Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Outlines For Uncomplicated Illinois Wind Farm Financing Systems

E.ON Climate & Renewables North America expressed today it has established $122.2 million of institutional guarantee capital coming from JPM Capital Corporation and Wells Fargo Wind Holdings LLC in exchange for a partial interest in its recently completed Settlers Trail Wind Farm. JP Morgan acted as lead investor in the business funding.

“EC&R constantly looks to determine the most beneficial economic structures best suited for its projects,” said Dr. Verena Volpert, Senior Vice President Finance, E.ON AG. “For this project, teaming with JP Morgan and Wells Fargo made the most sense.”

The project, the first wind farm inside Iroquois County, Ill., is located 10 miles west of Watseka and consists of 94 GE 1.6 megawatt turbines providing more than 150 megawatts (MW) of power, enough to provide clean power to more than 45,000 households in the central Illinois region using North American made wind turbine generators, blades and towers.

“Wind farms generate clean, affordable, homegrown electricity, creating jobs, providing an economic shot in the arm to farmers, ranchers, and rural communities across America,” said Steve Trenholm, CEO, EC&RNA. “JP Morgan and Wells Fargo were natural partners due to their leadership and experience in the tax equity market.”

This specific project is envisioned to create more than $29 million in community taxes, pay $8 million in local salaries, and earn landowners more than $20 million. At the height of construction, the Settlers Trail Wind Farm project brought more than 200 jobs to the area.

E.ON Climate & Renewables (EC&R) is responsible for the E.ON group’s renewable energy and environmental protection activities around the world. Tapping renewable energy sources offers enormous alternatives, both from a business perspective and for the environment. E.ON Climate & Renewables will be investing euro 7 billion in renewable energy and environmental protection projects over the next five years to expand the share of renewable energy in E.ON’s portfolio for the long term. E.ON has thus taken a leading role in developing alternative energy solutions across the globe.

Examining Fast Systems In Clifton Park Model Home Grand Opening

NVR, Inc., one of the country’s greatest homebuilding and mortgage banking corporations, proclaims the grand opening of the completely new, decorated Clifton Park model home, plus savings of up to $50,000 on new single family homes at Scaleby Farm in West Chester, PA. These luxury single family homes are priced from the upper $690′s and offer wooded, 2+ acre homesites in Chester County.

Scaleby Farm is NVHomes’ newest enclave with executive-style single family places of residence in West Chester, PA, combining prime location, just seconds off scenic Route 52, with high-class, estate-style living, supplying homeowners more space, inside and outside. With sizeable homesites with a minimum of 2 acres, and sweeping views of the rolling Chester County country side, your loved ones will have plenty of room to spend time playing and entertain. The community at Scaleby Farm also is a rapid commute to the shopping, cusine and allure of downtown West Chester, while offering uncomplicated trips to points in Pennsylvania or Delaware.

The new Clifton Park model home at Scaleby Farm is astounding in size with 4 or more bedrooms and 4 or more baths with interiors starting at 4,576 square feet. The list of included features is sizable as well, with architecturally dimensional shingles and beaded siding, stone and stucco accented exteriors, 3-car side-entry garages, hardwood flooring in the foyer, gas fireplaces, optional woodstove hearths, and NVHomes’ Signature Kitchen, with granite countertops, maple Timberlake® cabinetry, stainless steel GE® appliances, hardwood flooring and our unique, European inspired range hood, hidden from view by furniture grade cabinetry.

NVHomes at Scaleby Farm are fully ENERGY STAR® Qualified, yielding monthly utility savings up to 30% more than standard homes, according to the EPA. All NVHomes also carry 10-year structural warranties and are independently inspected for quality by a third-party inspector.

NVR, Inc. operates in two business segments: homebuilding and mortgage banking. The homebuilding unit sells and builds homes under the NVHomes, Ryan Homes, Rymarc Homes and Fox Ridge Homes trade names, and operates in 27 metropolitan areas in 15 states.

Picking out Plans For Hair Transplant Technologies

There are numerous cutting edge technologies available for hair transplant surgeons today. However with a great number of technologies offered and so many hair transplant doctors professing they have perhaps the finest hair loss treatment, precisely how will a person discover what type is best? The latest chairman of the American Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ASHRS), Dr. Marco Barusco, provides his feeling on several of the most recent and impending technological developments in this specific industry.

HypoThermosol™
Perhaps some of the most important technological advances are the ones dealing with tissue preservation. According to Dr. Barusco, once the donor hair is taken from the back of the head the clock starts ticking. “The quicker we re-attach the hair to the scalp the better the chance it will survive”, Dr. Barusco said. Traditionally, surgeons have used regular saline solution to preserve the tissue, but HypoThermosol™ has been showing to have the best composition. It is easy to work with and preliminary observations suggest that it improves hair survival and overall results.

ACell™
ACell™ is used for wound healing and hair growth. It is rich in growth factors and collagen. This technology significantly benefits the patient but given its high cost very few surgeons use this material. When a doctor uses ACell™ the donor area of the scalp heals better, leaving a smaller and thinner scar, and the transplants grow better.

Robotic Surgery
Although much buzz has been given to robotic hair transplant surgery, Dr. Barusco does not see it as a revolution but rather as another tool for hair restoration. The idea behind the robotic surgery is that a robot harvests hair automatically from the patient’s donor area. The doctor and the team still need to perform the rest of the procedure.

Stem Cell Research
Although not yet available, Dr. Barusco believes that the most important technological advance to come is the use of stem cells to “clone” hairs. This is a technology that should be available in the next few years and it is currently on phase II trials. Dr. Barusco believes that this technology will give people who previously weren’t candidates for hair transplant because they lacked enough donor hair, the opportunity to have the surgery since less hair needs to be harvested.

Dr. Marco Barusco is a hair transplant doctor with over 12 years of practical experience. Given his devotion to research along with expansion of the profession, Dr. Barusco is not only the chairman of the ASHRS but he also is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS), a member of the Board of Directors & Examiner of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, and Chief Section Editor for Hair Restoration of The American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery. Dr. Barusco also founded Tempus Hair Restoration with the goal of providing clients with education about their hair loss and state-of-the-art treatments.

Secrets Of MidSouth Bancorp Recent Results – An A-Z

MidSouth Bancorp, Inc. just divulged net income available for common shareholders of $879,000 for the last quarter of ’11, compared to net profits available for common stakeholders of $1.6 million declared for the final quarter of the year 2010. Diluted earnings for the fourth quarter of 2011 were $0.09 per common share, down from the $0.16 per common share for the fourth quarter of 2010.

C.R. “Rusty” Cloutier, President and Chief Executive Officer, commenting on fourth quarter results, remarked “In December, we completed the acquisition and systems conversion of the Beacon Federal branch in Tyler, Texas and First Louisiana National Bank in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. As a result, the fourth quarter included $0.08 per share of merger related expenses. Excluding these non-operating expenses, we had strong operating earnings per share in the quarter of $0.17 versus $0.14 in the third quarter. We are very excited to expand our market presence in Texas and Louisiana and look forward to the positive impact of these acquisitions on our franchise and to future earnings.”

Profits paid on the Series B Preferred Stock totaled $400,000 for the 4th quarter of 2011 established on a dividend amount of 5%. In August 2011, the Company issued $32.0 million in Series B Preferred Stock to the Treasury in connection with the Small Business Lending Fund (“SBLF”). The dividend rate on the Series B Preferred Stock going forward will be between 1% and 5% based on the level of qualified small business loans. Linked-quarter net earnings available to common shareholders were impacted by the repayment of $20.0 million in Series A Preferred Stock issued to the Treasury under the Capital Purchase Plan with funds from the U.S. Treasury that were authorized by Congress under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.

Real-World Methods For New Criminal Law Firm Member – The Inside Track

Jones Walker is very pleased to declare that Michael W. Magner has joined the firm’s New Orleans agency of criminal law attorneys as special counsel. Mr. Magner practices in the firm’s Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group. His experience centers on preventative and litigation services for businesses and individuals in corporate and white collar criminal law matters. He additionally represents people and organizations involving grand jury and other investigations.

Mr. Magner’s particular experience is in anti-corruption conformity and Litigation matters on both a domestic and international level. He served as a federal prosecutor in New Orleans for 20 years where he was a key member of the team that successfully prosecuted former Louisiana Governor, Edwin Edwards, following a 5 month trial. He was also the lead prosecutor in the Department of Justice‘s long term investigation and prosecution of judicial and related public corruption in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana known as “Operation Wrinkled Robe.” In recognition of his work, Mike was awarded the Department of Justice‘s highest award for Litigation, the John Marshall Award, as well as the Director’s Award for Superior Performance by a Litigative Team.

Mr. Magner stated, “Joining Jones Walker and being able to work with the Jones Walker white collar team is an exciting opportunity. Their law firm has a number of former U.S. Attorneys and Assistant U.S. Attorneys, all of whom have a stellar reputation in representing clients in the defense of government investigations and prosecutions.”

Mr. Magner has also served as a administrator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office‘s Anti-Terrorism/Crisis Response Unit, Organized Crime Strike Force, and Violent Crime Unit, and has tried over 40 jury trials to verdict, in virtually all sections of the United States District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana. He specialized in long term, complex white collar investigations and trials, including export control, mail and wire fraud, government contract fraud, bribery, money laundering, police misconduct, civil rights violations, and RICO. In 2011, he served as the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Advisor to the Kenyan Anti-Corruption Commission (“KACC”) in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was embedded in the KACC’s principal headquarters for nearly two months, and provided training to KACC’s investigators, auditors, and attorneys on corruption compliance, investigative, and prosecution matters. He has also trained foreign judges and prosecutors in Central Asia and Africa and has regularly trained federal prosecutors through the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute.

Before working together with the KACC, Mr. Magner was with the Department of Justice‘s first Counsel for Emergency Management and Crisis Response in the Office of Director, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys in Washington, D.C. for 18 months, where he represented the DOJ at various White House level emergency exercises and planning meetings relating to the federal government’s response to major criminal events, natural disasters, and pandemics. While with DOJ, Mike was also selected as a trained evaluator of other U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country on various substantive legal areas as well as ethics and professionalism.

Mr. Magner gained his juris doctor certification from Tulane University School of Law, cum laude; and was Managing Editor of The Maritime Lawyer. His Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/International Relations was earned from The George Washington University.

Exploring Painless Solar Battery Advancements Systems

GS Battery Inc. just reported it has began to present its ECO R model SLC 70-4 and SLX246-12 batteries for use in Suniva’s Balance of System Solutions. Co-Branded with the Suniva and GS Battery logo, these exceptional capacity batteries supply longevity and outstanding cycling functionality based on a great deal of experience in Japan.

This collaboration allows Suniva and GS Battery to optimize their alternative energy products to improve the performance and reliability of the entire PV system, thus improving the Levelized Cost of Electricity. Custom engineering support to help meet individual project needs is also available. The ECO R batteries are a significant component to Suniva’s Balance of System Solutions.

“Market interest continues to be very positive for the ECO R batteries and has been aided by Suniva’s introduction of the Balance of System Solutions (BOSS) at Solar Power International,” said Jay Northey, Executive Vice-president and General Manager, GS Battery (USA) Inc. “We are excited to continue our collaboration with Suniva as our co-branded offerings expand globally.”

GS Battery Inc. is an American subsidiary of GS Yuasa Group of Japan, a world leader in automotive, motorcycle and standby storage batteries, which serves the power sports, telecommunications, UPS, and the emergency lighting markets. GS Battery Inc. recently announced that they will enter the renewable energy photovoltaic and storage market in North America.

Suniva® is an American manufacturer of high-efficiency crystalline silicon PV cells and high-power solar modules used in solar panels. The company uses patented, low-cost manufacturing techniques and industry-leading technology to produce its high-quality products and maintain competitive costs. Headquartered in metro-Atlanta, GA, Suniva sells its advanced PV cells and modules globally.

Secrets For 9th Circuit Decision – What’s Needed

The law office of Lee Tran & Liang has obtained yet a new Ninth Circuit appeal; this will be its 4th specific success with regard to the Ninth Circuit since 2009. On January twenty-six, this year, the Ninth Circuit affirmed a grant involving summary judgment that LTL achieved for its client, the defendant in a copyright and trade dress case. Firm partner Enoch H. Liang – along with attorney at law Daniel Taylor – defended Bedrosian’s (in Orange County) and Hirsch Glass Company (in New Jersey) both before the District Court and the Ninth Circuit. The plaintiff was represented by notable intellectual property specialist Christie Parker & Hale.

As reported in LTL’s June 2010 press release, the District Court granted LTL’s motion for summary judgment on Plaintiff’s trade dress claims in mid-2009. Then, in September 2009, less than 4 days before a jury trial was scheduled to begin, the District Court also dismissed Plaintiff’s 17 copyright claims. In July 2010, Plaintiff appealed to the Ninth Circuit, arguing that the District Court erred in both holding that the scope of Plaintiff’s copyrights were “thin,” and finding that “there is no substantial similarity (much less virtual identity) insofar as the protectable items are concerned as between Plaintiff’s copyrighted products and Defendants’ glass tiles.”

After extensive briefing, on January 13, 2012, LTL Partner Enoch Liang argued the case, defending the District Court’s ruling. Fewer than 2 weeks following the oral assertion, the Ninth Circuit Judges W. Fletcher, Fisher, and Zouhary—issued their unpublished opinion. The Ninth Circuit held that “protection over designs is thin.” The Court further held that the defendants’ designs “are not ‘virtually identical’ to because the streaking effect, color blends, and appearance of randomness in designs are different…”

This conclusion reaffirms the significance of a two-pronged approach in copyright infringement actions. Often, the issue of infringement is determined by the “scope” of the copyright that the court determines as a matter of law. Hence, in litigating copyright matters, plaintiffs should pay particular attention to avoid falling into various limiting doctrines that may limit the scope of their copyrights. Defendants should do the opposite.

Lee Tran & Liang, APLC is a California based law firm focusing exclusively on business litigation. The firm’s partners have practiced at prominent law firms, and are graduates of top law schools including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and Michigan. Primary practice areas, as outlined by the firm itself and every attorney directory, include business disputes (breach of contract, aggrieved investors and professionals, and commercial disputes) intellectual property litigation (patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets), and employment litigation (defense). The thing that sets the firm apart is its ambition of aligning itself with its clients’ necessities, by delivering a number of creative payment arrangements in appropriate issues.

Plans In Small Business Loan Deadlines For 2012

The U.S. Small Business Administration is telling small enterprises that February. twenty four will be the submission deadline pertaining to federal economic injuries catastrophe loans available in Lee and Scott counties in Virginia. The SBA declared a catastrophe as a consequence of intense storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and water damage that began on April 23, last year.

In addition, the Small Business Administration declared recently that federal economic damage disaster loans are offered to smaller businesses, small farm cooperatives, small firms operating in aquaculture and the majority of private non-profit organizations of any size based in the counties of Dillon along with Horry in South Carolina as a consequence of Hurricane Irene which came about in August.

“When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to assist eligible entities affected by the same disaster,” noted Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.

Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is readily available to eligible farm-related along with nonfarm-related businesses that sustained financial losses as a direct consequence of this disaster. With the exception of aquacultural organizations, agricultural producers, farmers and ranchers are definitely not eligible to apply to SBA.

Financing for small business can be up to $2 million, with interest rates of 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for small businesses. Terms can be up to 30 years. The SBA determines eligibility depending on the size of the applicant, type of activity as well as its financial assets. The agency sets loan levels and terms based upon each candidate’s financial condition. These may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. These particular small business loans are not developed to substitute lost sales or income.

Easy Products In Alder Law Firm – An Intro

In the aftermath of the greatest court budget cuts in California’s history, plaintiffs’ trial lawyer Michael Alder of AlderLaw, P.C. in Beverly Hills assumed the office of president of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), the nation’s largest local association of plaintiffs’ attorneys, which is comprised of just about 3,000 legal professionals.

“Consumer lawyers are vital, now more than ever, to protecting the civil rights of people who’ve been left without access to judicial relief, which is just about everyone except the super-rich,” said Alder. “Legal bills add up to astronomical sums very quickly, because litigation is such an intensive process. Without lawyers who work on a contingency fee basis, which means they risk their own money instead of the clients’ and agree not to be paid unless they win the case, even people with big incomes quickly find their resources drained when faced with the large legal bills that result from a contested matter. Consumer lawyers must be prepared to provide leadership, vision and most of all integrity.”

Alder is known as a steadfast advocate of plaintiffs’ attorneys, also called consumer lawyers, working to raise public awareness of their importance at a time of corporate fraud and abuse. He’s been a member of CAALA for 14 years and spearheaded a city-wide billboard campaign to fund billboards that highlight the good that consumer lawyers do for society. He also is one of five founding members of the Trial Lawyers Charities, a non-profit enterprise which donates capital along with legal assistance to people in need throughout Los Angeles.

Alder is at the present time engaging in some of the very most cutting-edge litigation efforts in the country. He’s tried upwards of 70 litigation cases within his professional career and properly secured over $140 million in decisions and settlements for his clients in the year 2011 alone. Recently, in December 2011 he received a nearly $33 million verdict for Concept Chaser, Co., Inc. in the advertising fraud case Concept Chaser Co., Inc. v. Pentel of America Ltd.

CAALA officially installed Alder as its 2012 president on Jan. 21 at its 63rd Annual CAALA Installation & Awards Banquet at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. The group also announced its new officers and Board of Governors. For more information, visit www.caala.org.

AlderLaw, P.C. is a Los Angeles criminal attorney and plaintiffs’ law firm that represents plaintiffs in personal injury, business tort and employment litigation nationwide. The firm was founded in 2000 by attorney Michael Alder, current president of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) and past CAALA Trial Lawyer of the Year. Alder has tried more than 70 cases in his career, and works with a team of seven associate attorneys. AlderLaw, P.C. obtained more than $140 million in verdicts and settlements for its valued clients in 2011. For information, visit www.alderlaw.com.

Picking Convenient Advice For Wind Turbine Power

Juhl Wind Inc, leading the way in Community Wind Energy, has introduced the official industrial start-up and functioning of the two turbine project for Gundersen Health System in Winona County, MN. The 4.95 megawatt installation stands out as the first-of-its-kind in The United States to be created exclusively to handle the alternative energy concerns of a major regional health care organization, in this instance, Gundersen Health System.

“This unique wind project represents the continued activity by Juhl over the past two years and highlights our strength and diversity in the community wind energy market,” said Corey Juhl, Vice President of Development for Juhl Wind Inc. “We are seeing an increased demand for large commercial and industrial organization projects such as Gundersen’s as they fit extremely well within Juhl Wind’s area of expertise. This community-based project will provide significant economic benefits to the region. As one piece of their Envision program, the wind farm project will help Gundersen Health System achieve their goal of becoming 100% energy independent by 2014.”

“This is an exciting time for Gundersen and our Envision program. This community wind project we have done with Juhl Wind was about two years in the making, and we’re happy to report that the turbines are now creating energy,” pronounced Jeff Rich, executive director, GL Envision, LLC.

Juhl Wind is an established innovator in Community Based Wind Power advancement and management, focused on wind energy projects throughout the United States and Canada. Juhl Wind pioneered Community-Based wind farms, developing the currently accepted financial, operational and legal structure providing local ownership of medium-to-large scale wind farms. To date, the Company has completed 21 wind farm projects and provides operations management and oversight across the portfolio of renewable resources. Juhl Wind services every aspect of wind farm development from full development and ownership, general consultation, construction management and system operations and maintenance. With its consolidation of the Valley View, Winona County and Woodstock Hills wind farms, the Company has now invested in and operates 21.7 MWs of wind power through its independent power producer subsidiary, Juhl Renewable Asset, Inc. Through its Next Generation Power Systems subsidiary, Juhl Wind also provides total sales along with service to smaller, on-site wind power and solar panel ventures besides the company’s more substantial Community Wind turbine Farms.