Podcast: Vioxx Lawyers Discuss Settlement

On Nov. 9, Merck & Co., after long insisting it would never settle the 27,000 Vioxx cases filed against it, turned an about face and agreed to a global settlement in which it will pay $4.85 billion to resolve the bulk of these cases. Two of the lawyers who were instrumental in bringing this about join us to discuss the settlement on the latest episode of the legal-affairs podcast Lawyer2Lawyer. My cohost J. Craig Williams and I discuss the terms of the settlement and its implications with:

• Thomas V. Girardi of Girardi & Keese, one of the six attorneys who made up the plaintiffs' negotiating committee.
• Leigh O'Dell, a member of the Vioxx litigation team at the law firm Beasley Allen, whose partner Andy D. Birchfield Jr. was also a member of the plaintiffs' negotiating team.
  

We invited representatives of Merck and also of the Defense Research Institute to appear on the program, but they declined.

Listen to or download the show from this page. Subscribe to future episodes of Lawyer2Lawyer usings its RSS feed or subscribe via iTunes.

Podcast: The RIAA vs. File Sharers

This week on the legal affairs podcast Lawyer2Lawyer, we discuss the ongoing litigation by the Recording Industry Association of America against college students, soccer moms and others accused of illegally sharing and downloading music. Our guests for this program are two experts on the issue:

• Richard L. Gabriel, national lead counsel for the RIAA and a partner with the Colorado law firm Holme Roberts & Owen LLP.
• Fred von Lohmann, senior staff attorney specializing in intellectual property issues with the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
  

We discuss the state of these cases in the wake of the $222,000 verdict in the RIAA's case against Jammie Thomas and also consider alternatives to litigation, including the EFF's proposal for a different system of music licensing.

Listen to or download the program from this page.

MNPA Annual Meeting Set for Nov. 29

The annual meeting of the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association is scheduled for Nov. 29, 2007, at Anthony's Pier Four in Boston. This year's featured luncheon speaker is Margaret H. Marshall, chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, who will speak on courts and the news media and take questions from the audience. A morning panel will focus on legislative proposals to reform the Massachusetts open meeting law. Panelists will include Robert J. Ambrogi, Esq., MNPA executive director; Robert W. Ritchie, Esq., head of the Attorney General's Municipal Division; and Thomas J. Urbelis, Esq., past president of the City Solicitors and Town Counsel Association.

The day begins with an MNPA business meeting at 10 a.m. The open meeting panel is at 11 a.m. At noon is a cocktail reception, followed by the luncheon at 12:30. Tickets are $60. Reservations may be made using this form.

Presentation on Russian Courts and Media

After my trip to Russia last May, I gave a presentation in Boston on Russian courts and the news media. I have now converted that presentation to Flash and posted it here, should anyone be interested in viewing it.

Database Tracks Threats to Citizen Journalists

The Citizen Media Law Project today launched its Legal Threats Database, a collection that documents legal threats aimed at online speech, including lawsuits, cease-and-desist letters and other legal actions. I have further details at my LawSites blog.

Podcast: Pam Smart Case Back in the News

The 1991 first-degree murder trial of New Hampshire teacher Pam Smart drew international media attention and spawned the Joyce Maynard novel and Nicole Kidman movie, To Die For. Smart was accusing of luring her 16-year-old lover, William Flynn, and two of his friends into murdering her husband Gregory. Smart was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Flynn plead guilty to second-degree murder and received a 40-year prison sentence. Now, the 33-year-old Flynn, who will be eligible for parole in 2018, is asking a New Hampshire judge to reduce his sentence and open the door to his earlier release.

On this week's legal-affairs podcast Lawyer2Lawyer, my cohost J. Craig Williams and I discuss the legal and social implications of Flynn's request. Joining us as guests to discuss the case are Marsha V. Kazarosian, the Massachusetts lawyer who defended Vance Lattime Jr., the teen who drove the getaway car on the night of the murder, and Allan H. Stokke, noted California criminal defense attorney. Download or listen to the program at this page.