The National Law Journal reports that Patton Boggs has brought on a six-lawyer mortgage finance team from Weiner Brodsky Sidman Kider, the firm announced Tuesday.

Partners Richard Andreano and John Socknat started work in the firm's Washington, D.C., office Monday. They will be joined by associates Reid Herlihy, Heather Hutchings and Haydn Richards on Thursday.

Michael Waldron, also a partner, will work out of Patton Boggs' Dallas office.

Andreano advises settlement service providers through issues concerning the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Truth in Lending Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Housing Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and the Gramm Leach Bliley Act.

As reported on their website, Weil, Gotshal & Manges is proud to announce that the firm has received the American Bar Association’s (ABA) 2009 Pro Bono Publico Award for outstanding public service. The award was presented during the ABA’s Annual Meeting at a special luncheon in Chicago on August 3, 2009. The Pro Bono Publico Awards honor individuals or organizations in the legal community that enhance the human dignity of others by improving or delivering volunteer legal services to the poor or disadvantaged.

One of five award winners, Weil was cited for its leadership in and commitment to pro bono work. ABA President H. Thomas Wells stated, “With more than 90 percent of its partners doing pro bono work, the firm is setting a standard for the profession. Through its goals for growth and sustainability of its pro bono program, the firm is putting into practice its belief that pro bono work is the right thing to do.”

The Legal Intelligencer has reported that Pittsburgh-based K&L Gates was hesitant to say much Wednesday about an employee who police said went on a shooting rampage Tuesday at a suburban-Pittsburgh L.A. Fitness, killing four people, including himself, and injuring nine others.

"K&L Gates is deeply saddened by last night's events, and offers its condolences to the families and friends of all who were involved in this terrible tragedy," the firm said in a statement.

K&L Gates is offering on-site counseling for employees through the firm's employee assistance program, a firm spokesman said.

The spokesman confirmed that the alleged shooter, George Sodini, 48, was a systems analyst in the finance department and had worked at K&L Gates since 1999. Prior to that, according to media reports and his profile on LinkedIn, Sodini worked at Development Dimensions International.

According to their website, four Covington & Burling LLP partners have been named to The Ethisphere Institute’s 2009 “Attorneys Who Matter” list, which recognizes leading legal professionals in private practice and at government agencies and major companies who have excelled in and made a significant contribution in the corporate compliance field. In addition, the firm is pleased to note that two of its former partners, Attorney General Eric Holder and Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith, were singled out respectively for excellence among government lawyers and general counsels.

New York partner Alan Vinegrad was placed in the “Top Gun” category for receiving high scores in the majority of the nine criteria used, and for serving as a leader in the outside counsel legal community in assisting corporations in effectively handling corporate compliance issues. Under compliance specialties, Erin Egan was recognized in the Data Privacy/Security category, Ted Garrett was recognized in the Environmental category, and Thomas Johnson was honored in the FCPA category. Egan, Garrett, and Johnson are based in the firm’s Washington office.

According to the firm's website, global law firm White & Case LLP advised Deutsche Bank AG, Singapore Branch as sole dealer manager in an all-cash, fixed-price tender offer and consent solicitation by SRE Group Limited, formerly known as Shanghai Real Estate Limited. SRE Group is a real estate development company specializing in property and land development and building construction. Its real estate business is concentrated in Shanghai.

SRE Group launched the tender offer and consent solicitation for its 8.625% Guaranteed Senior Notes due 2013 on June 6, 2009. As of the expiration of the tender offer and consent solicitation, approximately 79.1 percent of the holders of the notes delivered their consents, and 64.3 percent tendered their notes. SRE Group funded the tender offer and consent solicitation from the proceeds of a top-up equity placement and issuance of convertible bonds.

Whether it is belittling comments, persistent criticism or withholding resources, bullying at work is more harmful than sexual harassment, according to Canadian research done last year.

It is more difficult for employees to cope with bullying because they have nowhere to turn and no workplace policies or legislation to protect them compared to victims of sexual harassment. Their overall well-being is worse, they are more stressed, angry, anxious, less committed and more likely to quit.

"Bullying can be done in such an insidious way that unless you're the victim, other people don't even know its happening," Sandy Hershcovis, of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, said in an interview.

"Its really hard to get other people to understand or to try to report it."

If you have reported this type of problem in your workplace with no results, you should hire a labor and employment lawyer. Weinberg Law Firm can assist those in the Plato, Texas area with these problems. The employment attorneys of Weinberg Law Firm can also help with sexual harassment cases. Contact them to discuss your case.