An Alabama law firm has filed a class action lawsuit against the Tennessee Valley Authority on behalf of property owners impacted by a recent coal ash spill in East Tennessee that experts are now beginning to say may be the most significant environmental disaster in the United States since the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.

Several lawsuits have been settled over a Huntsville school bus crash that killed four high school students and left dozens injured two years ago.

MONTGOMERY, ALA. - Beasley Allen law firm will represent the City of Montgomery and its Police Department in an effort to recover money spent for new video surveillance equipment that failed to function properly. The equipment, which included surveillance cameras mounted in police patrol cars and related support software, was purchased from North Carolina-based Integrian.

Thomas J. Methvin began his legal career with Beasley Allen in 1988 representing victims of consumer fraud. He has served as Managing Shareholder of the firm since 1998. In 2007, Tom was featured in Fortune Magazine as one of America's Premier Lawyers, and was chosen by Birmingham Magazine as one of the Best Lawyers in Alabama in the field of personal injury and mass torts.

WETUMPKA -- The criminal case against a Montgomery man charged in a fatal accident on Lake Martin has been bound over to a grand jury. Patrick Leigh Cumbie faces boat­ing under the influence and homicide by vessel charges. Cumbie was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when the boat he was piloting ran into a pontoon boat Aug. 9 near Ko­waliga Marina. Donald Tatum, 62, of Prattville died as a result of the collision. Sue Tatum, his sister-in-law, was critically in­jured. Cumbie also is facing a civil lawsuit, which was filed in Montgomery County three days after the accident. Jere Beasley represents the Tatums in that lawsuit.

On Friday, June 27th, the United States Supreme Court issued an order rejecting all further appeals of the $20,709,000 pollution verdict entered against the Continental Carbon plant in Phenix City, Alabama, and against its parent company, China Synthetic Rubber Corporation of Taiwan.

Pharmaceutical company Merck says it will start cutting checks next month for former users of its withdrawn painkiller Vioxx. Merck announced plans today to fund the $4.8 billion settlement involving about 50,000 lawsuits.

Jere Beasley, founding shareholder of Montgomery, Alabama-based Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., has once again been recognized as one of the most outstanding lawyers in the United States. He was selected as one of 10 attorneys featured in The National Law Journal's 2008 special report, titled Winning: Successful strategies from some of the nation's top litigators.

The National Law Journal recently selected Jere Beasley as one of the top 10 litigators in the nation, including him in its special section, Winners. Here, writer Emily Heller profiles Beasley and shares his secrets of success.

Children First Foundation, Inc. (CFF) hosted The Jere Beasley Evening for Children at the Renaissance Hotel and Spa in Montgomery on last week. The event was designed to help the Foundation raise the funds necessary to advocate for the state's children on the legislative level. CFF felt that by celebrating the philanthropic work done by Mr. Bealsey, one who has given much to the less fortunate of the state, especially its children, could raise needed funds and educate the audience about the importance of action on the legislative level for children and their families, said a Foundation spokesperson.