ProfNet Experts Available on Smartphone Theft, Personal Injury Law, More

NEW YORK, May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact them via the contact information at the end of the listing. To receive these updates by email, send a note to [email protected] with the industries you cover, and we'll add you to the appropriate edition.

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EXPERT ALERTS

• DOJ Gets More Leeway in Foreign Bribery Probes
• Did NFL Encourage Prescription Drug Abuse?
• Protecting Workers' Rights to Be Unhappy
• Stopping Smartphone Theft
• SEC Demanding Answers to Cyberrisks
• Tips on Navigating Personal Injury Law
• Personal Injury Law in Michigan
• Drunk Driving Defense in New Jersey
• Personal Injury Claims for Maritime Workers

MEDIA JOBS

• Reporter – The Chicago Reporter (IL)
• Copy Editor - Tech Times (NY)
• State Capitol Reporter - The Durango Herald (CO)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• ASJA 2014: Recapping the Recaps
• Media 411: Journalists Using Instagram
• How Authors Get Scammed

EXPERT ALERTS:

DOJ Gets More Leeway in Foreign Bribery Probes
Tom Fox
FCPA and Compliance Ethics Lawyer and Blogger
Tom Fox Law in Houston
"A recent federal appeals court ruling supports U.S. prosecutors' definition of a 'foreign official' when it comes to overseas bribery cases. The finding by the 11^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Miami can only be considered a common sense decision. The court concluded that 'foreign officials' include those who work for state-controlled businesses. In this case, it involved officials of Haiti's state-owned telecom company who were being bribed by two Miami telecom executives. This is the first time an appeals court had reviewed this specific aspect of the FCPA, which is a welcome addition to the scant case law interpreting the FCPA. The decision affirms the sentences of two former executives of Terra Telecommunications Corp. One of the sentences, 15 years for Joel Esquenazi, is the longest in history for an FCPA crime."
Media Contact: Kit Frieden, [email protected]

Did NFL Encourage Prescription Drug Abuse?
Eugene R. "Gene" Egdorf
Attorney
The Lanier Law Firm in Houston
"More than 500 former professional football players have joined a lawsuit charging that the NFL pressured them to take painkillers and sleep medication without prescriptions to speed up injured players' return to the playing field. Such overreliance on narcotics and other addictive medication left players with serious addiction problems and physical complications after their careers ended, according to the lawsuit. This new litigation comes as no real surprise considering the NFL's long-standing, total disregard for the well-being of past and current players. It's time for the NFL to take full responsibility for the safety and health care of its past, present and future players."
Egdorf is a certified contract adviser for the NFL Players Association and represents NFL players who have been seriously injured during their pro careers.
Media Contact: Robert Tharp, [email protected]

Protecting Workers' Rights to Be Unhappy
Audrey Mross
Employment Attorney
Munck Wilson Mandala in Dallas
"The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that employers may not create policies broadly forbidding behavior such as 'negativity' or 'gossip.' The NLRB concluded that a hospital violated federal law by requiring workers to represent the hospital in a 'positive and professional manner' at all times and avoid even listening to negativity and gossip. Negative work environments can be toxic, and while employers have good reason to encourage positive attitudes in the workplace, there is a right way and a wrong way to do that. The Board continues its assault on so-called 'courtesy' rules that could have a chilling effect on employees' right to band together and kvetch about their jobs, pay, benefits, co-workers, bosses, customers and more. Employers may want to re-examine policies and take these provisions out or narrow them to be very specific about the kind of behavior not permitted."
Media Contact: Robert Tharp, [email protected]

Stopping Smartphone Theft
Steve Stein
Attorney
Thompson & Knight in Dallas
"'Apple picking' is now slang for one of the nation's most lucrative crimes: the theft of a cellphone. An estimated 3.1 million mobile devices were stolen last year in the U.S. and federal statistics suggest that a third of all robberies involve a phone theft, an act that can turn violent. There is increased demand from law enforcement and legislators to have kill switch software available, allowing consumers to remotely disable a stolen phone and in theory provide a deterrent to theft. California and Minnesota recently became the first states to pass measures requiring smartphones to feature kill switch technology, and legislation is pending in other states and at the federal level. Carriers and manufacturers have voluntarily committed to having remote locking features available by next summer, but legislative efforts may continue in order to strengthen that commitment."
Media Contact: Barry Pound, [email protected]

SEC Demanding Answers to Cyberrisks
Mike Titens
Attorney
Thompson & Knight in Dallas
"In an effort to gauge how prepared the securities industry is for cybersecurity attacks, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is requesting numerous documents from more than 50 registered investment advisers and broker-dealers. The SEC's initiative sets some further expectations for registered firms to have comprehensive, detailed plans to safeguard their computer systems and online data. Companies need to take this risk alert very seriously and make sure they have the policies, technology and training in place to both protect their customers and respond to the regulatory review. Cybersecurity is an obvious priority of the SEC. It's clear that firms will have to demonstrate the depth and effectiveness of their risk assessments, encryption practices, remote access policies and response procedures to any data breach."
Media Contact: Barry Pound, [email protected]

Tips on Navigating Personal Injury Law
Greg Stokes
Attorney
Stokes & Kopitsky, PA
"Accidents have many costs. A car accident, for instance, will at least require repair bills to be paid."
Stokes is available to discuss how to navigate personal injury law, including auto accidents, premise liability and brain injury cases. He is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers
Website: http://www.stokesinjurylawyers.com
Media Contact: Denae Olberding, [email protected]

Personal Injury Law in Michigan
Thomas L. Stroble
Personal Injury Attorney
Stroble Law
"During these times of trauma, you may not know what step to take next or if you should do anything at all. If you were an innocent party in the auto accident, there are things you can do to get the help you need."
Stroble is available for interviews regarding Michigan auto accident law, dog bite cases, Michigan workers comp, severe medical malpractice and general Michigan personal injury.
Website: http://www.stroble.com
Media Contact: Denae Olberding, [email protected]

Drunk Driving Defense in New Jersey
Evan M. Levow
Founding Partner
Levow & Associates
"Drunk driving should always be a concern, but it seems to have become a major focus of law enforcement over the past few decades more than any other offense. A drunk driving charge can be a frightening thing, but it can be fought." 
Levow is the managing partner of Levow &  Associates, a nationally recognized DWI defense attorney. One hundred percent of his practice is devoted to DWI/DUI defense. He is often referred to as the DWI attorney's attorney, as he is frequently sought out by other attorneys to discuss strategies on how to defend their own clients. He appears in local and national newspaper headlines, and has had numerous television and radio appearances where he speaks on the intricacies of DWI law and defense strategies.
Website: http://www.nj-dmv-dwi.com
Media Contact: Denae Olberding, [email protected]

Personal Injury Claims for Maritime Workers
Jeff Raizner
Attorney
Doyle Raizner LLP
"Many maritime workers are led astray by their employers when it comes to personal injury claims. In today's world of separatism, inequality, and where personal finances become tighter to manage on a daily basis, there seems as is injustice reigns supreme."
Raizner is available for interviews regarding pain points and solutions for admiralty and maritime law, burn pit litigation (he helped achieve $85 million judgment against KBR for 12 soldiers, aviation and aerospace, business law, commercial law, insurance, litigation, personal injury, products liability, toxic torts and workers compensation.
Website: http://www.doyleraizner.com  
Media Contact: Denae Olberding, [email protected]

MEDIA JOBS:

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/

• Reporter – The Chicago Reporter (IL)
• Copy Editor - Tech Times (NY)
• State Capitol Reporter - The Durango Herald (CO)

See more listings here.

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected]

• ASJA 2014: RECAPPING THE RECAPS. The American Society of Journalists and Authors hosted its annual conference last month in New York. Over the last couple of weeks, we've been posting recaps of the sessions we were able to attend. If you missed any of them, you can view the full list of recaps, along with a link to the recordings, here: prn.to/1nKBwbD
• MEDIA 411: JOURNALISTS USING INSTAGRAM. Journalism and social media go hand in hand these days and it's now the norm for journalists to have both Facebook and Twitter accounts or at least use one of the two. Instagram is becoming more popular as well, but journalists are still trying to figure out how to use it. Here are some links to helpful articles that discuss how Instagram can be used as part of your job and help you decide whether or not it's suitable for you: prn.to/RXCqnr
• HOW AUTHORS GET SCAMMED. Getting your book published and marketed correctly is rarely an uncomplicated feat and sometimes in the search for ways to reach that goal, it could be very simple to fall for scams that make all sorts of promises. Unfortunately, once you take the bait and are trapped, you have the potential for losing a lot of money and time when you could have avoided the anguish altogether. So what can you do to avoid the pitfalls? Here are five steps you can take: prn.to/1lRs15S

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