NewsWire

Lottery Fraud Victim Willis Willis Wins Again
Since having his winning $1 million lottery ticket stolen by a lottery agent in 2009, Willis Willis has been on a quest to not only recover his rightful winnings but also to spur Texas Lottery officials to answer key questions about fraud and security safeguards in the Mega Millions and other popular games. In the hard-fought legal battle with the Texas Lottery Commission, a Travis County judge has ordered lottery officials to answer key questions under oath regarding lottery fraud in Texas. "This is an important ruling because the success of the Texas Lottery hinges on the public's confidence in the integrity of these games," says Sean Breen of Austin-based Howry Breen & Herman. "The lottery so far has refused to acknowledge its role in this and other thefts by store clerks, and it's about time they provide some answers." For more information, contact Robert Tharp at 800-559-4534 or robert@androvett.com.

Impact of Blackouts Could Outshine Power Outage
With more temperatures exceeding 100 degrees forecasted, the nation's power grids are sure to be taxed for some time. And the problems could just be beginning if your business is affected by a rolling blackout, says Houston attorney Phillip Sanov, head of The Lanier Law Firm's Bad Faith Insurance Practice Group. "The real threat with blackouts is what could happen when power is restored," he says. When every electronic device tries to come on at the same time, the demand could cause servers, computers and other systems to fail. The heat build-up during extended periods without air conditioning also adds to the dangers for electronics. "Fortunately, business interruption insurance should cover losses sustained from unforeseen circumstances like outages," says Sanov, who has counseled business owners affected by blackouts. "But just like a storm or fire, people should understand what their policy covers before the lights go out." For more information, contact Bruce Vincent at 800-559-4534 or bruce@androvett.com.

85 Too Fast For Texas Drivers?
Fort Worth attorney Steven C. Laird says a new 85 mph speed limit for Texas highways will pose a danger to all drivers in the Lone Star State beginning Sept. 1. "Even though the law says that the 85 mph speed limit will be permitted only on highways designed to accommodate travel at that speed, this doesn't account for human errors we know are common in driving, and the mechanical failures that are bound to happen at such high rates of speed," says Laird, whose practice at the Law Offices of Steven C. Laird includes trucking accidents caused by driver carelessness, sleep deprivation, intoxication, fires, bad brakes and other preventable events. Laird says an estimated 4,000 people are killed by 18-wheelers each year, mostly due to their unsafe operation. About 10 percent of those deaths occur in Texas. For more information, contact Dave Moore at 800-559-4534 or dave@androvett.com.

Getting Unsafe Buses Off the Road
The U.S. Department of Transportation has dramatically increased safety oversight of busing companies, taking more dangerous motor carriers off the road in the last two years than in the previous nine years combined. The DOT now is asking Congress to allow greater ability to conduct safety inspections of buses and trucks and to require new motorcoach companies to undergo stringent safety audits. Transportation attorney Chuck Noteboom says the focus on bus safety is necessary. "Too often we've seen the deadly results of fly-by-night bus and truck operators who have been allowed to avoid scrutiny for too long," says Noteboom, founder of Noteboom - The Law Firm. For more information, contact Robert Tharp at 800-559-4534 or robert@androvett.com.

Back-to-School Planning for Divorced Parents
With back-to-school time looming, divorced and single parents who share custody need to review their current custody orders and make sure their child's school has a copy as well as a copy of any protective orders that may be in place, says Elizabeth Durso Branch of the Family Law firm McCurley Orsinger McCurley Nelson & Downing, L.L.P. The school needs to know who may pick up the child from school and their emergency contacts, says Branch. The custody order also can spell out the number and type of extracurricular activities a child can participate in, or it may require the parents to agree on the specific activities. "Extracurricular activities, particularly when they occur during visits with the non-custodial parent, can be the cause of a surprising amount of conflict," she says. For more information, contact Rhonda Reddick at 800-559-4534 or rhonda@androvett.com.

Foreign Investment Growing in Latin America
Private equity funding is continuing to flood Brazil and other Latin American nations, with improved economic fundamentals as well as political and regulatory stability supporting $8.1 billion (USD) of privately placed investments last year. "Foreign investors are increasingly becoming comfortable with the legal framework in countries such as Brazil, particularly those that have already done deals there and are familiar with the local issues and pitfalls," says Marcello Hallake of the New York office of Thompson & Knight. "The attractions of the region as an investment destination appear to be especially evident when compared to the more sluggish U.S. and European markets." Hallake notes, however, that even if US and European private equity funds can be comfortable with currency exchange and valuation issues in Latin America, there remain a number of legal issues of concern, particularly regarding labor and tax matters, as well as the high levels of government bureaucracy. For more information, contact Bruce Vincent at 800-559-4534 or bruce@androvett.com.

Dublin Dr Pepper Answers Dr Pepper Snapple Lawsuit
Dublin Dr Pepper, the world's oldest Dr Pepper bottler, has responded to a lawsuit filed by its Plano, Texas-based corporate partner Dr Pepper Snapple. In the response, Dallas attorney Steven Wolens of McKool Smith details how Dublin Dr Pepper earned decades of support from its corporate partner prior to the lawsuit. Dr Pepper Snapple wants a federal court to prevent online and toll-free sales of the iconic soft drink, and claims the "Dublin Dr Pepper" name violates a company trademark. In a 2009 television interview, Dr Pepper Snapple President and CEO Larry Young described Dublin Dr Pepper: "It's the original Dr Pepper formula with the Imperial Sugar in it and their following is unbelievable . . . nothing tastes better than a Dublin Dr Pepper when it's ice cold." For more information, contact Bruce Vincent at 800-559-4534 or bruce@androvett.com.