NewsWire

Immigration Reforms Indicate Poor Priorities
While legislators may find political benefits by pushing for stronger immigration reforms, the proposed Texas legislation provides little upside for citizens or law enforcement officers, according to A.J. Irwin, Director of Investigations at Dallas' Yarbrough Strategic Advisors who formerly worked with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and ICE. "Local law enforcement is already overwhelmed - Dallas is not the only city furloughing police officers to meet budget requirements - yet these departments are being asked to take on additional enforcement responsibilities simply because politicians say they have to," says Irwin. "The vast majority of foreigners who come to this country pose no threat to national security or public safety. Squandering dwindling state and federal resources that could be used for true security purposes of our citizens is poor prioritization." For more information, contact Mark Annick at 800-559-4534 or mark@androvett.com.

Taking Redistricting to the Masses
As the Dallas City Council begins the formal process of redistricting, it is inviting citizens to electronically submit their own plans by using map-drawing software provided by the city. Although it will be "fascinating to see how the districts are drawn by someone other than a self-interested politician concerned primarily with protecting their political future," expect the vast majority of the plans to be vulnerable to legal challenges under the Voting Rights Act, according to political law attorney Chris Gober of Gober Hilgers PLLC. "Compliance with this act is generally very difficult in an area as diverse as Dallas, even for those who understand the VRA," he says. "For the average citizen, it may be next to impossible. The drawing of majority minority districts is often a source of dispute within the same political party - and not just a conventional Republican versus Democrat issue - and the fact that the Council has devoted just one paragraph to explaining majority/minority districts really understates the complexity of the process." For more information, contact Rhonda Reddick at 800-559-4534 or rhonda@androvett.com.

Security Storm Hiding in iCloud?
Apple's recent introduction of its iCloud wireless data sync service came with a prediction from Steve Jobs that the free service will allow anyone to store all of their music, video, photos and documents on the Internet. Although the success of the service is almost assured, Dallas technology attorney Peter S. Vogel of Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP notes that recent high-profile security breaches, such as the theft of passwords and user names from the FBI, might cause some hesitation for those anxious to use the service. "Even for those who are not overly concerned about security, the FBI break-in should be a wake-up call," he says. "The cloud is unbelievably hot right now, but the Internet is still not secure enough for all users to rely on iCloud." For more information, contact Rhonda Reddick at 800-559-4534 or rhonda@androvett.com.

Start Whistleblower Complaints From Inside
The Securities and Exchange Commission's recently released rules for the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act respect company whistleblowers who work for change inside their companies, as well as those who head directly to an outside agency, says attorney Joe Ahmad, an executive employment lawyer at Houston-based Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Anaipakos. "New incentives call for a larger payday for employees who spot wrongdoing and start their complaint inside the company. The SEC obviously decided they wanted to promote the internal checks fostered by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act," says Ahmad. "It was after extensive commentary from all sides that the SEC decided to build-in this respect for internal company process. The SEC still encourages executives and others with insider knowledge of fraud to come right to the government, though." For more information, contact Mary Flood at 800-559-4534 or mary@androvett.com.

EPA Overregulation Could Stall Industry
Although responsible American manufacturers already are working to develop new technologies to promote energy efficiency, reduce waste and create sustainable production practices, their efforts are being hampered by increasingly aggressive EPA regulations, according to Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP Environmental Practice Group Chair Richard O. Faulk of Houston. "American industry is already under extreme economic pressures. The expansion of existing environmental rules or implementing new over-reaching regulations that add new burdens and restrictions will increase costs, destroy jobs and could severely undermine the ability to compete in the global marketplace," says Faulk, who recently was recognized as part of a team of attorneys working with the National Association of Manufacturers' Manufacturing Law Center on issues impacting manufacturers across the nation. "The EPA needs to have confidence in the responsibility of American industry." For more information, contact Rhonda Reddick at 800-559-4534 or rhonda@androvett.com.

Bumbo Baby Seat Injuries Mount
Despite a nationwide recall of the popular Bumbo baby seat, serious injures continue to mount due to inherent safety and design issues, says attorney Liz Cunningham of Dallas-based Rose•Walker. A lawsuit filed this week by Rose•Walker charges that Bumbo and Toys R Us failed to adequately address safety issues raised by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2007 by rushing the product back to store shelves. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Texas family whose 9-month-old son fractured his skull in a fall from a Bumbo seat that was purchased after the recall. "Bumbo and Toys R Us have failed to take these safety concerns seriously," says Cunningham. "These dangers have been known for years, and they have chosen not to make basic design modifications, such as installing a simple seat belt." For information, contact Robert Tharp at 800-559-4534 or robert@androvett.com.

Regulations Top of Mind for Banking Industry
This week's international monetary conference in Atlanta included concerns about the new regulations banks are facing as part of the government's financial reform effort. While most reforms are targeted at large banks, even local lenders are dealing with new rules. The residential mortgage law firm Polunsky & Beitel is helping lender clients navigate the regulatory waters by adding financial services attorney Marty Green to lead the firm's Dallas/Fort Worth operations. "The new rules for residential mortgage lenders can be complicated, but they're manageable if you take the right steps from the start," says Green, a financial services industry veteran of more than 20 years. "It's our job to stay on top of the latest changes so we can help clients close loans and satisfy the law at the same time." For more information, contact Bruce Vincent at 800-559-4534 or bruce@androvett.com.