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Storm victims caught in massive ‘roofing scheme’ with Texas firm

  • May 21, 2023

Like those other storm victims, Smith has no idea what happened to her insurance money.

In December, Apex quoted her a little over $12,000 for a new roof. In January, she got a settlement notice for $22,600. A breakdown of the settlement stated $12,500 would go to Smith, and the other 44 percent of it – about $10,000 – would go to cover legal fees and expenses on a claim where no lawsuit had been filed.

The settlement document also granted MMA “limited power of attorney to endorse all checks for settlement proceeds… on your behalf.” Smith signed it but has never seen any of the money and her roof is still not fixed. 

Butler said Apex hasn’t seen any of that money either, and the roofer “is not happy about that.”

Recently, Smith’s mother-in-law saw a TV ad by New Orleans injury lawyer Morris Bart, encouraging MMA clients to hire his firm instead. Smith is one of more than 600 former MMA clients to hire Bart associate Austin Marks to represent her. Marks said he was able to get Smith’s insurance company to void any settlement checks that MMA had endorsed.

“They took advantage of homeowners. They took advantage of insurance companies,” Marks said. “They lied, cheated and stole from everyone.”
Smith wonders how she could have protected herself from something Judge North called “an unprecedented tableau of misconduct.”

“If the judge don’t know what to say, like if no one has even seen this before, where do we go from here?”

“Insured to Lose” continues Tuesday (March 2) with Part 2, describing what Judge North describes as a separate part of MMA’s “scheme.”

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Ex-federal judge Yeakel joins law firm King & Spalding in Austin

  • May 18, 2023

(Reuters) – A former federal judge in Austin, Texas, has joined King & Spalding’s trials and global disputes practice group, the law firm said Monday.

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel of the Western District of Texas handled several high-profile cases over his career, including one in which he overruled Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s ban on pandemic mask mandates in 2021. He said the governor’s order violated federal law and would put children with disabilities at risk.

Yeakel also ruled more than once to block abortion restrictions in the state.

Yeakel, who was appointed in 2003 by President George W. Bush and announced his retirement in March, will counsel clients on “all facets of the dispute process,” and represent them in court, according to King & Spalding. He joins the firm as senior counsel.

Yeakel said in a statement King & Spalding has a strong dispute practice and a growing Austin office.

King & Spalding’s other recent hires have included at least two partners for its special matters and government investigations team, including Alicia O’Brien, former special assistant to the president and White House senior counsel, and former assistant U.S. attorney Adam Baker.

Read more:

King & Spalding hires ex-prosecutor in N.Y. amid investigations push

Maryland federal judge joins Gibson Dunn after leaving bench at 47

Federal judge leaves Chicago bench for Latham law firm

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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National Legal Aid Day observed in Laxmipur

  • May 17, 2023

National Legal Aid Day observed in Laxmipur

LAXMIPUR, April 28, 2023 (BSS) – National Legal Aid Services Day-2023 was observed in the district today like elsewhere across the country with a view to ensuring the rule of law, fundamental human rights and justice for everyone.

This year the theme of the day is ‘Fulfillment of Bangabandhu’s dream, opening the door to free legal services’.

“According to Article 27 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, all are equal before the law and all are entitled to equal protection of the law. In order to make this right a reality, the ‘National Legal Aid Provision Act 2000’ has been enacted”.


Marking the day, a colorful rally was brought out from the premises of the district judge’s court and ended at the same venue after parading the main roads of the town.

After the rally, a discussion was held in the district judge court premises this morning.

District Legal Aid Committee Chairman and Senior District and Sessions Judge Rahibul Islam presided over the function.

Joint District and Sessions Judge Nurul Afchar moderated the discussion.


Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md. Anwar Hoshain Akand, Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Sadekur Rahman, Superintendent of Police Md Mahfuzzaman Ashraf, Zilla Parishad chairman Bir Muktijoddha Md Shahjahan, Additional District and Sessions Judge Syeda Amina Fahim, Chief Judicial Magistrate Mominul Islam, civil surgeon Dr. Ahmed Kabir, District and Sessions Judge Court Public Prosecutor (PP) Jasim Uddin, District Bar Association President Advocate Ahmed Ferdous Manik, its General Secretary Hasan Al Mahmud and District Legal Aid Officer Umme Bibi Neetu, among others, were present.

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RMF bankruptcy liquidation plan approved by Delaware court

  • May 4, 2023

Reverse Mortgage Investment Trust (RMIT), parent company of former reverse mortgage industry lender Reverse Mortgage Funding (RMF), was approved for a bankruptcy liquidation plan by Judge Mary Walrath of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Delaware on April 28.

The approved liquidation plan was the third proposed to the court. It received approval roughly 24 hours after Judge Walrath delayed implementation of a second plan due to concerns that included having adequate enough means for the liquidation plan’s implementation; the treatment of executory contracts and unexpired leases; and exculpation of claims and causes of action in the liquidation.

The supplemental declaration sufficiently addressed those concerns, according to the judge.

“This declaration includes a more fulsome description of the expected estate funding that would be available throughout the wind-down process, and explains how administrative claims are contemplated to be paid,” Patrick Venter, an attorney for RMIT, told Judge Walrath during the hearing. “We’ve also elaborated on the anticipated costs of remaining in Chapter 11, and why that is not an option for the estates at this time.”

The order signed by Judge Walrath includes plans for $1.225 billion in long-term funded debt. RMIT’s mortgage servicing portfolio value was estimated at $25.5 billion when Chapter 11 was first filed in late 2022, according to reporting from Law360.

“The Plan shall be deemed a motion to approve the good-faith compromise and settlement of all such claims, interests, causes of action, and controversies, and the entry of the Confirmation Order shall constitute the Court’s approval of such compromise and settlement under section 1123 of the Bankruptcy Code, as well as a finding by the Court that such settlement and compromise is fair, equitable, reasonable, and in the best interests of the Debtors and their Estates,” the order states.

RMIT creditors are taking a

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Listed law firm’s chief executive used racially offensive term

  • February 20, 2023

Tribunal: Delay in progressing claim not fatal

The former chief executive of listed London law firm Rosenblatt used a highly offensive racial term at a dinner attended by a Black lawyer, an employment tribunal has revealed.

Nicola Foulston was sacked by RBG Holdings – the firm’s listed entity, of which she was also chief executive – just last week, in part because of “culture concerns”. It is not known whether the two events are connected.

The decision was handed down on 20 January but only published yesterday.

Employment Judge Brown in London was ruling on an unsuccessful attempt by the firm to strike out a claim brought by former head of employment Noel Deans.

Mr Deans launched proceedings in February 2020 claiming unfair dismissal, race discrimination, whistleblowing protection, victimisation, harassment and failure to provide a safe place of work.

He is suing the law firm, Ms Foulston, founder and senior partner Ian Rosenblatt, and director and compliance officer Anthony Field.

Judge Brown said the respondents admitted that Ms Foulston “used at a dinner (in front of the claimant) the phrase ‘n***er in the woodpile’”.

They also admitted that, after Mr Deans alleged in his resignation letter that he had suffered race discrimination, Mr Rosenblatt said to him that he was “just a f***ing anti-Semite”. Mr Rosenblatt then raised a grievance against Mr Deans because he thought Mr Deans’ “suggestion that he was racist was untrue”.

Speaking to Legal Futures, Mr Rosenblatt said he had called out Ms Foulston’s language at the dinner and spoke the words in response to something Mr Deans had said.

We have approached both Ms Foulston and Mr Deans for comment.

Mr Rosenblatt said they were strongly contesting the claim – which he said was at its core a constructive dismissal dispute – and noted

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