FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FIRST DREAM LAWSUIT UPDATE: COURT ORDERS EUROPEAN CONNECTIONS & TOURS TO ATTEND MEDIATION, IN TEXAS
Dallas, Texas - February 23, 2005
Dallas attorney Charles H. Steen announced an important victory today in First Dream's Texas lawsuit against defendant European Connections & Tours, Inc. The Texas court entered an order commanding defendant European Connections to mediation, in Texas, with plaintiffs Jack Bragg and First Dream, Inc. during March 2005. "Mr. Bragg and his company, First Dream, are delighted with the court's order, and look forward to attending court-ordered mediation with European Connections because, quite simply, mediation works," Steen said.
According to Bragg, "The hallmark of First Dream is sincerity: We take indivdual and group tours of sincere men to Ukraine and Russia, in pursuit of real, long-term marriages to sincere ladies. The same simply can not be said about some of our competition. The lawsuit makes that very clear."
Atlanta-based European Connections & Tours became a defendant in the First Dream lawsuit on June 14, 2004, and now, as asserted in the lawsuit, faces civil damages claims for: (1) gross and malicious libel and slander; (2) unlawful interference with business relations; (3) damaging honest competition by marketing false and fraudulent information; and (4) engaging in unlawful restraints of trade.
The court's order appoints Texas Senior District Judge John Bradshaw to preside as the mediator. According to Steen, "Judge Bradshaw's resume is the 'Gold Standard' for a Texas jurist. He was an Army officer in the 1950s, then he went to law school in Texas, he prosecuted 'white collar' criminals here during the 1960s, and ascended to the Texas District Court bench in the 1970s. His personal experience also includes several years of oil exploration work and, of course, ranching. When it comes to Texas law -- and Texas culture -- Judge Bradshaw is the real thing," Steen said.
"In business litigation, when a defendant finally realizes that he needs a resolution -- instead of having his dirtiest laundry aired in a public trial -- mediation can easily become his last, best hope to make restitution, and to clean up his company's act," Steen said. "If mediation fails, then we go forward to trial, which is set for July 2005. Under the Texas rules of court, First Dream then must prepare its evidence against European Connections for the public record. We don't have secret trials in Texas," Steen explained, "whatever goes into evidence becomes public information. If this dispute is not resolved at mediation, then we go to trial, with a Texas jury."
To obtain copies of the lawsuit or other Court papers, send your letter with a SASE to:
Charles H. Steen, Esq.
The White House on Turtle Creek
2401 Turtle Creek Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75219
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