Wills

Orthofix Announces Full Commercial Launch of the WaveForm L Interbody System for Lateral Lumbar Fusion Procedures

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 6, 2023

(NASDAQ:OFIX), a leading global spine and orthopedics company, today announced the full U.S. commercial launch of the WaveForm® L Lateral Lumbar Interbody System.

Key Points: 
  • (NASDAQ:OFIX), a leading global spine and orthopedics company, today announced the full U.S. commercial launch of the WaveForm® L Lateral Lumbar Interbody System.
  • Designed for lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) procedures, the 3D-printed WaveForm L features a porous structure that prioritizes strength and stability to provide a robust fusion environment.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231106564293/en/
    The WaveForm® L Lateral Lumbar Interbody System is designed for lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) procedures.
  • The 3D-printed WaveForm L features a porous structure that prioritizes strength and stability to provide a robust fusion environment.

Most Canadians wish they were more financially literate: CIBC Poll

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 6, 2023

"Having early and on-going conversations is important for parents who want their kids to develop high levels of financial literacy.

Key Points: 
  • "Having early and on-going conversations is important for parents who want their kids to develop high levels of financial literacy.
  • The poll also found that Canadians are putting more scrutiny on their finances in a more challenging economy.
  • Overall, most Canadians (60 per cent) wish they had a stronger level of financial literacy, which indicates a need for more advanced or specialized help.
  • The results have been weighted by education, age, gender, and region (and in Quebec, language) to match the population, according to Census data.

Sompo Horizon and Trust & Will Partner to Expand Estate Planning Solutions for Working Caregivers and Their Care Recipients

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Sompo Horizon , an employee benefits caregiving provider and subsidiary of Sompo Holdings is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Trust & Will , the leading digital estate planning and settlement platform.

Key Points: 
  • Sompo Horizon , an employee benefits caregiving provider and subsidiary of Sompo Holdings is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Trust & Will , the leading digital estate planning and settlement platform.
  • This collaboration brings together two forward-thinking companies with a shared mission of empowering individuals to take control of their end-of-life planning.
  • The partnership will allow users of the CareGoPortal to seamlessly access Trust & Will’s intuitive and user-friendly platform directly through the CareGo portal.
  • Since its founding in 2017, it has helped hundreds of thousands of American create customized plans, revolutionizing the traditionally cumbersome process of estate planning.

Wills Group Announces Appointment of Mark Samuels as Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, October 11, 2023

The Wills Group, a family-owned company headquartered in La Plata, Maryland, announced today the appointment of Mark Samuels to Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing , effective as of October 1, 2023.

Key Points: 
  • The Wills Group, a family-owned company headquartered in La Plata, Maryland, announced today the appointment of Mark Samuels to Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing , effective as of October 1, 2023.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231011988926/en/
    Mark Samuels appointed Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing at the Wills Group (Photo credit: Ana Isabel Martinez Chamorro).
  • (Blackie) Wills, III, President and CEO of the Wills Group.
  • “I am honored to take on this expanded leadership role at the Wills Group,” said Samuels, Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing at the Wills Group.

Foresters Financial maintains its "A" (Excellent) AM Best and "A" DBRS Financial Strength ratings

Retrieved on: 
Friday, October 13, 2023

TORONTO, Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Foresters Financial™ (Foresters), the fraternal life insurer redefining the life insurance industry, today announced that independent rating agency A.M. Best Company has affirmed The Independent Order of Foresters (IOF) Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of "A" (Excellent) with a stable outlook.

Key Points: 
  • TORONTO, Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Foresters Financial™ (Foresters), the fraternal life insurer redefining the life insurance industry, today announced that independent rating agency A.M. Best Company has affirmed The Independent Order of Foresters (IOF) Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of "A" (Excellent) with a stable outlook.
  • Foresters Financial has maintained an Excellent A.M. Best financial strength rating for 23 consecutive years1.
  • "Foresters is committed to maintaining our strong financial foundation and fulfilling our obligations to our members," said Alvin Sharma, Global Chief Financial Officer, Foresters Financial.
  • "These strong ratings from AM Best and DBRS Morningstar evidence the financial stability of the organization.

Taco/Social Celebrates Grand Opening with Free Tacos on Tuesday, October 10

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 9, 2023

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Taco/Social, a new Eagle Rock casual dining spot featuring inventive, freeform tacos and a broad selection of tequila-based cocktails, announced today that it will hold its official grand opening celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 10, and will offer a FREE TACO to anyone who follows @tacosocial on Instagram. Guests who stop by the restaurant (1627 Colorado Blvd) between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. can choose any one of the menu's inventive freeform tacos for free to savor in the restaurant or to take-away. Taco/Social will also be offering up sample tastes and fun giveaways for guests to enjoy throughout the day. 

Key Points: 
  • Taco/Social will also be offering up sample tastes and fun giveaways for guests to enjoy throughout the day.
  • Inspired by flavors from around the world, Taco/Social offers an unconventional take on LA's favorite food—with inventive tacos such as Banh Mi, Tikka Masala, Greek Life and Nola Po Boy.
  • "We use a counter order format, but our tacos are incredibly well crafted, making our food both craveable and affordable.
  • "You can come for the food and grab some drinks or come for a drink and grab some delicious, memorable tacos."

Fintech Startup Origin Acquires MyAdvocate Assets to Expand Financial Wellness Platform, Make Estate Planning Easy and Affordable

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, October 4, 2023

The acquisition helps Origin extend its financial wellness platform - already the broadest for personal finance - into estate planning, including wills and trust creation.

Key Points: 
  • The acquisition helps Origin extend its financial wellness platform - already the broadest for personal finance - into estate planning, including wills and trust creation.
  • According to Caring.com , two out of three Americans do not have any estate planning documents - leaving their heirs and legacy at risk.
  • “Estate planning is something a lot of people avoid because it can be expensive and complicated,” said Matt Watson, Founder and CEO of Origin.
  • “Wills and trusts are an important, but often overlooked, part of financial planning, and we want to make it easy for our members to protect their assets and their loved ones.”

Haven Life and Nolo Partner to Empower More Americans on Their Financial Journeys

Retrieved on: 
Friday, September 29, 2023

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Haven Life, a leading digital life insurance agency backed and wholly owned by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Nolo, a leading provider of consumer-friendly legal products and products for consumers and businesses and a wholly owned subsidiary of MH Sub I, LLC. This collaboration helps expose more consumers to the important benefits of life insurance at pivotal times in their lives where they may be seeking legal resources and relevant expertise.

Key Points: 
  • "Nolo is committed to ensuring that traditionally complicated business documents like wills, trusts and life insurance are accessible and easy to execute.
  • Haven Life is committed to making life insurance more convenient for how consumers want to do business today," says Wade Seward, Head of Distribution Strategy at Haven Life.
  • "We are thrilled to partner with Haven Life to bring an all digital life insurance experience to our consumers seeking online legal services," said Matt Kanaly, Director at Nolo.
  • Together, we are delivering legal and financial solutions in a way that resonates with today's self-service consumers."

The family home in South African townships is contested – why occupation, inheritance and history are clashing with laws

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 26, 2023

In racially segregated townships, living in “family houses” and passing them on depended officially on a range of permits.

Key Points: 
  • In racially segregated townships, living in “family houses” and passing them on depended officially on a range of permits.
  • A crucial measure in undoing apartheid was transferring ownership of township houses to their long-term residents.
  • In 1986, a few years before apartheid’s end, the law changed to enable outright ownership for black people in urban areas.
  • The family house is central but effectively legally invisible, leaving many people uncertain about what it even means to own or inherit.

Collective home but individual property

    • Often, a group of siblings is at the core – the children of an earlier, typically male, household head.
    • Family members might build extra structures on the site to live in.
    • A family member would come forward as family “representative” and “custodian” of the collective home.
    • In many cases, relatives were unaware that this had happened, or even that an application for title had been made.

Inheritance: an added layer of complexity

    • Inheritance has added another layer to the problem.
    • These were finally struck down by the Constitutional Court in 2000 and 2004.
    • Inheritance by the eldest son was replaced by rules for all South Africans, prioritising spouses and children in nuclear families.

Efforts to resolve the issue

    • In Gauteng province, where Johannesburg is located, housing tribunals were set up in the late 1990s to decide ownership and to broker family house rights agreements.
    • But it turned out that they held no legal water: from the point of view of deeds registration, custodians’ ownership was unrestricted.
    • In the Master’s Office, where inheritance is administered, kin complain that their family home somehow became the property of one relative.
    • In Johannesburg, officials try to explain the law, while where appropriate querying how title came to be acquired.

Towards legal recognition

    • In 2022, the Shomang judgment in the North Gauteng High Court called for legally recognising the family house.
    • A sufficiently flexible notion of family title would be challenging to work out, and doubtless the basis for countless disputes.

No gavels, no hearsay and lots of drinking: a law expert ranks legal dramas by their accuracy

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 26, 2023

But it would be wrong to think that all we see on legal television shows is accurate – even when it claims to capture reality.

Key Points: 
  • But it would be wrong to think that all we see on legal television shows is accurate – even when it claims to capture reality.
  • Most legal dramas are terrible at capturing the realities of law.

Not accurate: Law(less) and (dis)Order

    • As with most serials, Law and Order presents the criminal justice system as moving quicker than you can say dun dun.
    • The mean duration of criminal law matters in Australian higher courts was almost one year (50 weeks) across 2021-22.
    • Most criminal matters do not proceed to a full trial as an accused will often plead guilty to the charges.
    • And should an accused be found guilty, a chunk of their sentence would be reduced by time served awaiting trial.

Not accurate: Suits

    • Suits (2011-19) centres around law firm partner Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and his mentorship of Mike Ross (Patrick Adams) – the “lawyer” who never graduated law school and provides legal advice thanks to his photographic memory.
    • In Australia, law students who present themselves to be lawyers are subject to sanctions by the Legal Services Commission.
    • While Suits has left its mark(le) on the popular imagination of law, it fails to address one of the primary duties of civil litigation: the duty of disclosure.
    • It’s not like the lawyers of Suits have ever really been concerned about ethics, though.

Not accurate: How to Get Away with Murder(ing rules of evidence)

    • Annalise Keating (Davis) and her ragtag team of morally illiterate law students (although I never see them studying?!?!)
    • manipulate people to obtain evidence and then dramatically prompt witnesses on the stand to read this information into the record, or otherwise “sneak” it into the trial.
    • One of the most important rules of evidence deals with hearsay evidence.

Accurate: Fisk

    • Fisk excels in showing the importance of lawyer-client relations and the word-of-mouth that sustains much of small legal practice.
    • It’s the anti-Suits, and Fisk is more powerful for it.

Accurate: Rake

    • Rake excels at showing the reality of law.
    • Australian courts do not use gavels, and their presence in legal dramas in Australian and UK courts shows a lack of attention to detail.
    • Rake is accurate, in part, because the site of drama is rarely the courtroom, but rather Greene’s personal life.