Legal Industry News

Google Antitrust: Allegations and Defense

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
ALLEGATION: Google is Buying Everyone! Is the Company TOO BIG? In 2011, Google has purchased or proposed to buy no less than twenty organizations to enhance its growing stable of services including: Google Books, Google Translate, Google Offers, Google+, Google Wallet etc. etc. A penalty flag was thrown when Google put in a $12.5b bid for mobile hardware manufacturer, Motorola Mobility. Some speculated that as the owner of the Android operating system that runs most if not all of Motorola handsets, Google was treading into vertical monopoly territory with its pending acquisition of the company that made the actual phones. Read More »

Intellectual Property Wars in Silicon Valley

Thursday, September 1st, 2011
A Silicon Valley stand-off is underway. A potentially apocalyptic patent lawsuit exchange between Google and Apple keeps both parties in check--much like the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. These two tech giants are battling it out over rights surrounding the Android mobile phone platform and with Google's recent purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. Google has a few more guns in the fight over Android rights. Read More »

Car Accident Claim Advice: Are You a Victim?

Thursday, August 18th, 2011
Car accidents can happen at any time, and if you are victim of a car accident that wasn’t your fault, there are a few things to bear in mind if you are planning to make a claim.  With most car accidents, it can be quite obvious who is responsible.  But there are other cases which are not so clear cut.  Here is some advice for the scene of the car accident.

1. Always stop somewhere safe – any motorist involved in a car accident, however big or small the damage, should stop somewhere safe, and should use emergency brake lights to warn other road users of their presence.  If you have been involved in a collision, even if the accident was not your fault, it is important that you stop if another vehicle has been damaged or someone else has been injured.  Always stop and wait for someone to take your details (even if you did not cause the accident).
2. Ask for details or report to the police – if you have been injured in a car accident, you need to ask the driver for a valid...

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Nathan Myrhvold: Innovator or Intruder?

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
The rapid growth, change and expansion of software can create a gray area concerning the question of “who invented it first?” It seems that the only way to make sure your idea is fully patented is to hire a patent litigation attorney, but is that really enough? Who’s to say that someone hasn’t already patented your idea? And most importantly, do inventors have the money to patent their ideas? Read More »

Obtaining a Mortgage Following the Real Estate Crisis

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
This article was created by Lance Surety Bond Associates, a nationwide surety bond company who provide mortgage broker bonds. Although it has been about five years since the housing market’s collapse, the real estate market has yet to make a comeback. From 2003 to 2007, mortgages were handed out with little documentation; borrowers simply noted their income and signed away. Because of this, loans were given to those who were unqualified, and eventually couldn’t afford them. Shortly following, the housing market deteriorated. Read More »

Critiquing Four Law Firm Websites

Friday, July 22nd, 2011
A business website should be tried and given as much importance as an office. It does not matter whether it is an ecommerce website or a lead generation website, a website is key to having a successful business online. If a website does not catch a visitors’ attention then they are that much closer to clicking over to the competition. This being a resource website for the legal industry, I thought it would be interesting to examine several law firms’ sites. The sites were picked and critiqued randomly after I searched the phrase “law firms” in Google.  The following are factors I will consider: Read More »

Are Law Firms Ready for to the Social Media Revolution?

Friday, July 15th, 2011
Here’s the situation: social media usage is soaring.  Facebook is now the number one website (not Google), and Social Networking is now the number one online activity (not email). Social media is changing the way users interact with brands online.  It’s given users a voice, and with the advent of Twitter and social media monitoring tools, users don’t have to shout.  Most brands are right there, listening intently. Read More »

What is a Court Bond?

Thursday, July 7th, 2011
A court bond is a surety bond issued by the court to ensure due payment, to guarantee proper financial management of a ward, or to protect the assets of an estate. There are three different types of bonds you might encounter during a court proceeding:

1. Appeal Bond: An appeal bond is a bond posted by the losing party of a court case hoping to submit an appeal. The purpose is to save the court time and money by ensuring that if the appeal is lost, the losing party still pays the original judgment of the court.
2. Guardianship Bond: A guardianship bond (also sometimes known as a custodian bond) is a bond issued by the court when a person applies to serve as a guardian for a minor or an incapacitated person. The goal of a guardianship bond is to ensure that the legal guardian fulfills the custodial duties honestly and manages the ward’s finances to the best of his or her abilities.
3. Probate Bond: A probate bond (also referred to as a fiduciary bond, an executor bond or an estate bond) is required by the court to protect the assets of an estate as they are distributed by an executor....

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Driver vs Cyclist ‘Road Rage’ is Serious by John A. Adamczyk

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
photo credit: richardmasoner In a recent case highlighted by Mandalit del Barco on NPR, "…a driver in Los Angeles was recently convicted of using his car as a weapon against two cyclists. And the case is focusing attention on the often uneasy relationship between motorists and bicyclists who have to share the road." Read the full story here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120457877 While the laws fully support that bicyclists have the same access to the road as vehicles, to try and enforce these with your actions or with words while on the road should always be done with extreme caution, if at all, given the obvious risk involved. Once off the bike and in a safe place a biker should feel free to try and make his or her point in order to try to "educate" the driving public. It is also good to remember that an individual driver with road rage who intentionally injures a biker will most likely see his insurance carrier deny a bikers injury claim if the act can be characterized as intentional and criminal rather than negligent. About Us: Adamczyk Law Offices, L.L.P. is a...

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Alimony Is Alive And Well by Barbara E. Keon

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

Alimony is alive and well, but the advent of the working woman and women's liberation have frequently eroded its award in court. This has made representation of the middle-aged homemaker displaced from a long-term marriage a problematic area for the divorce practitioner. The husband typically wants to move forward in life by dividing assets and paying alimony for a few years until his wife can be retrained and get a job, instead of subsidizing her needs for life. Aggressive and innovative legal representation, however, can win a substantial share of assets as well as long-term alimony for the female client, as the following case shows.

A very gracious, intelligent and charming homemaker came to my office this past year. She is what many would refer to as a "deserving woman." She subsidized the family income in the early years of their 23-year marriage, but stopped working after the birth of the first of their two children and assumed full responsibility for all household duties and childrearing.

Her husband, a bright and driven workaholic, tenaciously pursued his career. At age 48 and at the pinnacle of his career, having reached the level...

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