Los Angeles Lawyer Marketing

Mark Werksman & Steve Meister are now LinkedIn

2010-09-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

I am often asked by attorneys what else they could be doing online. There are many free directories you can join that cost nothing. Consider Steve Meister and Mark Werksman, both of who recently joined and update their profiles on one of the largest business directories on the web, LinkedIn.com
Some of the Latest LinkedIn Facts

LinkedIn has over 75 million members in over 200 countries.
A new member joins LinkedIn approximately every second

Your Business Relationships Matter. Having a professional network of trusted contacts gives you an advantage in your career, and is one of your most valuable assets.
LinkedIn exists to help you make better use of your professional network and help the people you trust in return. If your an attorney who is not using LinkedIn to keep in touch with business contacts both new and old, you should seriously consider joining, its free!

Craigslist Crimes

2010-05-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Craigslist Crimes

Craigslist Crimes
LAW OFFICES OF ROBERT J. HALE
Certified Specialist in Criminal Law
3055 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1200
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Tel. (213) 736-6250
Fax (213) 632-2427
RHaleXDA@yahoo.com
Craigslist Crimes

From: Robert J. Hale, Esq.
To: Frontiers Magazine
Re: Legal Article—Criminal Law-Craigslist Crimes

SCAPEGOATING AND STICKY FINGERS, or
FRIENDS FOR LIFE… AT LEAST TILL ROUGH TIMES
(Or, Embezzlement and Theft in the LGBT Community) Craigslist Crimes

LGBT people seem to have a knack for organization and getting things done. We seem to be excellent administrators and rise quickly to top managerial and supervisory levels of various organizations. Often duties include managing budgets—a significant part of any successful business.
Two significant problems seem to arise in the criminal context:

1. Greed, involving sticky fingers; and
2. Greed, involving scape-goating a loyal underling or friend.

The first client is themselves accused of embezzlement. The second client is too-casual loyal underling who has allowed themselves to be in a position to be framed for the loss by a more Machiavellian boss—after all they did not get to the top without reason. If you think that neither could ever happen to you, think again.

Remember, people can do anything, given good reason and justification. Failure to be recognized and rewarded for long and exceptional service is a very good justification for taking what should have been given freely.

[Responses and criticisms may be addressed to RHaleXDA@yahoo.com. Craigslist Crimes
Robert J. Hale, is a California State Bar Certified Specialist in Criminal Law. For Free Consultation regarding criminal legal matters call The Law Office of Robert J. Hale. (213) 736-6250.] Attorney Marketing

Is There A Trade Secret Exception To The California Business And Professions Code Section 16600?

2010-03-11T12:14:00.000-08:00

Many employers in California require their employees to sign a non-compete and/or non-solicitation agreement. Presumably, employers believe that the only way to protect their trade secrets and seek legal recourse for misappropriation of said secrets is by having their employees sign a longwinded and overly broad statement acknowledging certain categories of items, procedures, data and methodology as confidential property of the employer.

Unbeknownst to the employers, these types of agreements are generally void even if they are narrowly tailored, i.e., limited in geographic location and time. This is because California Business and Professions Code §16600 states: "Except as provided in this Chapter, every contract by which anyone is restrained from engaging in lawful profession, trade, or business of any kind is to that extent void." Sections 16601-16602.5 specifically identify the three exceptions to the general rule. These exceptions deal with non-compete agreements made in the context of dissolution of a partnership/limited liability company or the sale of the goodwill of a business.

Until recently, California Courts unanimously used the so called trade secret exception to enforce these non-complete/non-solicitation agreements. Specifically, courts routinely held that a non-compete agreement was valid and enforceable if it was necessary to protect "trade secret(s)" of the former employer.

In the recent case of Dowell v. Biosense Webster, Inc., California Court of Appeal questioned whether or not there was a common law trade secret exception to Business and Professions Code Section 16600. Following in the footsteps of Edwards v. Arthur Andersen LLP and The Retirement Group v. Galante, the Dowell court concluded that Section 16600 "prohibits employee noncompetition agreements unless the agreement falls within a statutory exception."

The Dowell court further noted: "Section 16600 bars a court from specifically enforcing (by way of injunctive relief) a contractual clause purporting to ban a former employee from soliciting former customers to transfer their business away from the former employer to the employee's new business, but a court may enjoin tortuous conduct (as violative of either the Uniform Trade Secret Act and/or the unfair competition law) by banning the former employee from using trade secret information."

Hence, according to the Dowell court, claims of misappropriation of trade secrets are actionable and the "conduct is enjoinable not because it falls within a judicially created 'exception' to section 16600's ban on contractual non-solicitation clauses, but is instead enjoinable because it is wrongful independent of any contractual undertaking."

However it is also important to note that the Dowell court, for some reason stopped short of clearly rejecting the common law trade secret exception to non-compete and non-solicitation agreements. Thus, it appears that while there is no clear authority California Courts are beginning to question the validity and enforceability to restrictive covenants in the context of theft of trade secret cases. Since theft of trade secret is a tortuous conduct, a fully executed non-compete agreement is not a prerequisite to enjoining an employee from misappropriating trade secrets of the former employer.

More importantly, if courts continue to follow in the footsteps of Dowell, employers who may be trying to protect their confidential information by compelling their employees to sign a non-compete or non-solicitation agreement may be liable for violating unfair competition laws such as Business and Professions Code § 17200.

If you are involved in a theft of trade secret claim, it is vital to have the experienced business litigation attorneys of Fisher & Talwar on your side. Attorneys at Fisher & Talwar are skilled in litigating misappropriation of trade secret claims. Contact Los Angeles trade secret attorneys at Fisher & Talwar at 213-891-0777 or vt@fishertalwar.com for immediate assistance.

Facebook Lawsuit Story on CNN features Los Angeles Attorney Erik Syverson

2009-08-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

Fox News, Facebook and e-Commerce Attorney Erik Syverson

Congrats to Erik Syverson, a Los Angeles Attorney for his recent appearance on Fox News. Facebook the most popular social networking website in the world is facing a lawsuit for violating the privacy of those who use it.

Five Facebook users in California have filed a lawsuit alleging that Facebook is a data mining company that sells personal information of their users to third party advertisers.

Check out the video here...
http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=8386226&referralPlaylistId=playlist

Woodland Hills Bankruptcy Lawyer, helping people in the San Fernando Valley

2009-08-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

Jonathanl Leventhal has set up his bankruptcy law office in Woodland Hills, not too far from the bankruptcy courthouse in the San Fernando Valley. His office is in one the towers in the highly recognizable Warner Center Complex, near the promenade mall.

Attorney Leventhal's commitment to the best interest of his clients is evident by his attorney profile and the content of his web site. He offers a flat fee, and a program that assures his responsiveness in client communication, and clearly states what to expect in personal bankruptcy.

Not evident here, but it is important to note the consistent branding that Jonathan his doing - his office decor and letterhead closely match the web site color scheme.

Congrats on the new site!

Website Design, Imagery, Theme & Content - Is Yours Unique?

2009-07-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Today, two FindLaw developed sites were launched for the Los Angeles area: Pines, Laurent & Lauer - Family Law and The Law Offices of Marc A. Legget, Criminal Law. These sites have a few things in common:

1)custom content, written in a tone the represents the firm's perspective and is geared for the type of clients desired 2) clarity in site navigation and contact info and 3) development timeline - both these sites were launched according to a detailed project plan, in under 60 days.

Of course these sites have a lot of differences between them: practice area, geographical focus, solo firm vs. a partnership, the amount of content, tone, style, and graphic theme. But the similarities and differences is what will make these new sites work for the firms. If you check out these sites, you'll see how each one does an amazing job of making you feel you know exactly what separated these attorneys from other attornesy out there.

Creative Content on Robert Gantman's Los Angeles Family Law Website

2009-06-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

Robert Gantman, a family law and estate planning attorney in Encino, has added 10 more pages of content and revamped the design of his website. A very dignified design, with subtle flash animation and background imagery allows the content and tone stand out. The new pages cover several related issues: Pre-divorce planning, asset discovery, property division, agreements and modifications. There are also two pages on estate planning considerations.

One significant content feature that is rather unique: Family Law Fact vs. Fiction. The segments describe a common misconception about the law, and detail what the real deal is, and are compiled on one page as well as distributed to the relevant pages of the site.

Did you know? Robert's legal experience started decades prior to law school - his father and uncle are both attorneys in the Los Angeles area!

California Uniform Trade Secret Act (UTSA) Preempts common law unfair competition claims as well as claims based on Business and Professions Code § 17

2009-06-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

In the recent case of K.C. Multimedia, Inc. v. Bank of America Technology & Operations Inc. (2009) 171 Cal.App.4th 939, California Court of Appeal held that UTSA preempts common law claims and statutory unfair competition claims that are based on the same nucleus of facts as the misappropriation of trade secret claim. This holding has brought California state law in line with federal court cases that have applied California law.

In K.C. Multimedia, Inc., plaintiff claimed defendants misappropriated its technology that enabled defendants' end-users to access personal bank account information. The complaint asserted causes of action for trade secret misappropriation, breach of confidence, conversion, breach of contract, tortuous interference with contract and unfair competition. However, prior to trial, the trial court dismissed three causes of action -- breach of confidence, unfair competition, interference with contract -- on the grounds they were preempted by UTSA. Plaintiff appealed the preemption ruling, claiming it was contrary to California law.

The Court of Appeal affirmed the lower court’s ruling and held that the comprehensive nature and breadth of UTSA suggests a legislative intent to preempt other claims based on trade secret misappropriation. The Court of Appeal began its analysis by highlighting the general principles that underpin the statutory preemption doctrine and stated:

“The general rule is that statutes do not supplant the common law unless it appears that the Legislature intended to cover the entire subject or, in other words, to occupy the field. General and comprehensive legislation, where course of conduct, parties, things affected, limitations and exceptions are minutely described, indicates a legislative intent that the statute should totally supersede and replace the common law dealing with the subject matter."

Against this backdrop, the Court of Appeal examined the UTSA codified in §§3426-3426.11 and noted:
“Among other things, CUTSA defines key terms, provides various forms of relief, spells out methods of preserving the secrecy of trade secrets, and sets forth the limitations period. The stated purpose of UTSA is to provide unitary definitions of trade secret and trade secret misappropriation, and a single statute of limitations for the various property, quasi-contractual, and violation of fiduciary relationship theories of noncontractual liabilities utilized at common law. The Uniform Act also codifies the results of the better reasoned cases concerning the remedies for trade secret misappropriation.”
The court then focused on the §3426.7 and observed the following:

"CUTSA includes a specific provision concerning preemption. That provision, section 3426.7, reads in pertinent part as follows: (a) Except as otherwise expressly provided, this title does not supersede any statute relating to misappropriation of a trade secret, or any statute otherwise regulating trade secret. (b) This title does not affect (1) contractual remedies, whether or not based upon misappropriation of a trade secret, (2) other civil remedies that are not based upon misappropriation of trade secret, or (3) criminal remedies, whether or not based upon misappropriation of trade secret. Section 3426.7 thus expressly allows contractual and criminal remedies, whether or not based on trade secret misappropriation and implicitly preempts alternative civil remedies based on trade secret misappropriation. At the same time, § 3426.7 implicitly preempts alternative civil remedies based on trade secret misappropriation.’”

Based on the foregoing, the Court of Appeal concluded that §3426.7(b) “would appear to be rendered meaningless if, in fact, claims which are based on trade secret misappropriation are not preempted by the state's statutory scheme.” Id. at 958.

In K.C. Multimedia, Inc. v. Bank of America Technology & Operations Inc., California Court of Appeal followed in the footsteps of recent federal courts cases (Cacique, Inc. v. Robet Reiser & Co. Inc. (9th Cir. 1999) 169 F.3d 619, 626 Accuimage Diagnostic Corp v. Terarecon, Inc. (ND CA 2003) 260 F.Supp.2d 941, 953-954; First Advantage Background Services Crop. v. PrivateEyes (ND CA 2009) 569 F.Supp.2d 929; and Digital Envoy, Inc. v. Google, Inc. (ND CA 2005) 370 F.Supp.2d 1025, 1034-1035) in holding that the Uniform Trade Secret Act preempts common law claims and statutory unfair competition claims that are based on the same nucleus of facts as the misappropriation of trade secret claim.

If you are involved in a dispute concerning trade secrets it is vital to have the experienced business litigation attorneys of Fisher & Talwar on your side. Attorneys at Fisher & Talwar are skilled in litigating misappropriation of trade secret claims. Contact Los Angeles trade secret attorneys at Fisher & Talwar at 213-891-0777 or contact vt@fishertalwar.com for immediate assistance.

Estate Planning and Family Law Attorney Robert Gantman

2009-04-30T23:55:00.000-07:00

Content and Practice area focus go hand-in-hand. Robert Gantman's web site detailing child custody and child support shows how important it is to tie the various topics together and provide a solid understanding of various issues within the area. Pre-divorce considerations, child custody, child support, modifications are discussed.

Check out the site for his Encino Law practice. But don't forget to check back soon because he and FindLaw are in the process of adding 10+ more pages of content and moving to a custom design. I've seen the prototype design and the content site map - very impressive!

Focusing your website

2009-03-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

As we all know the competition for personal injury cases in Los Angeles has never been more heated. Many attorneys are focusing on specific areas in order to capture the search engine’s attention. Los Angeles attorney Howard Kornberg has built two websites to help market his firm.

Websites focused on a particular practice area have a better chance at succeeding online instead of website that combines multiple practice areas. This is especially true with personal injury. One website, http://www.howardkornberg.com/ is devoted to victims of broken bones. The other website, http://www.kornberglawfirm.com/ covers many topics under the personal injury umbrella. Before choosing an online strategy it would be helpful to discuss your thoughts with a specialist in the field.

Los Angeles Contract Dispute Attorneys

2009-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Congrats to the law firm of Fisher & Talwar on the release of their second website. Focused on resolving contract disputes for their clients, the firm also has expertise in all types of business law as well as personal injury. Their newsite however is entirely focused on addressing the needs of clients facing a business dispute. Individuals or a business in need of a Los Angeles Contract Dispute Attorney will find a wealth of valuable information on their new site. At the law office of Fisher & Talwar, they litigate a wide range of contract disputes for individuals, and for all types of businesses, ranging in size from sole proprietorships to international corporations and partnerships

Los Angeles Contruction Injury Attorneys

2009-01-29T00:41:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Jamie Fisher and Vibhu Talwar of Fisher & Talwar PLC, on the release of their new website. While they can handle any type of personal injury case, the firm is building a strong reputation for construction site injury and unsafe work conditions cases. They aggressively protect the rights of construction accident injury victims throughout Southern California. The firm has successfully recovered tens of millions of dollars for personal injury victims, whether through litigation, mediation or arbitration. Many of their clients come to them as referrals from other attorneys because of their reputaion as zealous advocates for their client's cause. Their new website will give the the firm greater visibility to future clients in need of a Los Angeles Construction Injury Attorney.

Lancaster Dangerous & Vicious Dogs - Pit Bulls & Rottweilers

2009-01-27T21:38:00.000-08:00

A new city ordinance in Lancaster, CA will impose stiff penalties upon owners of pit bulls and Rottweilers, reports the LA Times. The article cites the city's concern for public safety from dogs deemed vicious and dangerous. Doing a little web research I found the Center for Disease control list of the most dangerous dogs (http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/dogbreeds.pdf)

Pit bulls
Rottweilers
German Shepherds
Huskies
Alaskan Malamutes
Doberman Pinschers
Chow Chows
Great Danes
St. Bernards

Check out the in-depth pdf if you want to learn more, but common sense suggests that one needs to be careful around any dogs - as all types of dog can bite and lead to serious trauma as well as infection. Of course the dogs listed above can do some serious damage - The law firm of Owen, Patterson, & Owen obtained a $650,000 Settlement for a 42 year old woman who was attacked by a pit bull in Lancaster and had her earlobe severed.

California Creditor Rights Law Firm

2009-01-12T23:45:00.000-08:00

Congratulations once again to Choe, Jackson & Weitz on releasing their second website with FindLaw. Gene Choe the firm's founding partner has had a temendous amount of success representing business and individuals who are owed money. Their services include;

Judgment Collections
Pre-Judgment Collections
Creditor Rights in Bankruptcy Proceedings
Civil Litigation for Creditors

For more than 10 years, they have been serving creditor clientele in greater Los Angeles area. They offer free consultations to discuss a client's options for resolving collections or litigation matters. Gene and his partners work on a contingency fee basis, and clients are not obligated to pay attorney fees unless they are able to recover some or all of what they are owed.

Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorneys

2009-01-09T00:10:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Mark Werksman, and his Los Angeles criminal defense firm on the release of their new website. The new site is an upgrade from their FindLaw site, which was launched a few years ago. Besides the custom design, the new site adds a lot of new custom content- which will be sure to help the firm's search engine rankings. The sharp, modern looking site was designed by Jennifer Widseth-Coppel, a senior designer at FindLaw.

Mark's firm is made up of a strong team of attorneys dedicated to criminal defense. They have been serving the people of Los Angeles and Southern California since 1994. In addition to representing business people and professionals from all walks of life, attorneys at the firm have represented CEOs of multinational corporations, actors, directors, doctors, surgeons, lawyers, accountants, and a wide range of other successful and highly compensated professionals
Mark Werksman, has been listed by Los Angeles Magazine as one of LA's "top white-collar criminal defense attorneys." The same source also included his name on the list of Super Lawyers.

Los Angeles Employment Law Attorneys

2009-01-08T23:29:00.000-08:00

Congrats to the firm of Choe, Jackson & Weitz on the release of their new website; http://www.laemployeerights.com/. The site has a nice clean design that is aimed at helping employees who have been wronged in the workplace. Gene Choe, the firm's founding partner, is an aggressive but compassionate attorney who fights hard for his clients and offers effective solutions for your California workplace problems. The firm specializes in helping victims of sexual harassmant, wrongful termination, and discrimination in the workplace. The law firm is located in central Los Angeles and was founded more than 10 years ago to get results for employment law clients throughout southern California.

Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorneys

2008-12-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

The Personal Injury Attorneys at the law firm of Mathew & George in Los Angeles release their second FindLaw website. Jacob George and Abraham Mathew take a very personal approach to helping their clients. Their approach of "Don't Give Us Your Trust Now. Let Us Earn It" has served their clients well. They are devoted to helping those injured by the negligence of others.

At the law firm of Mathew & George in Los Angeles, they are advocates for the injured. They are in the business of fighting, and will fight very hard for their clients.
Jacob and Abraham handle a full range of personal injury cases including resort and hotel accidents, construction site accidents, and premises liability.

Website Traffic - It is not uncommon to see a dip in visitors to your website during the holiday season.

2008-12-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

In the coming weeks during this holiday season, many FindLaw customers may experience a dip in traffic to their websites. One significant contributing factor to traffic dips during this time of year relates to the holiday season and the impact to Internet traffic. As an example, FindLaw legal website traffic during the week of Thanksgiving dropped approximately 25% over the week prior. This figure is consistent with Thanksgiving week for both 2007 and 2006.

While the week of Thanksgiving usually only affects one week of traffic, December holidays and the new year holiday are typically more pronounced and sustained. It is common to expect a drop during the three weeks leading up to the holidays, rounded out by a significant drop the week of the New Year holiday.

Attorneys can expect normal traffic patterns to resume during the second week of January.

Los Angeles Arbitration and Mediation Attorney

2008-11-28T22:32:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Los Angeles arbitration and mediation attorney, Charles Pereyra-Suarez on the release of his new FindLaw website. One of the top arbitration and mediation attorneys in Los Angeles, Chuck's new site is focused on his vast experience handling:
- Business Dispute Arbitration
- International Business Arbitration
- Health Care Disputes

- Class Action Arbitration

- Employer and Employee Mediation and Arbitration
- Servicios de Arbitraje y Mediación

Chuck has more than 30 years of legal experience as well as extensive training in dispute resolution. He has litigated, mediated and arbitrated countless business and commercial disputes involving a wide variety of issues, including international business disputes and class actions.

Los Angeles Business Litigation Attorneys

2008-11-24T20:01:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles Business Litigations attorneys, Jacob George and Abraham Mathew just released a new website on Business and Commercial Litigation & Contract Disputes. Attorneys Jacob George and Abraham Mathew have known each other for more than 30 years and have been partners at the law offices Mathew & George for the past seven years. They bring a passion for earning their client's trust and delivering the best results possible.

The content on their site was created by Gary Tandberg and Larry Tweed of FindLaw. Gary and Larry's work was recognized by FindLaw's monthly "Words That Sell" award program for the month of November 2008. The Words that Sell awards recognize marketing copy excellence at FindLaw. Words That Sell not only honors outstanding achievement among our Writers and Attorney Editors, it also seeks to build a portfolio of outstanding content for clients who want to see how good our writing can be. Congratulations to Larry and Gary on a great website.

Southern California Fire Insurance Claims Attorney

2008-11-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

In the last month there has been several devastating wildfires throughout the Los Angeles area. In October the cities of Chatsworth, Granada Hills, Sunland, and Fontana suffered.

Here's a round up of the current fires:

Montecito
A blaze that burned more than 110 homes in Santa Barbara County is still burning. A state of emergency was declared in Santa Barbara County as the fire has torched up to 2,500 acres -- 4 square miles. Over 5000 residents remained evacuated on Saturday.

San Fernando Valley
The Sayre fire is north of Los Angeles, near Sylmar. It has spread north near Newhall and has caused several freeway disruptions. The California Highway Patrol said it would reopen most freeways in the Newhall Pass area, including the Golden State (5), Foothill (210) and San Diego (405) freeways. Numerous offramps in the area have been intermittently closed. The Antelope Valley (14) Freeway has also been intermittently closed.

It has burned 6,500 acres - with more 600 homes destroyed.

Corona - Yorba Linda - Anaheim Hills
At least a dozen homes were destroyed or damaged by a fire burning north of the Riverside (91) Freeway in Corona. Mandatory evacuation orders were given for about 3,100 homes in Anaheim Hills. A 250-unit apartment complex was severely damaged.

Property damage during these fires will exceed hundred of millions of dollars. Insurance claims issues regarding coverage will lead to thousands of people searching the Internet for information - what will they find?

If they Google any the following:

lawyer in california for claim dispute fire insurance
orange county fire insurance claims
los angeles fire insurance claims
fire insurance lawyer in southern california

They'll find the FindLaw developed website for Mark Brifman, and his custom content for California fire insurance claims page will be very helpful.

Google recently hosts a live chat Q & A for Webmasters

2008-11-13T22:51:00.000-08:00

Google recently hosted a live chat Q & A with Matt Cutts and Maile Ohye and other Google Gurus. They faced questions from webmasters all around the world. The group of Google panelists tried to put to rest any myths, misinformation and speculations regarding the world’s number one search engine.

How did Google reach number one status? Obviously this is easier said then done, but it is the software behind their search technology. Each time a user enters a search in to Google, it conducts a series of simultaneous calculations. Results are delivered in seconds.

During the Q & A, Google confirmed that their PageRank system relies on about 200 factors when calculating search results. PageRank is the technology that Google uses to determine the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. It is a very sophisticated software algorithm that Google tweaked about 450 times last year. Think about that for a second, 200 factors and 450 changes last year. This is not something you should try to keep up with yourself. Leave this to an experienced and trusted provider like FindLaw

Google competes with other search engines by delivering the best search experience for the web user. Beware of anyone claiming to have a relationship with Google or the ability to promise page one results. It just does not exist.

Pages that Google considers important receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results. Google’s technology analyzes the full content of a page and factors such things as fonts, subdivisions and the precise location of each word. They also analyze the content found on neighboring web pages to ensure they deliver the best search results.

If all of this sounds too complex for an attorney to try to manage themselves, it is! What is the old adage about having a fool for a client? At FindLaw our team of experts use industry recognized best practices to build your website. Custom content, compelling designs and proven visibility techniques are used to consistently deliver a strong return on investment for our clients.

If you have additional questions about what we can do for you and your practice, please give me a call at 213-215-3481

FindLaw.com's page rank increases to an 8 as displayed by the Google Toolbar!

2008-10-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

What is PageRank?
PageRank is an internal tool Google uses to measure the importance of a site by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Among factors considered are the links pointing to a site, and the "quality" of the sites providing the links. The overall PageRank algorithm defines the value or power a site is considered to have, computed real-time. The internal PageRank value is Google’s proprietary information and may not be reflected publicly in the Google Toolbar.

What is Toolbar PageRank?
Google Toolbar PageRank displays the relative importance assigned to various Web sites. It can be seen by downloading the Google Toolbar function onto your Web browser. The Toolbar PageRank should only be viewed as a guide for how Google perceives the worth of a site compared to all other Web sites, as it may differ from the internal PageRank for each Web page (internal PageRank is the non-public, algorithmic PageRank Google assigns to each site). It is important to note that Toolbar PageRank will ebb and flow as the Internet evolves, and is not the sole factor that determines search results.

How do I download the Google Toolbar to view PageRank?
1. Click on the following link: http://toolbar.google.com/T5/intl/en/index.html
2. Click, "Install Google Toolbar 5 Beta"
3. Check the box, "Enable PageRank"
4. Click, "Accept and Download"
5. When prompted, run the file
6. The PageRank for each site visited should then appear in the designated spot below:

What is FindLaw’s PageRank?
FindLaw’s PageRank is currently an 8 according to the Google Toolbar, which is higher than most legal information sites. This ranking represents Google’s measure of importance of FindLaw.com to Web users. The following well-recognized brands presently share FindLaw’s PageRank of 8:

What are the top 3 PageRank myths?

Myth: PageRank values range from 0 to 10.
Truth: PageRank is a floating point number. Google rounds up the real value to the closest integer and puts it on the 0-10 scale, displayed in your browser toolbar.

Myth: PageRank value displayed in the toolbar is the one used to rank the results.
Truth: The toolbar value is updated every few months, with no regular schedule of update. Actual PageRank is calculated in real-time and is not reflected in the toolbar. The toolbar value should be considered not as a current rank but as a ballpark figure as of the latest toolbar update.

Myth: PageRank is the primary factor used to rank the search results.
Truth: Google employs many factors in ranking its search results – more than 200, of which PageRank is only one. Nobody outside the Google offices knows the actual weight of each factor. It is not uncommon for a site with a lower PageRank to outperform a site with a higher PageRank. Actual traffic and lead generation to a Web site – and not PageRank – are the best indicators of site success.

The Los Angeles Law Firm of Karlin & Karlin release of their new website

2008-09-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

The family owned and operated law firm of Karlin & Karlin recently released their new website. The father-and-son team of lawyers, Marc Karlin and Philip Karlin take pride in running a family-owned and family-run law firm. They bring decades of experience representing clients in business litigation, entertainment law, personal injury and immigration. Marc is the firm's business and entertainment lawyer and Philip is a certified specialist in immigration.

According to Marc, their mission is to keep costs down, to provide a personal touch, and to get results. The single highest indicator of their ability as lawyers is that our clients refer friends and family to us year after year.

Search Engine Marketing Continues to Increase In Importance for Law Firms

2008-09-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

Pew Internet & American Life Project reported in early August of 2008, that the percentage of internet users who use search engines on a typical day is 49%. This number has been steadily rising from about 30% of all users in 2002, 60% of internet users who use email on a typical day and with this increase, the number of those using a search engine on a typical day is getting closer to the being the same.

The report provides data supporting the fact that those who are using search engines on an average day are more likely to be socially upscale, with at least some college education and incomes over $50,000 per year.

Accordingly, search engine marketing continues to increase in importance for law firms. Using the right keywords and keyword phrases are a key success factor. Effective keyword selection starts with thinking through what makes your law firm unique. Attorneys should think in terms of their client base, competitors and practice goals when working with your SEM expert. The goal is to build a diverse set of keywords and keyword phrases around those qualities.

A good rule of thumb is that you’re usually better off competing for and winning a higher number of unique, small-volume word combinations (“I need to hire a lawyer because I was arrested for DUI in Los Angeles”) than going after just a few high-volume, and highly competitive, search terms (such as “DUI lawyer”).

Why is that the case? Here are the top three reasons;
- 40% of Internet searches are unique one of a kind searches; they’ve never been done before.
- very specific queries usually come from highly motivated prospects.
- while being #1 in the search engines for a more common search is fantastic, it’s all about converting new clients — and going about it in a strategic (and realistic) way.

The more specific the search, the more likely it is that a person who clicks-through from that search will be a better prospective client for you. If a law firm specializes in dog bite law in Phoenix, Arizona, a person who finds the law firm through the search query “Phoenix AZ dog bite law” is likely to be a far more qualified lead than someone who found the law firm through the query “personal injury law.”

You can’t anticipate every one-of-a-kind search, and your Web site would be unreadable if you tried. But a firm can improve its odds of generating traffic from specific, one-off queries (known as “Long Tail” searches). The key: maintaining a well-written, content-rich site filled with a broad range of relevant keywords.By taking that approach, you’ll be more competitive for both Long Tail searches and more popular search terms as well. An SEM expert who understands how legal prospects think and the search terms they use can help you cast a wide net and bring a greater number of well-qualified prospects to your Web site