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James C. Adams Joins Butzel Long
Law Firm News |
2007/01/30 07:35
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BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich.--James C. Adams, one of the leading real estate attorneys in Michigan, has joined Butzel Long as a shareholder in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office.
Mr. Adams spent nearly twenty years at the Dykema firm, including as the Managing Director of the Real Estate and Environmental Services Department and Leader of the Real Estate Practice Group. He has most recently been practicing at a Troy-based real estate and business law boutique. “Jim is one of the most respected leaders in the real estate bar and his experience includes many of the most visible commercial and redevelopment projects in Detroit and Southeast Michigan,” said Philip J. Kessler, Chairman of Butzel Long. “There are few lawyers in the Midwest who have the skills and track record that Jim brings to the table. He is a great fit for our firm and for our very active real estate practice.” Butzel Long is recognized for having one of the most dynamic and diverse real estate practices in the state, including a lead role in structuring the $175 million redevelopment of the Book Cadillac project in Downtown Detroit. Mr. Adams’ experience includes representation of developers, lenders, architects, construction contractors and construction managers, public and private corporations, municipalities and public agencies, in connection with all aspects of real estate, including: acquisition; public and private financing; tax incentives and other economic inducements; affordable housing development; condominium structuring and development, land use and zoning; distressed project work-outs; construction of municipal, commercial, and residential projects; selling, leasing, and otherwise disposing of property; and funding, construction, operation, and maintenance of urban transit systems. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America, Who’s Who in America, Chambers USA, Michigan Super Lawyer and Who’s Who In American Law. He is a 1983 Recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Detroit Bar Association. Mr. Adams is a frequent speaker on real property and construction issues. He has published numerous articles including: “Real Estate Trends Reshaping Legal Needs,” Michigan Real Estate Journal (May 5, 2004) and “Building Win/Win Business/Government Partnerships” (co-authored with Stewart L. Mandell and Kimberly G. Ross), Michigan Forward (October, 2002). He is a member of the American Bar Association (Real Property and Probate Section), the State Bar of Michigan (Real Property Law Section), the International Council of Shopping Centers, and the Urban Land Institute. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Washtenaw Land Trust. Mr. Adams is a graduate of University of Michigan School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, 1974) and Michigan State University (B.A., High Honors, Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, Honors College, 1971). Butzel Long was established in 1854 and is headquartered in Detroit. Butzel Long is one of Michigan's oldest and largest law firms, with 215 attorneys and offices in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Holland, Mich., Washington, D.C. and Boca Raton, Fla., as well as Alliance offices in Beijing and Shanghai, China. The firm represents clients from diverse industries on a regional, national and multi-national level and is the sole Michigan member of Lex Mundi, a global association of 161 independent law firms.
Visit the Butzel Long website at www.butzel.com |
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Law Technology News Awards selects CT
Legal Business |
2007/01/29 12:35
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NEW YORK- Further demonstrating its commitment to addressing the legal profession’s top challenges, CT, part of Wolters Kluwer Corporate Legal Services, today announces several new enhancements to its Litigation Solutions offerings. And, as an indication of others’ confidence in CT’s products, the company’s solutions have been named as a finalist for five Law Technology News® Awards.
The Fourth Annual Law Technology News Awards recognize leaders in the field—both in innovation and implementation. CT is nominated in the following five categories: Records Management Software, CT’s hCue; EDD System, CT Summation CaseVault; Knowledge Management System, CTAdvantage.com; Litigation Support Service/Consultant, CT Summation Professional Services; and Litigation Support Software, CT Summation. The winners, as selected by Law Technology News readers, will be announced on January 29, 2007 at the Law Technology News Awards Dinner. “We are delighted to be nominated in multiple categories this year. We strive to provide the best solutions for our customers, and it’s always nice to have that validated by some of the very people we aim to please,” said Gene Landoe, president and CEO of CT and Wolters Kluwer Corporate Legal Services. “Building upon these nominations, we continue to expand our solutions and are eager to share some new offerings with the LegalTech NY audience. In particular, we are excited about the rapid growth in hosting and eDiscovery, which our CaseVault solution successfully addresses. We are looking forward to even greater growth in 2007 with the addition of a full range of eDiscovery services to complement the CaseVault product, which we believe will cement CT Summation's position as a leader in litigation support software and services.” CT continues to improve upon its award-winning—and award-nominated—solutions by announcing a new client communications extranet portal, 360° Connections, from CT TyMetrix; the latest version of CT TyMetrix 360°, version 6.12; the release of CT Summation CaseVault 5.0; and the expansion of its CT Summation Enterprise platform support to include Microsoft SQL Server 2005. “Legal professionals have a lot of challenges facing them each day, such as new rules and regulations and increased work loads—and many different technologies from which to chose that can potentially help,” said Tom Rump, vice president of Litigation Solutions for Wolters Kluwer Corporate Legal Services. “The right mix of technology and in-house expertise can make all the difference when selecting the best tools and services. We strive to find a balance of both worlds to offer our customers solutions that work for them. These latest enhancements are yet another example of our commitment to growing our Litigation Solutions offerings in 2007.” CT is announcing the following new offerings and enhancements at LegalTech New York: - CT TyMetrix “360° Connections”: To better serve clients and respond quickly to the management technology needs of a sophisticated market, 360° Connections is a new client extranet from CT TyMetrix. Using a Web browser, clients can securely access information specific to their engagement and find out the latest news about CT TyMetrix developments. And, to elicit feedback from its most important audience, the extranet includes space for clients to post suggestions for enhancements to CT TyMetrix products.
- CT TyMetrix 360° Version 6.12: This new release includes collaborative budgeting with budgeting approval workflows, support for VAT management through tax handling rules, initial support for the LEDES XML 2.0 and additional offerings in the CT TyMetrix 360° reporting suite.
- CT TyMetrix University: To ensure rapid system adoption for new users and expanded platform utilization for experienced users, CT TyMetrix announces CT TyMetrix University. This newly formed group includes a dedicated team of professionals with legal/claims industry experience and training expertise. The 2007 schedule includes a wide array of regular training sessions for all end-users, including clients and their law firms. Participants can take advantage of the CT TyMetrix University via the Web, at client sites and at the CT TyMetrix headquarters in Hartford, Conn.
- CT Summation CaseVault Version 5.0: This major new release delivers ESI workflow to the latest ASP.NET environment. Version 5.0 is the latest advancement in CT Summation's effort to reduce "attorney glass time”—the time attorney's are required to spend using software to search, navigate and categorize evidence. This enables them to spend more time on valuable tasks such as evidence analysis. Also, an intuitive interface and easy to navigate features will enable additional time and cost savings for corporations and law firms.
- CT Summation Enterprise Microsoft SQL 2005 Support: As part of its initiatives to continually upgrade and innovate CT Summation products, CT Summation is expanding its Enterprise platform support to include Microsoft SQL 2005, Vista IE7 and Office 7. Users can take advantage of the platform’s capacity, speed, performance and security enhancements. In addition, law firms who have already adopted Microsoft SQL 2005 can now implement or upgrade existing CT Summation systems. Microsoft SQL 2005 support will be available in early March 2007.
In addition to these enhancements, CT is showcasing its CT Summation LG/iBlaze Version 2.8 with enhanced tagging and foldering to support ESI Review, CT EDGAR Solutions and CT TyMetrix 360° at LegalTech New York from Jan. 29-31, 2007. About Law Technology News Law Technology News® provides timely information and insight into the latest technologies, products and services available for the legal marketplace. Each month, the award-winning magazine features new product announcements, as well as monthly articles and columns written by industry experts and senior law firm decision makers. LTN is distributed to more than 40,000 selected subscribers and is also available on the Web at www.lawtechnologynews.com. The magazine is published by ALM. About CT CT, a Wolters Kluwer business, provides intelligent software and service solutions that empower legal professionals to more effectively manage dynamic information, speed workflows and make critical decisions. CT is the market leader for corporate compliance and governance services and solutions, including solutions for managing statutory representation, corporate transactions, and jurisdictional and securities compliance; UCC products and services for corporate due diligence, secured lending, bankruptcy, and real estate, among other areas; matter management and e-billing applications, litigation support software, and eDiscovery services; and innovative trademark research offerings. CT is based in New York City. For more information, please visit www.ctlegalsolutions.com. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer is a leading global information services and publishing company. The company provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal and regulatory, and education sectors. Wolters Kluwer has annual revenues (2005) of €3.4 billion, employs approximately 18,400 people worldwide and maintains operations across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on the Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com. |
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Seventh Grader to be Tried as an Adult in MO
Court Watch |
2007/01/29 12:31
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JOPLIN, Mo. - A seventh grader who opened fire at a middle school will be one of the youngest suspects ever tried as an adult in Missouri, resulting in a legal response that straddles two courts. Thomas White is accused of taking an assault rifle to Joplin Memorial Middle School on Oct. 9 and pointing it at administrators, teachers and students before firing a shot into the ceiling. He then allegedly repeatedly tried to shoot Principal Stephen Gilbreth as Gilbreth ushered him out of the school. Police said the rifle jammed because of the improper setting of an ammunition clip in the gun. No one was wounded. White dressed in a trench coat, camouflage pants and a crudely fashioned mask the day of the incident. He allegedly had a pellet gun, a Marine Corps manual and a map of a Kansas park campground in his backpack, authorities have said. At White's certification hearing in December, juvenile officer April Foulkes recommended he be tried as an adult because of the seriousness of his alleged offense and the threat it posed to the community. White, now 14, is charged with first-degree assault, armed-criminal action and attempted escape. He is being held at the Jasper County Jail, awaiting a preliminary hearing. His bond is set at $250,000. He is one of the youngest offenders ever to be certified as an adult in the state. Three St. Louis girls, two age 14 and one 13, were tried as adults in a 2004-2005 murder case. Missouri enacted a new juvenile crime law in 1995. The state based its policies on a philosophy that young offenders were not fully developed criminals and could be changed, said Tom Breedlove, the Division of Youth Services deputy director. Before 1995, an offender had to be 14 or older to be certified for trial as an adult. Like many other states, Missouri lowered the age to 12 for any felony and eliminated a minimum age for the most serious violent crimes. Judges now must hold adult-certification hearings for any juvenile accused of murder, rape, sodomy, first-degree assault, first-degree robbery or drug trafficking, and for any young offender with two prior felonies. The judge is allowed to decide whether the case should remain in juvenile court. In White's case, if he is convicted, he faces an approach to juvenile crime known as blended sentencing and a state program involving dual courts' jurisdiction. Foulkes said if White were to be adjudicated as a juvenile, the court's options would be limited to placing him on probation or committing him to DYS. Brent Buerck, senior program administrator with DYS, said young offenders sentenced under the dual-jurisdiction program can actually be kept up to the age of 21. The program first began in 1996 and saw its first releases in 1999. "With the dual jurisdictions, 83 percent of the kids who have successfully completed the program are not in prison," Buerck said. |
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Pacific Legal Foundation hires Grizzard for 2007
Breaking Legal News |
2007/01/29 12:05
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ATLANTA--The Grizzard Signature Group today announced it has been selected to manage fundraising direct-response initiatives for the Pacific Legal Foundation. The award extends the direct marketing agency’s relationship with the Pacific Legal Foundation through the 2007 calendar year. Founded in 1973, Pacific Legal Foundation is America’s oldest and largest public interest legal organization dedicated to limited government and individual liberty. Pacific Legal Foundation is particularly renowned for its expertise in the area of private property rights, its opposition to racial discrimination by government, and its litigation against oppressive regulations and in support of a balanced approach to environmental protection. “We are working with Grizzard in order to advance our fight for freedom,” said Rob Rivett, President of Pacific Legal Foundation. “Year in and year out, we win victories in court for property rights and other constitutional liberties, but our ultimate success also requires raising our profile and letting many more people, throughout the country, learn about our important work and the vital principles that inspire what we do. Our relationship with Grizzard will help us achieve that crucial goal.” The contract with Pacific Legal Foundation underscores Grizzard's entrepreneurial roots and aligns with the company's core philosophical values. Pacific Legal Foundation fights in court for the little guy against the virtually bottomless resources of "big government" agencies. The foundation aims to “rescue liberty” from the grasp of government, and is a voice for all Americans. Similarly, Grizzard's fundraising efforts on behalf of its client base of non-profits seek to make the world a better place. "By adding Pacific Legal Foundation to our roster of cherished clients, we extend our hope for a better, freer, more just society," said Barbara Johnson, Vice President of Grizzard Signature Group. About Pacific Legal Foundation Pacific Legal Foundation (www.pacificlegal.org) is the oldest and largest public interest legal organization dedicated to property rights, limited government, and a balanced approach to environmental protection. About the Grizzard Signature Group, the Grizzard Agency The Grizzard Signature Group is a distinctive direct-response strategic consultancy that formulates an analytics-based, donor-focused plan that reflects a nonprofit organization’s unique needs and goals. Signature Group principals draw on the talents and resources of its parent company, the 87-year-old Grizzard Communications Group, which has been led by four generations of the Grizzard family. Through offices in Atlanta and Los Angeles, the Grizzard Communications Group serves nonprofits across America. Clients include: The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Rescue Missions, Food Banks, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, state Sheriffs’ Associations, Habitat for Humanity affiliates, Lutheran Hour Ministries, Prostate Cancer Foundation, National Urban League, and various Animal Welfare and Humane Societies. More information can be found at www.grizzard.com. The Grizzard Communications Group is part of Omnicom Group, Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com). Omnicom is a leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries. |
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Legal Marketing Association Names New President
Legal Marketing |
2007/01/29 11:52
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CHICAGO - Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the United States, is pleased to announce that Joy Long, Director of Business Development, has been elected president of the Chicago chapter of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA Chicago) for 2007. In addition, Sydney Iglitzen, Public Relations Manager at Brinks, has been named president-elect of LMA Chicago.
“We are proud of the accomplishments of our professional staff and applaud the time, energy and effort they give back to their communities,” said Gary M. Ropski, president of Brinks. “Brinks encourages and supports the participation of its employees in all worthwhile professional, civic and charitable endeavors.”
Ms. Long, a member of the Legal Marketing Association since 1996, has worked in support of the legal marketing industry's only professional, educational and advocacy organization. She has been elected to terms as the chapter's secretary, treasurer and president-elect and served as chapter president in 2005. Her term of office as chapter president begins January 2007 and runs for one year. Ms. Long joined Brinks in 2003.
Ms. Iglitzen has been a member of LMA since 1997 and has been on the chapter’s Board of Directors for several years. She has served as the chapter’s program chair for more than three years, implementing monthly and special programming for the organization’s Chicago chapter and Indianapolis program series. She has also served as the chairperson for both the public relations and membership committees. She will assume the president’s chair in January 2008. Ms. Iglitzen joined Brinks in 2005.
Also elected to office for 2007 are: Donna L.G. Shaft, Principal, DLGShaft Consulting, Secretary; Judith Weingarz, Marketing Manager, The Interlex Group, Treasurer; Megan McKeon, Marketing Director, McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff, Treasurer-Elect; Yewande Dawodu, Marketing Coordinator, Masuda Funai Eifert & Mitchell, Jeffrey Hild, Marketing Director, Johnson & Bell Ltd. and Megan Wilroy, Marketing Project Manager, Foley & Lardner, all Board Members-at-Large.
For more than 20 years, LMA, a not-for-profit organization, has been dedicated to maintaining the professional and ethical standards of the women and men involved in marketing, business development and communications within the legal profession and to providing its members with advocacy initiatives, educational programs and professional opportunities covering a wide range of issues.
Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is based in Chicago with four additional offices across the country serving the intellectual property needs of clients from around the world. The firm is one of the largest IP law firms in the country, with more than 150 attorneys, scientific advisors and patent agents specializing in intellectual property litigation and all aspects of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition, intellectual asset management, and technology and licensing agreements. Brinks routinely handles assignments in fields as diverse as electrical, chemical, mechanical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, nanotechnology, Internet and computer technology, as well as in trademarks and brand names for a wide variety of products and services. For more information, visit www.usebrinks.com. |
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Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Running Slave Camp
Breaking Legal News |
2007/01/29 11:44
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla.- Ronald Evans Sr., 60, was convicted in August on 57 charges of engaging in a criminal enterprise, distributing crack cocaine, dealing in contraband, spoiling the environment, violating federal farmworker statutes and more than four dozen counts of improper financial transactions.
Ronald, the owner of two migrant labor camps in Florida and North Carolina has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for hiring these drug addicts and homeless people at minimum wages then selling them crack cocaine and beer at inflated prices.
Mr. Evans' attorney, William Kent, said his client planned to appeal the judgment and the sentencing on Friday.
Mr. Evans' two labor camps in East Palatka, Fla., and Newton Grove, have been forfeited to the government, and he and his wife, Jequita, a co-defendant, must also hand over $1.1 million, The Miami Herald reported.
She was found guilty of the 49 of the 51 charges against her and will be sentenced next month.
The couple recruited men from homeless shelters, charged them $50 a week for room and board and put them to work in potato and cabbage fields for minimum wages. At the end of the work day, workers were allowed to purchase crack cocaine, cigarettes and beer at inflated prices on credit, authorities said.
When they were paid on Saturday, workers often found they owed money to Mr. Evans and his wife.
"Everyone realized this was an abhorrent act," U.S. Attorney Paul I. Perez said. |
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Dutch Citizen Arraigned on Terrorism Charges
Breaking Legal News |
2007/01/29 10:56
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WASHINGTON—An Iraqi-born Dutch citizen who was extradited from the Netherlands on Saturday made his initial appearance today in federal court in Washington, D.C., to face charges for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to attack Americans based in Iraq, announced Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division, Jeffrey A. Taylor, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Joseph Persichini Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Washington Field Office. This case represents the first U.S. criminal prosecution arising from terrorist activities taking place in Iraq. Wesam Al Delaema, a/k/a Wesam Khalaf Chayed Delaeme, was indicted by a grand jury in the District of Columbia in September 2005 and charged with six counts: conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens abroad; conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives); conspiracy to maliciously damage or destroy U.S. government property by means of an explosive; possession of a destructive device (explosives) during a crime of violence; conspiracy to possess a destructive device (explosives) during a crime of violence; and teaching or demonstrating the making or use of an explosive with the intent to further a crime of violence. The indictment alleges that Delaema traveled from the Netherlands to Iraq in October 2003 and, together with a group of co-conspirators calling themselves the “Mujahideen from Fallujah,” declared his intentions to kill Americans in Iraq using explosives. The indictment further alleges that Delaema and his co-conspirators hid explosives in a road in the area of Fallujah, Iraq. Delaema, 33, was born in Fallujah, Iraq. He was arrested by Dutch law enforcement authorities on May 2, 2005, and he initially faced similar charges in that country. Following his arrest, Dutch law enforcement and prosecution authorities worked cooperatively with the FBI in its investigation of Delaema’s alleged terrorist activities. In September 2005, the United States filed a formal request with the Netherlands seeking Delaema’s extradition. The extradition request was subsequently granted by a Dutch court and then by the Dutch Ministry of Justice. In December 2006, the extradition request was sustained on appeal in the Netherlands. This past weekend, Delaema was flown to the United States, arrested, and taken into custody by the FBI. Today in court, Delaema was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. “After a lengthy extradition process, this defendant will now face justice for his efforts in orchestrating and launching roadside bomb attacks against our men and women serving in Iraq. We in the ranks of federal prosecutors are honored to play a role in protecting our military colleagues against such deadly and cowardly attacks,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth L. Wainstein. “We will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to bring to justice anyone who plots terrorist attacks against our citizens at home or abroad. We look forward to working cooperatively with the Dutch authorities in prosecuting this defendant under our criminal laws,” said U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor. “Today’s announcement of the extradition of Wesam Khalaf Chayed Delaeme to the United States sends a clear message of the FBI’s unwavering dedication to our mission to detect, deter, and bring to justice any individual who conspires to commit terrorist acts against any U.S. citizen either in this country or on foreign soil. Together with the invaluable assistance of the Dutch National Police Agency and the Dutch Government, we were able to accomplish that mission,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Joseph Persichini Jr. The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Dutch National Police Agency and the National Office of the Public Prosecutor in the Netherlands. The Office of International Affairs in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice coordinated the extradition efforts on behalf of the United States. The prosecutors handling the case are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregg Maisel and Matthew Cohen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Gregg Sofer, Jerome Teresinski, and Marla Tusk of the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division at the Department of Justice. If convicted of the charges in the criminal indictment, Delaema faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant violated a criminal law. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. |
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Class action or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued. This form of collective lawsuit originated in the United States and is still predominantly a U.S. phenomenon, at least the U.S. variant of it. In the United States federal courts, class actions are governed by Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule. Since 1938, many states have adopted rules similar to the FRCP. However, some states like California have civil procedure systems which deviate significantly from the federal rules; the California Codes provide for four separate types of class actions. As a result, there are two separate treatises devoted solely to the complex topic of California class actions. Some states, such as Virginia, do not provide for any class actions, while others, such as New York, limit the types of claims that may be brought as class actions. They can construct your law firm a brand new website, lawyer website templates and help you redesign your existing law firm site to secure your place in the internet. |
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