, NV. On Feb. 14, Goodman will preside over several marriages at the Mob Museum to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day and the museum’s grand opening.
Goodman began his career as a public defense attorney, representing famous mobsters like Meyer Lansky, Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, and Anthony Spilotro. Goodman later became Mayor of Las Vegas, serving the city from 1999-2011. He now serves as chairman of the host committee for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and oversaw the purchase and transformation of the historic Las Vegas old federal courthouse into the Mob Museum.
Recently named “Las Vegas’ best new attraction” by Travel and Leisure, the Mob Museum will officially open its doors on Feb. 14. Goodman will perform his first ceremonies as a ULC wedding officiant inside the old historic downtown courtroom for the seven lucky couples who win the Married at the Mob Museum contest. Winners will be announced Feb 1.
Goodman joins the ranks of celebrity ULC ministers, including Conan O’Brien, Kathy Griffin, Jeff Probst, and Rob Dyrdek, who have gone on to perform public and private wedding ceremonies. Follow the Universal Life Church on Facebook or Twitter (@ulcmonastery) for further news and video.
About the Universal Life Church Monastery
The Universal Life Church Monastery was founded in 1977 and has since ordained millions of people worldwide, allowing them to perform weddings and other religious events. The Universal Life Church Monastery strongly believes in the rights of all people from all faiths to practice their religious beliefs, regardless of what those beliefs are; so long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others and are within the law of the land and one’s conscience.
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New York Divorce Lawyer Marc Rapaport Calls Upon Legislature to Amend NY’s No-Fault Divorce Law and Prohibit Judges from Requiring Testimony Regarding Grounds for Divorce
New York Divorce Lawyer Marc Rapaport Calls Upon Legislature to Amend NY’s No-Fault Divorce Law and Prohibit Judges from Requiring Testimony Regarding Grounds for Divorce
New York, NY (PRWEB) January 30, 2012
Today, New York divorce attorney Marc A. Rapaport called upon New York’s Legislature to enact legislation to amend New York’s no-fault divorce statute. Rapaport’s proposed amendment would ensure that a plaintiff’s written declaration attesting to existence of irreconcilable differences would constitute the sole proof needed for a judgment of divorce in all New York no fault divorce cases.
Rapaport’s proposal is intended to put an end to the practice of some matrimonial judges of requiring hearings regarding grounds in contested no-fault cases. In an article that was posted today on NewYorkDivorce411.com, Rapaport described such hearings, in which a spouse is required to prove that a marital relationship was sufficiently “broken”, as “anachronistic and embarrassing.” According to Rapaport, when New York enacted no-fault divorce more than 15 months ago, it was widely anticipated that New York matrimonial litigants would be spared the embarrassment of disclosing the most intimate details of their marital relationships to complete strangers in open court. Rapaport states, “The passage of no fault divorce in New York was clearly intended to end litigation regarding the adequacy of grounds for divorce.”
Although New York’s no-fault divorce statute became effective in October, 2011, some New York matrimonial judges continue to require that litigants in contested cases undergo the humiliating, expensive, and time-consuming ordeal of hearings in which the plaintiff-spouse is has to demonstrate that their marriage is irretrievably broken. The continued occurred of such hearings, which are referred to as “grounds trials” by lawyers, has generated outcry among New York matrimonial attorneys.
The New York Divorce Reform Act of 2010 was passed by the New York Legislature in July, 2010. At that time, the New York Legislature explained that no-fault divorce as intended to eliminate the need for hearings in which divorcing couples were required to “rehash the bitter, painful and embarrassing reasons for divorce.”
In his article posted on NewYorkDivorce411, Rapaport called upon NY’s legislature to “amend Section 170(7) of the Domestic Relations Law with the addition of language stating that a spouse’s declaration, under oath, that a marriage is ‘irretrievably broken’ constitutes sufficient and incontrovertible proof of such irreconcilable differences.” According to Rapaport, the addition of that single sentence would relegate grounds trials in New York divorce cases “to the dustbin of divorce history.”
Marc Rapaport is the founder and principal of Rapaport Law Firm, a matrimonial law firm based in Manhattan’s Empire State Building. Rapaport Law Firm handles divorce cases and family law matters throughout New York and New Jersey.
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New Book from ALM?s Law Journal Press Focuses on Fast-Growing Area of Wage & Hour Class Litigation
New Book from ALM’s Law Journal Press Focuses on Fast-Growing Area of Wage & Hour Class Litigation
New York, NY (PRWEB) January 26, 2012
ALM’s Law Journal Press, a leading publisher of print and digital publications for legal professionals, today announced the publication of Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation, co-authored by Noah A. Finkel, Brett C. Bartlett and Andrew M. Paley, with Richard L. Alfred as senior editor. All are partners at Seyfarth Shaw LLP.
Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation focuses on a rapidly growing area of litigation. Written from the defense perspective, it covers every step of a case, from complaint to certification, trial, verdict, settlement or dismissal. It is available in print and in an online edition, enhanced for the Web. A detailed table of contents, as well as ordering information for this and other Law Journal Press publications, is available at http://www.lawcatalog.com.
The new guide has already received high praise. The Honorable Elaine L. Chao, the 24th U.S. Secretary of Labor, states: “Given the recent explosion of wage and hour litigation, both management- and plaintiff-side attorneys will find this publication to be an invaluable reference. With its painstaking attention to the law and procedure, this treatise will certainly be the go-to resource when practitioners ponder questions of strategy and substance in the context of wage and hour cases.”
Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation examines the complex rules surrounding all types of wage and hour lawsuits: claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), claims under state wage and hour laws, “hybrid” cases involving both, and special issues involving government contractors. It explains how to proceed upon receipt of a wage and hour claim, how to assess the merits of the claim, whether to settle, how to oppose plaintiffs’ motion to facilitate notice for conditional certification, how to handle discovery issues in class and collective actions, what the best trial and settlement strategies are, and how to tilt the odds in the defense’s favor.
The co-authors of Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation are all co-chairs of Seyfarth Shaw’s Wage & Hour Litigation Practice Group. Finkel is based in the firm’s Chicago office, Bartlett in Atlanta and Paley in Los Angeles. Alfred, the senior editor, is Chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s Wage & Hour Litigation Practice Group and is based in Boston. All have considerable expertise in the defense of complex federal and state wage and hour litigation and have written and lectured widely on the subject.
Law Journal Press, a division of ALM, publishes more than 130 books, in print and in digital online and mobile formats, on a broad range of legal and business topics. Written by leading lawyers and experts and updated regularly, Law Journal Press editions offer definitive and timely information, insightful analysis and practitioner-oriented guidance for the legal profession.
ALM, an integrated media company, is a leading provider of specialized business news, research and information, focused primarily on the legal and commercial real estate sectors. ALM’s market-leading brands include The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, GlobeSt.com, Insight Conferences, Law.com, Law Journal Press, LegalTech, The National Law Journal and Real Estate Forum. Headquartered in New York City, ALM was formed in 1997. For more information, visit http://www.alm.com.
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Three Diaz Reus Partners Selected as Most Effective Lawyers, International Category, by The South Florida Daily Business Review
Three Diaz Reus Partners Selected as Most Effective Lawyers, International Category, by The South Florida Daily Business Review
Miami, Florida (PRWEB) January 23, 2012
Diaz Reus & Targ, LLP partners Michael Diaz, Jr., Gary E. Davidson and Carlos F. Gonzalez were selected the 2011 “Most Effective Lawyers” in international law by The Daily Business Review’s editorial staff.
The Review acknowledged the work of 85 South Florida attorneys in 14 legal categories including class action, complex/business litigation, corporate securities, real estate, bankruptcy, international, criminal, appellate, pro bono and probate law among others.
Diaz, Davidson and Gonzalez received the award for their successful efforts as legal counsel for Venezuela’s Banco Latino, which sued Milagros Cisneros Fajardo, a wealthy Venezuelan whose mining company defaulted on a $ 9.25 million loan (Case No. 99-3354 CA-01 (27) Circuit Court of the eleventh judicial circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida). Diaz, the firm’s managing partner, and Davidson tried the case before a jury, while Gonzalez, an appellate lawyer, prepared and argued critical motions throughout the proceedings.
Diaz represents multinational corporations and financial institutions, foreign governments and officials and high-profile individuals in arbitration, litigation, sensitive regulatory, commercial and white collar criminal matters in the U. S. and abroad. Davidson is a high-stakes international litigator and arbitrator with noted successes in state and federal courts and before AAA and other arbitral tribunals. Gonzalez concentrates his practice in appellate litigation with an emphasis on international civil and commercial disputes and white collar criminal defense.
About Diaz Reus & Targ, LLP
Diaz Reus represents dealmakers around the world with a focus on emerging markets. With experienced lawyers in Shanghai, China and Miami, Florida among others, the firm is uniquely suited to handle a wide range of commercial, business, and financial transactions across international borders. Diaz Reus lawyers have experience in government relations, trade, compliance, customs, tax, and immigration matters, as well as internal investigations, SEC compliance, white collar criminal defense, litigation, and arbitration. For more information, please visit http://www.diazreus.com.
Diaz Reus & Targ, LLP is a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms.
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The Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. Announce Drunk Driving Awareness Campaign
The Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. Announce Drunk Driving Awareness Campaign
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) January 18, 2012
The Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., are proud to announce the launch of a new Facebook campaign designed to generate awareness of the dangers of drunk driving. Participants who visit and “like” the firm’s Facebook page are automatically entered into a sweepstakes to win a brand new Kindle Fire, the newest version of Amazon’s popular tablet device. The campaign features a video entitled “There are no Extra Lives When You Drink and Drive” and sobering statistics about the danger driving while intoxicated poses to all of us on a daily basis.
Drunk driving is one of the most significant injury concerns in the United States. According to research presented by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as many as 1 in 3 Americans will be involved in a drunk driving accident at some point in their lifetime. Annually, drunk driving accidents claim more than 10,000 lives. Fortunately, law enforcement policies and efforts to increase the awareness of the dangers associated with this irresponsible type of behavior have had a significant effect on the rate of drunk driving fatalities, which have decreased by 44% since 1991. However, more effort is needed to continue combating this public danger.
Victims of drunk driving accidents may suffer catastrophic injuries, emotional trauma, and disfigurement, not to mention costly medical bills and income lost from time spent recovering. For this reason, drunk driving accident victims are entitled to pursue financial compensation from the individual responsible for their damages. The Philadelphia personal injury attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., are prepared to represent those who have suffered the consequences of a drunk driver’s irresponsible decisions.
About the Firm
Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., is a personal injury law firm based in Pennsylvania, with offices in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York. If you have been injured because of another person’s reckless or negligent actions, our team of dedicated attorneys can help you get the justice you deserve. Contact us today at 610-667-7511.
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