Due to the mortgage foreclosure crisis, Monday the Alabama State Bar and Legal Services Alabama announced their partnership with a plan to help Alabama homeowners remain in their homes.

According to the Madison County Probate Office, foreclosures have been on the rise in the past three to four months.

At the same time the Alabama State Bar is offering help until our nation sees better financial stability, we got insight from U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, in town giving his support to Republican District Five Congressional candidate Wayne Parker.

Senator Sessions says in 1981, 1991, and after 9/11, our nation witnessed an adjustment in the form of a recession and we have survived.     

The mortgage meltown's affected the average American in a big way.

Senator Sessions tells… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Lee-National-Denim-Day/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Lee-National-Denim-Day/ Firm Announcements Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:10:00 GMT Lee National Denim Day® History

In its first year, Lee Jeans set a goal of raising $1 million on Lee National Denim Day. To do this, Lee Jeans invited companies to go casual for a cause, inviting employees to wear their jeans to work on Denim Day in exchange for a $5 contribution to the fight against breast cancer. The underlying concept behind the program was simple-by convincing enough people to take one small step, together they could reach an incredible goal.

The response to the inaugural Lee National Denim Day program was astounding. That year, more than 3,000 companies signed up to participate, raising $1.4 million dollars for the fight against breast cancer, setting the stage for what would become one of the most captivating social action campaigns in the country.

Since its first year, Lee National Denim Day has raised more than $70 million for the fight against breast cancer and unites nearly one million supporters nationwide each… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Program-set-to-help-stop-foreclosures/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Program-set-to-help-stop-foreclosures/ Legal Headlines Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:10:00 GMT Lawyers kick off plan here to aid state homeowners

Lawyers in Huntsville will kick off a statewide program here today to assist homeowners in danger of losing their houses because of mortgage foreclosures, according to the Alabama State Bar Association.

The campaign will have a staggered rollout throughout the state, said Tom Methvin, president-elect of the bar association. The Huntsville/Madison County area is being targeted first because of the high number of reported foreclosures, he said.

"The Alabama State Bar is concerned about the high number of foreclosures in the state," he said. "It's very easy in Alabama for lenders to foreclose on a mortgage and take someone's house."

In August alone, 55 homes were in some stage of foreclosure in the Huntsville area, compared to 19 the previous year, according to RealtyTrac, a company that follows foreclosures nationwide and posts the results on the Internet. Alabama reported 827 foreclosures in August, up… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Alabama-State-Bar-launches-campaign-to-help-homeowners-facing-foreclosure/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Alabama-State-Bar-launches-campaign-to-help-homeowners-facing-foreclosure/ Legal Headlines Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:10:00 GMT The Alabama State Bar and Legal Services Alabama have joined to form a unique partnership with a plan to help Alabama homeowners remain in their homes.

Both groups announced a public awareness and education campaign today.  If you're facing foreclosure, you can call a toll-free hotline (1-877-393-2333) and get free legal advice.  You'll be connected with a legal aid attorney who will advise you about the various stages of the foreclosure process.  Such assistance can take the form of limited representation, negotiation or litigation, if necessary.

"Help is available.  Homeowners need to know there are options, but the key to a successful outcome is early intervention and I can't stress that enough," said Thomas J. Methvin, State Bar President-elect.  "If you are having a problem making your monthly payments and believe foreclosure is imminent, you must act now."

The campaign will have a staggered rollout throughout the state. … ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Father-Walters-Memorial-Classic/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Father-Walters-Memorial-Classic/ Firm Announcements Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:10:00 GMT The Montgomery County Trial Lawyers Association, along with the Resurrection Catholic Mission, will be hosting the 19th Annual Father Walter's Memorial Golf Classic scheduled to take place on Friday, October 3, 2008, at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club in Montgomery, Alabama. The registration cost for this scramble tournament is $125.00 per player or $400.00 for a team of four (4). Registration will be at 7:30 a.m., and tee times will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start. The proceeds from this event will go towards supporting the Father Walter care facilities, which provide 24-hour skilled care to children with special needs.

Gift Bags will be given to each tournament participant along with four (4) first, second, and third place prizes to the top teams. Prizes for longest drive and closest-to-pin will also be awarded. Various businesses in the Montgomery, Prattville and Wetumpka areas have contributed gift certificates, coupons, baskets and other… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Brantwood-Children's-Home-2nd-annual-charity-golf-tournament/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Brantwood-Children's-Home-2nd-annual-charity-golf-tournament/ Firm Announcements Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:09:00 GMT Come join us at on September 22, 2008 at Wynlakes Golf and Country Club as we play golf for a day while raising money for a great cause. Morning flight will begin at 8 a.m. followed by lunch. Afternoon flight will begin at 1 p.m. followed by a reception. Contributions are as follows:

• Individual player -$200
• Team players -$800
• Sponsorship opportunities will be available

For more information and to download the registration form please visit the Brantwood Childrens Home website.

Each year, nearly five million Americans need a blood transfusion. To meet our responsibility, we need to collect 266,000 blood donations a year. That's 728 donors a day. With over 30 donor centers, 37 blood mobiles and over 1,000 blood drives a month, our LifeSouth team is committed to making sure the blood is there when you or your family member is in need. We are your community blood center. The blood supply collected from our donors directly serves the needs of patients at over 120 medical facilities throughout our footprint. The blood donated here will stay in our community for local patient transfusion. Only if our local supply is met will LifeSouth share our blood resources with other communities.

Official LifeSouth Community Bloodcenter Website

Entry feed are as follows:

• Hole Sponsorship $500.00 each (Includes 4 player possitions, lunch and advertisement)
• Team Sponsor $250.00 (Includes 4 player possitions)
• Individual Golfers $60 each (Includes Lunch)

Prizes to be awarded:

• Closest to the Pin
• Longest Drive
• Overall Net Score
• Overall Gross Score
• Door Prizes
• Hole in One Wins New 2008 Vehicle

As part of thier fundraising efforts this year, Cops for Christmas is selling tickets for you to have a chance to win an autographed college football.

Tickets are $10 each and the drawings for the footballs will be held at the Cops for Christmas Golf Tournament, which will take place on Thursday, September… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Second-Annual-River-Region-Expo/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Second-Annual-River-Region-Expo/ Firm Announcements Sat, 13 Sep 2008 05:09:00 GMT River Region Expo

Join the local chapter of the 100 Black Men of America Inc., Clearchannel Radio, BlackAL.com and MOCA Magazine as we present the 2nd Annual River Region Expo, a weekend dedicated to empowering your family and our community. The highlight of the weekend will be the 2008 River Region Expo on Saturday September 13, 2008 from noon until 8pm on the campus of Alabama State University inside the ASU Acadome. The Expo will feature an African-American Artist Exhibit, Exhibitor Spaces where area merchants and the events underwriters will have the opportunity to display, sell, and promote their products and services to the thousands that will attend. In all, attendants of the 2nd Annual River Region Expo will have access to incredible opportunities with hundreds of professionals, representing hundreds of products and services. They will also have the opportunity to meet our cities political and elected officials, explore local churches, get info on… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Boating-death-case-now-waiting-on-grand-jury/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Boating-death-case-now-waiting-on-grand-jury/ Legal Headlines Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:09:00 GMT WETUMPKA -- The criminal case against a Montgomery man charged in a fatal accident on Lake Martin has been bound over to a grand jury.

Patrick Leigh Cumbie, 22, of 2203 Felder Terrace, faces boat­ing under the influence and homicide by vessel charges, re­cords in the Elmore County Courthouse show. He is free on bonds totaling $15,000, accord­ing to records at the Elmore County Jail.

Cumbie was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when the boat he was piloting ran into a pontoon boat Aug. 9 near Ko­waliga Marina. Donald Tatum, 62, of Prattville died as a result of the collision. Sue Tatum, his sister-in-law, was critically in­jured.

Cumbie was schedule to ap­pear in Elmore County District Court this morning to enter a plea on the boating under the in­fluence charge. A preliminary hearing on the homicide by ves­sel charge was set for Thursday. Both proceedings were to be be­fore District Judge Glenn Gog­gans.

Sloane commended Alabama Attorney General Troy King and Medicaid Commissioner Carol A. Herrmann-Steckel for their efforts on behalf of Medicaid beneficiaries. The State alleges the drug companies falsified pricing information, charging Medicaid much higher rates for drugs than they charged retailers, some by as much as 1,000 percent.

Jere Beasley, founding shareholder of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., and his firm represents the State of Alabama as lead counsel in this litigation. Three of the companies already have gone to trial, one in February and two in June, with juries in both trials finding in favor of the State, awarding a total of $329 million. There are 69 companies left facing charges of… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Possible-link-between-Vytorin-and-cancer/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Possible-link-between-Vytorin-and-cancer/ Firm Announcements Fri, 22 Aug 2008 05:08:00 GMT Thursday the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is investigating a possible link between the drug Vytorin, manufactured by Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough, and an increased risk of a variety of cancers.

An FDA MedWatch Alert released Thursday, Aug. 21, informed healthcare professionals that the agency is investigating a report from the Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis (SEAS) trial of a possible association between the use of Vytorin and a potentially increased incidence of cancer. Vytorin is a combination product of simvastatin and ezetimibe, Merck's Zocor and Schering-Plough's Zetia.

Recently, the FDA obtained preliminary results from the Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis (SEAS) clinical trial, which tested whether lowering LDL-cholesterol with Vytorin would reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in individuals with aortic stenosis. A lower overall cardiovascular risk was not found with Vytorin.

However, there… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Beasley-Allen-attorney-works-to-improve-diversity-in-legal-profession/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Beasley-Allen-attorney-works-to-improve-diversity-in-legal-profession/ Firm Announcements Fri, 22 Aug 2008 05:08:00 GMT Navan Ward, an attorney with Montgomery, Ala.-based firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., recently accepted a national First Place Award of Achievement from the American Bar Association on behalf of the Alabama State Bar Young Lawyers Section (YLS). The award was presented in recognition of an outstanding program developed by the bar's YLS to address the shortage of minorities in the legal profession and increase diversity in the bar.

Hoping to reach young people to expand the appeal of law as a profession, the YLS developed a Minority Pre-Law Conference, which provides high school juniors and seniors a better understanding of the American civil and criminal justice systems through educational seminars, an interactive panel of speakers from the legal profession, and hands-on activities like mock trials.

Ward served as chair of the conference committee. Conference… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Doctors-say-litigation-helps-insure-drug-safety/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Doctors-say-litigation-helps-insure-drug-safety/ Firm Announcements Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:08:00 GMT Attorneys who take on the pharmaceutical industry as a voice for consumers injured by medications found an unlikely ally this week, in doctors. Noting that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration is often "overwhelmed" by drug safety problems ranging from serious side effects to unsafe manufacturing facilities, editors of the New England Journal of Medicine said patients benefit from information uncovered by attorneys during liability investigations, according to an Associated Press report released Friday.

Journal editor Dr. Jeffrey M. Drazen says the litigation process and the court system is a "key defense mechanism" to insure drug safety and to obtain justice if drug manufacturers have not made the risks involved with its product clear.

The doctors say the FDA is incapable of being the sole guardian of drug safety and that without the information supplied by liability litigation, "the American… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Lawsuits-help-guarantee-drug-safety,-doctors-say/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Lawsuits-help-guarantee-drug-safety,-doctors-say/ Legal Headlines Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:08:00 GMT WASHINGTON (AP) - Top doctors at the helm of one of the nation's most influential medical journals are giving the Supreme Court some unsolicited legal advice about a major case.

The Food and Drug Administration "is in no position" to guarantee drug safety, the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine said in a friend-of-the-court brief. Lawsuits can serve as "a vital deterrent" and protect consumers if drug companies don't disclose risks.

At issue is Wyeth v. Levine, a case expected to be heard this fall that could have far-reaching implications for litigation over allegedly harmful drugs, such as the painkiller Vioxx.

http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Actavis-Totowa-recalls-more-than-65-drugs/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Actavis-Totowa-recalls-more-than-65-drugs/ Firm Announcements Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:08:00 GMT Pharmaceutical manufacturer Actavis Totowa announced a voluntary recall of more than 65 generic drug products manufactured at its Little Falls, New Jersey, facility. The recall follows an inspection conducted by the Food & Drug Administration earlier this year, which revealed that operations at the New Jersey facility did not meet FDA standards.