Armstrong Teasdale LLP announces the addition of attorney Angie Fletcher as an associate in the St. Louis office. Fletcher is a member of the Corporate Services practice group and focuses primarily on securities, corporate governance, and commercial and general business law.

Supporting growing and mature businesses, Fletcher guides clients in securities law compliance, Exchange Act reporting, mergers and acquisitions, internal restructuring and general commercial contracting. She also develops social responsibility programs for businesses and their employees to be better involved in the community.

“Angie shares the firm’s vision of delivering value and innovative service,” says David Braswell, leader of the firm’s Corporate Services practice group. “Her past corporate experience and client relationships will be invaluable as we continue to grow and diversify the practice.”

Previously serving as corporate counsel for a Fortune 500 company in the energy sector and for a leading producer of plastic sheet, compounds and packaging products, Fletcher has the experience and ability to provide practical, cost-effective and business-oriented approaches to her clients when solving routine and complex issues.

Fletcher earned her J.D. with a concentration in Business Transactional Law from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2008. She received her B.A. in history and political science, cum laude, in 2003. Fletcher is licensed in Missouri and a member of The Missouri Bar, The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals.

About Armstrong Teasdale: Armstrong Teasdale LLP, with nearly 235 lawyers in offices across the U.S. and China, has a demonstrable track record of delivering sophisticated legal advice and exceptional service to a dynamic client base. Whether an issue is local or global, practice area specific or industry related, Armstrong Teasdale provides each client with an invaluable combination of legal resources and practical advice in nearly every area of law. For more information, please visit www.armstrongteasdale.com.

The Supreme Court is starting its new term with a new justice, Elena Kagan, and bad news for hundreds of parties trying to get their cases heard at the nation's highest court.

The justices are expected to start work Monday by denying many of the nearly 2,000 appeals that piled up in recent months. The court also is hearing argument in a bankruptcy dispute and an appeal by criminal defendants seeking shorter prison terms.

During the new term, the court will look at provocative anti-gay protests at military funerals and a California law banning the sale of violent video games to children. These cases worry free speech advocates, who fear the court could limit First Amendment freedoms.

The funeral protest lawsuit, over signs praising American war deaths, "is one of those cases that tests our commitment to the First Amendment," said Steven Shapiro, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Another case involves a different aspect of the First Amendment, the government's relationship to religion. The justices will decide whether Arizona's income tax credit scholarship program, in essence, directs state money to religious schools in violation of the constitutional separation of church and state.

Under Chief Justice John Roberts, marking his fifth anniversary on the court, and with the replacement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor by Justice Samuel Alito, the court has been more sympathetic to arguments that blur the line between government and religion, as long as one religion is not favored over another.

Abraham, Fruchter & Twersky, LLP announces that it has been retained to file a class action law suit on behalf of purchasers of Duoyuan Printing, Inc.stock between November 6, 2009 through September 13, 2010, including purchasers of the Company's November 6, 2009 initial public offering of common stock.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants failed to disclose (1) that the authenticity of certain of the Company's expenses related to advertising and tradeshow costs could not be verified; (2) that the Company had improper relationships with certain vendors and distributors; and (3) that the Company lacked adequate internal and financial controls. As a result, the Company's financial statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On September 13, 2010, Duoyuan Printing disclosed that the Company dismissed its independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd., and was reorganizing its top management in connection with Duoyuan Printing's "desire to resolve open issues and file our 10-K on a timely basis." Moreover, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and four members of the Company's Board of Directors resigned after the dismissal of Deloitte. In a reaction to the Company's revelations, Duoyuan Printing securities declined $3.60 or more than 54% and closed at $2.99 on September 13, 2010.

If you purchased Duoyuan Printing common stock during the Class Period of November 6, 2009 through September 13, 2010, and you wish to serve as lead plaintiff in this action, you must move the Court no later than November 19, 2010. Any member of the proposed class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain a member of the proposed class.

If you would like to discuss this action or if you have any questions concerning this notice or your rights as a potential class member or lead plaintiff, you may contact: Jack G. Fruchter or Arthur J. Chen of Abraham, Fruchter & Twersky, LLP at (800) 440-8986, or via e-mail at info@aftlaw.com or achen@aftlaw.com.

Abraham, Fruchter & Twersky, LLP has extensive experience prosecuting securities class action cases, and the firm has been ranked among the leading class action law firms in terms of recoveries achieved by a survey of class action law firms conducted by Institutional Shareholder Services.

If approached by your broker (or financial advisor or insurance agent) to purchase an indexed annuity there are some things an investor should consider.  First, an indexed annuity (also known as, equity-indexed annuity or fixed indexed annuity) is a fixed annuity, either immediate or deferred, that earns interest or provides benefits that are often linked to an equity or stock market index.  In 2008, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), an association of state insurance regulatory officials, issued a buyers guide to indexed annuities, which provides educational information on indexed annuties.  Did your broker provide you with one?  The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) also published an investor alert on indexed annuities.

Unscrupulous brokers take advantage of naïve, unsuspecting investors, especially seniors, and heavily pitch purchases into indexed annuities.  Often they will tout indexed annuities as being better than bank CDs and will convince investors to liquidate their CDs to buy an indexed annuity.  Investors with variable annuities are often approached by a broker to buy indexed annuities, touting them as being safer than then variable annuity, which has investment choices whose principal can be subject to market volatility.  Did the broker recommend you to consider moving money into the fixed account of the variable annuity?  If not, the broker is probably only motivated to earn a commission which can be as high as 5%.  Another fraudulent tactic is to entice an investor with an “upfront bonus” to buy an indexed annuity but what a devious broker may not tell you is that often you would have to annuitize the annuity in order to take advantage of the bonus benefit – it’s not free money, there’s a cost to every benefit in an annuity.  Other brokers may convince you that the annuity they sold you earlier is now out-of-date and try to sell you another annuity claiming to have “better and more features.”

http://suemyadvisor.com/blog/investor-alerts/fraudulent-practices-indexed-annuities-61

The American Bar Association’s Death Penalty Representation Project will acknowledge Philadelphia law firms Reed Smith LLP and Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP’s role in ground-breaking, pro bono litigation of capital punishment appeals with an Exceptional Service Award on Wednesday, Sept.22, 2010 in Houston.  

“There is no greater responsibility for an attorney than to defend a person whose life is at risk,” said ABA President Stephen N. Zack. “These firms are courageous, passionate and skilled advocates who are deeply committed to core principles of justice like due process and fairness, despite the demands of these cases.  They represent the best of our profession and make us proud.”  

Drinker Biddle & Reath partner and death penalty expert Lawrence Fox will accept the award at the 24th Anniversary and Volunteer Recognition Event in Houston, TX.  Fox is a renowned contributor to systemic defense reform.  He is recognized for his amicus filings, which were cited by New York University law professor Anthony Amsterdam in his letter nominating the firm for the award; for standards-writing; and as an expert witness.

Reed Smith attorneys Christopher Walters and David Kochman will accept the award on behalf of their firm.  Reed Smith was nominated by the Southern Center for Human Rights and Equal Justice Initiative, which cited the firm’s leadership in four death row cases in Alabama in 2008.  Each of the four men were only weeks away from losing appeal rights due to lack of legal representation; and the death sentence in each case was imposed by a trial judge who overrode the jury’s decision to impose life without parole.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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