A Simple Search Could Save You a Lot of Money

Something that a lot of investors don’t realize is that a simple internet search can save an investor or group of investors a lot of money. In many cases simply typing the name or locale into a search engine such as Google or Bing can protect a person from fraud.

Most of the scam artists that commit investment fraud have done it, over and over again. Some of them have been committing such crimes for decades, and they even have criminal records or a history of serving time in prison. Typing their name and the word fraud into a search engine can turn up interesting results. Similarly, typing the name of somebody offering an investment and the word lawsuit into a search engine also can produce very informative results. It is possible to sue con artists to get your money back. You can even sue in U.S. Courts foreign con artists who commit their crimes in other countries.

That means you can check out foreign investment opportunities with an online search. But don’t just read a single on-line posting about the fraud or lawsuit, read all the postings to obtain a full perspective of what happened so you can make a more educated decision. A person thinking of doing business in the United Arab Emirates or UAE (the Persian Gulf State where Dubai and Abu Dhabi are located) could type in the words lawsuit and UAE. This search might show you that New York attorney Howard Fenstersman has sued a group of a group of prominent businessmen in Abu Dhabi on behalf of a group of US investors who alleged that $18 million of their money had been stolen from a UAE bank.

Obviously, con artists and persons trying to drum up business would not tell you this, but an online search can. For example, shares in Medical Capital Holdings, a notorious pyramid scam based in Orange County , California , were sold by agents working for Securities America (a brokerage based in Nebraska ). Anybody who searched “Securities America” and the word “lawsuit would” have found that the brokerage is facing millions of dollars in lawsuits filed by investors who claimed they were ripped off by its brokers.

An online search can be one of the most powerful tools in stopping fraud and protecting investors. All investors should do so when considering new investments.

Via EPR Network
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Osbornes Solicitors LLP Receives Quality Mark From Law Society’s Quality Conveyancing Scheme

Osbornes solicitors, based in Pratt Street in Camden, is pleased to announce that our application to become a member of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme has been successful. The Law Society’s Transaction Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) is a quality standard for residential conveyancing practices.

The Conveyancing Quality Scheme was launched in January 2011, since when over 900 law firms have applied for the quality mark. Out of these firms fewer than 300 have been admitted thus far.

The CQS is a scheme designed to give clients (buyers, sellers and lenders) confidence in the standard of conveyancing work they will receive by providing a recognisable kitemark for accredited conveyancing firms. It is based on a new Law Society Protocol which aims to achieve consistent standards across the sector in order to speed up the conveyancing process and provide more certainty for buyers and sellers.

Jan Atkinson, Partner and Head of the property law Department at Osbornes commented:

“Receiving this quality mark from the Law Society strengthens the existing reputation that our property team has of providing high quality advice and service to its clients. This independent quality mark from the Law Society demonstrates that the members of the property team at Osbornes provide an expert service to their clients.”

For further information about this quality mark and to find out what property services we offer clients please contact Maria Elliot or Justine Simms on 0207 485 8811. Alternatively you can e-mail on mariaelliot@osbornes.net or justinesimms@osbornes.net. You can also visit our website at www.osbornes.net.

Via EPR Network
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Office of Inspector General Is Aggressively Asserting Its Authority to Exclude Owners, Officers and Managing Employees of Sanctioned Entities From Participation in Federal Health Care Programs

“The longstanding but little-used authority of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to exclude from participation in any federal health care program, such as Medicare, any officer or managing employee of a health related entity that has been convicted of certain legal offenses, should now be top-of-mind for all general managers, business managers, administrators and directors of today’s health care facilities,” says Patrick Formato, a partner at Abrams , Fensterman , Fensterman, Eisman, Greenberg, Formato & Einiger, LLP (Abrams Fensterman).

Reflecting on his recent participation at June’s Annual Meeting of the American Health Lawyers Association, Formato is reaching out to his clients with a stern warning: “The OIG is becoming increasingly aggressive in targeting owners, managers and boards of sanctioned health care facilities. These individuals must keep a finger on the pulse of what is going on in every phase of their organization and they must be proactive about reporting their concerns.”

Formato notes that exclusions under section 1128 (b) (15) of the Social Security Act are based upon the individual’s role or interest in a company that is excluded or is convicted of certain offenses. Individuals who have an ownership or a control interest in a sanctioned entity may be excluded if they knew or should have known of the conduct that led to the sanction. Officers and managing employees may be excluded based solely on their position within the entity.

“There is a higher standard for exclusion of an owner,” Formato points out. “The relevant statute requires evidence that the owner knew or should have known of the conduct that formed the basis for the sanction. In cases involving officers and managing employees, the statute includes a no knowledge element. The OIG therefore has the authority to exclude every officer and managing employee of a sanctioned entity.” says Formato.

“As a practical matter, the OIG does not intend to exclude all officers and managing employees,” Formato notes. “But where the evidence supports the fact that a managing employee knew or should have known of the conduct, the OIG will probably operate with a presumption in favor of exclusion.”

“Abrams Fensterman has one of the largest health care legal practices in New York state, representing approximately 125 nursing homes, a large number of medical groups and individuals in a variety of complex health care-related matters,” says Howard Fensterman, Managing Partner of Abrams Fensterman.

“Some of our clients include physicians, medical societies, ambulatory surgery centers, diagnostic and treatment centers, hospitals, imaging facilities, dentists, podiatrists, chiropractors, early intervention agencies and other health care providers,” Fensterman notes.

“This experience has led to our health care lawyers lecturing at bar associations, professional organizations, hospitals and colleges. At these meetings and through direct communications, Pat Formato and I, along with our entire senior health care-specialist team, will be underscoring what is clearly an environment of increased enforcement on the part of the OIG that is specifically related health care fraud. We want our clients to be proactive, diligent and aggressive so as to prevent legal action against their health care entities and the possibility of being sued and personally excluded from future participation in the industry,” says Fensterman.

Via EPR Network
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