Former U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart has rejoined Pittsburgh law firm Keevican Weiss Bauerle & Hirsch LLC as a member.

Hart was defeated by Jason Altmire last November after serving three terms as the Republican representative from McCandless.

Keevican Weiss Bauerle & Hirsch launched in 1988 and has offices in Cleveland and Harrisburg. In 2003, the firm, then ranked as Pittsburgh's ninth largest and known as DKW Law Group PC, filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code, emerging successfully later that year. It adopted the current name in early 2006.

Hart said in a statement that she was "happy to be back in a professional capacity at a first-rate organization among long-term friends and colleagues."

During his time at Glankler Brown, and in addition to his civil litigation practice, he represented local government and private business entities as well as home health agencies and medical provider groups.

Mr. Pajak authored Not for the Faint of Heart, Additional Personal Injury Protection (APIP) Benefits, published in the New York State Bar Association, JOURNAL, March/April 2006. He is a member of the Erie County and New York State Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Erie County and the Buffalo Claims Association. He is a past Treasurer of the Western New York Trial Lawyers Association and was the President-elect of the Defense Trial Lawyers Association of Western New York.

About The Barnes Firm

The Barnes Firm is a nationally recognized personal injury law firm, with headquarters in Buffalo, New York.

The Barnes Firm focuses on auto accident, medical malpractice, premises liability and product defect cases. In 2006 alone, The Barnes Firm obtained settlements and verdicts in excess of $100,000,000 for their clients.

For more information about The Barnes Firm visit www.TheBarnesFirm.com or contact us 1-800-483-2050.

Lerach's imminent departure comes amid a seven-year investigation by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles into his former law firm.

That firm, Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman, was indicted in May 2006 by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles. Prosecutors allege the firm secretly paid more than $11 million in kickbacks to get people to take part in shareholder lawsuits, allowing its lawyers to be among the first to file lawsuits on behalf of shareholders and secure the lucrative position as lead plaintiffs' counsel.

Attorneys Steven Schulman and David J. Bershad, former partners in the firm, were also indicted. They and the law firm have pleaded not guilty.

Lerach, 61, has not been charged in the case.

Lerach remains actively involved in only a handful of cases, Coughlin said. They include some of the firm's highest-profile work, including its case against Enron Corp. Lerach and his partners recouped about $7 billion for Enron shareholders.

The law firm of Kious & Rodgers announced that David “Brock” East has joined the firm as an associate attorney. East is a 2002 graduate of the University of Tennessee where he majored in biochemistry and was a University Honors Scholar. He received his law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law in 2005.

He comes to Kious & Rodgers from the Memphis law firm of Glassman, Edwards, Wade & Wyatt, P.C. East is licensed to practice law in both Tennessee and Arkansas. His areas of practice include personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, insurance, corporate, commercial and professional malpractice litigation, wills and contracts.

He is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association as well as the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association. He is married to Jenny Peterson East.

Kious & Rodgers is a full service law firm representing both individual and business clients throughout Middle Tennessee and is located in the historic Spence House located at 503 North Maple Street in the heart of downtown Murfreesboro. Information about the firm is available at ww.kiousandrodgers.com.

In February, McNulty testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that thirteen or more federal prosecutors who have been removed over the past two years were not victims of political retaliation, as some Democrats have alleged. McNulty specifically denied that the removal of former US Attorney Carol Lam, who prosecuted former Republican congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham, was motivated by political considerations. McNulty did admit, however, that one of the firings was conducted to allow Tom Griffin, former aide to Karl Rove, to assume the position. Gonzales has denied such allegations, maintaining the firings were necessary to replace US attorneys performing poorly on the job.

Former Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker Partner Kenneth Yood has joined the Los Angeles office of Fulbright & Jaworski as a partner in its health law practice.

“It’s an honor to become a part of Fulbright’s high-caliber national health care practice,” Yood said in a release.

Noting he was “impressed” with Fulbright’s long history in the health care industry, the lawyer added he was “excited” to bring his experience to the firm’s “expansive” national platform.

Peter Mason, partner-in-charge of the 73-lawyer Los Angeles office, told the MetNews Yood was a “terrific addition” to Fulbright’s prominent and expanding health law practice.

With his background in counseling and regulatory matters, Yood will enhance the work of the firm, Mason said.

Mark Kadzielski, partner in charge of Fulbright’s Los Angeles health law practice and head of its health law practice in California, echoed the thought in a statement:

“He is an impressive health care lawyer, who will help our team provide the very best counsel and service to our clients.”

Yood, 43, specializes in advising clients on the establishment and operation of health care compliance programs addressing matters that include Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement and certification, state licensing and the state and federal false claims acts.

With experience giving counsel on disclosure and reporting obligations and strategies, Yood has helped clients conduct both external and internal investigations of health care facilities.

The lawyer’s past representation also encompasses health care transactions, medical malpractice, professional liability, torts and commercial litigation.

Yood was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1991 and is also a member of the New  York and Massachusetts bars.

In addition to a degree from the University of New York at Buffalo School of Law, Yood holds a masters’ degree in public health from Harvard University. His undergraduate degree is from Haverford College.

His bar activities include membership in the American Health Lawyers Association.