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BP 'ready for long court battle over Gulf spill'
Headline News |
2012/02/27 15:44
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BP chief executive Bob Dudley said the company is able to fight a lengthy court battle over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Dudley, who took control of BP in October 2012 after former chief executive Tony Hayward resigned amid criticism over the way he had handled the oil spill, told the Sunday Telegraph that BP can continue to function even if the court case that begins in New Orleans today continues for years.
"We have to remember we are a business that invests in decade-long cycles," he said.
"For the vast majority of people now at BP, the company is back on its feet and it is starting to move forward," he said.
BP has set aside US$40 billion to deal with fines and associated costs of the April 20, 2010 blowout of BP's deepwater Macondo well which killed 11 workers and injured 17. The burning drilling rig Deepwater Horizon toppled and sank to the Gulf floor, where it sits today.
It took engineers 85 days to permanently cap the well.
By then, more than 750 million litres of oil leaked from the well and had covered much of the northern half of the Gulf of Mexico endangering fisheries, killing marine life and shutting down offshore oil drilling operations.
President Barack Obama called the BP spill "the worst environmental disaster the nation has ever faced."
Dudley said BP had improved safety standards on its rigs, five of which are working again in the Gulf of Mexico, and that the company was still committed to deepwater drilling.
"We had a choice whether or not to back away from the offshore industry and the deep water industry but we have a lot of great strengths in this area and so, rather than move away, we have gone in with even more commitment, more time and more people, more expertise," he said. |
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Ousted Ind. official sentenced in voter fraud case
Headline News |
2012/02/24 17:29
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Indiana's ousted top elections official was sentenced Thursday to a year of home detention for six felony convictions that a judge refused to reduce to lesser crimes — a ruling that, if upheld on appeal, will likely cost him not only his office but also his law license and livelihood.
Hamilton Superior Court Judge Steven Nation said the intentional disregard that Secretary of State Charlie White showed for the law outweighed portrayals of him as a loving father and husband. The judge refused to reduce the six felony convictions to misdemeanors that would have given the 42-year-old Republican a chance to hold onto his office.
"I believe he violated the trust of the people," Nation said.
White told the judge he would appeal the one year's detention on each of the six felonies, to be served concurrently, and Nation stayed the sentence pending that. The judge also fined White $1,000 and ordered him to serve 30 hours of community service.
But White, his wife, and his attorney said his legal problems have cost him much more than part of his freedom and his political and legal career. Defense attorney Carl Brizzi said White and his wife, Michelle, have stopped making mortgage payments on the condo that was at the heart of his legal troubles and likely will lose ownership of it. White said his assets have dwindled to whatever equity he might have in the home and small stock and bank accounts and a 5-year-old, beat-up Jaguar automobile. |
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Las Vegas, Nevada Litigation Attorneys
Headline News |
2012/02/15 20:57
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Maier Gutierrez Ayon is a Las Vegas, Nevada based law firm committed to representing clients in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, medical malpractice, business and real estate litigation, bankruptcy, and employment law.
Firm founders Jason Maier, Joseph Gutierrez and Luis Ayon began their careers at large law firms representing national and international clients in a variety of matters, including personal injury and product liability litigation, business and commercial litigation, contract disputes, real estate litigation, medical malpractice and pharmaceutical litigation, employment litigation, and bankruptcy. With this experience and a track record of success, Maier Gutierrez Ayon has the unique ability to provide you with the personal attention you deserve while offering the diverse, proven legal experience found in a large law firm.
Attorney advertisement. The material and information contained on these pages and on any pages linked from these pages is intended to provide general information only and not legal advice. You should consult with an attorney licensed to practice in your jurisdiction before relying upon any of the information presented here. You are advised that the acts of sending e-mail does not create an attorney-client relationship |
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Magnet Toy Class Action Settlement
Headline News |
2012/02/04 17:39
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On December 15, 2011, the Honorable Susan D. Wigenton, U.S.D.J., granted final approval of a class action settlement in the lawsuit Chris Doering, et al. v. MEGA Brands, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 2:08-CV-1750 (SDW) (MCA).
Defendants MEGA Brands, Inc., et al. agreed to settle legal claims surrounding certain Magnet Toy products, many of which were subject to recalls instituted by MEGA Brands in cooperation with the Consumer Products Safety Commission ("C.P.S.C."). Plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged that certain "Magnet Toys" (as defined in the parties' agreement to settle the action) contained defective magnets, and sought a refund of all monies paid. This lawsuit did not allege any personal injury claims. Defendants have denied any and all liability. However, the parties have agreed to settle the matter to avoid the expense and resources that would be needed for further litigation.
The Settlement covers over 10 million MEGA Brands Magnet Toys, including the Magnetix family of toys, as well as Mag-Warriors, Magnaworld, Magna-Bugs, Magna-Wheels, Magna-Saurs, and Magna-Bones, among others. A complete list of the "Magnet Toys" covered by the proposed Settlement as well as pictures of those toys is available for consumers to at www.megabrandssettlement.com. |
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Providence mayor warns of possible bankruptcy
Headline News |
2012/02/02 18:01
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Mayor Angel Taveras painted a bleak picture Thursday of the city's finances, saying Providence faces "devastation" and could go bankrupt if retiree benefits aren't cut and tax-exempt institutions like Brown University don't pay more in lieu of taxes.
Taveras said he cut a projected $110 million deficit for the current fiscal year to less than $30 million but that the city is on track to run out of money by June. He said taxpayers and city workers have already sacrificed ? taxes and fees have gone up, several schools were closed and there are 200 fewer people on the city's payroll compared to a year ago ? and he called on retirees and nonprofit hospitals and universities to do the same.
"Everyone must sacrifice or everyone will suffer the consequences," he said at a news conference at City Hall. "We need everyone to be part of the solution."
He said the city can't afford retirees' guaranteed annual cost-of-living increases ? about 600 retirees get increases of 5 and 6 percent ? and that benefits will be cut one way or another, either voluntarily or possibly through court action. He suggested the city could go the way of Central Falls, which was taken over by a state-appointed receiver in 2010 and where pensioners' benefits were unilaterally slashed. The receiver declared bankruptcy on behalf of the city in August. |
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Judges skeptical of Texas in redistricting case
Headline News |
2012/02/01 16:25
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Three federal judges weighing the legality of Texas' new political maps reacted with skepticism Tuesday when the state's lawyer suggested the intent of the redrawn boundaries was to maximize the influence of Republicans, not to minimize the influence of minorities.
The U.S. Justice Department and a coalition of minority groups contend the legislative and congressional maps the Texas Legislature drew last year recut districts in a way meant to dilute the state's burgeoning minority voting population. They say the maps violate a section of the Voting Rights Act that requires states with a history of racially discriminatory voting practices to get so-called "pre-clearance" from the Justice Department before making electoral changes.
Texas is gaining four congressional seats this year due to population readjustments made in the 2010 census. That has increased the redistricting stakes, with Hispanics and Democrats often clashing with the GOP-controlled Legislature about how the lines should be drawn.
John Hughes, a lawyer for Texas, which is seeking to keep the maps in place, said during closing arguments before a Washington federal court panel that the maps were the result of partisan gerrymandering that didn't violate federal law. He argued that "a decision based on partisanship" is not based on race, even if it results in minority voters having less political influence. |
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