Va. court: Hookah lounge exempt from smoking ban

A divided Virginia Court of Appeals has ruled that a Blacksburg hookah lounge is exempt from the state's restaurant smoking ban. In a 6-3 ruling Tuesday, the court said the She-Sha Cafe and Hookah Lounge is not subject to the ban because it's a retail tobacco store as well as a restaurant. She-Sha says most of its revenue comes from customers' use of hookahs - tall water pipes that are used to smoke flavored tobacco. The state law regulating indoor public smoking covers restaurants but specifically exempts tobacco retailers. The court's majority cited that exemption in ruling in She-Sha's favor. The decision reverses a three-judge panel's ruling that She-Sha is covered by the ban because it also serves food.

Texas Supreme Court tackles same-sex divorce

The issues of same-sex marriage and divorce are set to go before the Texas Supreme Court. The court is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday on whether Texas can grant divorces to same-sex couples who married elsewhere. Both cases involve same-sex couples who married legally in Massachusetts. Texas approved a constitutional ban on gay marriage in 2005. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott argues that state law won't allow Texas to recognize the divorces because that would validate the marriage. The couples question whether the same-sex marriage ban applies to divorce and whether it conflicts with the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court in June struck down parts of the federal Defense of Marriage Act because it treats same-sex couples unequally. The Texas court is not expected to rule for several months.

Law Firm Website Templates‎ - Legal Marketing Tips

4 Myths about Template Website Design for Law Firms Template websites are one of the most affordable and simple solutions for attorneys looking to get their legal business online. They are offered for a very low price and require a limited amount of input to get online. Still, template websites get a bad name. In this article, we’ll dispel several myths and make a case for why a template website is just as capable as any custom designed site. MYTH: Templates Always Have Unprofessional Design Firstly, we should establish the difference between a template website and a sitebuilder website. Sitebuilder websites can be incredibly cheap, and usually offer the benefit of do-it-yourself customizability. People who know what they want and have time to invest are drawn to these solutions. However, these sitebuilders lack the knowledge and experience of a designer or web developer, and users often find their capabilities limited by the interface or a necessity for HTML/ CSS fluency. The most capable attorneys will end up with a website that undersells their professionalism and excellence. The least will have a website that offends the eyes and scares potential clients away. Our template websites differ because they are based on our most successful custom designs. Unlike other template solutions, each template has been professionally designed by our in-house, highly experienced web designers, and is proven to be successful at impressing visitors and converting prospects into real business. They are also created specifically for lawyers and law firms, so each template is absolutely appropriate for legal professionals. MYTH: Template Websites Aren’t SEO Optimized We’ve heard a lot of arguments against template websites because they are not SEO optimized. Law Promo’s template websites are ALWAYS fitted with the very best of onsite optimization. While template websites are made to be static–best for those who have little interest in constant work and updates on their pages–they still are search engine optimized like any of our custom websites, and have the potential for search engine success. Page titles, heading tags, image tags, and keywords are all equally powerful as they would be on a custom website. And if you’re looking to keep your website fresh, you can always add a blog for constant, keyword-rich updated content. MYTH: My Website Will Look Like Everyone Else’s This is another concern we hear frequently: “Won’t there be other websites out there, just like mine?” Law Promo offers dozens of different website templates with several customizable options, so its unlikely that there will be many others like yours. Further, you only need to worry about what your potential visitors see. As long as your website isn’t the same as your immediate competitors, a template website is an affordable and easy solution for any law firm. With the available choices and custom options, your website will be fit to your preferences, and your visitors will not be thinking about whether it’s a template website or not. Instead, they’ll get a great initial impression of your professionalism, then go on to learn more about you through your written content, where most legal professionals really shine. MYTH: Template Websites Require Technical Knowledge and Web Savvy We’ve heard horror stories about template design companies that hand their customers a completed template website and expect them to install and maintain it themselves. We understand that attorneys are busy individuals without the time to learn about server configuration or technical coding. That’s why we do all of the technical work for you– you make a few simple choices, send us your written content, and your website will be online and running in a little over a day. Remember, template websites are not for everyone. If your firm is looking for a deeply personalized, high-functioning website designed to dominate the web space, you’ll be looking for more involved custom design and coding. However, for those who realize that the web is a necessary space for business but don’t have the time to invest in content creation, we highly recommend our template website solution designed specially for legal professionals.

NM court to hear case over educator pension cuts

New Mexico's highest court is mulling whether the state can cut cost-of-living increases for retired educators to help shore up the pension system's long-term finances. The state Supreme Court is to hear from lawyers on Wednesday in a case brought by four retirees, who say the state Constitution protects their pensions from reductions like those required under a law enacted earlier this year. The retirees contend the law gives them a "vested property right" in their retirement benefits and they are legally entitled to the cost-of-living adjustments previously promised, which would have been 2 percent this year without the change in law. The attorney general's office and the Educational Retirement Board, in written arguments to the court, said the Constitution includes a provision that allows pensions to be modified to preserve the solvency of a retirement plan. However, the retirees said in their lawsuit that provision only applies to retirement benefits before an employee works long enough to become vested in a pension system. The Democratic-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. Susana Martinez agreed on a package of pension changes this year to improve the solvency of the educational retirement program, which has a $6 billion gap between its assets and the benefits expected to be paid out in the future.

Law Office of Rita O. White - DUI Law

Having a DUI on your driving record can affect many things, in addition to having high costs. Driving under the influence (DUI, also sometimes called DWI or OUI) is one of the most commonly committed crimes in the United States. This is a very serious crime because it not only endangers your life but the potential to endanger the lives of others as well. Unfortunately, because this crime is so common, many people make the mistake of taking their DUI arrests lightly. However, it is crucial to seek the right representative in order to lower the charges you may face. If you’ve been charged with DUI, your first step should be to discuss your charges with a DUI lawyer at the Law Office of Rita O. White, who will lay out all options that work best for you. At the Law Office of Rita O. White, we understand that everyone makes mistakes and that nobody is perfect. We are here to lend a helping hand. There are many consequences to this crime and if you’re convicted of DUI, you could end up facing tough penalties such as: jail time, loss of driving privileges, fines, or community service. Additionally, your insurance rates can be increased and you may even be shut out from some job opportunities due to your conviction.

Los Angeles jeweler pleads guilty in KPMG case

The owner of a Los Angeles jewelry store pleaded guilty Monday for his role in an insider-trading case involving a former senior partner at accounting firm KPMG.
Bryan Shaw, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and was scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 16 when he faces a maximum of five years in prison.
"In this guilty plea, Mr. Shaw continued his path to fully accepting responsibility for his actions and doing the right thing," said Shaw's attorney Nathan Hochman.
Authorities said Shaw made more than $1 million in illicit profits by trading in advance of company announcements on earnings results or mergers for KPMG LLC clients, including Herbalife Lt., Skechers USA Inc. and Uggs maker Deckers Outdoor Corp.
In exchange, Shaw gave former KPMG accountant Scott London bags filled with cash, along with a $12,000 Rolex watch and jewelry for his wife, among other items, prosecutors said. The Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed civil charges in the case, estimates London received at least $50,000.

Court: Iowa must recognize both lesbian parents

An Iowa agency's refusal to list both spouses in a lesbian marriage as parents on their children's birth certificates is a violation of their constitutional rights and must stop, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The court, which made history by legalizing gay marriage in 2009, ordered the Iowa Department of Public Health to start listing the names of both female spouses on the birth certificates of their children. The ruling was backed by all six justices who participated.

Iowa had been the only state in the nation that allowed marriage or civil unions for same-sex couples, but refused to list both spouses on birth certificates of their children, according to Camilla Taylor, an attorney for Lambda Legal, a gay rights group involved in the case.

Justice David Wiggins said the state government "has been unable to identify a constitutionally adequate justification" for treating lesbian parents differently than parents of opposite sex. He said the only explanation for doing so was "stereotype or prejudice" that violated their rights to be treated equally under the Iowa Constitution.

Ex-Goldman trader pleads guilty in NY fraud probe

A former Goldman Sachs trader pleaded guilty to wire fraud Wednesday, admitting that he caused his company to lose $118 million in 2007 when he put $8 billion at risk.
Matthew Marshall Taylor, 34, said he took the position on a futures contract traded electronically through the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in December 2007 to enhance his reputation and boost his earnings in a year when he made $150,000 in salary and $1.6 million in bonuses. At the time, he was working at Goldman Sachs in lower Manhattan.
According to court papers filed in Manhattan, Taylor entered fictitious information in trading account records and lied to company representatives to cover up the fact that he had put 10 times more money at risk in the trade than he was allowed. He claimed that the $8 billion at risk was actually only $65 million, the papers said.
U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III said he was miffed that the government in a plea deal was holding Taylor responsible for no more than $2.5 million in losses. The amount of money lost in financial crimes usually plays a significant role in the length of any prison sentence.
The judge also said he could not understand why the government was not making a legal finding that Taylor had used "sophisticated means" to carry out the crime. Such a designation would again likely increase the length of any prison sentence. Pauley also noted that the government could have claimed that the crime endangered the financial health of Goldman Sachs, a designation that also could increase a prison sentence. A prosecutor said he did not believe either enhancement was appropriate because Taylor carried out the fraud in a manner similar to his usual work patterns and the company's financial stability was not threatened.

Heitman Law Firm, PL - Construction Law

By quality, we mean degree of excellence.  Heitman Law Firm specializes in construction law.  Our Principal Attorney, Gilmer Mike Heitman, is one of the elite few duly licensed as both a Professional Engineer and Board Certified Construction Attorney, achieving the highest level of recognition in engineering and construction law, respectively.  Our Associate Attorney, Vincent Griffith, holds a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction and valuable professional experience working as construction Project Manager.  Both Mr. Heitman and Mr. Griffith possess years of actual jobsite experience that other construction experts simply do not have.  Click here for photos from their archives of construction projects.  As such, our firm is uniquely well qualified to render its clients high quality legal representation.

Heitman Law Firm serves its clients by first comprehending the specific issues our clients face and then tailoring our representation to those specific needs.  Construction law cases often involve legal, technical, engineering, design, constructability and scheduling issues.  We speak the language of construction. We understand your business.

http://www.palmbeachconstructionlaw.org/firm-overview