Tully Rinckey PLLC is pleased to announce the addition of attorney’s Jannika E. Cannon as a Senior Associate and Matthew Estes as an Associate in its Washington, D.C. law office. Both Ms. Cannon and Mr. Estes will focus their practice on federal sector labor and employment law. 

Ms. Cannon will provide representation to federal employees in a wide range of employment and labor issues including discrimination, sexual harassment, equal pay, adverse action, and Title VII claims, Inspector General (IG) Investigations, and whistleblower reprisal claims. She has significant experience representing clients at all stages of the administrative process before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and Office of the Special Counsel. As a former federal employee herself, she has personal knowledge and insight into the unique rights these employees hold, and can assist clients in a wide spectrum of cases.

Ms. Cannon earned her Juris Doctorate at North Carolina Central University, graduating cum laude. In addition to her law degree, Ms. Cannon holds a B.S. degree from Tennessee State University. She is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Mr. Estes has previously concentrated his legal efforts in representing federal and civil service employees in adverse/disciplinary action cases, discrimination cases before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, federal retirement and disability retirement cases including Federal Erroneous Retirement Coverage Corrections Act (FERCCA) adjustments, and whistleblower retaliation cases.  He has significant experience in federal and private sector employment law, representing federal and state employees, labor relations unions, and private sector employees.

Mr. Estes received his Juris Doctorate degree from George Mason University School of Law and is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia and Washington, D.C. During his time in law school, Mr. Estes was a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Club and a volunteer with the Community Service Club.  Prior to law school, Mr. Estes received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia, attaining a degree in Government with a concentration in Political Theory. He is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia.

For more information about Jannika Cannon and Matthew Estes’ addition to Tully Rinckey PLLC or the firm’s federal labor and employment law practice, please contact Jessica Brociek at 202-787-1900 or via email at jbrociek@tullylegal.com.

The Lustick Law Firm of Bellingham has opened a new branch office in Mount Vernon.

The new branch office is at 413 West Gates Street, in the office suites once used by the Skagit Argus newspaper. The firm's local phone number is (360) 873-8882. Fax is (360) 873-8881. The standard hours of operation will be Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Mount Vernon branch attorneys will handle criminal cases (felonies and misdemeanors) and legal matters involving real estate, aviation law, military law, and family law. The office will be accepting cases in federal court and in Washington state Superior or District Court and in the various city municipal courts within Skagit, Snohomish, King, and Island counties.

Attorney Sharon Fields will serve as the acting branch manager in the Mount Vernon office, and will focus her practice on criminal and family law. Fields studied at the University of Utah where she received a bachelor's degree with honors in 1993 and a law degree in 1996.

More information about the Lustick Law Firm can be found at Lustick.com

Burns, White & Hickton LLC, Pittsburgh’s tenth-largest law firm, opened two new offices late last month, in Harrisburg, and in Cherry Hill, N.J., bringing its total number of sites to eight.

Burns, White & Hickton, founded in 1987, employs close to 100 lawyers, two-thirds of whom are based in its headquarters on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.

The firm, which focuses on litigation, transportation and transactional law, tripled the number of lawyers in its Philadelphia-area office alone over the past two and a half years.

South Jersey Magazine announced their South Jersey’s Awesome Attorneys of the Year Awards in their November issue and three from Long, Marmero & Associated were recognized. Founding partners Doug Long and Al Marmero were tabbed as top land use attorneys and Kevin Bright was identified for his work in the practice area of municipal court law.

Long was one of a handful of attorneys chosen for the pictorial centerpiece of the article. “It is always exciting to be recognized by your clients and peers for expertise in your profession,” said Long, “We have worked hard to build a responsive firm in a tough economic climate and it is gratifying when people appreciate your efforts to serve them.”

Long Marmero & Associates was founded in 2003, specializing in the areas of Land Use, Municipal Law and Government Relations. They maintain offices in Woodbury, Medford and Egg Harbor City.

A prominent and politically connected South Florida attorney was being investigated by his own firm for financial irregularities in an investment business that led his law partner to seek dissolution Monday.

The attorney, Scott Rothstein, and partner Stuart Rosenfeldt founded the firm Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler in 2002. Now Rosenfeldt is seeking to dissolve their partnership and have the 70-lawyer firm placed into court-supervised receivership "to minimize any further damage caused by Mr. Rothstein," according to court documents.

"A review of the firm's records undertaken this past weekend indicates that various funds unrelated to the direct practice of law cannot be accounted for, circumstances suggesting that investor money may have been misused by Mr. Rothstein who controlled all such accounts," Rosenfeldt said in the court papers.

A lawyer for some investors, Jeff Sonn, said initial estimates of the missing cash range from $100 million to $185 million.

"Nobody knows for sure," Sonn said.

At a brief hearing, Circuit Judge Jeffrey Streitfeld put off a decision on appointing a receiver by a day, in part to find out if Rothstein plans to return from an undisclosed foreign country to contest the move.

"This is an extraordinary effort that would have to be undertaken on an immediate basis," Streitfeld said. "Let's take a deep breath and see where we're going."

Neither Rothstein nor his attorney immediately returned telephone calls and e-mails seeking comment. An attorney hired by Rosenfeldt, former Miami U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey, said he has been assured that Rothstein will return to the U.S. Coffey also said he has notified federal prosecutors about possible criminal wrongdoing at the firm.

Leading international law firm SJ Berwin has opened an office in Shanghai.

The office is the firm’s third opening this year, its second in East Asia and its 12th office worldwide. It follows the opening of the regional office of SJ Berwin for East Asia in Hong Kong in April 2009 and the formal opening of its Dubai office last month.

SJ Berwin’s application for a license to operate a Representative Office in Shanghai was granted on 28 August 2009 at an official ceremony at the Ministry of Justice in Beijing. The new office for SJ Berwin in Shanghai, China opened in October 2009, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

The business of the office will start by focusing on Fund Formation, Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity and Real Estate, reflecting the traditional key strengths of SJ Berwin.

Jonathan Blake, Senior Partner of SJ Berwin, said: “This is a further step in our strategy of international development in our core areas, and reinforces our confidence in the expansion and growth of our firm worldwide.”

Daniel Liew, Asia Managing Partner of SJ Berwin, said: “China’s impressive economic growth continues despite the global economic challenges, and client demand is high for dedicated, capable and experienced legal resources able to assist with both inbound and outbound cross-border legal work involving China.”