Category Archives: Stem News

Congratulations to all the winners, finalists, and nominees of the 2016 Clawbies! Read on to see what Canada’s top law bloggers had to say about the honours:

• The Court (Winner: The Fodden Award for Best Canadian Law Blog)
• McElroy Law Blog (Winner: Best Practitioner Blog Award)
• Welcome to the Food Court (Winner: Best Practitioner Blog Award)
• FamilyLLB  (Winner: Best Practitioner Blog Award)
• Erin Cowling (Winner: Legal Culture Award)
• Jeffrey Miller (Finalist: Legal Culture Award)
• Robeside Assistance (Winner: Best Law Library Blog Award)
• Legal Sourcery (Finalist: Best Law Library Blog Award)
• Library Boy (Finalist: Best Law Library Blog Award)
• News from the Break Room (Winner: Best New Blog Award)
• Robson Crim (Finalist: Best law School/Law Professor Blog Award)
• Condo Adviser (Winner: Best Niche Blog Award)

Plus, reactions from some of the inductees into the Clawbies Hall of Fame, a new award category introduced this year:

• AvoidAClaim
• Law of Work
• Thoughtful Legal Management

Kudos, everyone!

Stem client Frank Van Dyke has recently launched a website specifically for the firm’s Ottawa area practice, at www.injurylawyerottawa.com.

In his personal injury practice, Frank helps injured individuals and their loved ones obtain maximum compensation for their pain and losses. Working on a contingency fee basis, Frank is often asked to help after individuals are hurt in accidents (car or truck, snowmobile, boating, dog bites, or slip and fall accidents). He acts as an advocate for insured persons whose claims are denied, and also helps individuals efficiently navigate disability, CPP, fire loss, and life insurance claims by dealing with insurance companies or the courts. Frank also has extensive experience in assisting injured or disabled workers with their WSIB claims.

Congratulations to the team at Van Dyke Law Office on the launch of their new website!

Every December, Stem Legal is proud to host the Canadian Law Blog Awards – this year being the 10th annual edition of the awards known as the Clawbies. Many of the 2015 winners, whose names were announced on New Year’s Eve, were quick to blog their responses. We’ve rounded those “acceptance speeches” in the list below (and will be sure to add more as we find them):

• ABlawg: ABlawg Scores in 2015 Clawbies
• Administrative Law Matters: Happy New Year
• Condo Adviser: Condo Adviser Awarded “Best Practice Group Blog Award” by Clawbies
• Double Aspect: See you in 2016 
• Lawsome: Thank you to our readers!
• LawSites: LawSites Blog Wins Clawbie ‘Friend of the North’ Award
• Legal Sourcery: Legal Sourcery Named Best Canadian Law Library Blog
• National Magazine Blog: The best in Canadian law blogs
• Representing Yourself in Canada: Professor Julie Macfarlane’s “Representing Yourself in Canada” Blog Wins Non-Lawyer Audience 2016 Clawbie Award
• StartupSource: StartupSource Receives Canadian Law Blog Award
• Vancouver Immigration Law Blog: A Thank You… and Six 2016 New Year’s Resolutions for My Practice

Congratulations again to all the winners and finalists!

Stem Legal client Van Dyke Law Office has recently launched a redesigned, mobile-friendly website at www.vandykelaw.ca.

The new site supports their busy accidents and injuries practice, in which they represent southern Ontarians injured by car accidents, faulty products, dog bites, medical malpractice, and those hurt in workplace/WSIB accidents. Van Dyke Law also has a large insurance claims practice, which assists individuals who have been denied coverage by their disability, life, accident, or fire insurer.

New to the website is an injury law blog, which gives insight into the world of personal injury law and tips on avoiding and handling accidents. Visitors will also find video testimonials from clients that principal lawyer Frank Van Dyke has helped.

Congratulations to Van Dyke Law on their fresh new look!

Stem Legal congratulates client Pushor Mitchell LLP on the launch of their new microsite, Canadian Trademark Help at www.trademarkhelp.ca.

Created and maintained by the firm’s Intellectual Property team, the site contains a wealth of information for Canadians who want to apply for, protect, license, and sell their trademarks, or resolve intellectual property disputes, in Canada and internationally.

The site also features a primer on Canada’s trademark system, which provides simple-to-understand explanations on important topics such as:

• the benefits of having a registered trademark
• the trademark opposition process
• policing your registered trademark
• the burden of proof in trademark disputes

Finally, the site includes the new Trademark Help Blog, where the team’s members tackle many interesting topics: the differences between different trademark symbols, and how to protect your intellectual property online are two recent examples.

Congratulations to everyone in Pushor Mitchell’s IP group for getting this project off the ground!

Stem client Hissey Kientz has launched a microsite for families affected by birth defects related to the anti-nausea drug Zofran, at zofranlawsuithelp.com.

Zofran (ondansetron) is often prescribed to cancer patients for treatment-related nausea, but some physicians have prescribed it to pregnant women to treat nausea and vomiting due to morning sickness. Several studies have found that Zofran taken during pregnancy could be related to birth defects such as cleft palate, cleft lip, heart defects, and other developmental abnormalities.

The site provides information on the birth defects and side effects related to Zofran, recent news on studies, adverse reports, and product withdrawals, and details on filing a lawsuit.

It’s time for another edition of Stem Around the Web, our occasional roundup of company news.

• After the recent kerfuffle on cloud computing regulation for the legal profession in BC, Steve Matthews was quoted in Canadian Lawyer Magazine’s piece, Skies clearing over stormy comments on B.C. cloud computing.
• With 2015 just around the corner, predictions for the new year are a popular topic right now; Jordan Furlong‘s were included in the LexisNexis Business of Law Blog post 25-plus Predictions for the Legal Industry in 2015.
• Steve was interviewed alongside internet lawyers Monica Goyal and Gil Zvulony for an article in the Law Times on “Is dot-lawyer domain a good idea?“
• Over at Attorney at Work, Jordan shared his top 5 takeaways from the College of Law Practice Management 2014 Futures Conference in Five for the Future.

We’ll be back in another few months with our next edition. In the meantime, tune in to the Canadian Law Blog Awards (aka The Clawbies), which are running this month. Check out the nominations that have come in to date, and watch for the winners to be announced at clawbies.ca on December 31st.

Happy holidays from all of us at Stem Legal!

Stem Legal is pleased to welcome our newest client, Woods, LaFortune LLP.

Woods, LaFortune is an international trade law firm based in Ottawa, ON. The firm’s four lawyers — Michael Woods, Gordon LaFortune, Paul Moen and Catherine Walsh — serve Canadian and international business clients. With a focus on flexibility, innovation and proactive cost-effectiveness, the firm helps clients in all areas related to international trade, such as:

• Trade remedies
• Country of origin
• Duty drawback, deferral and remission
• Import and export controls, TRQ and EIPA
• Investor-state dispute resolution (including NAFTA)
• Internal trade agreements (WTO, NAFTA and other free trade agreements)
• Government procurement and relations
• Appeals and judicial reviews

The firm’s lawyers are actively involved in trade law alliances and industry groups, write extensively and speak regularly on trade law matters. Woods, LaFortune publishes the Canadian Trade Law Blog and can be found on Twitter at @WoodsLaFortune.

About Woods, LaFortune LLP: Based in Ottawa, ON, boutique international trade law firm Woods, LaFortune LLP focuses on international trade and business, investment, customs, government procurement and government relations.  The firm offers strategic advice and analysis, business planning and analytical research, and represents clients before domestic and international courts and tribunals. The firm’s founders Michael Woods and Gordon LaFortune are internationally recognized for their expertise in trade law.

About Stem Legal Web Enterprises: Stem Legal helps law firms build online profile and increase web-driven business. Tactics range from law firm SEO and link building campaigns, to audience profiling and content development strategies. Stem also helps firms leverage the social web by using law blogs and social networking, developing content syndication strategies, and participating in business market conversations.

For more information, please contact Steve Matthews at 604.826.8072, or by email at steve@stemlegal.com.

Here’s the latest installment of  “Stem Around the Web”, our periodic roundup of company news highlighting some of our recent and notable activities.

• Steve Matthews has been named Editor at the highly respected online legal magazine, Slaw.ca.  Steve was one of the four co-founders of Slaw back in 2005, and the site now boasts a team of about a hundred contributing writers and almost a million pageviews every month.
• Stem senior consultant Jordan Furlong and Steve were both cited in this roundup of reactions to the Canadian Bar Association’s major new report, the CBA Legal Futures Initiative.
• Jordan and Steve have both written for Attorney at Work over the last while too: Jordan shared five reasons you should care about “NewLaw” and Steve carried on the discussion of whether law firm homepages are dead.

We hope to be back before long with another edition!

Stem Legal is pleased to welcome out newest client, Cutter Law.

Cutter Law is a personal injury law firm based in Sacramento, California, representing clients locally and across the state and country. The firm strongly believes that justice isn’t a privilege, it’s a right, and delivers legal service with passion and personal attention.

Led by Brooks Cutter, the firm has a special focus on dangerous drugs such as chemo drug Taxotere and defective medical device cases, particularly metal-on-metal hip implants, and transvaginal mesh.

Cutter and fellow attorneys John Parker, John Roussas and Todd A. Walburg also help clients who have suffered serious injuries in motor vehicle accidents (including brain and spinal cord injuries). Other areas of practice include medical malpractice, construction accidents, whistleblower law, and consumer class action.

Find Cutter Law on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

About Cutter Law: Sacramento-based civil justice and personal injury law firm Cutter Law represents clients seriously injured by accidents, defective medical devices, and dangerous prescription drugs. Firm founder Brooks Cutter has been named a Northern California Super Lawyer for the past 10 years, is a Martindale Hubbell AV-Preeminent rated attorney, and has received awards from the Consumer Attorneys of California and the Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association. He is also an accomplished class action lawyer, having been appointed to Plaintiff’s Steering Committees for several medical and consumer class actions.

 About Stem Legal Web Enterprises: Stem Legal helps law firms build online profile and increase web-driven business. Tactics range from law firm SEO and link building campaigns, to audience profiling and content development strategies. Stem also helps firms leverage the social web by using law blogs and social networking, developing content syndication strategies, and participating in business market conversations.

For more information, please contact Steve Matthews at 604.826.8072, or by email at steve@stemlegal.com.

Stem client Hissey Kientz LLP has announced a new practice area and microsite for men who have taken testosterone boosters and suffered harmful side effects, such as”stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism and coronary artery disease.”

The new website, located at testosteronelawsuitnews.com, provides detailed information on these side effects, the research supporting increased risk for cardiac problems, and the rising number of lawsuits. Screen shot below:

For more information on testosterone (‘Low-T’) lawsuits, please visit the microsite or contact Hissey Kientz’s person injury lawyers directly.

Stem client Hissey Kientz LLP has announced a new litigation practice area for individuals suffering liver damage, side effects and other complications after taking Zithromax.

Commonly known as “Z-Pak”,  Zithromax is a popular antibiotic manufactured by Pfizer and prescribed for treatment of mild to moderate infections. In a number of cases, users have reported experiencing liver damage including “elevated liver enzymes, jaundice and liver failure.” Some patients with Z-Pak liver complications have been forced to undergo liver transplant surgery, and in extreme cases Zithromax liver damage has even led to death.

For more information about the new Z-Pac practice area, please visit the link above or contact Hissey Kientz’s lawyers directly.

Long time Stem client Lawrence Koplow is in the news again, and for very good reason.  A landmark DUI case we mentioned a few months ago involving faulty test equipment at the Scottsdale Crime Lab has received a favorable decision in Arizona courts.  The Judge reviewing the case has thrown out blood test evidence involving 11 DUI charges; a decision that will likely have an impact on all DUI charges in Scottsdale, Arizona since 2009.

Here is a news clip from a local CBS affiliate summarizing the potential fallout:

The story was picked up by various TV channels and news outlets. Here’s a summary of the coverage:

• CBS5 AZ
• Arizona Republic
• ArizonaFamily.com (KTVK, Inc.)
• Phoenix Business Journal
• San Francisco Chronicle
• Daily Journal
• CT Post

Congratulations to Lawrence! This is a fantastic outcome.

Steve Matthews and Jordan Furlong are proud to announce the publication of the very first book from Stem Legal Web Enterprises.

Content Marketing And Publishing Strategies For Law Firms has just been published by The Ark Group, one of the legal industry’s most respected publishers of high-quality books about the business of law. Based on their combined 35 years in the legal marketplace, Content Marketing And Publishing Strategies For Law Firms represents the complete collection of Steve’s and Jordan’s knowledge, insights and advice for law firms concerning why and how to publish content for marketing purposes.

The book, applicable for firms ranging from small regional entities to national or global giants, provides law firms with the following valuable knowledge:

• Why law firms need strategies to guide their content publishing efforts
• How to create a law firm publishing strategy, and what it should contain
• Why firms must integrate their publishing, business development and branding strategies
• How to choose the best platforms and publications to host law firm content
• How to distribute a firm’s content through the most effective channels
• How to create, maintain and enforce a culture of publishing in a law firm
• Why and how to measure the results of a law firm’s publishing efforts

From newsletters to blogs to microsites, from Twitter to LinkedIn to Google Plus, Content Marketing And Publishing Strategies For Law Firms delivers market-leading insights to law firms that want to maximize the value of their publishing efforts. Bonus Feature: four real-life case studies from the United States and Canada that show how law firms are already succeeding through strategic approaches to content marketing.

To order your firm’s copy of Content Marketing And Publishing Strategies For Law Firms today, visit the book’s information page at The Ark Group’s website. If you want to get a preview of what the book offers, read the executive summary (PDF), or even better, download a free sample chapter (PDF).

Stem Legal is pleased to announce the re-launch of the iconic legal research website, Best Guide to Canadian Legal Research, at legalresearch.org.

Over the past few months, we’ve had the pleasure of assisting Catherine Best, the site’s creator and author, in converting the site from simple, static HTML to a robust, standards-compliant, WordPress-based website complete with a striking new design. We worked with Catherine to optimize content organization and give more prominence to the site’s centerpiece, the Step-by-Step Legal Research Process flowchart. Catherine has also debuted the Canadian Legal Research Blog.

Launched 15 years ago in 1998, the Best Guide to Canadian Legal Research quickly became a favourite of law students, legal researchers and librarians across Canada and internationally. Users consistently praise its comprehensive information, valuable links, and clear explanations of legal research concepts. Stem is honoured to have been a part of the transformation of such an iconic and important website.

Stem client Hissey Kientz recently created a microsite for consumers who have suffered injuries related to the Mirena IUD. The site is available at mirenalawsuithelp.com.

The Mirena intra-uterine birth control device has been linked to side effects such as ectopic pregnancy, perforation of the uterus, pelvic inflammatory disease, infection and abnormal vaginal bleeding, which can lead to permanent infertility or require surgery to correct.

Mirena was introduced to market in 2000, but in 2009, the FDA warned its manufacturer, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, that Mirena advertising “presents unsubstantiated claims, minimizes the risks of using Mirena, and includes false or misleading presentations regarding Mirena”. To date, more than 40 lawsuits have been filed, alleging Bayer knew about the risks associated with Mirena and failed to provide adequate warnings to consumers.

The microsite and corresponding video include information on the device and its reported side effects, related news, and contact information for consumers interested in discussing their case with a lawyer.

Stem Legal client Lawrence Koplow has had a busy week – a case he’s involved in has made national headlines.

Reporting in the Phoenix-based Arizona Republic newspaper described how 11 DUI cases have been consolidated into one action, questioning “whether a crime-lab technician’s decision to bootstrap old software onto a new blood-testing machine in 2009 — and the faulty results that allegedly arose from that decision — has affected evidence handled by Scottsdale’s crime lab.” (See: Scottsdale DUIs in question over lab methods)

Koplow, a criminal defense lawyer with a large DUI practice, was quoted several times in the article.

“Forget about suppressing, they’re not even letting juries know this is going on. … They’re letting juries hear from the crime lab, ‘We’re confident that this machine is accurate within 5 percent,’ when the reality is there’s all this evidence to the contrary.”

The Republic article was picked up by the Associated Press and subsequently reported across the US.

Stem Legal was honoured to collaborate with our client Clio to design a new look for Small Firm Innovation, the practice management website they created and maintain.

Written by, for, and about solo and small law firms, Small Firm Innovation now features more prominent monthly themes, eye-catching visuals, and increased exposure and visibility for its contributors.

Clio President and CEO, Jack Newton:

“We’re proud that Small Firm Innovation has become an important, award-winning resource for solos and small firms in the short time since in launched in June of 2011. Together with the team at Stem Legal, we’re thrilled to launch a new visual design for Small Firm Innovation that helps the amazing content on the site stand out.”

For more details on the site’s makeover, see our post, Behind the Scenes on the Small Firm Innovation Redesign, on Law Firm Web Strategy.

Congratulations, Clio and the Small Firm Innovation team! We are proud to have had the opportunity to work on this project with you.

Stem Legal is pleased to welcome our newest client, Heffner & Associates.

Established in 1992 by Mark Heffner, Esq., Heffner & Associates is a Rhode Island law firm whose sole focus is elder care law. Older Rhode Islanders and their families are well served by Mr. Heffner and his team of four paralegals, who guide them every step of the way with Medicaid applications, guardianship matters, special needs planning, nursing home asset protection, and wills, trusts and estate planning. After a client passes away, the firm assists the family or executor with probate and estate settlement.

Mark Heffner is a true pioneer in the area of elder law; he’s practiced in this field since 1988, when an elder care crisis in his own family prompted him to develop the skills necessary to protect elderly clients and their loved ones. He is one of only 400 attorneys in the US designated as a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF), and has been a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys for more than 20 years. He also teaches elder law at the Roger Williams University School of Law and authors the Rhode Island Elder Care Lawyer Blog.

About Heffner & Associates: Since 1992, Heffner & Associates has been focused on solving problems and achieving results for older Rhode Islanders and their families. Attorney Mark Heffner is a certified elder law specialist, and his firm provides compassionate, expert advice on managing nursing home costs, estate planning, wills and trusts, and all other elder care issues. Heffner and his staff believe that no matter the situation, it is never too late to obtain a positive outcome for elderly clients and their loved ones. The firm works closely with clients and their families to ensure that healthcare and financial goals are fulfilled, and peace of mind is achieved.

About Stem Legal Web Enterprises: Stem Legal helps law firms build online profile and increase web-driven business. Tactics range from law firm SEO and link building campaigns, to audience profiling and content development strategies. Stem also helps firms leverage the social web by using law blogs and social networking, developing content syndication strategies, and participating in business market conversations. For more information, please contact Steve Matthews at 604.826.8072, or by email at steve@stemlegal.com.

Stem client Hissey Kientz LLP has just launched a microsite created for patients affected by the July 2012 recall of Stryker Rejuvenate and Stryker ABG II modular hip replacement systems, at http://www.strykerhiprecallhelp.com/.

The hip replacement systems, manufactured by Stryker Corporation, have metal components that can grind together over time and shred, releasing toxins into the body and resulting in a form of metal poisoning called metallosis. The hip replacement can also suddenly dislocate, cause osteolysis, fretting, loosening and other major problems.

The microsite features a news section, details on the recalls in the US and Canada, and a case evaluation submission form.

For more information on the Stryker hip replacement recall, visit the microsite or contact Hissey Kientz’s person injury lawyers directly.