The state of North Carolina is violating international freedom of association labor standards by prohibiting governmental entities from bargaining with unions, according to a decision released Tuesday by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the labor standards branch of the United Nations. North Carolina General Statute section 95-98 states:

Any agreement, or contract, between the governing authority of any city, town, county, or other municipality, or between any agency, unit, or instrumentality thereof, or between any agency, instrumentality, or institution of the State of North Carolina, and any labor union, trade union, or labor organization, as bargaining agent for any public employees of such city, town, county or other municipality, or agency or instrumentality of government, is hereby declared to be against the public policy of the State, illegal, unlawful, void and of no effect. (1959, c. 742.)
The ILO decision, which is not technically binding on North Carolina, requested that North Carolina repeal the statute.

The Public Service Workers Union and its parent union, the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), brought the complaint in 2005.

The law firm of Phillips Lytle LLP, a full service law firm with statewide coverage has named Karen A. DiNardo as partner effective immediately.

Ms. DiNardo focuses in the areas of real estate transactions and financing including acquisitions, dispositions, development, secured lending and leasing for commercial, industrial, residential, mobile home and retail projects. She attended Albany Law School of Union University and received her B.S., magna cum laude, from Niagara University. Ms. DiNardo is a member of the American and Monroe County Bar Associations and serves as membership committee co-chair of the Real Property Section of the New York State Bar Association. A resident of Webster, she is also a member of the Women's Council of Realtors.

Phillips Lytle is a full-service law firm with seven offices across New York State in Rochester, Albany, Buffalo, Chautauqua, Garden City and New York City. With the farthest geographic reach of any law firm in the state of New York, they are well equipped to meet the needs of their clients.

The Board of Directors of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is pleased to announce that it has elected 11 attorneys to partner.

"This is a group of very talented attorneys," said Vincent A. F. Sergi, the Firm's National Managing Partner. "They have all demonstrated the commitment to professionalism and dedication to client service that we expect of those who advance in the firm, and we look forward to their continued success."

The board selected attorneys from seven practices (Corporate, Commercial Finance, Intellectual Property, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Real Estate, Tax Planning, Trusts and Estates) across four Firm offices.

In Chicago:

Valentina Famparska, in the Tax Planning Practice, concentrates on federal and state taxation, focusing in venture capital, private equity and emerging growth companies, partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Famparska graduated from Sofia University School of Law, Bulgaria with a law degree and highest honors. In Bulgaria, she practiced for five years in the areas of commercial law, corporate law and taxation. She also worked as a legal advisor for the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance, Department of Taxation. Ms. Famparska received a law degree, magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Brooks T. Giles, in the Corporate Practice, concentrates on private company mergers and acquisitions. He has represented both buyers and sellers in acquisitions, including stock purchases, asset sales, tax-free mergers, and leveraged buyout situations. Mr. Giles also has experience in public and private corporate finance transactions, including registered and 144A debt offerings, registered equity offerings and venture capital financings. His public company experience includes mergers, tender offers, hostile proxy contests and general corporate advice, including poison pills. Mr. Giles received his B.A. from the University of Chicago and holds both a J.D. with honors and an LL.M. from Duke University School of Law.

Derek F. Ladgenski, in the Commercial Finance Practice, concentrates on all aspects of corporate finance, including secured and unsecured senior financing, mezzanine financing, equity co-investments and similar products for a wide variety of lending syndicates and institutional and entrepreneurial finance and corporate clients. He has experience with several distinct lending products, including secured and unsecured asset-based and cash flow loans, debtor-in-possession financings, loans to distressed companies, securitizations, Islamic Shari'ah-compliant loans, real estate-based loan packages, loans to energy and utility companies and secured and unsecured mezzanine loans. Mr. Ladgenski holds a B.S. with distinction and a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law.

Stephen J. Lombardo, III, in the Corporate Practice, concentrates his work primarily in the areas of private equity/venture capital, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate work. He has worked on a wide range of transactions (valued from $1 million to $15 billion) representing clients in a wide variety of industries including restaurant and food, technology, manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace, and finance. He holds a B.S.B.A. as well as a J.D. from Georgetown University, and is also a CPA.

Eric A. Smith, in the Corporate Practice, focuses his work primarily in private equity and mergers and acquisitions, but also counsels clients in matters related to public and private securities matters. His primary focus is representing private equity funds and their portfolio companies. He has also been involved in providing advice to corporate clients involved in leveraged buyouts, consolidations, restructurings and various other types of corporate transactions, as well as to executives involved in various private equity transactions. Mr. Smith holds a B.S. with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a joint J.D., magna cum laude, M.B.A. from the University of Illinois in Champaign.

Philip J. Tortorich, in the Trusts and Estates Practice, concentrates in the areas of tax- and estate-planning matters, primarily representing wealthy individuals and closely-held corporations. His work includes consulting with clients regarding tax-efficient structuring of corporate entities, including C corporations, S corporations, limited-liability companies, limited partnerships, and hybrid-type entities. He also designs trusts that shift the future growth of a client's net worth out of the client's estate while minimizing the exposure to gift taxation. Mr. Tortorich regularly advises clients on structuring personal family investment companies, as well as their philanthropic goals. He holds a B.A. from Loyola University Chicago and a J.D., cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

In Los Angeles:

James J. Thompson, in the Corporate Practice, counsels clients on a wide range of matters including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, reorganizations, formation and financing transactions for emerging growth companies, public and private offerings of equity and debt securities, 1933 Securities Act and 1934 Exchange Act compliance and periodic reporting, corporate governance matters and general corporate representation. He advises publicly-traded corporations and privately-held corporations and other business entities, investment banks, commercial banks and other financial institutions. He has represented clients in industries including, technology, e-commerce and the Internet, health care, biotechnology, real estate, gaming, entertainment, education, financial services and consulting sectors. He holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University and a J.D. from the University of Southern California School of Law.

Laurie Cohen Yoo, in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice, concentrates her practice in real estate litigation. Ms. Yoo represents retail shopping center owners, managers, and developers in a wide range of matters including lease enforcement, public access, and disability discrimination (ADA). She regularly counsels clients on shopping center management issues and enforcement of private property interests. She holds a B.A., cum laude, from Pomona College and a J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

In New York:

Julie Pechersky, in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice, focuses on the defense of private and publicly-traded companies and their directors and officers in securities actions, directors' and officers' liability actions, and governmental and regulatory investigations and litigation. She also serves as counsel to companies in internal investigations. Ms. Pechersky has represented clients in a wide range of matters relating to allegations of accounting irregularities and securities fraud. Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Pechersky clerked for Chief Judge Sylvia Rambo, United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. She holds a B.A. with honors from the University of Pittsburgh and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Susan Lee Saslow, in the Real Estate Practice, concentrates in all aspects of real estate transactional matters, including commercial acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, real estate finance and development of all types of real properties. Her practice primarily focuses in the areas of conventional and securitized real estate financings. She has extensive experience representing institutional clients and private investors and developers in sophisticated debt and equity financings, advising both borrowers and lenders in complex transactions involving multi-state, multi-property portfolios, mezzanine financings, securitized loan originations, construction loans and loan participations. She holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and earned her J.D., cum laude, from Albany Law School of Union University.

In Washington:

Justin L. Krieger, in the Intellectual Property Practice, focuses on intellectual property litigation, patent prosecution, and client counseling with a technical background in chemistry. Mr. Krieger concentrates on patent litigation and has participated in all phases of patent litigation including discovery, trial and appeals. As a registered patent attorney, Mr. Krieger is also actively involved in prosecuting patent applications in the chemical engineering, metallurgical, nanotechnology, medical device, mechanical, consumer products, business method and software technology fields. He has extensive experience prosecuting domestic and international patent applications including reexamination and reissue applications. He has also provided numerous non-infringement and validity opinions in the chemical, polymer and mechanical arts from both due diligence and litigation perspectives. Mr. Krieger received a B.S. in Chemistry from the College of William and Mary and his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law.

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is a full-service law firm with offices in the nation's largest centers of business, government, finance and technology and an affiliated entity in London. With over 650 attorneys in more than 40 areas of practice, Katten provides timely and cost-effective counsel to clients in numerous industries. Katten provides advice for a wide range of public and private companies - from entrepreneurial, emerging-growth, and middle market firms to global Fortune 100 corporations - as well as government entities, institutions of higher learning, museums and a host of other charitable and cultural organizations.

http://www.kattenlaw.com

Hunton & Williams LLP today announced it has added 93 new lateral attorneys which significantly grows the firm’s presence in Texas. The attorneys joined from Jenkens & Gilchrist’s offices in Dallas, Austin, and Houston. Of those joining, 87 will be in Dallas, five in Austin, and one in Houston. The firm will open a new Austin office.

With these additions, Hunton & Williams will have nearly 1,000 lawyers in 19 offices worldwide and will be one of the largest non-Texas-based law firms in Dallas. The Dallas office will grow from 70 lawyers to 157.

The attorneys are enlarging the following practice areas: financial institutions, corporate, financial services, real estate, litigation, bankruptcy, tax, and estate planning.

http://www.hunton.com

Ukraine's parliament and government have vowed to defy the president's order to dissolve the legislature and hold elections on May 27.

The decree was announced on Monday after a months-long power struggle following the March 2006 parliamentary elections that brought Yanukovych to power at the head of a leftist coalition.

Lawmakers from Yanukovich's coalition in parliament have appealed for a ruling by the constitutional court on the legitimacy of the president's order, the Interfax news agency reported.

But pressure from the two sides has prompted the Constitutional Court's chief judge to tender his resignation, which was not accepted by the other judges.

As the power struggle in Ukraine continued, the European Union, Russia and the United States also voiced their concern, calling for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

Some Michigan lawmakers think a gasoline tax increase is needed to improve the state's roads.

A campaign by Drivemi.org encourages an increase in transportation spending, with a backing from AAA, construction companies, labor groups and chambers of commerce.

A bipartisan bill to increase the gasoline tax nine cents per gallon over the next three years has been introduced in Lansing. But as gas prices increase, are motorists willing to pay more at the pump?

"I think it's necessary. The roads are really bad. I don't know if I'm willing, but I will," motorist Barb Fles told 24 Hour News 8.

"If it will surely help with road repair, I'm for it. But if gas goes up any higher, we're all going to be walking or riding together," adds fellow motorist Mitchell Robertson.

The president of the Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association tells us they have analyzed federal and state transportation statistics.

"We've identified the need - $2.7 billion. And that's not paving the streets in gold. That's just getting it to the point of being adequate," said Brian Slagter.

The gas tax currently brings in about $931 million each year distributed six ways - $300 million used by the Michigan Department of Transportation; $300 million distributed among 83 counties; cities and villages receive $170 million; public transit gets $100 million; $37 million goes toward road projects critical to economic development; and $24 million supports bridge, railroad and recreation areas.

It has been ten years since the gas tax was raised. Supporters argue a transportation fund increase would put Michigan on par with surrounding states.

At 19 cents per gallon, Michigan's current gas tax is one of the lowest compared with Illinois and Indiana. The highest is in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Ohio - 32 cents, 30 cents, and 28 cents respectively.

24 Hour News 8 spoke with MDOT officials who tell us they prioritize need, and this year everything on their list will get done.

Plus, numerous West Michigan county road commissions have taken a hit when it comes to funding projects.

Supporters of the proposal say if the measure is approved, not only will road conditions improve, but 50,000 new jobs will be created in the process.

SEATTLE - The city's insurance company has agreed to pay $1 million to settle claims from about 175 people who were wrongly arrested during a peaceful World Trade Organization protest in 1999.

The case went to trial in January, and a federal jury found Seattle liable for violating the protesters' constitutional rights by arresting them without probable cause. The settlement, announced Monday, avoids a damages phase to determine how much the city owed, and it resolves the last outstanding claims against the city from the protests.

"The police can respect the constitutional rights of protesters and at the same time protect the public safety,'' said Mike Withey of Washington, D.C.-based Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, which brought the lawsuit.

As part of the settlement, which a federal judge must approve, the city will seal the arrest records and ask any law enforcement agencies that received copies to expunge them, Withey said. Each protester will be eligible to receive $3,000 to $10,000, and some of the settlement will be used to pay legal fees.

City Attorney Tom Carr said the city believes it would have won an appeal.

"However, the city's insurance company decided to settle the case rather than to continue to fund the appellate litigation,'' Carr said in a news release.

The insurance company is National Union, said Carr's assistant, Ruth Bowman. The company did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

The trial stemmed from the mass arrest of protesters at a downtown park, where they were sitting and singing patriotic anthems. That week, 50,000 demonstrators had swarmed Seattle, overwhelming police and closing down parts of the WTO meeting.

The park was in a "no-protest'' zone established by the mayor, but officers made no effort to determine whether the protesters had other legitimate reasons to be there before making the arrests, the jury decided.

In a pretrial ruling, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman ruled the city had made the arrests without probable cause. Arrest reports were not filled out properly, she noted.

The city agreed in the settlement to issue copies of Pechman's rulings in the case to police cadets and officers to help prevent unlawful mass arrests, Withey said.

Lead plaintiff Ken Hankin, a Boeing worker, said he was pleased the settlement had been reached but added that getting a few thousand dollars seemed paltry compared to the violation of his rights. He spent three days in police custody and wasn't released until the WTO meetings had ended.

"I lost my right to protest the WTO,'' he said. "That's something I feel very upset about.''

Seattle previously paid about $800,000 in more than a dozen WTO lawsuits and claims.