America was created by people who understood that power unchecked is power abused.  That’s why we have separation of powers, the Bill of Rights, and the right to a day in court. The law firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy makes it possible for the average American  to have their day in court by taking on cases to fight for hard working people, including construction workers, laborers, electricians, carpenters, police officers, fire fighters, and everyday  Americans, as well as New York City police, fire, and sanitation workers. Block O’Toole & Murphy’s lawyers believe that their responsibilities do not end when they have settled a case or gotten a verdict in favor of their clients. As champions of justice, they need to do whatever they can to prevent future injuries. Individuals and businesses that harm people  deliberately or through negligence  need to take responsibility for their actions. As advocates for injured people, Block O’Toole & Murphy does what it can to make the world safer. When they see injustice, when they see companies that choose greed over safety, they fight back in the courtroom, and they also work to change the laws. Today, The Insider Exclusive takes an inside look at one of New York’s premier law firms, Block, O’Toole & Murphy, and their outstanding record for seeking justice for their clients. Jeffrey Block, Daniel O’Toole and Stephen Murphy of Block O’Toole & Murphy will join us, along with Ryan Maguire and Agron Halili, two clients successfully represented by the firm, as well as guest lawyers Javier Solano and Tim Sullivan  as we examine some of the multimillion dollar record verdicts and settlements won by Block O’Toole & Murphy.

Jeffrey Block began his prolific career as a trial attorney after only being admitted to the New York State Bar for three weeks. He handles significant construction accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, medical malpractice cases, premises liability cases and motor vehicle accidents for the firm. Jeffrey has been elected as a "Super Lawyer" in New York State, recognizing him as one of the top 5% of New York personal injury trial lawyers. He honed his reputation as a young lawyer by achieving astounding results on cases that other attorneys dismissed, like a trial he handled where the Appellate Division in the Second Department sustained $1,350,000 on a non-surgical herniated disc case. He now consistently reports some of the largest verdicts in New York, including a $14,000,000 result in Nassau County, reported to be the highest non-medical malpractice verdict ever in Nassau County by the New York Jury Verdict Reporter, and a recent trial that resulted in a verdict in excess of $9,000,000 in Kings County. Jeffrey is known as a tireless worker who never settles for anything but the best for his clients. He is heavily involved in many charities and enjoys being in the position to make a difference in people's lives in and out of the courtroom.

Daniel O’Toole is one of New York's premier catastrophic injury trial attorneys, having graduated from the Fordham University School of Law in 1992. During the course of his career he has obtained in excess of $150,000,000.00 worth of settlements and verdicts, all by the age of 40. He is also the Vice-Chairman of the Labor Law Committee for the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. He is active at his church and serves on the Parish School Advisory Board as well as Chairman of his parish's Capital Campaign Committee. Daniel is an active supporter and sponsor of the St. Jude Children's Hospital, The Frances Pope Memorial Foundation (to aid the families of children with cancer), The Butterfly Foundation (to aid the families of children with cancer), Candlelighters of New York City and Judges and Lawyers Cancer Alert. He recently funded the construction of a classroom at a school for autistic children in Connecticut and is a major donor of an autism school near his home in New Jersey. Additionally, Daniel provides multiple needs based scholarships for children on annual basis for parochial grammar and high schools in New York and New Jersey.

Stephen Murphy is a lifetime New Yorker with Irish roots. He comes from a family of firefighters, police officers, prosecutors and teachers. Both of his grandfathers were members of the Fire Department. His grandfather, Stephen J. Murphy, served the City of New York as Interim Fire Commissioner. His maternal grandfather, Walter Matthews, reached the rank of Assistant Chief of Department. Stephen joined the firm Block & O'Toole in early 2005 after a successful and rewarding career as a homicide prosecutor. He handles a wide range of cases including labor law and construction accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, trucking collisions, medical malpractice and motor vehicle cases. Stephen began his legal career working as an Assistant District Attorney under Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes. He honed his skills in the criminal courtrooms in Brooklyn, prosecuting persons accused of violent crimes. In early July 2003, Stephen traveled to Sarajevo on behalf of the United States Justice Department to assist in the implementation of a new justice system in post-war Bosnia & Herzegovina. Stephen is also an adjunct professor of law at the St. John's University School of law. He teaches trial advocacy and lectures on criminal and civil trial practice and evidence.

Joseph Donahue has successfully represented workers in various trades, including construction workers. In 1997 he began his career as a trial lawyer as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York. As an Assistant District Attorney Joseph investigated thousands of criminal cases, presented hundreds of cases to the New York State Grand Jury and successfully obtained jury verdicts on behalf of crime victims. He began his career in private practice at a prominent New York City law firm specializing in medical malpractice litigation. He represented hospitals and physicians against claims of medical malpractice in the fields of cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, neurosurgery, general surgery and failure to diagnose cancer. Joseph also handled substantial personal injury cases, including negligent security matters. In March 2008 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. He is a 1994 graduate of Loyola College in Baltimore Maryland and a 1997 graduate of The City University of New York School of Law. Joseph is licensed to practice in the Federal and State Courts of New York and New Jersey. 

Block O’Toole & Murphy is one of the premier personal injury law firms in New York City. The firm’s experienced team of New York personal injury lawyers is devoted to truly caring for and fighting for the rights of their clients. The firm’s clients are diverse, hard-working people including laborers, construction workers, electricians, carpenters, police officers, firefighters and iron workers. Block O’Toole & Murphy has had the privilege of representing persons involved in construction and scaffold accidents, wrongful death actions, tractor trailer accidents, medical malpractice cases and motor vehicle collisions. The firm is proud to include members of the New York City Police, Fire and Sanitation Departments that are injured while on the job as both clients and friends.

You can contact Jeffrey Block, Daniel O’Toole and Stephen Murphy at 212-736-5300, or www.blockotoole.com

A college professor accused of organizing a swingers club and holding private orgies in China was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison, officials said, in a case that touched off national debate about sexual freedom.

Ma Yaohai, 53, was convicted and sentenced on charges of group licentiousness for participating in group sex parties, said an official from the Qinhuai District Court in southeastern Nanjing. The official, who declined to give his name, refused to answer further questions.

Ma, along with 21 other people, was arrested and charged last year — the first time anyone has been charged under a 1997 law in a case that has snagged huge public interest with its titillating details. It also generated debate about sexual freedom in a nation trying to reshape its own modern morality.

Ma's attorney Yao Yong'an said his client, who was the only one to plead innocent, plans to appeal the verdict.

Prosecutors trying former Liberian president Charles Taylor for war crimes at a U.N.-backed court asked judges Thursday to subpoena supermodel Naomi Campbell to testify about being given uncut diamonds by Taylor.

Special Court for Sierra Leone Prosecutor Brenda Hollis filed a motion saying Taylor allegedly gave Campbell diamonds at a reception in South Africa in September 1997. Taylor denies prosecutors' allegations that he provided arms and ammunition to brutal rebels during Sierra Leone's civil war in exchange for so-called blood diamonds.

Campbell's testimony would provide "direct evidence of the accused's possession of rough diamonds from a witness unrelated to the Liberian or Sierra Leone conflicts," Hollis said in the motion.

She adds that Taylor "denied ever having possessed rough diamonds and the evidence clearly contradicts his testimony on this central issue."

Three of nine members of a Midwest militia accused of conspiring to overthrow the government were released from jail Tuesday until trial after prosecutors suddenly backed off an intense effort to keep the entire group behind bars.

David Stone Jr., 19, Jacob Ward, 33, and Tina Stone, 44, were released to family members after appearing in federal court in Detroit. They must wear electronic monitors and follow strict conditions first set by a judge earlier this month.

"It's a great start," said Stone Jr.'s attorney, Todd Shanker. "David Jr. is not a danger to anybody. He's going to work at a nearby farm and he's not going to bother anybody."

After the hearing, Tina Stone said she was happy to be going to her father's home in Hillsdale County but declined further comment. Asked what's ahead, her father, Tim Kelley, said with a laugh: "She's pickin' my strawberries. I know that."

The three are among nine indicted members of a southern Michigan-based group called Hutaree. All are charged with conspiring to commit sedition, or rebellion, against the government and attempting to use weapons of mass destruction.

Connecticut's secretary of state ended her bid for attorney general Tuesday, hours after losing a lawsuit she filed against her own office in an effort to prove that she is qualified to be the state's top prosecutor.

Democrat Susan Bysiewicz said in a statement she is tremendously disappointed with the state Supreme Court's unanimous decision that she is not legally qualified to hold the job now occupied by Richard Blumenthal. She said she strongly disagrees with the decision but that she respects the rule of law.

Connecticut law requires the attorney general to have worked 10 years as a lawyer. Bysiewicz had argued that her 11 years as secretary of the state and six years as a corporate lawyer in Connecticut should count.

Republicans maintain that Bysiewicz's tenure as secretary of the state should not count. A lower court had ruled that Bysiewicz had met the requirement. The state GOP then appealed to the state's highest court.

Microsoft Corp. sued Salesforce.com Inc. yesterday, accusing the company of infringing nine patents for ways to make software more efficient.

The complaint targets the customer-relationship management software that is the hallmark of Salesforce.com’s business. It seeks a court order that would prevent the San Francisco-based company from providing features that Microsoft claims it invented.

Salesforce.com, founded in 1999, sells subscriptions to Internet business software that runs marketing campaigns and tracks sales leads. It competes against Microsoft’s Dynamics programs and “has profited through infringement of the Microsoft patents-in-suit,” according to the complaint, filed in federal court in Seattle.

“More and more, we’re seeing Dynamics compete with Salesforce in deals,” said Ray Wang, an analyst with Altimeter Group in San Mateo, California. “Long term, Salesforce and Microsoft are on a collision course for all enterprise software.”