We are pleased to announce that Hyatt & Weber, P.A., has added Stephen B. Stern as a partner to its practice. Mr. Stern focuses his practice on commercial and civil litigation, with an emphasis on employment and insurance lawand other business disputes.
Mr. Stern has been practicing law for more than 15 years. Prior to joining Hyatt & Weber, P.A., Mr. Stern was a partner at Ross, Dixon & Bell, LLP, and, most recently, he was with Thompson, Loss & Judge, LLP, both in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Stern has successfully represented clients in federal and state courts and before federal, state, and local administrative agencies. His cases have involved various types of contract, tort, and statutory claims, some of which have resulted in jury and non-jury trials. Mr. Stern also has advised companies on various strategic matters, such as trade secret protection programs, wage and hour and other employment practices, privacy concerns, insurance coverage, independent contractor agreements and other business contracts, and document retention practices. Please click here to learn more about Stephen Stern.
Whether it is responding to an employee complaint, a customer complaint, a government investigation, or some other issue, it seems that companies are devoting more time and resources to conducting investigations. The appropriateness of the companys response can potentially help the company avoid liability, maintain a customer relationship, and protect its image, among other things. Thus, it is important to develop appropriate procedures for conducting investigations. 
A federal rule that restricts the ability of creditors to seize funds from federal exempt benefits held in bank accounts went into effect in 2011 and protects the following benefits: