The national law firm Fisher & Phillips LLP announced today that a foundation it established following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 is helping its attorneys and staff affected by the recent devastating floods in Georgia. The firm is currently accepting assistance applications from the Georgia employees of Fisher & Phillips who suffered damage.

Chairman and Managing Partner Roger Quillen said: “The attorneys and staff of our firm who were not directly affected by the flooding have displayed the same desire to aid their co-workers as they did when Hurricane Katrina damaged or destroyed the homes of our people in Louisiana. It does my heart good to see how our extended law firm family comes together in a time of need.”

Robert Christenson, chair of the firm’s Employee Benefits Practice Group, pointed out that any employer can create a charitable fund to provide immediate disaster relief assistance to its own employees. When properly organized and operated, donors receive a tax deduction for contributions to such a fund, and recipients of assistance do not pay income tax on money they receive. Employers have been permitted to set up such funds since the 9/11 disaster. Following that tragedy, Congress enacted the Victims of Terrorism Tax Relief Act of 2001, which allows an employer to establish a 501(c)(3) private foundation for the purpose of providing timely disaster relief assistance to its employees and their families (an “Employer-Controlled Foundation”). Disasters such as Katrina and the Georgia floods are covered by the Act.

Christenson said: “A foundation such as ours gives employees the opportunity to aid their colleagues who have been affected by a disaster or tragedy. Our attorneys are ready to assist any company that wants to move quickly to establish its own foundation to help during this time of need. We will put together the organizational documents, help with the tax filings, and explain the law to ensure that employers properly establish their foundations.”

The Fisher & Phillips Foundation provides money for such things as living expenses and uninsured repairs. All assistance is purely “needs based” and a committee ensures that the funds are properly distributed. Following Hurricane Katrina 17 attorneys and staff received a total of $77,000 from the foundation. The firm donated $60,000 to start the fund and lawyers and staff donated an additional $22,000. The firm has committed to donate an additional $40,000 to the fund as needed and the foundation is also accepting donations from attorneys and staff to help the Georgia flood victims.

Newport News law firm Consumer Litigation Associates typically doesn't cut a high political profile.

But in this year's slate of elections, the Peninsula firm is suddenly a major player, donating almost $380,000 primarily to Democratic candidates.

The bulk of the money has gone to partner Robin Abbott, a Democrat running for the House of Delegates. The firm's founder, Len Bennett, is a longtime Democratic donor who supported President Barack Obama, among others. Bennett said he wants to support candidates willing to crack down on consumer fraud.

On the campaign trail, Bennett has been aggressive, even taking to Internet message boards to defend Abbott. In places typically filled with anonymous screeds, Bennett signs his full name and offers links to articles on consumer law.

"It's probably not smart to put our name out there like that," he said. "But I've got to be able to stand behind what I'm posting."

Bennett said he hopes his campaign contributions help free state lawmakers from the financial reliance on major donations from lobbyists and corporations so they can make "the right decisions."

"Maybe it's naive, but we'll see what happens over time," he said.

Abbott's opponent, Newport News Republican Del. Phil Hamilton suggests ulterior motives.

"You've got to kind of wonder what they're after," he said. "What is Consumer Litigation trying to buy?"

So far this year, the firm has donated $379,643 and Bennett has chipped in another $38,800 almost exclusively to Democratic candidates. The sole Republican donation — $5,000 to Newport News Del. G. Glenn Oder — was likely linked to Oder's work against payday lenders and was cut before Democrat Gary West entered the race.

Bennett has donated cash, office space and laptops to Abbott's campaign and reached out to fellow trial lawyers with a pledge that he would match donations to Abbott. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, which tracks campaign spending, nearly two-thirds of Abbott's cash comes from the legal community. Meanwhile, the firm has given generously to Democrats running statewide, cutting large checks to Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner and Steve Shannon.

Like most law firms, K&L Gates LLP faces headwinds. The recession has cut demand for many corporate legal services, including work on mergers, real estate and corporate finance. In turn, profits at firms across the country have plummeted, forcing many of them to fire attorneys, freeze salaries and shut offices.

Peter Kalis, chairman of the 1,800-lawyer K&L firm, has felt the pain first hand. He cut costs sharply this year, including firing about 40 attorneys and 200 other staff members.

But the 59-year-old West Virginia native -- a Rhodes Scholar, Yale Law School graduate and clerk for Supreme Court Justice Byron White -- hasn't curtailed his expansion ambitions.

In the last two years, he has overseen mergers with firms in Chicago, North Carolina and Texas, and he has opened offices abroad, including in Singapore, Frankfurt and Dubai. His Pittsburgh law firm now ranks among the nation's largest, with 33 offices around the globe.

And Mr. Kalis shows no signs of slowing down. "Downturns can present extraordinary growth opportunities," he says. "But if you are lost in navel gazing and you don't have your head beams on high looking down the road, you'll miss the opportunities."

Mel Martinez's career plans after leaving the Senate appear to be bringing him to Tampa.

The Orlando Republican is joining the offices of DLA Piper as a partner in its Washington and Tampa offices, according to Legal Times.

DLA Piper partner Ignacio Sanchez confirmed the news following a partnership vote. Martinez, who left the Senate earlier this month, starts at the firm on Oct. 1, Legal Times reported.

"When he announced he was going to retire and let the governor appoint someone to finish out the term, I immediately talked to him and said, you really ought to consider looking at our firm. I think you would really do well, and we would love to have you," Sanchez said.

The former senator will be banned from lobbying for two years, though Sanchez said he will be able to advise clients on a range of issues.

The Murfreesboro law firm of Kious & Rodgers, PLLC recently announced a change to the firm’s name to recognize the contributions of partners, Jay Barger, Chris Holder and J. D. Kious, to the North Maple Street practice. Kious & Rodgers, PLLC is now Kious, Rodgers, Barger, Holder & Kious, PLLC.

The firm’s founding partners, David W. Kious and John W. Rodgers, started the firm in 1997 with a vision of building the best law firm in Rutherford County. “We believed by delivering high quality legal services at a reasonable price, the firm would grow as its reputation grew, and in time we would need to add partners and associates in response to an increasing and diverse client base,” Rodgers said. “The change in our firm name is a reflection of our firm’s vision for growth and advancement.”

James P. “Jay” Barger joined the firm in 2002, was named a partner in 2006 and is the firm’s family law specialist. G. Christopher Holder joined the firm in 2004 and was named a partner a year ago. He specializes in criminal defense, construction and lien law, and collections. J. D. Kious joined the firm in 2005 and specializes in business law, estate planning and real estate.

“With their assistance, the firm John and I started 12 years ago has been able to fulfill its mission of being a full service law firm for Rutherford County, providing exceptional service through sound legal advice and professional, experienced representation,” David Kious noted. “And by adding Jay, Chris and J.D. to our firm name, we want to recognize their contribution to our firm and make known our comprehensive practice, spanning the full spectrum of today’s legal environment.”

Kious points out that the firm is not looking at restraining its growth anytime soon. “New developments and growth opportunities are on the horizon, and we are poised to take advantage of them.”

The name change is accompanied by a new web site, http://www.murfreesborolawyers.com.

J. Thomas Archer, a commercial litigator with more than a decade of national experience representing major hotels, resorts and hospitality industry clients in matters before State and Federal courts and Courts of Appeal, has joined the law firm of Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, L.C. in St. Louis.

As a partner, Mr. Archer is establishing a new Hotels & Hospitality Litigation Practice at the firm based on his expertise in defending claims of fraud, breach of contract, premises liability and many other matters for hospitality industry clients with operations in the U.S. and overseas. The new Hotels & Hospitality Litigation Practice complements the Gaming & Gambling Law Group and other business law practices at Gallop, Johnson & Neuman.

Mr. Archer also focuses his practice in securities litigation, regulatory enforcement proceedings and other complex commercial disputes. He has substantial experience representing clients in defense of financial fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, warranty claims and in defense of Securities & Exchange Commission and Self-Regulatory Organization investigative proceedings. He has tried cases and arbitration proceedings before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the American Arbitration Association.

Thomas J. Campbell, managing partner of Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, said, “Tom Archer is very well known as a veteran litigator in the hospitality industry and in securities litigation enforcement proceedings and complex litigation. His expertise, particularly in the defense of system-sensitive litigation, claims and issues involving international hospitality and entertainment industry clients, adds a new dimension to our firm as we serve new clients. The Hotels & Hospitality Litigation Practice will work with the Gaming & Gambling Law Group and other business law practices at Gallop, Johnson & Neuman in select client matters.”

Mr. Archer was most recently a partner in the Litigation Group at the law firm Holland & Knight, L.L.P. in Washington, D.C. where he represented a major international hospitality organization with branded operations and franchises worldwide. Before then he led the Commercial Litigation Practice in the St. Louis office of Bryan Cave, L.L.P., where he began his career in 1981.  

Mr. Archer is admitted to practice in Missouri, Illinois, Maryland and the District of Columbia, and before many U.S. District Courts and Federal and State Courts of Appeal. He earned his J.D. degree from the School of Law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign after earning an A.B. degree with Highest Distinction, Phi Bata Kappa, at the university. He also teaches annual seminars in securities litigation at the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis.

Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, L.C., a full service law firm of 80 attorneys, has provided legal services to clients in diverse industries since its founding in 1976 and is one of the largest law firms in St. Louis. The firm serves public corporations; privately-held companies; entrepreneurs and start-up enterprises; individuals and families; trustees and trust beneficiaries; charities; and non-profit entities. The firm is located at 101 South Hanley Road, Suite 1700, in Clayton, Missouri.  

For more information, contact Lois A. LaDriere, Director of Marketing,
at 314.615.6000 or visit www.gjn.com.    

Media contact: Jeff Dunlap at 314.993.6925.