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Josef Cowan | Civil Litigation Construction Law Firm Los Angeles
Attorney Blog News |
2013/10/25 15:50
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Josef Cowan founded our firm over 20 years ago. The following are some questions and answers that discuss his unique qualities and why so many individuals and businesses trust our firm with their legal and business needs.
Q. Why did you become a lawyer?A. I’m the youngest of 6 kids raised by a single mother. We didn’t have much money, so I started working in the construction industry at a very young age. In fact, I started a construction business when I was 17 years old, and that company is still in existence and has over 400 employees. The construction industry involves a huge number of legal issues in a wide variety of different areas. I always found the legal issues fascinating and believed that a solid understanding of the law and ability to resolve complex issues is a huge advantage in business.
Q. What inspired you to found the Cowan Law Group?A. When I originally went to law school, I intended to use my legal training to help me with the construction business I started. However, I found I have a real passion for helping individuals and small to medium-sized companies resolve their legal and business problems in ways that make good business sense.
Q. How is the Cowan Law group different from other law firms?A. There are far too many firms that provide little to no value to their clients, and many that create more problems than they resolve. In many instances, the attorneys are good, smart people, but they don’t have the background or business savvy necessary to provide truly strategic, cost-effective legal solutions to their clients. This is a real problem because a good attorney who understands not just the legal issues, but also his client’s business challenges and objectives, is a tremendous resource and strategic advantage. With that in mind, I created the Cowan Law Group, whose main mission is to provide legal services that are smart, creative, and practical.
Q. So what makes you a good lawyer and advisor?A. I have benefitted greatly from a first class college and legal education. What I believe is even more important, however, is my life experience. Starting at a very young age, I have had to overcome many challenges both personally and in business. As a lawyer and advisor, these experiences have been invaluable because, through them, I have developed an ability to look at problems and challenges and know how to navigate through them in ways that are smart and effective.
But what is most telling is what my clients say. Over the course of my legal career, I have successfully resolved over $700 million of legal disputes in many different areas, including general business, real estate, construction, employment, and trade secret litigation, and I have handled a large number of business transactions. My clients often tell me that I provide counseling that is practical and mindful of business priorities, and that I handle it all well.
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NY court upholds conviction of California financer
Top Court Watch |
2013/10/23 11:55
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A New York appeals court has upheld the conviction of a California finance researcher who used code words like "recipes," "cooks" and "sugar" to disguise an insider trading scheme.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on Wednesday rejected various arguments made by Winifred Jiau.
She was convicted in June 2011 of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
The Fremont, Calif., resident is serving a four-year prison sentence. She is scheduled to be released in June.
The appeals court rejected her request for a new trial. She had argued that the government was wrong to use as evidence recordings that were made because a worker could not hear well. |
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Justice's wheels slowed as shutdown hits courts
Law & Court News |
2013/10/14 13:52
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The government shutdown is slowing the wheels of justice in federal courts by delaying civil cases, forcing prosecutors to operate with skeleton staffs and raising uncertainty about the system's immediate future if the stalemate continues past Thursday.
That's when federal courts officials expect the reserve funds they have been using since the Oct. 1 start of the shutdown will run out.
Criminal cases, which are required by law to go to a speedy trial, are still moving ahead, as are most bankruptcy cases and appeals. Civil cases and those in immigration court, however, are feeling the greatest impact from the shutdown.
"The Constitution tells us what we have to do and we can't control our workload. It walks in the door, whether we're funded or not funded," said U.S. District Court Chief Judge Loretta Preska in New York, who has put all civil cases except those already in trial on hold at the request of the U.S. Attorney there.
She said the nearly 450 district court employees that serve the New York metro area will report to work to keep criminal cases on track even if funds run out. Officials at courts based in San Francisco, Philadelphia and St. Louis, Mo., also say their employees will work. |
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Sands asks Nev. court to overturn documents ruling
Legal Opinions |
2013/10/11 10:56
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Nevada's highest court is weighing arguments put forward by casino giant Las Vegas Sands Corp. and disgruntled former Sands executive Steven Jacobs.
The two have been embroiled in a court battle since Jacobs filed a wrongful termination suit in 2010 and accused Sands of a multitude of misdeeds, including doing business with known gangsters and making inappropriate payments to an attorney who was also a Macau lawmaker.
On Wednesday, Jacobs' attorneys asked the Nevada Supreme Court to overturn a decision by a district judge throwing out his defamation suit against Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson.
Sands asked the court to overturn decisions made by the same district judge regarding disclosure of evidence.
After Jacobs filed his suit, Adelson told the Wall Street Journal that his former employee was fired for cause. Adelson added that Jacobs was attempting to explain the termination "by using outright lies and fabrications."
Jacobs, who worked in Macau for the Sands subsidiary Sands China Ltd., responded by amending his original suit to accuse Adelson of knowingly spreading harmful falsehoods. |
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PG&E starts pipeline shutdown under court order
Topics in Legal News |
2013/10/07 10:40
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Pacific Gas & Electric Co. says it will comply with a judge's order and shut down a natural gas pipeline after safety issues were raised.
The utility said Sunday it believes the pipeline is safe despite an engineer's email questioning the safety of the 83-year-old line's welds. PG&E said it could take until Tuesday to safely shut down the line and seamlessly switch its customers to another line.
A judge ordered the line shut down after San Carlos city officials discovered the email and declared a "state of emergency."
The email said PG&E's records incorrectly show the line containing a newer, more reliable weld than it actually has.
PG&E said state-of-the-art tests show the line is safe and that it was shutting the line only because of the court order. |
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