January 5, 2009

Great Start to the New Year: Selected as Faculty Member of Solo Practice University

When I began my own law firm at the beginning of last year, I spent a lot of time before opening my doors reading everything I could about starting your own practice. See, even though I had been practicing law for 25 years, this was my first venture into starting and running my own law firm. One of my earliest guiding influences was reading the blog of Susan Cartier Liebel, Build a Solo Practice, LLC. Susan is a nationally renown teacher and coach advising lawyers on how to attack and excel as a solo practice attorney. As luck would have it, or as a result of my aggressive push into the world of "social media", primarily through this blog and use of Twitter, I began communicating with Susan about issues relating to starting a new practice. Faculty @ SPU

After learning about my legal experience and history, Susan asked me to write a guest post on her Build a Solo Practice, LLC blog about my inspiration for starting my own law firm. She then approached me about participating as a faculty member of a new venture she was starting...Solo Practice University ("SPU"). This concept; imaginative, out of the box, and so necessary, is typical of the type of forward and inventive thinking Susan Cartier Liebel is known for. The concept is an online legal education system to teach those just leaving law school or lawyers already practicing who are considering or already out on their own or in small firms, in all aspects of legal practice including marketing, the business of law, technology and yes, specific areas of law. As Susan describes it,

Plan, build and grow your private practice
Differentiate yourself from the competition
Attract and engage new clients more easily

Today, at SPU, my selection as a faculty member addressing the area of products liability has been announced. I am so proud and excited to be working with SPU and Susan Cartier Liebel on this venture. It has now been almost one year since I took the leap, defied gravity, and began Niedenthal Law Firm. Now I have the opportunity to assist others who have or are ready to jump as well. Come join this incredible opportunity to learn from those who have paved the way. I am honored and humbled to be among the excellent talent that has been gathered as the faculty for SPU.

November 24, 2008

New York Times Reports on NPR Radio Host's Ties to Big Pharma: Did This Effect His Views on Anti-Depressants and Suicide

The New York Times recently reported about the ties between radio host Dr. Frederick K. Goodwin, host of an independent program called "The Infinite Mind" which airs on over 300 NPR stations, and several Big Pharma companies, some who manufacture and distribute anti-depressant medications (SSRI's). The Times reports that between 2000 and 2007 Dr. Goodwin received at least $1.3 million for marketing lectures he gave for several drug manufacturers. This income has not been previously disclosed on the program.1037536_money_in_hand.jpg

In March of this year, Dr. Goodwin had a show in which he took the position that there was no credible scientific evidence linking anti-depressants and violent or suicidal behavior. The Times reports that that same week Dr. Goodwin earned approximately $20,000 lecturing on behalf of GlaxoSmithKline who manufacturers Paxil, an SSRI. GlaxoSmithKline, the Times indicates, has suppressed studies for years that indicate that Paxil increased suicidal behavior and ideation.

One of my favorite blogs addressing the pharmaceutical industry, Pharmalot, has several posts here and here addressing this issue. NPR has indicated they will be removing the show from its satellite service within the next week. The bottom line of all this investigation and disclosure is that the pharmaceutical industry has attempted to push its agenda behind the scenes in so many ways from influencing our Drs. and pharamcists, our legislators, and now the airwaves of National Public Radio, one of the most respected news outlets for "unbiased" reporting. We have a serious problem when Drs. holding themselves out to the public as experts do not fully disclose their conflicts of interest. Clearly, being paid over $1 million has some influence on your perspective of issues which you are directly addressing and discussing and the public is entitled to full disclosure of those potential interests so it can judge for itself what effects such influences may have on the positions you take. As Senator Chuck Grassley, ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is reported to have said, “We know the drug companies are throwing huge amounts of money at medical researchers, and there’s no clear-cut way to know how much and exactly where, Now it looks like the same thing is happening in journalism.”

May 11, 2008

Drug and Device Law - A Must for ALL Drug Lawyers

Have to give a shout out to this Blawg (didn't spell it wrong; blogs dedicated to legal issues are referred to as "blawgs") which is an absolute MUST read for any lawyer, plaintiff or defendant, doing pharmaceutical litigation. Drug and Device Law, which is a blawg written by two lawyers involved in the defense of the pharmaceutical industry, provides in depth analysis to legal issues facing the pharmaceutical lawyer these days in a smart, insightful, and yeah, many times witty manner. No doubt, these guys are not fans of plaintiff's litigation against the pharmaceutical industry and are huge proponents of preemption in this area of the law.....which strikes at my heart as you know from my previous postings on the subject.....but they are brilliant representations of what is good about the defense side of the business. I just wish sometime they might budge an inch or so .....maybe even just a millimeter....and throw a bone to us good and honest and hardworking lawyers on the plaintiff's side who are truly committed to what they are doing in the same vein that they are. You MUST put it a required reading every week if you are going to venture into this world of pharmaceutical litigation. By the way, these guys haven't paid me anything to say this. Just need to give props where it is due. (Got that word "props" from my 17 year old son.)