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Store employee wins $95M sexual harassment verdict 

By: Kimberly Atkins
Published: January 17, 2012

Tags: assault, sexual harassment, Top Ten Jury Verdicts, Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2011

An Illinois federal jury has awarded a $95 million verdict – including $80 million in punitive damages – to a store worker who claimed she was sexually harassed and assaulted by a manager while the company turned a blind eye.

“[The employer] had a policy that no one had to report complaints of sexual harassment unless they actually witnessed it,” said Benedict Morelli, the plaintiff’s lead counsel at trial. “It was a sexual harassment policy that protected the company, not the employees.”

Jury awards $89.6 million to pipefitter with mesothelioma 

By: Correy Stephenson
Published: January 17, 2012

Tags: asbestos, conspiracy, mesothelioma, negligence, Top Ten Jury Verdicts, Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2011

A 12-person jury in Illinois awarded $89.6 million – $80 million of it in punitives – against four defendants in a suit brought by a former pipefitter suffering from mesothelioma.

Special Feature: Lawyers of the Year 2011 

Published: January 9, 2012

Tags: Lawyers of the Year, Lawyers of the Year 2011

At the end of every year, Lawyers USA recognizes attorneys who have made a significant impact in the legal world during the year just past. All of these lawyers achieved noteworthy accomplishments in 2011 that earned them the title “Lawyer of the Year.”

Jose Baez: The most hated lawyer in America 

Published: January 9, 2012

Tags: Casey Anthony, Lawyers of the Year, Lawyers of the Year 2011, murder

After a stint at the state attorney’s office during law school, Jose Baez quickly realized being a prosecutor wasn’t for him. He wanted to represent clients with a pulse: real people with real problems.

It was through jailhouse referrals that he got his most infamous client, Casey Anthony, the young mother acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee in a case that rivaled the O.J. Simpson spectacle for the title of Trial of the Century and catapulted Baez into the national spotlight.

Ekaterina Schoenefeld: Fought N.Y. law that hurt nonresident attorneys 

Published: January 9, 2012

Tags: attorneys, Discrimination, Lawyers of the Year, Lawyers of the Year 2011

It’s easy to be taken aback by Ekaterina Schoenefeld’s modesty in the wake of her success in taking on the power and authority of the state of New York, ending what amounted to a residency requirement that discriminated against out-of-state attorneys.

But the Princeton, N.J. solo seems quite content with the simple fact that she was right that the antiquated law had to go.

Tyler Block: Fighting for adoptive parents 

Published: January 9, 2012

Tags: adoption, Lawyers of the Year, Lawyers of the Year 2011, same-sex adoption

When Tyler Block stood before the Nebraska Supreme Court to argue against a district court ruling that barred his client from pursuing custody and visitation rights with the child she had raised with her ex-partner, he struck a blow not only for the gay and lesbian community but for all non-biological parents.

David E. Mills: Big win before High Court 

Published: January 9, 2012

Tags: Lawyers of the Year, Lawyers of the Year 2011, prison, qualified immunity, sexual assault

It was about 1 p.m. on a Friday afternoon when Cleveland, Ohio sole practitioner David E. Mills realized he had just a few hours to keep a case alive.

That quick action ultimately paid off when Mills won a unanimous victory in Ortiz v. Jordan.

Paul R. Taskier: Won $482 million patent verdict for doctor 

Published: January 9, 2012

Tags: Lawyers of the Year, Lawyers of the Year 2011, medical device, patent infringement

Even the most seasoned litigator knows that intellectual property cases can be more than a bit tricky. So when Paul R. Taskier, a senior litigation partner in the Washington office of Dickstein Shapiro, agreed to represent a radiologist claiming a medical device manufacturer willfully infringed on his patent, he knew he’d have his work cut out for him.

But he did have one asset that served him well – a personal and family background in the sciences.

Special Feature: 20 Things Lawyers Need to Know in 2012 

Published: November 14, 2011

Tags: 20 Things Lawyers Need to Know in 2012

What are the hottest practice areas?  How can you use technology more effectively in your office, and in the courtroom? Stay on top of the latest trends in ethics, e-discovery, legal writing and more with this year’s edition of “20 Things Lawyers Need to Know.” From keeping client information secure when you’re on the go to unbundling your legal services, Lawyers USA gives you the road map you need to run your law practice more smoothly in 2012 and beyond.  (Click here to read last year’s edition.)

Special Audio Feature: How to be more appealing

Published: July 22, 2011

Tags: U.S. Supreme Court

Arguing an appeal, whether it’s before a state appellate court, a federal circuit or the U.S. Supreme Court, can seem like a daunting task for a lawyer who doesn’t have much appellate experience.

This special audio feature includes advice from three of the Supreme Court’s top litigators with dozens of High Court oral arguments under their belts, plus audio examples of their tips in action at the Court.