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The article discusses the top ten common mistakes often committed by lawyers on malpractice claims on family law cases in the U.S. Among the pitfalls mentioned include the wrong client selection and poor relations with the clients, lack of communication with the client and fee disputes. Also noted are poor documentation, poor management of the emotions of the clients and insufficient knowledge about the law.

The article suggests lawyers responding quickly to security breaches using cyber liability insurance; reports issues faced by U.S. law firms related to data breaches; and mentions lawyers ethical obligation to protect the confidentiality.

The article offers business world predictions for 2012. Topics discussed is the expected implosion of the housing bubble in China, the crash of the Canadian housing market, and that Mitt Romney will win the 2012 U.S. Presidential election. Also considered are Germany's economy, the likelihood streaming video services will outperform broadcast television, and Russia's political power. Gadgets like tiny printers, powerful tablet computers, and encrypted USB storage devices are mentioned. INSETS: COULD CHINA BUY HUSKY?;WILL KINDLE PUMMEL THE iPAD?;WILL THE HOBBIT BE THE BIGGEST BLOCKBUSTER OF ALL TIME?;ON WHY WE SHOULD COOL IT

The article examines the risks associated with expanding law practice beyond state's borders in the U.S. to meet clients' needs include lack of knowing another state's procedures and laws.

The article offers several tips for lawyers who want a solo practice of law in the U.S. from locating an office to developing clients to employing technology to operating business.

The article explores the ways in which law firms can protect the clients' information while using cloud storage facilities until disposal of the information.

The article reports on the plan of Italian car manufacturer Fiat to save U.S. car manufacturer Chrysler, which was forced to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection during the financial crisis. The proposed merger of the Italian and U.S. car manufacturers has received support from U.S. industrial-policy experts. Under Fiat chief executive officer (CEO) Sergio Marchionne, hybrid research will be conducted by Chrysler, but will focus on gas-powered products.

This article discusses United States hedge fund activists who purchase shares and securities in corporate markets for immediate turn around sales in another. The author describes the effects that corporate control has on long-term shareholders and the economy itself. There are many cultural difference between the U.S. market and the Canadian market, but among the most visible is the Canadian justice system, which takes a more fundamental approach at solving attempted corporate takeovers.

The article discusses the staffing shortage at business schools. About 500 faculty positions remained unfilled at business schools in the United States last year, a vacancy rate increase of more than 100% since 2001. The right kind of PhDs are in short supply because business schools compete with the private sector for graduates, and universities are failing to attract enough candidates to meet market demand. Furthermore, since enrollment in business PhD programs has been falling across North America, some university administrations are responding by cutting back their expensive doctorate programs. In order to stay in business, some MBA programs have been converting PhD's from fields such as psychology and sociology into business profs; others are staffing up with non-academic instructors. Relying on "clinical" faculty who possess years of experience in the corporate trenches but lack the scholarly rigor that comes with a PhD is painted by the academic community as a dangerous short-term strategy. If you believe the Canadian Federation of Business School Deans, which wants Ottawa to fund an effort to generate more biz PhD's, the economy itself is at risk. With all due respect, that self-serving conclusion may be a bit of BS from the CFBSD. Fred Smith would certainly beg to differ with the deans. According to the founder, president and chairman of FedEx Corp., who does not have an MBA, everything anybody needs to become a great business leader is available online or at your local store. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that what MBAs are taught doesn't make them great CEOs. Well, after taking a groundbreaking look at the effectiveness of CEOs with MBAs in 2001, McGill University management professor Henry Mintzberg and a British colleague concluded that graduate business schools often "give students the confidence to make decisions but not the competence to deal with the messy reality in which decisions are executed."

The article features economist John Kenneth Galbraith. According to William F. Buckley Jr., Canada's gift to Harvard University has influenced the world more than any other economist alive. However, there are plenty of foes, some less friendly and informed than others. Galbraith's detractors typically argue he's a pop-star intellectual, someone who writes well-crafted fairy tales that pander to the anti-capitalist leanings of the chattering classes. Galbraith's notoriety was established by a trilogy of major works on economics. The first, American Capitalism: The Concept of Countervailing Power, outlined the role unions and consumers play in keeping corporate America in check. It was no great success when published in 1952. But The Affluent Society took the world by storm when it hit the shelves six years later. In it, Galbraith questioned America's priorities, pointing out wealthy folks have little to gain from tax cuts if the dollars saved force rich and poor alike to breathe dirty air. The New Industrial State, published in 1967, argued consumer wants are distorted when huge corporations dominate the market and use advertising to manufacture demand. Society would be better off, he suggested, with less production and more leisure time. At 95, he's frail and hard of hearing. But body and mind are still ticking--despite what he calls "a series of accidents, mostly involving blood pressure," which have pretty much confined the six-foot-eight economist to an armchair. "Bill Clinton and I planned to write a book together about the presidency," Galbraith told Canadian Business during a recent visit to his Cambridge, Mass., home, which hugs the Harvard campus. "But my health failed, as did some of my ambition." What he had left, however, was enough to finish The Economics of Innocent Fraud--Galbraith's latest, and probably last, jab at accepted truths.

The article discusses a border problem that could affect more than $200 billion in trade that passes between Windsor, Ontario and Michigan annually, most of which is transported by trucks that face costly delays crossing the Ambassador Bridge. There is a nine-point plan that could open the door for private developers to eventually proceed with proposed new river crossings, including a possible quick-fix solution by the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership, a venture financed by Canadian Pacific Railway and the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System. The community wants to bypass red tape and transform an existing train tunnel into a new state-of-the-art rail line and designated two-lane truck route. The real conflict is being waged between Windsor's new mayor, Eddie Francis, and former city boss Mike Hurst, who didn't run for re-election after serving 11 years as mayor. Hurst, one of the few local politicians to support the nine-point plan, recently signed on as CEO of the DRTP. The Detroit International Bridge Co., a private firm that operates the 74-year-old Ambassador Bridge, claims there is no immediate need for more pavement. The company insists its existing four lanes could easily handle twice the current daily volume of about 11,000 trucks, provided border authorities added more resources. David Bradley, head of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, insists another route is needed now. Another crossing could also reduce the economic impact of a terrorist strike. According to a study commissioned and publicized as a lobbying tool last year by DRTP officials, Ontario's bill for a short four-hour bridge service outage would total $7 million. Two days without the crossing would jointly cost Ontario and Michigan about $180 million, while a two-week shutdown would cost a whopping $2.3 billion. The study assumed that the two-lane Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, which opened in 1930, a year after the Ambassador Bridge, wasn't targeted.

Pulling off a luxury road trip is harder than you think. Being an image-conscious suck, I set out to make my trip both luxurious and acceptably masculine. My plan was brilliant. Everyone knows consumers have been carrying the economy, so I volunteered to celebrate consumerism by putting together a product-review package of camping goods. After weeks of skillfully working the phone, my dumbfounded neighbors watched as I packed my bright-yellow Hummer with solar-powered computing and entertainment gear to stock the common room in the Big Kahuna, a massive three-room Eureka tent, which I upgraded with a queen inflatable bed, ceiling fan and remote-controlled lighting supplied by Coleman. Soon I found myself overlooking a small dune that led to a secluded beach. "Don't do it; my wife said. But I didn't want to cruise the shore; I just wanted a photograph. Unlike my wife, I wasn't concerned about getting back up the small hill. None of that, of course, counted for much when the first local who found me stuck deep in sand informed me that a good storm would push the tide up and over my borrowed $83,000 truck. My cell phone didn't work. Then I saw OnStar. The service didn't send Batman, but some call centre in the US did get me a tow guy in less than two hours, despite the fact that I wasn't on a GPS listed road. My heart sank the minute my savior's truck started sliding off the road toward the Hummer, not the other way around. "Can't do it, pal,' he said. "Don't got enough truck." My pals are still laughing. As for me, I've learned to listen to my wife. I've also promised the god of consumer goods that I'll be more careful the next time I borrow almost $90,000 worth of stuff.

The article offers information on the significance of an efficient client selection process and discusses steps to manage the risk arising out of poor client selection policy by the U.S. lawyers. It informs that the lawyers should avoid the risk of dabbling, which means not to address cases outside their areas of expertise because of their financial or survival reason. It discusses some warning signs to be considered by all lawyers for achieving greater client satisfaction.

The article presents advice for lawyers and law firms on how to insulate their businesses against cyber crime and liability. Topics mentioned include Wisconsin laws mandating the confidentiality of client information, a list of services offering insurance for computer security breaches, and the importance of implementing digital security mechanisms such as passwords.

The article presents advice for lawyers in the United States responding to recent bad employment statistics in the legal field by striking out on their own and opening their own offices. Topics mentioned include the number of jobs available for each graduate per state, useful computer equipment for law offices, and how to build a client base.

The article offers several ways to manage risk-management strategies of lawyers to prevent them from spending legal-malpractice insurance deductible in the U.S. It notes the need of not giving bad reports to clients and letting them know the problems right away to assess their expectations. It states that letting clients make their own choices is okay as long as they were given enough information. It also mentions that what clients have heard matters more than what lawyers have said

The article reports on the recovery of the U.S. automobile manufacturer General Motors from bankruptcy which is attributed to former chief executive officer Rick Wagoner. The company announced in April 2010 that it had repaid its government loans in full five years ahead of the original schedule. Among the productive measures undertaken by Wagoner were improving product quality and negotiating significant labour concessions.

The article focuses on the impact of the U.S. border-security measures to the operations of the industries and economy. It states that though bridges can be constructed to transport products, the security rules can still blocked it. It mentions the study of Chamber of Commerce which shows that the time and budget to have a pre-clearance could be an uncontrollable problem for many industries. Industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers believes that borders limit the investment in the automobile industry.

The article examines the possibility of a second round recession in the U.S. based on the unemployment forecast of market analyst Meredith Whitney. The unemployment expectations of Whitney are at least 2.5 points higher than most official forecasts, which attracted criticisms against her abilities to predict economic trends. An overview of unemployment numbers around the world is presented, which indicates that the recession is probably not over yet.

The article reports on the currency exchange rate between Canada and the United States. In 1957, Canadian finance minister Donald Fleming's experiences being asked to weaken the national currency are described. The relationship between a rising Canadian dollar and a loss of manufacturing jobs is presented. Bank of Canada governor David Dodge is expected to consider an interest rate hike sometime in 2007.

This article discusses how the global economy continues to revolve around the United States. The author suggests that Canadian investors remember how various economic shocks have historically crossed borders because the next major shock may affect Canada more directly. The author continues by noting how foreign investing is affected by currency fluctuations. INSET: IS EVERYBODY HAPPY?.

In 2002, General Motors (GM), Ford, and Daimler-Chrysler's Chrysler Group continued to rely on aggressive incentives to prop up North American demand for their products. Detroit automakers are each buying time to complete internal renaissance projects they hope will convince more consumers to buy American. Incentives can damage bottom lines, which is why a senior Chrysler executive approached his GM counterpart on the floor of the North American International Auto Show in January for escalating the pricing war.

Focuses on Mike Cardiff, chief executive of wealth management software maker Fincentric Corp. How he left his position at Electronic Data Systems Corp. to join the start-up company; His reasons for joining Fincentric, including a desire to take a senior position in a big company; Changes at the company, including switching focus from providing software to credit unions and banks to wealth management software.

The article discusses the importance of sales experience for company executives in the United States. Topics mentioned include a cultural change to more aggressive selling, the importance of training for salespeople, and the need for executives to be aware of the conditions on the ground faced by their employees.

The article predicts that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney will be elected president of the United States in 2012. The author argues that the 2012 U.S. presidential election will be decided on the status of the U.S. economy and that Romney's business background will be to his advantage. The article contrasts Romney's trade policies with those of U.S. president Barack Obama and what a Romney presidency might mean for Canada. INSET: ON A THIRD U.S. NATIONAL PARTY.

The article provides insights into the credit worthiness of the U.S. government. According to the author, credit rating agency Standard & Poor's Ratings Services changed the rating of the government to negative from a rating of top AAA since 1941. He adds that the government's net indebtedness has increased by almost half of national income from 33 percent of gross domestic product in 2001 to 75 percent in 2011. The impact of the rating on the image of the U.S. government is discussed.

The article reports on the Canadian and world economy. The Statistics of Canada revealed that recession in the country ended in the third quarter of 2009, with real domestic gross product down just 3.3 percent from third quarter of 2008. Canada's economy has turned around faster and is expected to grow 6.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010. Equities in the U.S. rose in April 2010 due to U.S. employment report for March 2010. Though the world can rely anytime on China, its economic growth is supported by bad debt, according to the author.

The article reports on the U.S. congressional investigation into the safety of Toyota vehicles, which has raised concerns about the political motives of some U.S. lawmakers. The Japanese automobile manufacturer was prompted to recall more than eight million vehicles due to potential safety issues. The recall has severely affected Toyota sales in the U.S., but not in Canada. Supporters of Toyota claim that U.S. politicians are using the company to raise their political profiles.

The article presents an outlook for the performance of the Canadian dollar for 2010. The Canadian dollar's inconsistent performance against the U.S. dollar has baffled some economists, including Peter Hall. It climbed above 90 U.S. cent in 2009 as it became an attractive alternative to the ailing U.S. dollar. The growing strength of the Canadian dollar has prompted Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney to warn that it threatens gross domestic product (GDP).

The article reports on the decision of the U.S. government to remove its 400 billion U.S. dollar cap on aid to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The mortgage firms jointly own or insure about 5 trillion U.S. dollars of mortgage-backed securities. The announcement was made by Treasury officials in December 2009, which was criticized by Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Among the analysts who commented on U.S. indebtedness were Peter Demirali and Daryl Jones.

The article reports on a tentative plan announced by U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to terminate the 700 billion U.S. dollar Troubled Asset Relief Program in 2010. The announcement has been applauded by critics of the program, which include the investment banking community claiming that it has caused more problems than it has solved. It is suggested that the real benefits of the program cannot be immediately assessed.

In this article the author criticizes the U.S. industrial policy known as Cash for Clunkers program which offers consumers a rebate worth as much as 4,500 U.S. dollars to upgrade old cars to more fuel-efficient vehicles. It is suggested that the program helped the troubled U.S. automobile industry in the near term. The author also cites the disadvantages of the program and calls for the Canadian government not to adopt similar program.

The article reports on a scandal involving unlicensed investment manager Earl Jones which reflects flaws in Canada's way of fighting white-collar crime. Jones has been charged of running a Ponzi scheme that may have cost about 150 investors in Canada and the U.S. Securities expert Poonam Puri criticizes the lack of coordination among the Quebec police and other regulators in the case. It is noted that the charges against Jones have not been proven in court.

The article explores the state of the economy and the real- estate business in Florida. It is noted that the state's economy went into recession at least nine months ahead of the U.S. with above-average excesses in housing and commercial real estate. Florida also suffered from the falling home prices because urban condominium development got way ahead of demand. There also has been a 90 percent decline in new single-family home permits.

The article looks at the U.S. government's bailout of several companies in the automotive industry, including General Motors Corp. and Chrysler. Canadian analysts comment on how the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama will help to push Americans towards purchasing smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

This article discusses the continued marketability of U.S. Treasury bills despite the fact that their interest rates have effectively dropped to zero. Speculation by Alex Jurshevski of Recovery Partners Ltd. about the limits of demand for U.S. government debt is noted. The optimism of economist Robert Brusca, who believes that the U.S. government is still in a better financial position than other industrialized nations, is also considered.

This article discusses rumors that U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd is using his position as the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee to block the confirmation of nominees to the U.S. Federal Reserve Board of Governors. It discusses limitations to the activities of the Federal Reserve while the nominations of Betsy Duke and Larry Klane, and the reappointment of Randall Kroszne are pending.

The article presents an overview of bear markets in securities trading. A discussion of the investment opportunities bear markets offer to U.S. investors, and of opinions from financial professionals concerning the future of the 2008 economy of the U.S. and the chances of seeing a bear market, is presented.

An editorial is presented discussing trade between Canada and the United States and impacts of the struggling U.S. economy on Canada's export trade. Canada signed a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association, which includes Iceland, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Norway, but the author believes trade agreements should strengthen economic ties with the U.S.

The article discusses the cyclical nature of U.S. markets and notes things to consider for people wondering when they should get out of the market in anticipation of a decline. Raised rates and the tightening lending terms are mentioned along with a 35% U.S. corporate income tax, the highest in the world.

The article reports that automobile supplies industry Delphi Corp. has filed for bankruptcy and questions whether automobile maker General Motors Corp. (GM) will file for bankruptcy next. CEO Robert Miller has been criticized for offering the senior management at Delphi a multi-million dollar retention package just days before proposing wage cuts for Delphi workers. The article discusses Miller's restructuring plans. It had been hoped that GM might rescue Delphi in order to ensure a stable supply base, since GM is Delphi's biggest customer.

Presents an interview with John Kenneth Galbraith, an economist, diplomat, journalist, and Harvard professor. His thoughts on John Kerry, Iraq, democratic liberalism, corporate directorships, Albert Speer, the Kennedy assassination, and his book "The Great Crash"; His career highlights in the United States; The date of his birth in Iona Station, Ontario.