The Center for Public Integrity has just released a shocking story disclosing that Paul Lees-Haley, Ph.D. and other researchers were paid millions of dollars by the welding industry which has been  embattled in litigation over whether welding fumes contain manganese, a toxic metal that specialists suggest cause Parkinsonism.
 
According to the story, lawsuits against the welding industry have been ongoing since the 1970s.  The welding products industry has consistently argued that there were no reliable scientific data to prove that welding fumes cause the Parkinson-like syndrome known as Parkinsonism.
 
Recently, in December, U.S. District Judge Kathleen O’Malley, who has been handling hundreds of these cases, ordered both sides to fully disclose payments made by any of the parties to researchers.  Court documents obtained by the Center for Public Integrity demonstrate that “The welding companies paid more than $12.5 million to 25 organizations and 33 researchers, virtually all of whom have published papers dismissing the connection between welding fumes and workers’ ailments.  Most of the money, $11 million,  was spent after the litigation achieved critical mass in 2003; attorneys for the welders, meanwhile, spent about half a million.”
 
The documents revealed that Jon Fryzek who works for Maryland’s International Epidemiology Institute - “known for its industry-commissioned studies” was paid $971,000 from welding defendants.
 
The defendants also paid $860,000 to Paul Lees-Haley, while C. Warren Olanow, M.D., a Manhattan neurologist who has  “published at least a dozen articles cited by defense experts” received almost $2.9 million.  The Parkinson Institute in California received nearly $3.4 million  to conduct a four-year study.  
 
The revelations about Dr. Paul Lees-Haley strongly confirm the opinions published by Erin Bigler, Ph.D., an internationally-renowned neuropsychologist who recently published an article entitled “Motion to Exclude” in the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, where Dr. Bigler criticized defense forensic neuropsychologists.
 
The story published by the Center for Public Integrity can be found on their website and is also being published concurrently in Mother Jones magazine.

So many women exercise because they feel they “have too”, but they really don’t enjoy it.  I always ask my clients what exercise they enjoy doing.  I had one client that said the last time she enjoyed any type of exercise was when she was doing ballet as a young child.  I said, “Great!  Join an adult ballet class.”  So she did and she absolutely loved it!  Soon she was taking up my yoga class which she loved even more.  When you do what you love its no longer a chore…plus you’ll love how you feel and the toning results!

The Brain Injury Association of New Jersey is offering a free copy of Preparing for Life after High School: The Next Steps, Living With Brain Injury. The booklet is reprinted with permission from the Brain Injury Association of America and describes the opportunities and resources available to students with brain injuries, their families, and others who care about them.

The booklet provides guidance on how to make a successful transition from a high school student to young adult and emphasizes the importance of understanding the student’s rights, of exploring options, of collaborative planning, and of flexibility. For more information, contact the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey at 732-745-0200.

I am pleased to advise my readers that I have been elected as President-Elect of the Melvin M. Belli Society. The society is named after Melvin M. Belli, a founder and past president of ATLA (Association of Trial Lawyers of America) and one of the truly great lawyers of the 20th century.

Life magazine dubbed Melvin Belli, “the king of torts” and his courageous, innovative use of demonstrative evidence and his willingness to teach and share his techniques are legendary.  The Belli Society continues his tradition with hard-hitting, practical seminars featuring courtroom skills.  This weekend, in Philadelphia, I was honored to be elected president elect of this wonderful society.

Pictured from left to right: Bruce Stern, Howard Nations, Linda Atkin, Ira Leesfield, Kirk Morgan and Thomas Dempsey.

There’s quite the misconception about pregnancy and food consumption.  Many women believe that once they’re pregnant they can eat anything they want.  The fact is when you’re pregnant it is more important than ever to eat healthy, and nourish yourself and your baby with healthy foods.  Eating for two will do NO good for either of you.  You’ll put on unnecessary weight that will be hard to lose after baby, plus it will make you feel sluggish while you’re pregnant.  It’s very easy to get the extra calories you need to support the growth of your baby.  Just listen to your body and eat the way you ate prior to pregnancy (well that’s assuming you ate pretty healthy before baby!).  If you’re craving sweets head for fruit or a smoothy first.  The key is to eat when you’re hungry and choose foods that will nourish both you and your baby!