NewsWire

Safety Questions Follow Rangers Fan's Fatal Fall
Last week's tragic death of a 39-year-old Texas Rangers fan could have been prevented had the team taken note of a string of similar falls blamed on the inadequate placement of safety railings inside the ballpark. With outfield safety rails standing below waist-level for many adult fans, Dallas trial attorney Frank L. Branson says team owners should have anticipated that additional falls were bound to occur. "Anyone with a basic understanding of physics would understand why these rails are potentially dangerous," says Branson, founder of The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, who successfully sued the Dallas Cowboys for design flaws that resulted in its practice facility's collapse. "Unfortunately, the refusal to correct a serious safety issue probably cost this husband and father his life." For more information, contact Robert Tharp at 800-559-4534 or robert@androvett.com.

Anthony Case Provides Valuable Jury Lesson
Casey Anthony's expected release from a Florida jail this weekend is sure to draw additional criticism over the recent not guilty verdict in the death of her daughter. Despite the backlash, a Texas legal ethics expert advises taking a closer look at what Anthony was convicted of before criticizing the jury's decision. Attorney Jonathan Smaby, executive director for the Texas Center for Legal Ethics, says the Anthony jury issued its decision based on the total evidence presented during trial, which no one sitting at home could have seen or heard. "The fact that the jury came back so quickly suggests that there was an unusual amount of agreement about what they saw and heard," says Smaby. "Watching courtroom highlights on television isn't the same as the perspective of a juror who will be asked to decide another person's fate." For more information, contact Bruce Vincent at 800-559-4534 or bruce@androvett.com.

High-Dollar Global Energy Disputes Increase
International disputes increasingly are being settled through arbitration. A recent survey indicates that the system produced more than 100 disputes with stakes of at least $1 billion during 2009 and 2010. The disputes range from Turkish tunnel projects to Mongolian gold mines to farms in Zimbabwe. But more than anything, these claims are about oil & gas holdings, which account for more than a third of the billion-dollar cases in the study. "We rarely see domestic energy-related disputes reaching this level," says Paul Cohen, who recently joined the New York office of Thompson & Knight to focus on global dispute resolution. "As technology continues to reveal new opportunities for energy production in previously remote or untapped regions, we're likely to continue to see high-profile, high-value disputes arising out of oil & gas holdings." For more information, contact Barry Pound at 800-559-4534 or barry@androvett.com.

Agreements Worth More Than the Paper They're Written On
In a state such as Texas, where recognition of same-sex marriage seems unlikely, the most important piece of paper a same-sex couple with children can obtain may be a formal custody agreement. The agreements establish the legally recognized relationship between the child conceived through assisted reproduction and each parent. "In traditional partnerships, you hear ‘It's just a piece of paper' as an excuse not to formalize the relationship legally," says Monica Cruz of the Dallas family law firm of McCurley Orsinger McCurley Nelson & Downing. "However, when you are in a relationship without these basic legal protections, you need to secure what legally binding agreements are available for your protection as well as that of your child." For more information, contact Rhonda Reddick at 800-559-4534 or rhonda@androvett.com.

Mexican Businesses Expanding Despite Drug Wars
Despite the continual threat of drug cartel violence, jobs in Northern Mexico's manufacturing sector continue to rise, fueled in part by growth in the auto, aviation and electronics industries. "Even in cities such as Monterrey, which saw a sudden escalation in violent crime in the last few years, facilities have expanded or announced plans to open," says Manuel Rajunov of Thompson & Knight. "Across Mexico we're seeing companies adapt with new security measures and restart production, even with limited foreign investment." Given how central the American economy is to its welfare, Mexico could suffer if the recovery in the United States does not pick up speed. While trade with the United States hit a record last year of nearly $395 billion, much of the job and economic growth in Mexico appears to be coming from existing businesses expanding or restarting production lines that had been waylaid by local security concerns or the global recession. For more information contact Barry Pound at 800-559-4534 or barry@androvett.com.

Dallas' Werbner Named 'Trial Lawyer of the Year'
On the heels of winning one of the state's Top 10 intellectual property verdicts, trial lawyer Mark S. Werbner of Dallas' Sayles|Werbner has earned the Dallas Bar Association's 2011 Trial Lawyer of the Year award. Werbner, who will receive the award in September during the DBA's annual Bench Bar Conference in Horseshoe Bay, handles complex business litigation, white-collar criminal defense, and catastrophic personal injury cases. He recently was featured as one of the "Best Lawyers in Dallas" in D Magazine and recognized as one of Texas' top five commercial litigation attorneys by Texas Lawyer. For more information, contact Bruce Vincent at 800-559-4534 or bruce@androvett.com.