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PORTLAND, ME (September 22, 2008) – Forty-four lawyers from Verrill Dana, LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2009 (Copyright 2008 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.).

The attorneys included are:
Portland Office:
David S. Abramson (Family Law, Sports Law)
Eric D. Altholz (Employee Benefits Law, Health Care Law)
Lisa S. Boehm (Employee Benefits Law)
Robert C. Brooks (Workers’ Compensation Law)
Juliet T. Browne (Environmental Law)
Anthony M. Calcagni (Real Estate Law)
Roger A. Clement, Jr. (Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law)
Judith M. Coburn (Trusts and Estates)
Christopher J.W. Coggeshall (Real Estate Law)
James I. Cohen (Government Relations Law)
Kimberly S. Couch (Employee Benefits Law)
Douglas P. Currier (Labor and Employment Law)
Beth Dobson (Administrative Law, Banking Law, Health Care Law)
Jonathan R. Doolittle (Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law)
William M. Fletcher (Real Estate Law)
Gregory S. Fryer (Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities Law)
David L. Galgay, Jr. (Real Estate Law)
John P. Giffune (Construction Law)
Gregg H. Ginn (Employee Benefits Law)
James G. Goggin (Intellectual Property Law)
Mark K. Googins (Banking Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
William S. Harwood (Administrative Law, Energy Law)
David C. Hillman (Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law)
Keith C. Jones (Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities Law)
James T. Kilbreth (Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law)
Kurt E. Klebe (Trusts and Estates)
Alan D. MacEwan (Corporate Law)
Christopher S. McLoon (Corporate Law, Tax Law)
Mary McQuillen (Trusts and Estates)
Suzanne E. Meeker (Employee Benefits Law)
Richard G. Moon (Labor and Employment Law)
Charles R. Oestreicher (Real Estate Law)
James C. Palmer (Real Estate Law)
Alexia Pappas (White Collar Criminal Defense)
A. Robert Ruesch (Construction Law)
Christopher R. Smith (Corporate Law)
William H. Stiles (Health Care Law)
David E. Warren (Corporate Law)
Peter B. Webster (Corporate Law)

Boston Office:
Gene D. Dahmen (Family Law)
George P. Field (Commercial Litigation)

Augusta Office:
Peter B. Bickerman (Administrative Law, Appellate Law)
Michael V. Saxl (Government Relations Law)

Hartford Office:
Diane M. Fitzgerald (Employee Benefits Law)

Since its inception in 1983, The Best Lawyers in America® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States.  The current, 15th edition compiles more than 2 million responses from leading attorneys to an exhaustive survey regarding the legal expertise of their professional peers.  Because Best Lawyers is based on this confidential survey, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.  The American Lawyer magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected list of attorneys in practice.”

About Verrill Dana:

Verrill Dana, LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 100 attorneys conducting a nationwide practice from offices in Portland, and Augusta, Maine; Boston; Hartford; and Washington, D.C. To learn more, visit our website at www.verrilldana.com.

About the Author:

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Forty-Four Verrill Dana Attorneys Receive Best Lawyers Recognition

Employment Law by Tamara Lewis (8th edition)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock in outer space then you’ll have heard about the smoking ban, but do you know about the legal updates on maternity leave, holiday entitlement and corporate management? Workers, employers and directors need to be aware of these developments. In case you’re not up to speed, here is an overview of what you need to know.

Maternity Leave and Maternity Rights

The Work and Families Act 2006 enforced changes to employment and maternity leave regulations, employee’s maternity leave rights and certain key notice periods. For mothers of children born after 1st April 2007, these changes are now in force.

Maternity Leave:

All female employees are now entitled to a total of 52 weeks’ maternity leave. This is divided up into Ordinary Maternity Leave and Additional Maternity Leave, each of 26 weeks. The employer must also carry out a pregnancy risk assessment.

Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance:

For 39 weeks of their leave, it’s an employee’s maternity leave right to receive either Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance, depending on how long she has worked for the employer.

Working During Maternity Leave & KIT Days:

Employees on maternity leave are entitled, subject to employer’s approval, to return to work during maternity leave for a maximum of 10 days. This may be for a day of work or to attend training or other events. Such days are normally known as Keeping In Touch (KIT) Days.

Returning to Work:

It’s an employee’s maternity leave right to return to work at the end of their maternity leave. To facilitate a smooth transition from maternity leave to work and to assist new mothers in balancing priorities, flexible working may be applied for.

Simply-Smoke-Free

Since 1 July 2007 it has been an offence to smoke in a public place or place of work. A company has a duty to provide a safe, smoke free working environment and uphold the new ban imposed on smoking in public places, as set out in the Health Act 2006.

No Smoking signs must be placed in all smoke free workplaces and vehicles. This assists in compliance with the overall obligation on a company to ensure that employees, visitors and customers are all aware that such areas and vehicles must, under the law, be smoke free.

Smoke Free Policy:

Fines may be levied upon employers that fail to respond to the changes in the law on smoking. If an area is enclosed or substantially enclosed, it should have been smoke free since 1 July 2007.

Smoke Free Vehicles:

If a vehicle is to be used to transport members of the public, or in the course of paid or voluntary work by more than one person, it must be kept smoke free.

Increased Holiday Entitlement

Under the new Working Time Regulations 2007, from the 1st October 2007 the minimum holiday entitlement increased from 4 weeks per year to 4.8 weeks per year. This represents the first stage of a two-stage increase to 5.6 weeks to be completed on 1st April 2009.

What Does this Mean for Employers?

Providing employees receive 20 days holiday entitlement per year and do not work on public holidays there is no change, as the new minimum holiday entitlement is inclusive of public holidays.

Any employer whose staff have less than 24 days holiday entitlement including bank holidays are obliged to increase this. Employers also have a duty to inform staff of any increase in holiday entitlement through either a letter or a short statement, for example on a pay slip.

Companies Act 2006 – Oct 2007 Implementation

The Companies Act 2006 was enacted following a review of company law in the UK.

One of the major changes under the Companies Act is that four of the seven directors’ duties are now codified for the first time (the other three are still awaiting commencement and remain under common law). Other changes involve shareholder written resolutions, AGMs and statutory company registers.

Shareholder Written Resolutions:

Whilst private companies have been able to make use of written resolutions for some time, they could only be passed with unanimity. With the new Companies Act it is now only necessary to secure the agreement of members representing 50% (for ordinary resolutions) or 75% (for special resolutions) of the total voting rights of eligible members..

General Meetings:

With effect from 1st October 2007, private companies are no longer required by law to hold an AGM. Previously private companies were able to pass an elective resolution to dispense with an AGM, but with the new Companies Act there is no statutory requirement to hold AGMs although a company may decide to hold them.

Statutory Company Registers:

The Companies Act 2006 removed the obligation to maintain a Register of Directors Interests as of 1st April 2007. The register must now show a service address rather than a residential address. Companies must now also keep a Register of Directors’ Residential Addresses.

About the Author:

Iain Mackintosh is the managing director of Simply-Docs. The firm provides over 1100 legal document templates covering all aspects of business from the new
holiday entitlement
requirements to workplace health and safety laws. By providing these legal documents (with content provided by leading commercial lawyers, HR and health & safety consultants) at an affordable price, the company intends to help small business

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Know Your Rights! Legal Updates 2007

Police State by Tony Blair – BBC Video

Employment Law Attorney?

Need advise from a employment law attorney…..
I sent an email to the CEO, then in one month I am a part of a Reduction In Force. My e-mail stated my concerns over the male that was hired as manager (my same job) a year and a half ago. I said I know that the company has only one alloted FTE for my position and that he made $10,000 more annually that I and I would like to be paid the same salary. I quoted same duties, same job description.
When I was let go, they stated that this is an at will employment state and they were cutting back on expenditures.
Now they have hired all young workers with little to no experience or creditials that I have.
The male was let go also.
I want to know it I have a case against discrimation – sex, racism.
I am a black women, 53 yo Have 35 years of doing the job. Male was a salesman in the same area of work

To get advice from an attorney about labor/employment laws in your state, you will have to retain an attorney.

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