In the News Dates: 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994

Year 2006 News:

Year 2003 News:

“Woman gets $800,000 for injury during blood donation”
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, November 3, 2003

“How the Moussaoui Case Crumbled” by Viveca Novak
Time, October 19, 2003
Veteran Virginia defense lawyer Nina Ginsberg, on the other hand, says the system is working exactly as it should. Brinkema was right, she says, to “not totally destroy” a defendant’s right to use exculpatory witnesses to get a fair trial.

“DiMuro looks back at his year as VSB Head”
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, June 30, 2003

“Jury Opens Deliberations in Federal Espionage Case Regan Could Face Death if Convicted of Spying Charges”
The Washington Post, February 11, 2003

Jury hits ‘Net startup with $177 million verdict
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, January 13, 2003

"Law firms no longer wooing graduates like it's 1999," by Tania Anderson
Washington Business Journal, March 7, 2003
For example, Alexandria-based DiMuro, Ginsberg & Mook, which has 10 attorneys, has had an unofficial hiring freeze for two or three years. "For a 10-person law firm to add one lawyer is a 10 percent increase in overhead," says Ben DiMuro, a partner with the firm. "It is a major decision for most law firms of that size."

"The trials of the new century," by Tania Anderson
Washington Business Journal, March 7, 2003
Some smaller law firms say they have benefited from a soft economy. Ben DiMuro, a partner with DiMuro, Ginsberg & Mook of Alexandria, says his firm has seen new business come in. "Larger companies that were flush with cash now look to a law firm that is able to give them the same quality of services without the same cost," he says. "We get an influx of newer clients that would traditionally not be concerned about the cost."

"Law school hopefuls put to the test by heavier competition," by Christopher Windham
Washington Business Journal, March 7, 2003
At DiMuro, Ginsberg & Mook in Alexandria, several lawyers entered the work force after college. "They are a little more mature," says Nina Ginsberg, who spent two years after college as a social worker in upstate New York before entering law school. "They have more concrete experience. I would not hold that [working] against anybody."

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Year 2002 News:

President's State of the Association Message
Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area, Inc., Winter 2002

The 2002 Legal Elite
Virginia Business, December, 2002

$177 Million for Internet Start-up Fraud
Lawyer's Weekly, September 30, 2002

Lost Luster: Dot-Com Falls to Fraud, Dot-com investors win $178 million
The National Law Journal, August 27, 2002

13 Tutornet.com ex-shareholders awarded $178 million
Potomac Tech, August 16, 2002

Primus on hook as key investor in Tutornet suit
Potomac Tech, July 8, 2002

"Washington Hearsay: The Lawyer's Column," by James V. Grimaldi
The Washington Post, July 1, 2002
Ben DiMuro, newly installed president of the Virginia State Bar, has outlined one of his top goals for his term: to explain the difference between his organization, which regulates attorneys in Virginia, and the Virginia Bar Association, a voluntary professional group. His first target: Hearsay. In the last column, we mixed up the groups.

"Accused Spy for Iraq on Trial,"
WTOP Radio Network, June 18, 2002.
Defense lawyer Nina J. Ginsberg of Alexandria, Va., said the government's decision to seek the death penalty for Regan was 'arbitrary and irrational.'

"Washington Hearsay: The Lawyer's Column," by James V. Grimaldi
The Washington Post, June 17, 2002
Speaking of bar presidents, Bernard Joseph DiMuro is the first Alexandria lawyer to become president of the Virginia Bar Association. The founding partner of DiMuro, Ginsberg & Mook, which includes Nina Ginsberg's booming practice defending accused spies, was installed Friday. Five of the past 12 Virginia Bar presidents have come from Fairfax County, but Alexandria has gotten the short shrift.

"Virginia Bar president has 'hot issues' on his docket,"
Washington Business Journal, June 10, 2002.
Alexandria attorney Bernard J. DiMuro, who assumes the presidency of the Virginia State Bar this month . . . discussed with contributing writer Sharon De La Garza Mulholland his plans as the State Bar leader.

"Puzzling Out DiMuro: Alexandria's Ben DiMuro takes over as VSB Chief"
Virginia Lawyer's Weekly, June 10, 2002.

"Virginia Bar president has 'hot issues' on his docket"
Washington Business Journal, June 7, 2002

"Trying Times for Tutornet"
TechNews.com, May 30, 2002

"Sex Offender Listing Challenged: Suit Says Online Va. Registry Violates Civil, Privacy Rights,"
The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com), April 17, 2002.
Four men convicted of sex crimes in Fairfax County are challenging Virginia's online sex offender registry, complaining that publishing their names, photos and addresses on the Internet violate their privacy and civil rights . . . Nina Ginsberg, the plaintiffs' attorney, said the state's registry is particularly broad because it publishes the names of violent sex offenders based solely on their convictions, without a separate determination that they remain dangerous.

"U.S. Supreme Court: Employee With Carpal Tunnel Not 'Disabled' Under ADA,"
Lawyers Weekly USA, January 21, 2002
In its unanimous decision [that a Toyota assembly line worker suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome wasn't substantially limited in the major life activity of performing manual tasks and thus could not sue under the ADA], the [U.S. Supreme Court] went to great lengths to make clear that the standard for qualifying as "disabled" is a stringent one. . . Alexandria, Va., management lawyer Jonathan Mook suggested that the court's language and tone might make it more difficult for plaintiffs to prevail in these cases. "I'm sure we're going to see [the phrase] 'demanding standard for qualifying as disabled' repeated in a number of briefs by employers," Mook said.

"Can ADA Plaintiff Get Accommodation That Violates Employer's Seniority System?"
Lawyer's Weekly USA, January 7, 2002
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments last month in a case that raises the issue of whether the Americans with Disabilities Act requires an employer to provide a "reasonable accommodation" that is inconsistent with the company's established seniority rules. . . .Alexandria, Va., management attorney Jonathan Mook, who attended the hearing, said that, "from the tenor of the argument, it didn't appear that the court was going to limit its decision."

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Year 2001 News:

"Spy Suspect Had Missile Site Coordinates,"
Spy Tech Agency (www.spytechagency.com), October 26, 2001.
When accused spy Brian P. Regan was intercepted by federal agents at Dulles International Airport in late August, he was carrying the coordinates of two foreign countries' missile sites and the addresses of Chinese and Iraqi embassies in Europe, according to an indictment handed up yesterday by a federal grand jury in Alexandria. . . . Regan's attorney, Nina Ginsberg, declined to comment on the indictment.

"Justices Tackle Big Employment Law Issues"
Lawyers Weekly USA, September 17, 2001.
Employment lawyers are most affected by the [U.S. Supreme Court's] docket. The field has become a "legal thicket" and the Court "is trying to clear away some of the brush that has developed among the lower courts in terms of their interpretations of various employment laws," says Jonathan Mook, an Alexandria, Va. Management lawyer.

"Spy Probe Seeks Cache of Classified Documents," Walter Pincus
The Washington Post, August 29, 2001.
The investigation of Brian P. Regan, the retired Air Force master sergeant arrested last week on espionage charges, has been widened to determine whether he assembled a large trove of secret documents with the intention of selling them gradually to various countries, government officials said yesterday. . . Nina Ginsberg, Regan's court-appointed attorney, declined to comment.

"VTLA Backs a Halt on Executions"
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, July 2, 2001.
The Virginia Trial Lawyers Association's Board of Governors has endorsed a moratorium on the death penalty in Virginia. . . Nina Ginsberg, an Alexandria criminal defense attorney who served on the committee that drafted the resolution, stood behind it. "When we live in a jurisdiction where we are willing to kill people because of preserving issues of finality, this state bar has the obligation to stand up and say something," she said. The resolution passed 41-22.

"VSB Backs Opening Disciplinary Process: Council Votes 46-11 for Access at District Level"
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, June 25, 2001.
. . .VSB President-elect Bernard J. DiMuro, who chaired the public access task force, said he views the council's decision [to make disciplinary proceedings against attorneys public at the district committee level] as "a positive move forward for the bar and the public, that will enhance the integrity of the system and the public's confidence in the disciplinary system."

"Australian Spy to Spend 15 Years in Prison,"
Australian Broad cast Co., transcript of AM broadcast at 0800 AEST on local radio, June 9, 2001.
Jean-Philippe Wispeleare, the Australian intelligence analyst who tried to sell US secrets on the international market, will have 15 years in jail to contemplate his failed attempt at espionage. The 30-year-old, who was arrested by FBI agents at a Washington airport in 1999, was sentenced in a federal court in Virginia. According to his lawyer [Nina Ginsberg], Wispeleare's spying efforts was so inept as to be comical. But she argues it was woefully inadequate vetting in Australia which mistakenly gave him access to secrets in the first place. . . .
NINA GINSBERG: He regrets what he's done, that he doesn't really understand why he did it, that he has no defense for it, it's a heinous crime. And he hopes that people will understand that he really is sorry for it and that he feels very guilty about betraying the Australian people, but the people he worked with who were very fine people.

"FBI Agent Jailed for Spying Fingered Hanssen 4 Years Ago Via NY Transfer News,"
The New York Times - On the Web, www.nytimes.com, May 28, 2001.
The former agent, Earl Pitts, who pleaded guilty to espionage charges, said he told the F.B.I. in a lengthy interrogation in June 1997 that he suspected Mr. Hanssen because he had learned that Mr. Hanssen, a counterintelligence official, had tried in the early 1990's to gain unauthorized access to secret information in the computer of another counterintelligence official. . . . Mr. Pitts's lawyer, Nina Ginsberg, said that he wrote to her from prison soon after Mr. Hanssen's arrest to tell her that he had mentioned Mr. Hanssen during his interrogation. She said she subsequently asked a Justice Department lawyer involved in Mr. Pitts's prosecution whether the fact that Mr. Pitts had provided information on Mr. Hanssen could be used to help reduce his sentence. She said that she never heard back from the Justice Department, and added that she now does not expect it to make any difference for Mr. Pitts.

"DiMuro Wins Race for VSB Post, by 57-43%"
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, May 7, 2001.
Alexandria lawyer Bernard J. "Ben" DiMuro has been elected president-elect of the Virginia State Bar, and will succeed current president-elect Michael A. Glasser in the presidency for the 2002-2003 term.

"Justice Will Rule on Key ADA Issues: Strategy in Pending Cases is Affected"
Lawyers Weekly USA, April 30, 2001.
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide two key issues - whether carpal tunnel syndrome is a disability, and whether an employer must accommodate a disabled worker even if doing so would violate its seniority rules. . . "The Supreme Court is realizing that it needs to take the bull by the horns, try to address the amorphous nature of the ADA and put some guidelines in place," says Alexandria, Va., attorney Jonathan Mook, who represents employers.

"Open up discipline process, State Bar task force urges"
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, January 15, 2001.
A special Virginia State Bar task force has recommended that district disciplinary hearings be opened to the public, but that private reprimands be preserved as a pre-hearing plea bargain option. . . . The recommendation achieves "a nice balance" -- offering the public earlier information, while maintaining safeguards against frivolous complaints, said Bernard J. DiMuro, an Alexandria lawyer and VSB presidential candidate, who served as chair of the task force.

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Year 2000 News:

"The Legal Elite: Labor/Employment"
Virginia Business, www.virginiabusiness.com, December 2000.
. . .attorneys were nominated by their peers for special note in their field of expertise. . . .Bernard J. DiMuro of DiMuroGinsberg & Mook, Alexandria [for Employment/Labor]. . .

"Ex-Groundskeepers sue Redskins' owner,"
The Detroit Times, September 23, 2000
A father and son who worked as groundskeepers for the Washington Redskins sued team owner Daniel Snyder, contending he defamed them in a magazine article. . . . "The allegation [made by Snyder] that (the Jenkinses) created the conditions of fields and were trying to kill players, and not even understanding what the conditions of fields are -- those statements are untrue," Bernard DiMuro, the lawyer for the two men, said . . ..

"'Direct Threat' Standard Goes out the Window"
HR Today, June 30, 2000.
Legal eagles are saying a recent court ruling has wedged HR between yet another rock and hard place. . . .The controversy is the result of a May 23 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling that said that under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Chevron USA Inc. could not deny a California oil refinery worker with hepatitis a job on the grounds that he presented a direct threat to his own and other employees' health. (Echazabal v. Chevron USA Inc. (102 DLR AA-1, 5/25/00)). . . By making this move, the court rejected a longstanding Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) position that employers could use the so-called "direct threat" argument as a legitimate defense against ADA claims when it came to health and safety. . . ."The ruling breaks new ground," says Jonathan Mook, a partner with DiMuro, Ginsberg & Mook, in Alexandria, Va. "This is a decision employers will need to take a close look at."

"The Price of Admission: Out of State Lawyers Sit Idle While Studying for the Virginia Bar"
Legal Times, May 8, 2000.
"The attorney who is not licensed in Virginia is certainly going to be prosecuted [for practicing law in Virginia]," says Bernard DiMuro, former chairman of the Virginia Supreme Court disciplinary Board and a partner in the Alexandria firm of DiMuro, Ginsberg & Mook. But because of Virginia's reputation for coming down hard on UPL violators, "there just aren't many attorneys who are so bold as to try to practice law [without a Virginia license]," he adds.

"EEOC Looks at Impact of Medication in ADA Cases,"
Federal EEO Advisor ("FEA"), January 2000.
Attorney Jonathan Mook told FEA in an interview the EEOC's policy might cause employers to delve deeper in to non-work related medical issues. . "Employers will need to obtain more medical information and rely more on physician consultants, particularly when it comes to [analyzing] side effects," Mook said. He added that while the guidance was intended for EEOC investigators, it has relevance for employers.

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Year 1999 News:

"Teacher can be sued for inflicting 'distress'"
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, October 4, 1999.
Alexandria lawyer Bernard J. DiMuro, counsel for the plaintiffs, said the result [of the Baird v. Rose case in which the plaintiff, a young girl, who was suffering from depression was denied participation in her school choir activities, was granted permission to pursue an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) discrimination claim] demonstrates that the ADA is "a law of inclusion, not exclusion." . . .this move will likely prompt a "wave of disability cases" relying on this lower standard.

"Supreme Court Puts Limits on What's A 'Disability' Under ADA"
Lawyers Weekly USA, September 6, 1999.
. . .the [Supreme Court] decisions provide badly needed guidance to employers on the scope of ADA. . . "It's a victory for common sense," agrees Jonathan Mook, who practices employment law in Alexandria, Va.

"ADA: Worker Can Sue for Disclosure of Medical History . . . Although Not Disabled"
Lawyers Weekly USA, June 28, 1999.
Where a company disclosed an employee's medical history to a prospective employer, it can be sued under the ADA even though the employee wasn't disabled, says the Eighth Circuit . . . "[The decision] emphasizes that the ADA protects more people than just those with disabilities," says Jonathan Mook, who practices employment law in Alexandria, Va. "Many employers have been thinking because of recent Supreme Court decisions that they needn't be that worried about the ADA because of the difficulty in proving someone has a disability. This case shows that there are certain provisions where it doesn't matter whether or not you have a disability."

"Alleged Spy's Lawyer Hints At Possible Strategy"
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, June 14, 1999.
A lawyer for a former Australian intelligence analyst accused of selling U.S. military secrets said that the documents her client is accused of selling may already have been available to the public. . . . During a brief federal court hearing. . . . defense lawyer Nina Ginsberg referred to Chinese claims that nuclear secrets the United States accuses China of stealing could have been accessed by anyone on the Internet.

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Year 1998 News:

Comments from Conference on Workforce Inclusion: From Barriers to Bridges
The National Press Club, October 7, 1998.
MR. MOOK: "I guess I'm sort of the contrarian here, since I represent mainly employers. . . at least in general, the ADA is working. I think that from my experience, most of the clients with whom our law firm deals and I've had contact certainly are tuned to the requirements of the Act and the need to reasonably accommodate employees. . .So at least in my experience, I think word is certainly out for most employers, particularly larger employers these days that the ADA is in effect, it has teeth employers cannot discriminate against persons with disabilities."

Ben DiMuro, as a Board of Directors member - Special Olympics Virginia, wrote several editorials for local newspapers throughout Virginia to honor Special Olympics' for its 30th Anniversary:
"Where the Heroes Are," by Bernard J. DiMuro
The Arlington Journal, Arlington, Virginia, July 30, 1998.
"Today's Real Sports Heroes can be Discovered in the Special Olympics," by Bernard J. DiMuro
The Freelance Star, Fredericksburg, Virginia, July 30, 1998.
Special Olympic athletes are winners on and off the field . . . Special Olympics stands as an oasis of friendship, character, and inclusion. In our search for heroes, we don't have to look very far.

A generation of these heroes has been changing attitudes across the globe about sports competition and the abilities of mentally retarded people.

"U.S. Judges Rules for Disabled Man: Kmart Corp.'s Lower Long-Term Benefits for Mental Illness Called Discrimination"
The Washington Post, June 12, 1998.
Jonathan Mook, a Washington-based lawyer who usually represents employers, pointed out . . . "Clearly employers need to be aware that limitations in a long-term disability plan may be subject to challenge," . . ."Until we get a more definitive ruling . . I don't think employers should rush out and change" their insurance.

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Year 1997 News:

"Injured Worker Can't Get 'Accommodation'"
Lawyers Weekly USA, September 22, 1997.
Washington DC defense attorney Jonathan Mook says the Third Circuit case illustrates a "common fact pattern with ADA cases."

"Cap on 'Mental Illness' Benefits OK Under ADA"
Lawyers Weekly USA, August 11, 1997.
The en banc decision is "a clear victory for the insurance companies," says Washington attorney, Jonathan Mook, who represents employers. . ."If the [insurance] office is accessible and the policy is in an accessible format, the fact that you purchased the policy in an insurance agent's office isn't going to give the plaintiff the hook to argue that the coverage itself violates the ADA."

"ADA Covers Hostile, Tardy, Sleepy, Distracted Workers: EEOC Issues 'Guidance' on Mental Problems"
Lawyers Weekly USA, April 7, 1997.
While [the EEOC Guidance is] not binding on the courts, it is binding on EEOC investigators. Therefore, "It helps an employer know how the EEOC is going to analyze a situation," says Jonathan Mook, a Washington, D.C. management lawyer. " If an employer knows how the EEOC is going to view it, then it can figure out how to avoid a legal problem."

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Year 1996 News:

"FBI Portrays Pitts as Spy Ignoring Clues Agents Were on to Him," Michael J. Sniffen
New Standard, December 20, 1996.
FBI supervisor Earl Pitts continued selling secrets to purported Russian spies for more than a year after he discovered a surveillance camera hidden in his office, where he had counted his payoff cash, the FBI says. . . . Yesterday, a grand jury in Alexandria, Va., indicted Mr. Pitts on 12 counts of espionage, conspiracy, bribery and other espionage-related violations. He could face up to life in prison. His lawyer, Nina Ginsberg, said that Pitts will plead innocent.

"Disabled Plaintiff Can't Be Reassigned Under ADA if This Violates Union Seniority Rights"
Lawyers Weekly USA, August 26, 1996.
The new decision "provides some needed certainly in this area," says Jonathan Mook, a defense attorney in Washington, D.C. "It makes clear that an employer is not placed between the proverbial rock and a hard place in attempting to fulfill its reasonable accommodation obligation under the ADA and its obligation to comply with the terms of a collective bargaining agreement."

"Employee is Asked if He Has 'Problems': Sues under ADA"
Lawyers Weekly USA, August 12, 1996.
Where a supervisor asked a disruptive employee if he was having any "problems" that the company could help him with and he was referred to an "employee assistance program," the employee can sue under the ADA, says the Ninth Circuit . . . "The employer should just terminate then and there," [and not try to help] says Washington, D.C. attorney Jonathan Mook. . . Mook says the case is especially scary for employers because the company did not ask the employee if he had a "disability"; it merely asked if he had any "problems," which is the kind of open-ended, "innocuous" question the ADA seems to call for.

"Valuable Resource: Legal Arena, Competition puts HR Managers among VIPs"
Washington Business Journal, Human Resources Quarterly/Education Section, Week of July 5-11, 1996.
In the old days, the human resources department was called "personnel" and dealt only with hiring, benefits, and other administrative issues. These days, managers have their hands full of issues as diverse as sexual harassment, drug abuse and downsizing. . . the job of human resources is getting more demanding . . .Alexandria attorney, Ben DiMuro is starting Civil Workplace to offer employment-law seminars tailored to the needs of corporations.

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Year 1995 News:

"Depressed Employees Get Big ADA Awards"
Lawyers Weekly USA, September 25, 1995.
Employees who were fired because their "depression" interfered wit their job performance are winning huge awards under the ADA and state disability statutes . . .These cases are "a wake-up call" for employers and their attorneys, says Washington, D.C. attorney Jonathan Mook. . . "A person with depression may need various types of accommodations and they may change over time. This is much more difficult than dealing with physical disability, where accommodations are fairly static."

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Year 1994 News:

"Navigating through the workers comp minefield", Guest Opinion by Jonathan Mook
Washington Business Journal, November 11-17, 1994.
Employers would be well-advised to keep track of available FMLA leave for each and every employee so that if an employee is injured on the job, there is no question as to how much FMLA leave he or she may be entitled to take.

"EEOC Guidelines Need Real-World Common Sense", Commentary by Jonathan Mook
Washington Business Journal, September 9-15, 1994.
The EEOC's [Interim Enforcement Guidance on Pre-employment Disability-related Inquiries and Medical Examinations] is supposed to give employers clear guideposts for judging what types of interview questions would be allowed under the ADA. Unfortunately, as the cited examples vividly demonstrated, the EEOC's Guidance in many ways simply has created more confusion.

"Rule Change Will Bolster Effective Disciplinary System," Guest Column by Bernard J. DiMuro
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, March 28, 1994.