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Money. Every firm has it. But unfortunately, some people want to take what doesn't belong to them, and they may seek out ways to target your firm's cash. The elements of motive, opportunity and rationalization are present in nearly every scheme. Eliminating or mitigating any of these factors will make it more difficult for a fraudster to target your firm. In a tightening economy, it is more crucial than ever that you remain diligent about protecting assets. The identification, implementation and testing of internal controls over cash receipts and disbursements is a critical step, because even small dollar amounts taken over months or years can add up and entangle your firm in a costly situation.

On July 1, after a three-month bench trial, a state court judge in Minnesota ruled that in failing to provide rest breaks, Wal-Mart broke state labor laws more than 2 million times. Judge Robert King Jr. awarded $6.5 million in compensatory damages to the class, which consists of about 56,000 Wal-Mart employees in Minnesota.

With the advent of fee dispute arbitration, many litigants are quickly becoming more informed about their lawyers' responsibilities. This has led to significant court actions with regard to discharging attorneys 'for cause,' where the attorneys forfeit their fees. In the context of inadequate financial discovery, at least one court has already allowed a client to discharge an attorney for cause, despite the court's view that the attorney did not commit actionable malpractice.

Recent rulings you need to know about.

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The latest news of importance to you and your practice.

Important happenings in this crucial area.

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In the last couple of years, there have been important changes in the law on Medicaid liens on medical malpractice recoveries that have substantially altered the landscape with regard to such liens.

In last month's issue, we noted that the federal government, drug companies and consumer watchdogs are increasing their efforts to find out whether a host of pharmaceutical products, when taken, can tend to render consumers susceptible to suicidal thoughts and/or actions. We continue the discussion in Part Two.