NewsWire

The Perils of Parties
Holiday office parties are in full swing, but revelers should remember that these functions are rife with peril. "A work party is just that, an extension of work, and one false step can jeopardize your job," says Austin employment litigator Geoff Weisbart. "As a practical matter, you should never say or do anything at an office party that would not be permitted at the office." Weisbart notes that technology makes it increasingly easy to document events in any setting, and executives may be particularly susceptible to everything from embarrassment to sexual harassment claims when their bad behavior is immortalized in a worldwide YouTube video. "There is obviously a little relaxing of the lines of authority at a work party, but remember that the lines are not extinguished." To interview Mr. Weisbart, contact Barry Pound at 800-559-4534 or barry@androvett.com.

Texas Attorney Credentialed for Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
Richard O. Faulk, chair of the Litigation Department at Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, is among a select few individuals with an opportunity to experience the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference firsthand. When the conference begins Monday in Copenhagen, Faulk will begin work as a credentialed journalist, supplying expert coverage for daily publications and periodicals. The importance of this conference cannot be overstated, says Faulk, a recognized leader in the area of global warming litigation. "In the absence of universal and verifiable international accords, American industry will suffer major competitive disadvantages - and, more importantly, climate changes will not be effectively redressed," says Faulk. "However important climate issues may be, we must have comprehensive tools to solve the situation as opposed to unilateral platitudes." To interview Mr. Faulk, contact Rhonda Reddick at 800-559-4534 or rhonda@androvett.com.

Homeowners Walking Away From Underwater Mortgages
With more than 15 million homeowners "underwater," or owing more than the property's value, the financial industry is bracing for a possible spike in the number of homeowners walking away from monthly payments. Real estate attorney Robert Miller of Dallas-based Prager & Miller says Texas' situation is less dicey than that of areas that saw dramatic home value run-ups, but much hinges on the economy. "If people have jobs and can afford the payment, they won't walk away," Miller says. "But if you're in a house with no equity and it's overvalued by 50 percent, people are deciding that there's no reason to continue, unless it's cheaper than renting." Against that backdrop, more mortgage lenders are participating in so-called short sales, selling foreclosed properties for less than the value of the foreclosed mortgage. To interview Mr. Miller, contact Robert Tharp at 800-559-4534 or robert@androvett.com.

Small-Business Survival in the 2009 Economic Storm
The economic downturn that descended across the U.S. business landscape in 2009 was particularly brutal for small businesses, and survival in the turbulent marketplace required a commitment to adapt or perish, says Susan Pye, founder of legal recruitment firm The Pye Legal Group. As competitors closed doors and others hunkered down, Pye forged a nimble strategy for her young company, emphasizing teamwork, reinvesting in her Houston and Dallas offices and employees, and issuing a mandate to quickly and creatively seize new opportunities as they materialized. "This downturn was particularly hard on small businesses, and it created a new model for companies like ours," says Pye, who also battled and ultimately beat Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2009. "Waiting for business-as-usual to return just wasn't an option. The survivors are the ones that recognized this and developed new plans." To interview Ms. Pye, contact Robert Tharp at 800-559-4534 or robert@androvett.com.

Texas Company Sues Over Patented Radiation-Reducing Cell Phone Design
A Texas company that holds the patent on cell phone technology that reduces the amount of radiation directed at a user's head has filed a federal patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung, T-Mobile and other major cell phone manufacturers and retailers. DownUnder Wireless claims the companies are using its patented technology without compensation. The World Health Organization is expected to soon unveil the results of a study showing a "significantly increased risk" of some brain tumors related to long-term usage of mobile phones. "I think it's safe to say that the less radiation going into someone's brain, the better off that person is," says attorney Angel Reyes of Reyes Bartolomei Browne, who represents DownUnder. "If these companies want to use DownUnder's technology to accomplish that, they should have to pay." To interview Mr. Reyes, contact Mark Annick at 800-559-4534 or mark@androvett.com.

Judgment Issued in Cloud Computing Patent Lawsuit
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has issued a judgment in favor of inventor Mitchell Prust in a patent infringement lawsuit over cloud storage and cloud computing technology, which allows Internet users to access computer applications online. Attorneys Christopher D. Banys and Mark Lanier of The Lanier Law Firm represented Mr. Prust against McKinney, Texas-based NetMass Inc. "The patents in this litigation represent the building blocks for some of today's most sophisticated online applications," says Banys. "We will continue to help our client protect his interests in these valuable patents." The federal court found that NetMass infringed the same three patents that are the subject of a separate California lawsuit against computer giant Apple Inc. To interview Mr. Banys, contact Bruce Vincent at 800-559-4534 or bruce@androvett.com.

Dallas Attorney Honored For Community Service
Michael Gruber, founding partner of the Dallas litigation firm of Gruber Hurst Johansen & Hail, has earned the 2009 Foundation Award of Excellence from the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation. The award, presented annually since 2003, honors a Fellow of the DAYL Foundation for notable community service. "Mike's dedication to making a difference has impacted multiple organizations and hundreds of lives, and sets an example for everyone," says Penny Brobst Blackwell, Chair of the DAYL Foundation. Mr. Gruber's numerous leadership roles in Dallas-area organizations include previous or current service as a Director of the Catholic Foundation's Advisory Board, Dallas Zoological Society, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, Entrepreneurs Foundation of North Texas and Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas. To interview Mr. Gruber, contact Barry Pound at 800-559-4534 or barry@androvett.com.