Weekly Edition :: Virginia Lawyers Weekly

Defendant in fiery wreck gets $1M on counterclaim

By Peter Vieth
June 23, 2008

In January 2006, two men driving on Interstate 64 both were killed in a fiery head-on crash in Goochland County.
The estate of one man filed suit against the estate of the other driver. But the defendant’s lawyer filed a counterclaim and went home this month with a $1 million jury verdict.
The case was confusing from […]

And the high court punts on 2

By Alan Cooper
June 23, 2008

The two most closely watched cases of the Supreme Court of Virginia’s most recent session – whether Virginia courts must defer to other state courts on issues related to same-sex unions and the inherent authority of judges to defer judgment in criminal cases – didn’t get decided.
The court was unanimous in holding that neither issue […]

Company can sue for ‘theft’ of identity

By Deborah Elkins
June 23, 2008

Identity theft is not just a threat for Internet shoppers, according to a new case from Alexandria federal court.
A Washington, D.C.-based corporation claims its identity was appropriated by a former employee who allegedly took the corporate name, its trademark, its Web site address and its role as a trade organization that advocated for flexible benefit […]

Your cheatin’ heart …

By Nora Lockwood Tooher
June 23, 2008

By Nora Lockwood Tooher
A suspicious husband hired a private detective in Maryland to plant a device on his wife’s car so he could track her when she went to meet her lover.
The wife had a feeling her husband was onto her. She asked a private detective to check her car and remove a GPS […]

Computer and telephone monitoring in the workplace

By Declan C. Leonard and Stephanie D. Wilson
June 23, 2008

By Declan C. Leonard
and Stephanie D. Wilson
Technological advances in recent years have significantly enhanced an employer’s capability to monitor the behavior and actions of its employees, including e-mail and telephone communications, as well as Internet use. A recent survey revealed that approximately three out of four companies monitor employee use of the Internet and […]

An IT shortcut: Acronyms, explained PDQ

By Henry B. Chace
June 23, 2008

By Henry B. Chace
We live in a world of acronyms and shortcuts. The world of IT (information technology) is awash in a sea of lettered abbreviations of definitions, many of which you may not want to know. But when so much of your business relies on technology, it might be a good idea to have […]

A scan in time can zap pre-installed viruses in new gadgets

By Larry Fiorino
June 23, 2008

By Larry Fiorino
The latest tech gadgets are exciting to own and even more fun to use. From MP3 players to portable GPS systems, technology has given Americans more options for digitalizing their everyday lives than ever before.
However, owning one of the newest high-tech items can be more than some people bargained for.
Consumers are […]

Lawyers in the News

By Sarah Rodriguez
June 23, 2008

Patricia I. Elliott has joined the Washington, D.C. office of Troutman Sanders LLP as of counsel in its health care practice group. Her practice focuses on health care and public health law, and disaster preparedness and response issues affecting critical infrastructure industries and government.
Elliott previously worked for the Association of State and Territorial Health […]

Kaine: No major changes in state roads bill

By News in Brief
June 23, 2008

HOPEWELL—Major provisions of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s nearly $1 billion annual highway funding plan will remain fundamentally unchanged from the draft he outlined six weeks ago, Kaine said Monday night.
Kaine’s bill incorporating the new statewide tax and fee proposals was expected to be introduced late last week, just ahead of a special legislative session beginning […]

Contractor’s mistake makes historic home more authentic