Why do the downtown firms charge $500.00 to yes - $1,000.00 per hour?  More importantly why are you paying that rate!?!  Are attorneys that good?  Or can they simply charge that fee because they can?!?

Helpful ways to avoid costly attorney fees: (1) Massachusetts Trial Court Libraries have free access to Westlaw and Lexis/Nexis and you can ask librarians to conduct a search without leaving your desktop - and NO you don’t have to be a lawyer to access them! (2) search the Internet! Free legal search sites are everywhere! 

As a solo practitioner, these free resources are extensive and very helpful to me.

After much thought and inquiring with numerous fellow insurance brokers, insurance companies and risk managers - I still don’t have the straight answer to the following question:  If I am a manufacturer of a product (in this case electronic product) and export it to Europe where they have certain eco-compliance laws, and that product is ‘non-compliant’ (because it contains a prohibited chemical), what is the insurable interest?  I feel that it is a ’compliance’ issue akin to SOX and flows up to the Directors & Officers (D&O insurance).  Others believe it is akin to Products Liability and Product Recall.   I welcome your thoughts.

Most my posts on environmental issues will involve corporate risk and liability.  However, given the nearing Chrismas and holiday season, I thought it would be appropriate to begin with the reality that in the year 2008 we still have toxic toys.  Healthytoys.org issued a recent press release indicating lead was found in 20% of the products tested.  Additional toxic chemicals include arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and bromine.  Toys included Hannah Montana jewelry (Makayla- my 5 year old daughter loves her …) and other low cost toy jewelry.  Guess its nothing but diamonds for Makayla …

• On a corporate level - those companies that manufacture or distribute electronic product (including toys) and export to the EU or Asia are subject to eco-compliance directives which prohibit 6 specific chemicals (lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, and fire retardant PBBs and PBDEs).  If a corporate is non-compliant, your product can be removed from the marketplace.  More to come on this topic …