Richard B. Thomas, a long-time patent engineer with Armstrong Teasdale LLP, has become an associate in the law firm’s Intellectual Property practice group. With Thomas’ promotion, the firm expands its Intellectual Property group to 70 people.

Much of Thomas’ practice involves advising emerging and mature businesses on the development and leveraging of technology. His main focus is on the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications.

“Even in challenging economic times, businesses continue to actively acquire intellectual property and protect their intellectual property rights,” said Armstrong Teasdale Intellectual Property Practice Group Leader Patrick W. Rasche. “Rich’s background and experience in the field align with our goals for the group. We look forward to his continued contributions and remain excited about the prospects for continued growth over the coming years.”

Thomas received his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law, his M.B.A. from Lindenwood University, and his B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of New York. He is licensed to practice in Missouri and is a member of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and the American Bar Association.

About Armstrong Teasdale: Armstrong Teasdale LLP, with nearly 250 lawyers in offices across the U.S. and China, has a demonstrable track record of delivering sophisticated legal advice and exceptional service to a dynamic client base. Whether an issue is local or global, practice area specific or industry related, Armstrong Teasdale provides each client with an invaluable combination of legal resources and practical advice in nearly every area of law. For more information, please visit www.armstrongteasdale.com.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has dismissed a class action suit against NVIDIA that accused the company of trying to hide its knowledge of defects in a line of graphics chips, in order to keep the stock price up.

In a strongly-worded opinion, Judge Richard Seeborg said the plaintiffs did not establish that there was any evidence that the company knew that its chips were defective. Further, the opinion notes that some of the evidence presented by witnesses was from people who did not work at the company and were not in a position to know if the chips were defective or not.

Judge Seeborg gave the plaintiffs 30 days to file an amended complaint, or have it dismissed and the plaintiffs barred from re-filing another suit.

The original lawsuit was filed in 2008, by Lisa Miller, and the class action suit eventually included two union pension funds and the retirement fund of the city of Pontiac, Mich. The suit covered those who bought NVIDIA's stock between Nov.2, 2007 and July 2, 2008.

A mother who threw her two children from an overpass in Dallas then jumped off the 20-foot-high bridge has been found not guilty of attempted murder and injury to a child.

A judge ruled Thursday that Khandi Busby is not guilty by reason of insanity and ordered her into a state mental institution.

Defense attorney David Pire says Busby believed God told her to throw her 6- and 8-year-old sons off the bridge on March 12, 2008 to protect them from Satan.

The boys' injuries have been treated and they are in foster care. Relatives say Busby is bipolar and had stopped taking her medication

A federal appeals court is wrestling with whether the Bush administration's former top procurement official got a fair trial the second time around in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

On Friday, a Justice Department lawyer and an attorney for David Safavian (suh-FAY'-vee-uhn) underwent intense questioning by two of three judges hearing the former White House official's appeal.

Safavian's lawyers say he was the victim of vindictive prosecution at his second trial, in which he was convicted of obstructing justice and making false statements to investigators.

Safavian's convictions rest in part on new charges that the government added after Safavian's successful appeal following conviction at his first trial in 2006.

A Colorado pot grower who tried unsuccessfully to use state medical marijuana law in his defense on federal drug charges has said he now plans to plead guilty.

Christopher Bartkowicz, of Highlands Ranch, was scheduled to change his plea on Thursday. Court spokesman Jeff Dorschner said Bartkowicz told the court he planned to plead guilty, though the plea change won't be final until the hearing.

Bartkowicz faces federal marijuana cultivation charges after he showed off his marijuana growing business to a TV reporter in February. Soon after Denver's KUSA-TV promoted the story in February, federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided Bartkowicz's home and seized more than 200 plants.

Bartkowicz has changed his plea before. He first changed his plea to not guilty in April and asked the judge to let him use Colorado's 2000 constitutional amendment allowing medical marijuana rules in his defense.

A major law firm has formed a special task force aimed at defending lenders and mortgage loan servicers as legal challenges to questionable foreclosure practices mount.

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP said on Tuesday it has assembled a team to help companies respond to allegations ranging from wrongful foreclosure to inadequate documentation and lack of standing to foreclose.

"Whether it's us or somebody else, I think all the servicers are looking to get outside assistance," said Laurence Platt, a mortgage banking partner in the firm's Washington, D.C., office.

Legal pitfalls have multiplied "in part because there's a 'gotcha' mentality out there," he said.

In recent years, U.S. law firms have created special teams to help clients handle legal issues triggered by the mortgage market meltdown and the financial crisis.

These teams have included legal experts in areas including litigation, class-action lawsuits and financial regulation.

All 50 U.S. states have launched a joint investigation of the mortgage industry, looking into allegations that some banks used shoddy or fraudulent paperwork to evict borrowers from their homes.