Bertini O'Donnell & Hammer, P.C.

The information provided in this newsletter does not constitute and should not be construed as legal advice. The contents are for informational purposes only and you should consult an attorney before taking any action that may be described herein. Receipt of this newsletter does not in any way establish a client/attorney relationship. Representation is only established through the execution of a contract with Bertini O’Donnell & Hammer. CASE RESULTS DEPEND ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE; INDIVIDUAL CASE RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASE UNDERTAKEN BY BERTINI O’DONNELL & HAMMER, PC OR ITS ATTORNEYS. The information contained in this newsletter may be considered an advertisement or advertising material as defined in the Rules of Professional Conduct which governs attorneys in Virginia.

When layoffs are plentiful, so are employee complaints According to attorney Barry Rowell, employers need to treat the prevention of work-related discrimination charges like a game. “To play the game, managers and employees need to know the rules,” said Rowell, an employment attorney with Valverde & Rowell PC in Virginia Beach. “I can’t stress enough, take all complaints seriously.” more... Number claiming job discrimination spikes Job discrimination claims across the country rose 9 percent last year, to nearly 83,000 - the largest increase in 14 years - the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported. more... Man sues ex-employer, claiming racial discrimination A former executive has accused Portfolio Recovery Associates of underpaying him because he is black and firing him after he complained. A company lawyer denied the allegation Monday. more... Laid off in the sinking economy? U.S. employers cut 533,000 positions in November, the largest monthly total in 34 years. Locally, hundreds of workers have lost jobs this fall at companies and organizations including BAE Systems, Colonial Williamsburg, International Paper, Smithfield Foods and The Virginian-Pilot. more... MAXIMUM VERDICT AWARDED Lisa O’Donnell & Amberley Hammer concluded a birth injury case in which the jury awarded our client $1.55 million dollars, the maximum amount that can be awarded by a jury in Virginia.	MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CAP BEGINS THIS MONTH The statutory cap for monetary damages has reached the maximum of $2 million dollars. Lisa O’Donnell continues her work with other attorneys and legislators to ensure that victims of medical malpractice can receive fair compensation when they have been injured. Security guard fired after HIV disclosure, suit claims A Portsmouth man has accused a security company of firing him because he is HIV-positive. His suit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Norfolk. more... ANOTHER CLIENT ACCEPTED INTO VIRGINIA BIRTH INJURY FUND Amberley Hammer was successful in getting another client accepted into the Virginia Birth Related Neurological Injury Fund. This fund provides much needed financial assistance to children who are neurologically injured during the birth process. Amberley remains one of the few attorneys in Virginia who assists those individuals seeking entry into the fund. Threat of lawsuit follows Suffolk assessor's termination City Council members knew they faced a lawsuit from Assessor Maria Kattmann when they voted unanimously to fire her Wednesday night. more... Metro Verdicts Monthly: Rock Climbing Business Settles with Man Whose Harness Failed Case Caption: Anonymous 30 Year Old Male v. Anonymous Rock Climbing Wall Company Settlement: $925,000.00 Settlement Date: 9/19/2009 Judge: N/A Attorneys: Plaintiff: Peter C. DePaolis, Fairfax Lisa A. Bertini, Norfolk Defendant: Withheld Where do McCain, Obama stand on labor issues? Sen. John McCain wants to cut the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent; Sen. Barack Obama doesn’t. Obama wants to increase the minimum wage; McCain doesn’t. more...	BOH In the News We recently asked some of you to share with us your thoughts on your experiences with the firm for inclusion on our website. We were overwhelmed by the generosity of your responses and the truly wonderful things that you were willing to share about us and with us! If you’d like to contribute your thoughts for possible inclusion on the site, please feel free to do so via email to: jmurphy@bohlaw.net We’d love to hear from you! BERTINI O’DONNELL & HAMMER – WAVY TV’S EXPERT ON YOUR SIDE We’re pleased to announce our participation with the WAVY TV Experts on Your Side Program as the Legal Expert on Your Side. Visit us at WAVYTV.com! We’d love to hear from you!


		Please remember that we handle a wide variety of cases, including all personal injury,automobile and trucking accidents, injuries from defective products, employment and discrimination, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, and birth- related injuries. We sincerely appreciate referrals of your friends and family to our firm.