Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Brown has been appointed local election officer for the Justice Department's nationwide Election Day program. He will oversee the handling of complaints of election fraud and voting-rights abuses in Western New York.

The program is part of an initiative launched in 2002 to deter voter intimidation, suppression, discrimination and election fraud and increase public confidence in the integrity of the election process.

Brown will be on duty in the district on Election Day, Nov. 4,and can be reached at 843-5700, ext. 853.

The FBI, reachable at 856-7800, will also have special agents available to handle allegations of election fraud, intimidation, suppression and other election abuses.

Complaints of ballot-access problems or discrimination can be made to the Civil Rights Division's Voting Section at 1-800-253-3931. Any reports of voter intimidation or suppression targeting voters on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin should be addressed to the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section, 202-514-3204.

Pair from Harter talk on e-Discovery

Kenneth Africano and John Horn, litigation partners at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, will speak at the Niagara Frontier Corporate Counsel Association seminar "21st Century Litigation: Understanding and Preparing for Electronic Discovery in the Digital Age."

The program will focus on corporate preparedness for the challenges posed by statutory obligations to disclose electronically stored information during litigation. It will begin at 8 a.m. Oct. 30 at The Buffalo Club. For more information, call Tracy Knisley at 844-3728.

Africano concentrates his practice in the areas of intellectual property, unfair competition, antitrust, securities fraud, and general commercial litigation. Horn focuses on areas including intellectual-property infringement, commercial disputes, and protection of trade secrets and confidential information.

Jaeckle lawyers speak at tax, mortgage events

Three Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel LLP lawyers will participate in upcoming seminars.

Paul Battaglia will serve as a presenter at the daylong Lorman Education Services seminar "Sales and Use Tax: An Overview and Update" Oct. 30 at the Buffalo Conference Center, 6 Fountain Plaza. For more information, go to www.lorman.com.

Battaglia is a partner in the firm's tax and estates-and-trusts practice groups.

Battaglia and Patrick Emmerling will present at the 55th Tax Institute, sponsored by the UB School of Management, Erie Institute of Law and New York State Association of CPAs. It will be held Nov. 6 and 7 at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo, 2 Fountain Plaza. For more information, call 852-8687.

Vincent Hanley will serve as a planning chair and panelist at the continuing legal education seminar "Mortgage Foreclosures and Workouts," to be held Nov. 19 at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center, 2402 N. Forest Road, Amherst. For more information, see www.nysba.org.

Hanley is a partner in the firm's business/corporate, economic/land development, financial services and real estate practice groups.

Additionally, Gayle Eagan served as a panelist at the Western New York chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' "Where There's a Will There's a Way: Overcoming the ‘But' in Planned Giving" panel discussion Oct. 22. She is a partner in the firm's estates-and-trusts practice gro