Arizona to execute second inmate in 8 days

All known requests to stop the execution of an Arizona death row inmate have been denied, so the plan to carry out a second death sentence in eight days moved ahead Thursday.

Robert Charles Towery, 47, was scheduled to be given a lethal injection at 10 a.m. at the state prison in Florence, after spending nearly 20 years on death row for robbing and killing Mark Jones, of Scottsdale.

Towery's attorneys made several unsuccessful last-minute arguments in an effort to spare him, including a Wednesday request with the Arizona Supreme Court to reduce his sentence to 25 years to life in prison because Towery's co-defendant spent less than 10 years in prison.

Randy Allen Barker, the other man convicted in the killing, was given a plea deal for testifying against Towery and was released from prison in 2001.

Towery's lawyers argued that although Towery strangled Jones, Barker was holding the gun, watched the prolonged killing and "exhibited extreme indifference to human life."

Iowa man pleads not guilty to bestiality charge

A northern Iowa man who allegedly performed a sex act on a dog has pleaded not guilty to a bestiality charge.

The Globe Gazette says 50-year-old Steven Schindler, of LuVerne, waived his right to a preliminary hearing set for March 15 in Hancock County District Court. He entered a written plea of not guilty. No new court date is set.

The sheriff's department says Schindler, an employee of a farm cooperative in Ottosen, was delivering LP gas to a resident in rural Britt on Feb. 20 when the alleged incident occurred.

If convicted of the aggravated misdemeanor, Schindler faces up to two years in prison, fines and a mandatory mental health evaluation.

Reed Smith considering merger with Texas firm

Pittsburgh-based Reed Smith, which has 150 lawyers in Philadelphia, is in early merger discussions with Dallas-based law firm Thompson & Knight, both firms confirmed Friday to the Pittsburgh Business Times.

"We are in preliminary merger discussions with Texas-based Thompson & Knight," said Reed Smith Managing Partner Greg Jordan in an e-mail. “The discussions are preliminary and no final agreement or partner vote has been reached or taken.”

Reed Smith has more than 1,500 lawyers, while Thompson & Knight has about 350 lawyers with a focus on the energy industry, including oil and gas, Jordan said.

Becky Jackson, chief client services officer at Thompson & Knight, offered the following statement in an e-mail:

“In today’s legal environment, Thompson & Knight’s historical presence in Texas and our outstanding energy expertise are sought after by firms. For several years, we have regularly received inquiries regarding possible mergers. We have had preliminary conversations with Reed Smith, and they are obviously a great firm, but it is premature to characterize these discussions in any detail.”

Under Jordan’s decade-long tenure, Reed Smith has grown from a Pittsburgh-centric 500-lawyer firm to an international firm three times the size through a series of major mergers and acquisitions. In 2001, the firm acquired 60-lawyer Warner Cranston of London. In January 2003, it acquired California’s 220-lawyer Crosby Heafey Roach & May. In 2007, the firm merged London’s 250-lawyer Richards Butler and 140-lawyer Sachnoff & Weaver of Chicago. And in January 2008, Reed Smith acquired 110-lawyer Richards Butler Hong Kong and 55 lawyers from New York’s Anderson Kill & Olick.

Richard B. Thomas Promoted to Associate

Richard B. Thomas, a long-time patent engineer with Armstrong Teasdale LLP, has become an associate in the law firm’s Intellectual Property practice group. With Thomas’ promotion, the firm expands its Intellectual Property group to 70 people.

Much of Thomas’ practice involves advising emerging and mature businesses on the development and leveraging of technology. His main focus is on the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications.

“Even in challenging economic times, businesses continue to actively acquire intellectual property and protect their intellectual property rights,” said Armstrong Teasdale Intellectual Property Practice Group Leader Patrick W. Rasche. “Rich’s background and experience in the field align with our goals for the group. We look forward to his continued contributions and remain excited about the prospects for continued growth over the coming years.”

Thomas received his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law, his M.B.A. from Lindenwood University, and his B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of New York. He is licensed to practice in Missouri and is a member of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and the American Bar Association.

About Armstrong Teasdale: Armstrong Teasdale LLP, with nearly 250 lawyers in offices across the U.S. and China, has a demonstrable track record of delivering sophisticated legal advice and exceptional service to a dynamic client base. Whether an issue is local or global, practice area specific or industry related, Armstrong Teasdale provides each client with an invaluable combination of legal resources and practical advice in nearly every area of law. For more information, please visitwww.armstrongteasdale.com.

Marc D. Goldstein Joins Law Firm of Gallop, Johnson & Neuman

Marc D. Goldstein has joined the law firm of Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, L.C., as an associate focusing his legal practice in the areas of Labor and Employment Law, and Government Relations.

Mr. Goldstein earned a J.D. degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, and a B.A. degree in Psychology and History from New York University in New York City.

Before practicing law, Mr. Goldstein worked in Washington, D.C., with a non-governmental organization representing the commercial casino industry. While in law school, he worked as a summer intern in the Litigation and Labor Departments of Gallop, Johnson and Neuman.

Mr. Goldstein is a member of The Missouri Bar and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, L.C., a full service law firm of 80 attorneys, has provided legal services to clients in diverse industries since its founding in 1976 and is one of the largest law firms headquartered in St. Louis. The firm also has offices in Washington, D.C. and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The firm serves public corporations; privately-held companies; entrepreneurs and start-up enterprises; individuals and families; trustees and trust beneficiaries; charities; and non-profit entities. The firm’s headquarters are located at 101 South Hanley Road, Suite 1700, in Clayton, Missouri.

Von Stamwitz named 2011 St. Louis Best Lawyers Environmental Lawyer

George M. von Stamwitz, a partner at Armstrong Teasdale and leader of the firm’s Environmental practice group, has been named the Best Lawyers’ 2011 St. Louis Environmental Lawyer of the Year. After more than a quarter of a century in publication, Best Lawyers designates “Lawyers of the Year” in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.” 

With more than 25 years of legal experience and 10 years of environmental risk transfer consulting, von Stamwitz has seen environmental risk in every conceivable business and regulatory context. He is also president of AT Environmental, LLC (www.atenv.com), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Armstrong Teasdale. In this role, von Stamwitz provides strategic environmental evaluations and risk transfer design services to national and international companies interested in divesting of environmental risk.

Von Stamwitz received his J.D., cum laude, from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1982 and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Tufts University in 1979.

Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 17th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2011) is based on more than 3.1 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers. The lawyers being honored as “Lawyers of the Year” received particularly high ratings in our surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.

About Armstrong Teasdale LLP: Armstrong Teasdale LLP, with nearly 250 lawyers in offices across the U.S. and China, has a demonstrable track record of delivering sophisticated legal advice and exceptional service to a dynamic client base. Whether an issue is local or global, practice area specific or industry related, Armstrong Teasdale provides each client with an invaluable combination of legal resources and practical advice in nearly every area of law. For more information, please visitwww.armstrongteasdale.com.

Former U.S. Marine Corps Judge Advocate Joins Tully Rinckey PLLC

Tully Rinckey PLLC is pleased to announce the addition of attorney J.E. Yancey Ellis as an Associate in its Washington, D.C. law office. Ellis joins Tully Rinckey PLLC after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for over four years, including a year long deployment in Iraq. Ellis will provide representation to military servicemembers in all aspects of military criminal and administrative law.

As a former Marine Corps Judge Advocate and assistant advisor to a Commanding Officer in Iraq, Ellis earned a reputation as an aggressive, thorough, and highly admired attorney familiar with the legal complexities under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. At Tully Rinckey PLLC, Ellis will specialize in providing all members of the military with high quality legal services including officer misconduct, Non-Judicial Punishment proceedings, Article 32 investigations, desertion and AWOL instances, as well as violent crimes. He will also focus on handling administrative matters relating to the correction of military records.

While on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, Ellis served as both a military prosecutor and defender at Camp Pendleton in California as well as a Deputy Legal Advisor while stationed in Iraq. During his time as a military prosecutor, Ellis prosecuted over 100 Marines accused of violating federal or military law, or state law under the Federal Assimilative Crimes Act. In his role as defender, Ellis represented Marines accused under federal and military law of felony and misdemeanor crimes earning Defense Counsel of the Year for the Western United States in 2009.

Ellis earned his Juris Doctorate from George Mason University School of Law, graduating Cum Laude, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from West Virginia University, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

For more information about J.E. Yancey Ellis’ addition to Tully Rinckey PLLC or the firm’s military and national security practice, please contact Ali Skinner at (202) 787-1900 or at askinner@fedattorney.com