Legal Media Matters

Carey & Danis LLC Announces Auction-Rate Securities Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Stifel Financial Corp.

NEWS RELEASE

August 13, 2008

St. Louis – The law firm of Carey & Danis LLC has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of persons who purchased auction-rate securities from Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. between June 11, 2003 and Feb. 13, 2008 and who continued to hold the securities as of Feb. 13, 2008.

The class action lawsuit, Merrick v. Stifel Financial Corp., et al., 08-cv-01167, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.  The suit alleges that Stifel Financial Corp. and its subsidiary Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by deceiving investors about the investment characteristics of auction-rate securities and the auction market in which the securities are traded.

Auction-rate securities are municipal or corporate debt securities or preferred stocks that pay interest at rates set through periodic auctions.  The instruments typically have long-term maturity dates or no maturity date.

The suit filed on August 8 claims that, pursuant to uniform sales materials and top-down management directives, Stifel Financial Corp. offered and sold auction-rate securities to the public as highly liquid cash-management instruments and as suitable alternatives to money market mutual funds.  On Feb. 13, 2008, all of the major broker-dealers, including Stifel Financial Corp., withdrew their support for the auctions.  The suit claims that, as a result, investors have been unable to liquidate their auction-rate securities.

The lawsuit alleges that Stifel Financial Corp. failed to disclose the following material facts about the auction-rate securities it sold to the class:

• The auction-rate securities were not cash alternatives like money market funds but were instead complex long-term financial instruments with 30-year maturity dates.
• The auction-rate securities were only liquid at the time of the sale because Stifel Financial Corp and other broker-dealers were artificially supporting and manipulating the market to maintain the appearance of liquidity and stability.
• Stifel Financial Corp and other broker-dealers routinely intervened in the auctions for their own benefit to set rates and to prevent all-hold auctions and failed auctions.
• Stifel Financial Corp. continued to market auction-rate securities as liquid investments even after Stifel Financial Corp. and other broker-dealers determined that they would likely be withdrawing support for the periodic auctions and that a freeze of the auction rate securities market would result.

Investors who purchased or acquired auction-rate securities from Stifel Financial Corp. between June 11, 2003, and Feb. 13, 2008, and who continued to hold the securities as of Feb. 13, 2008, may request appointment as lead plaintiff by the Court on or before Oct. 7, 2008.  A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members.  To be appointed, the Court must conclude that the investor’s claims are typical of other class members’ and that the investor will adequately represent the class.  The investor’s ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as lead plaintiff.  The investor may retain Carey & Danis LLC, or other attorneys, to serve as counsel.

Auction-rate securities investors who wish to discuss their rights against Stifel Financial Corp. or any other broker-dealer may contact Carey & Danis LLC toll-free at 800-721-2519.  A copy of the lawsuit is available from the Court.

Carey & Danis LLC is a national law firm based in St. Louis that aids victims of corporate abuse, greed and neglect.  For more information, contact Joseph Danis (jdanis@careydanis.com) or Corey Sullivan (csullivan@careydanis.com).  You can also visit our website at www.careydanis.com.

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Media Contact: Geri L. Dreiling
Legal Media Matters LLC
314.743.3851 or 314.520.3897
legalmediamatters@sbcglobal.net

Simon Passanante attorney Dawn Mefford named Up & Coming Lawyer

NEWS RELEASE

July 31, 2008

St. Louis – Simon Passanante lawyer Dawn M. Mefford has been named a 2008 Up & Coming Lawyer by Missouri Lawyers Weekly.

The award is given to attorneys under the age of 40 who have dedicated themselves to the legal profession and merit recognition. A selection committee made up of Missouri Lawyers Weekly editors chose 48 Missouri attorneys for the honor.

Mefford graduated summa cum laude from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in 1999. In 2003, she earned her law degree from the Saint Louis University School of Law, graduating cum laude. Mefford practices in the areas of personal injury, product liability and medical malpractice litigation.

In addition to doing trial work in Missouri and Illinois, Mefford has co-authored articles about medical malpractice litigation, anticipated constitutional challenges to tort reform and trial practice.

“In just five short years, Dawn has distinguished herself as a trial lawyer, writer, and active member of the bar, and the award is well deserved,” said Paul J. Passanante, a founding partner of the law firm.

St. Louis-based Simon Passanante, P.C. handles catastrophic injury, mass tort, class action, intellectual property, consumer rights and commercial litigation cases nationwide. For more information, contact Christie Rainey at 314-241-2929 or e-mail crainey@simonpassanante.com.

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Media contact: Geri L. Dreiling
Legal Media Matters LLC
314.743.3851 or 314.520.3897
legalmediamatters@sbcglobal.net

Carey & Danis LLC Announces Auction-Rate-Securities Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Bank of America

NEWS RELEASE

July 18, 2008

Carey & Danis LLC Announces Auction-Rate-Securities Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Bank of America (NYSE:  BAC).

St. Louis, MO – The law firm of Carey & Danis LLC has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of persons who purchased auction-rate securities from Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC), Bank of America Investment Services, Inc. and Bank of America Securities, LLC between June 11, 2003 and Feb. 13, 2008 and who continued to hold the securities as of Feb. 13, 2008.

The class action lawsuit, Cattell v. Bank of America Corp., et al., 08-cv-00511, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.  The suit alleges that Bank of America Corp. and its subsidiaries Bank of America Investment Services, Inc. and Bank of America Securities, LLC violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by deceiving investors about the investment characteristics of auction-rate securities and the auction market in which the securities are traded.

Auction-rate securities are municipal or corporate debt securities or preferred stocks that pay interest at rates set through periodic auctions.  The instruments typically have long-term maturity dates or no maturity date.

The suit filed on July 17 claims that, pursuant to uniform sales materials and top-down management directives, Bank of America offered and sold auction-rate securities to the public as highly liquid cash-management instruments and as suitable alternatives to money market mutual funds.  On Feb. 13, 2008, all of the major broker-dealers, including Bank of America, withdrew their support for the auctions.  The suit claims that, as a result, investors have been unable to liquidate their auction rate securities.

The lawsuit alleges that Bank of America failed to disclose the following material facts about the auction-rate securities it sold to the class:

• The auction-rate securities were not cash alternatives like money market funds but were instead complex long-term financial instruments with 30-year maturity dates.

• The auction-rate securities were only liquid at the time of the sale because Bank of America and other broker-dealers were artificially supporting and manipulating the market to maintain the appearance of liquidity and stability.

• Bank of America and other broker-dealers routinely intervened in the auctions for their own benefit to set rates and to prevent all-hold auctions and failed auctions.

• Bank of America continued to market auction-rate securities as liquid investments even after Bank of America and other broker-dealers determined that they would likely be withdrawing support for the periodic auctions and that a freeze of the auction-rate-securities market would result.

Investors who purchased or acquired auction-rate securities from Bank of America between June 11, 2003, and Feb. 13, 2008, and who continued to hold the securities as of Feb. 13, 2008, may request appointment as lead plaintiff by the Court on or before July 21, 2008.  A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members.  To be appointed, the Court must conclude that the investor’s claims are typical of other class members’ and that the investor will adequately represent the class.  The investor’s ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as lead plaintiff.  The investor may retain Carey & Danis LLC, or other attorneys, to serve as counsel.

Auction-rate-securities investors who wish to discuss their rights against Bank of America or any other broker-dealer may contact Carey & Danis LLC toll-free at 800-721-2519.  A copy of the lawsuit is available from the Court.

Carey & Danis LLC is a national law firm based in St. Louis that aids victims of corporate abuse, greed and neglect.  For more information, contact Joseph Danis (jdanis@careydanis.com), Michael Flannery (mflannery@careydanis.com) or Corey Sullivan (csullivan@careydanis.com).  You can also visit our website at www.careydanis.com.

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Media Contact: Geri L. Dreiling
Legal Media Matters LLC
314.743.3851 or 314.520.3897
legalmediamatters@sbcglobal.net

News Release - Legal Media Matters joins forces with Olmstead & Associates

NEWS RELEASE

July 9, 2008

Geri L. Dreiling joins forces with Olmstead & Associates to help lawyers write, get published and enhance their expertise and credibility.

St. Louis – Olmstead & Associates and Legal Media Matters are pleased to announce that Geri L. Dreiling—legal writer, publicist and president of the public relations and multimedia writing firm Legal Media Matters—has joined forces with Olmstead & Associates as adjunct legal writer and publicist.

Dreiling’s clients and their cases have been covered by many national and regional media outlets, among them: The Associated Press; KTVI (Ch.2), St. Louis; Bloomberg News; The Des Moines Register; IP Law 360; The Kansas City Star; KMOV (Ch. 4), St. Louis; KMOX (1120 AM); KSHB (Ch. 41), Kansas City; KTVI (Ch. 2), St. Louis; The Miami Herald; Missouri Lawyers Weekly; The National Law Journal; Pensacola News Journal; St. Louis Business Journal; St. Louis Daily Record; and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

Said John Olmstead, principal of Olmstead & Associates, “Geri will help our lawyer clients write, get published, and enhance their expertise and credibility.”

Dreiling added: “For over two decades, lawyers and law firms across the country have turned to Olmstead & Associates for practice management advice and consulting services. It is an honor to serve as an adjunct to such a highly regarded firm.”

About Geri L. Dreiling
Dreiling graduated from Wichita State University in 1989 and the Washington University School of Law, where she was an associate editor of the Washington University Law Quarterly, in 1992. After practicing law for several years, Dreiling worked as a legal and investigative journalist. Her award-winning articles have appeared in several publications, including the ABA Journal, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, The Riverfront Times, the National Catholic Reporter and St. Louis Magazine, as well as a 2005 anthology published by Chamberlain Brothers showcasing some of the best articles from the alternative press.

Dreiling is a member of the Missouri Bar, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

About Olmstead & Associates

Olmstead & Associates provides practice management, coaching, marketing, and technology consulting services. Their coaching program provides attorneys and staff with one-on-one coaching to help them get “unstuck” and move forward, reinventing both themselves and their law practices.  Life On Balance helps clients improve work-life balance and improve overall quality of work and life. Work-life coaching, consulting, and speaking services are provided. Founded in 1984, Olmstead & Associates serves clients across the United States ranging in size from 100 professionals to firms with solo practitioners.

For more information about Olmstead & Associates and its services, visit www.olmsteadassoc.com  and www.lifeonbalance.com or call (314) 241-5665.

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Media contact: Geri L. Dreiling
Legal Media Matters LLC
314.743.3851 or 314.520.3897
legalmediamatters@sbcglobal.net

Carey & Danis Announces Auction-Rate Securities Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Wells Fargo & Co.

NEWS RELEASE

St. Louis – The law firm of Carey & Danis LLC has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of persons who purchased auction-rate securities from Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) and Wells Fargo Investments, LLC between June 11, 2003 and Feb. 13, 2008 and who continued to hold the securities as of Feb. 13, 2008.

The class action lawsuit, Jungbluth v. Wells Fargo & Co. et al., Case 2:08-CV-00509-AEG, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.  The suit alleges that Wells Fargo & Co. and its subsidiary, Wells Fargo Investments, LLC, violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by deceiving investors about the investment characteristics of auction-rate securities and the auction market in which the securities are traded.

Auction-rate securities are municipal or corporate debt securities or preferred stocks that pay interest at rates set through periodic auctions.  The instruments typically have long-term maturity dates or no maturity date.

The suit filed on June 11 claims that, pursuant to uniform sales materials and top-down management directives, Wells Fargo offered and sold auction-rate securities to the public as highly liquid cash-management instruments and as suitable alternatives to money market mutual funds.  On Feb. 13, 2008, all of the major broker-dealers, including Wells Fargo, withdrew their support for the auctions.  The suit claims that, as a result, investors have been unable to liquidate their auction-rate securities.

The lawsuit alleges that Wells Fargo failed to disclose the following material facts about the auction-rate securities it sold to the class:

• The auction-rate securities were not cash alternatives like money market funds but were instead complex long-term financial instruments with 30-year maturity dates.
• The auction-rate securities were only liquid at the time of the sale because Wells Fargo and other broker-dealers were artificially supporting and manipulating the market to maintain the appearance of liquidity and stability.
• Wells Fargo and other broker-dealers routinely intervened in the auctions for their own benefit to set rates and to prevent all-hold auctions and failed auctions.
• Wells Fargo continued to market auction-rate securities as liquid investments even after Wells Fargo and other broker-dealers determined that they would likely be withdrawing support for the periodic auctions and that a freeze of the auction-rate securities market would result.

Investors who purchased or acquired auction-rate securities from Wells Fargo between June 11, 2003, and Feb. 13, 2008, and who continued to hold the securities as of Feb. 13, 2008, may request appointment as lead plaintiff by the Court on June 13, 2008.  A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members.  To be appointed, the Court must conclude that the investor’s claims are typical of other class members’ and that the investor will adequately represent the class.  The investor’s ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as lead plaintiff.  The investor may retain Carey & Danis LLC, or other attorneys, to serve as counsel.

Auction-rate securities investors who wish to discuss their rights against Wells Fargo or any other broker-dealer may contact Carey & Danis LLC toll-free at 800-721-2519.  A copy of the lawsuit is available from the Court.

Carey & Danis LLC is a national law firm based in St. Louis that aids victims of corporate abuse, greed and neglect.  For more information, contact Joseph Danis (jdanis@careydanis.com), Michael Flannery (mflannery@careydanis.com) or Corey Sullivan (csullivan@careydanis.com).  You can also visit our website at www.careydanis.com.

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Media Contact: Geri L. Dreiling
Legal Media Matters
314.743.3851 or 314.520.3897
legalmediamatters@sbcglobal.net

CLE benefits worthy cause

Simon Passanante’s fourth annual seminar, which earns lawyers CLE credit and raises money for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, will be held on June 24.

Attorneys who attend the seminar will earn seven hours of continuing legal education credit, including one hour of ethics credit. The entire $100 seminar fee is donated to Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.

In the past three years the event has raised nearly $37,000 for the organization, which provides legal assistance to low-income families.

The seminar, entirely underwritten and organized by the St. Louis law firm Simon Passanante, will be held at the Missouri Athletic Club. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m.

Amy Collignon Gunn of Simon Passanante will serve as moderator. The speakers include:

• Eugene Buckley, Buckley & Buckley, Ethics and Professionalism
• John E. Campbell, Simon Passanante, Consumer Protection
• St. Louis City Circuit Court Judge Jimmie Edwards, Tips from the Bench
• Dennis W. Fox, Dennis W. Fox & Associates, Social Security Disability
• Nancy R. Mogab, Mogab & Hughes, Workers Compensation
• Mary Anne Sedey, Sedey Harper, Employment Discrimination
• Anthony G. Simon, Simon Passanante, Intellectual Property

For more information, call Simon Passanante at 314-241-2929 or visit www.simonpassanante.com.

Carey & Danis appointed to plaintiffs’ steering committee in multidistrict Trasylol litigation

NEWS RELEASE

May 23, 2008

St. Louis – John J. Carey of the St. Louis law firm Carey & Danis has been appointed to serve as a member of the plaintiffs’ steering committee in the multidistrict Trasylol litigation pending before a Florida federal court.

On May 22, U.S. District Court Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks entered the order announcing the plaintiffs’ steering committee, which is responsible for managing and conducting the pretrial proceedings, in the case In re: Trasylol Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1928.

Carey said of the appointment: “Our firm is honored to fill this important role on behalf of Trasylol victims and their families. Having served as lead counsel or steering committee members in several pharmaceutical cases, we understand that swift justice requires efficient case management.”

Carey & Danis currently has 13 cases involving Bayer’s anti-bleeding drug Trasylol (aprotinin) pending in the multidistrict litigation, located in West Palm Beach, Fla.

The suits claim that Bayer failed to warn prescribers and consumers of the dangers associated with the drug, defectively designed the drug, fraudulently concealed the dangers of the drug, breached the implied and express warranties and violated various state laws. The plaintiffs seek compensatory damages and damages for aggravating circumstances. The firm anticipates that it will file an additional 50 cases in the near future involving heart-surgery patients who suffered kidney failure after receiving Trasylol. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Trasylol in 1993. Since 2006, three studies have linked the clotting drug to an increased risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney failure. On May 14, the New England Journal of Medicine published the BART study, which revealed that patients given Trasylol had a death rate 53 percent higher than that of heart-surgery patients given cheaper competing drugs.

Carey & Danis, LLC is a national law firm based in St. Louis that aids victims of corporate abuse, greed and neglect. For more information, contact John Carey at 314-725-7700 or e-mail jcarey@careydanis.com.

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Media Contact: Geri L. Dreiling
Legal Media Matters
314.743.3851 or 314.520.3897
legalmediamatters@sbcglobal.net

Carey & Danis file an auction-rate securities class action lawsuit against UBS

NEWS RELEASE

May 9, 2008

St. Louis – The law firm of Carey & Danis LLC has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of persons who purchased auction rate securities from UBS AG (NYSE: UBS), UBS Securities LLC and UBS Financial Services Inc. between May 8, 2003 and Feb. 13, 2008 and who continued to hold the securities as of Feb. 13, 2008.

The class action lawsuit, Bonnist v. UBS AG, et al., 08 CIV 4352, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  The suit alleges that UBS AG and its subsidiaries UBS Securities and UBS Financial Services violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by deceiving investors about the investment characteristics of auction rate securities and the auction market in which the securities are traded.

Auction rate securities are municipal or corporate debt securities or preferred stocks that pay interest at rates set through periodic auctions.  The instruments typically have long-term maturity dates or no maturity date.

The suit filed on May 8 claims that, pursuant to uniform sales materials and top-down management directives, UBS offered and sold auction rate securities to the public as highly liquid cash-management instruments and as suitable alternatives to money market mutual funds.  On Feb. 13, 2008, all of the major broker-dealers, including UBS, withdrew their support for the auctions.  The suit claims that, as a result, investors have been unable to liquidate their auction rate securities.

The lawsuit alleges that UBS failed to disclose the following material facts about the auction rate securities it sold to the class:

• The auction rate securities were not cash alternatives like money market funds but were instead complex long-term financial instruments with 30-year maturity dates.
• The auction rate securities were only liquid at the time of the sale because UBS and other broker-dealers were artificially supporting and manipulating the market to maintain the appearance of liquidity and stability.
• UBS and other broker-dealers routinely intervened in the auctions for their own benefit to set rates and to prevent all-hold auctions and failed auctions.
• UBS continued to market auction rate securities as liquid investments even after UBS and other broker-dealers determined that they would likely be withdrawing support for the periodic auctions and that a freeze of the auction rate securities market would result.

Investors who purchased or acquired auction rate securities from UBS between May 8, 2003, and Feb. 13, 2008, and who continued to hold the securities as of Feb. 13, 2008, may request appointment as lead plaintiff by the Court on or before May 20, 2008.  A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members.  To be appointed, the Court must conclude that the investor’s claims are typical of other class members’ and that the investor will adequately represent the class.  The investor’s ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as lead plaintiff.  The investor may retain Carey & Danis LLC, or other attorneys, to serve as counsel.

Auction rate securities investors who wish to discuss their rights against UBS or any other broker-dealer may contact Carey & Danis LLC toll-free at 800-721-2519.  A copy of the lawsuit is available from the Court.

Carey & Danis LLC is a national law firm based in St. Louis that aids victims of corporate abuse, greed and neglect.  For more information, contact Joseph Danis (jdanis@careydanis.com), Michael Flannery (mflannery@careydanis.com) or Corey Sullivan (csullivan@careydanis.com).  You can also visit our website at www.careydanis.com.

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Media Contact: Geri L. Dreiling
Legal Media Matters
314.743.3851 or 314.520.3897
legalmediamatters@sbcglobal.net

Patent infringement lawsuit filed against five online gaming companies

NEWS RELEASE

May 5, 2008

St. Louis – A lawsuit has been filed in a St. Louis federal court against seven online-gaming companies alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 5,564,001, titled “Method and System for Interactively Transmitting Information Over A Network Which Requires Reduced Bandwidth.”

The suit was filed on April 25 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on behalf of Las Vegas-based 1st Technology Inc., alleging the ’001 patent has been and continues to be infringed by the defendants.

The defendants include four Costa Rican companies: Digital Gaming Solutions SA, Costa Rica International Sports, Action Poker Gaming Enterprises and SBG Global; two Norwegian companies: Playsafe Holding AS and eCom Enterprises; and Digital Gaming Network, Ltd., which is based in Curacao.

The plaintiff seeks the enjoinment of further patent infringement, treble damages and the impoundment and destruction of all infringing products.

The suit was filed by Anthony G. Simon and Timothy E. Grochocinski with the Simon Passanante law firm.

Simon noted, “1st Technology is a leading technology licensing company that invests considerable resources in developing its intellectual property and is dedicated to protecting and enforcing the same.”

St. Louis-based Simon٠Passanante PC handles intellectual property and commercial litigation cases nationwide. For more information, contact Anthony G. Simon at 314-241-2929 or e-mail asimon@simonpassanante.com.

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Media contact: Geri L. Dreiling
Legal Media Matters LLC
314.743.3851 or 314.520.3897
legalmediamatters@sbcglobal.net

Patent infringement lawsuit filed by St. Louis-based manufacturer US Ring Binder against retailer Staples

NEWS RELEASE

April 29, 2008

St. Louis – A patent infringement lawsuit has been filed in a St. Louis federal court on behalf of St. Louis-based manufacturer US Ring Binder against the Framingham, Mass.-based retailer Staples.

Filed on April 25 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, as detailed in the complaint, US Ring alleges that Staples in its product line of Binders called collectively “Better Binders ™” infringed on a patent developed and owned by US Ring.

The plaintiff seeks the enjoinment of further patent infringement, treble damages and the impounding and destruction of all infringing products.

The suit was filed by Anthony G. Simon and Timothy E. Grochocinski with the Simon Passanante law firm.

Simon noted that US Ring, headquartered in the St. Louis area, has been in business for more than 100 years. “US Ring and its predecessor have a long history of designing and developing innovative products and are leaders in securing United States patents in the Ring Binder industry with some patents dating back to 1907. It invests heavily in its intellectual property and will take appropriate action when it feels its rights have been violated.”

St. Louis-based Simon٠Passanante PC handles intellectual property and commercial litigation cases nationwide. For more information, contact Anthony G. Simon at 314-241-2929 or e-mail asimon@simonpassanante.com.

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Media contact: Geri L. Dreiling
Legal Media Matters LLC
314.743.3851 or 314.520.3897
legalmediamatters@sbcglobal.net