Humor and the Law Jan. 21

The Workers Compensation Section will begin the year with a video that takes a lighthearted look at the law and all its foibles at its Wednesday, Jan. 21 meeting.

The featured speaker for the program is Mtchell Golding of Kennedy, Lipski and McDade. The meeting begins at 12 p.m. in the 11th floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. Lunch is available for $8 for those members who register in advance. Click here to RSVP for this program.

APABA-PA Lunar Banquet Jan. 23

The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania will celebrate the Year of the Ox at its 2009 Lunar New Year Banquet on Friday, Jan. 23 at Ocean Harbor Restaurant, 1023 Race St., beginning at 6 p.m.

In addition to a dinner including several courses of meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes, the banquet will also feature a traditional Lion Dance performance by the Philadelphia Suns and a live band.

Tickets are $30 for government/public interest 2009 paid members; $40 for all other 2009 paid members; $50 for non-members; $15 for children; $30 for law student members of an APALSA; and $400 per table. Please RSVP by Tuesday, Jan. 20. For questions, contact executivecommittee@apaba-pa.org. To purchase tickets in advance online (for a nominal surcharge) visit apaba-pa.org.

Basic Philadelphia, Pa. Transfer Tax CLE Program Jan. 27

The Pennsylvania Bar Institute will present a CLE program on Basic Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Realty Transfer Tax on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

The program begins at 12:30 p.m. at The CLE Conference Center on the 10th floor of the Wanamaker Building. Registration and lunch begin at 11:45 a.m.

Whether you are a real estate, trusts and estates, business, bankruptcy, or tax lawyer, or a small general practice firm, you need to understand the ins and outs of realty transfer tax. Join us for this basic level program that will provide you with an overview of both Pennsylvania state realty transfer tax, as well as Philadelphia realty transfer tax, and highlight where there are differences between state and local Philadelphia transfer tax regulations.

Wendi Kotzen, a partner in the Tax Group of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, and Stanley Kull, a tax partner at Saul Ewing, will highlight the importance of understanding realty transfer tax and the ways in which you may be able to save your clients money, or avoid the tax entirely, depending upon how a transfer is structured. Get answers to these questions and much more from Kotzen and Kull and bring your questions to the program to get insight and answers from our expert faculty members.

This seminar is intended for those who have only a little or NO understanding of realty transfer tax or who are handling fairly simple property transfers. For a more in-depth and complex review of transfer tax issues, be sure to sign up for PBI's "Advanced Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Realty Transfer Tax" seminar. Click here to register.

Familiar Scene for the Eagles

by Jeff Lyons

It's been said that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. So what are we to make of Eagles president Joe Banner's statement that both coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb will be back with the team next season?

Banner's statement came minutes after the Eagles were beaten by Arizona Cardinals in their fifth NFC Championship Game under Andy Reid. Big Red sports a 1-4 record in these games with McNabb as his quarterback. Is that a record worthy of a return for an 11th season?

There's plenty of blame to go around for Sunday's loss. I don't have enough fingers to point out all the negatives. But it's infuriating to see the defense play as well as it did in the second half after letting Kurt Warner run roughshod over them in the first half. The second-half comeback was encouraging, but McNabb has seldom, if ever, led the Eagles to a winning scoring drive in the last two minutes of a game.

Maybe it was unrealistic to think the Eagles were going to make the Super Bowl. After all, they needed all the cosmic tumblers to click into place just to make the playoffs in the first place. They beat a mediocre Vikings team in the first round and then shot down the Plaxico Burress-less Super Bowl champion Giants in the second round. The Cards' Warner is a two-time NFL MVP and has won a Super Bowl, where he was also MVP. And he’s got Larry Fitzgerald, an absolute beast of a wide receiver, as one of his receivers. That is worth noting.

Remember when the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl? They had a world-class wide receiver (Terrell Owens) who also happened to be a world-class jerk. But when McNabb needed the big play, T.O. was there. McNabb has no such weapons now. Kevin Curtis and Desean Jackson are nice complimentary receivers, but neither is a true No. 1. The Eagles need a game-breaking wideout to make it to the next level. They also need some help on the offensive line as Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan get older and more beat up.

Maybe it was all the good feelings left over from the Phillies World Series title that lulled Philadelphia fandom into thinking the Eagles were going to win the Super Bowl. But it says here they were beaten by a better team.

And speaking of the Phillies, there are just 25 days until pitchers and catchers report for spring training.

Jeff Lyons, senior managing editor of publications for the Philadelphia Bar Association, is a fanatical Philadelphia sports fan. His e-mail address is jlyons@philabar.org.