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Press Release

Serving all of Louisiana - and now - Mississippi

E Eric Guirard Injury Lawyers Response
to Senate Bill No. 617

Restrictions on Lawyer Advertising

BATON ROUGE, La., May 11, 2006— Senate Bill No. 617 introduced by Sen. Robert “Rob” Marionneaux, which seeks to regulate lawyer advertising, is in clear violation of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and the Louisiana Constitution. The Supreme Court of Louisiana has the express authority to regulate attorneys while the Louisiana State Bar Association was devised to provide structure and regulations for the practice of law. E Eric Guirard Injury Lawyers applauds efforts to set up and enforce standards for legal advertising, but the standards must be applied by the appropriate authority—the Louisiana Supreme Court.

In Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, the U.S. Supreme Court clearly states lawyer advertising is commercial speech that falls under First Amendment protection. Lawyer advertising serves a legitimate purpose in providing the public with helpful information. It serves as a vehicle to let the public know that legal representation is available to everyone regardless of their backgrounds and economic situations.

“Our law firm is confident that any of our commercials and marketing materials would qualify under any standards set up by an advertising review committee,” says E Eric Guirard. “In fact, we invite anyone to visit our Web site, www.eGuarantee.com, to view our commercials in their entireties. We utilize humor in some of our marketing materials, however, they all carry a serious message—we help injured people.”

Mr. Guirard continues, “On the floor of the Louisiana State Senate, Sen. Marionneaux used two of our firm’s hundreds of commercials in a way that was both inflammatory and misleading. Included for review is the script of the commercial spot, ‘The Race.’ Read the spot in context and see that it uses humor to encourage viewers to rise above the onslaught of injury lawyers chasing a victim following an accident.”

Senate Bill No. 617 calls for a committee whose responsibility is to pre-review tens of thousands of lawyer advertisements from across Louisiana including all written, audio, audio-visual, digital or other electronic solicitation communication. The volume and breadth of the task for this committee would be unworkable as they would be limited to only removing information that is false or misleading.

“It is unfortunate at a time of economic and social emergency in the state of Louisiana that Sen. Marionneaux is wasting the time of the state senate and public tax dollars debating an issue over which there is no public outcry,” states Mr. Guirard. “The legislature of Louisiana has more important things on its plate than regulating attorney advertising. Sen. Marionneaux’s constituents are concerned about health care costs, crime, taxes, homeland security and our economy. Sen. Marionneaux should have introduced a bill that prohibits sitting state senators, like himself, from suing the state of Louisiana. Senate Bill No. 617 is unconstitutional and will ultimately be struck down.”

About E Eric Guirard Injury Lawyers
Founded in 1994 by partners E Eric Guirard and Tommy Pittenger, the law firm of E Eric Guirard Injury lawyers has litigated a wide range of personal injury claims throughout Louisiana. With offices in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, the firm handles all forms of personal injury and litigation work. Known for the slogan "Get the E Guarantee®," E Eric Guirard Injury Lawyers take great pride in their reputation as litigators and negotiators always committed to representing the rights of individuals. For more information, visit www.eguarantee.com.

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Note to Editors: Below please find the transcript of E Eric Guirard’s commercial spot “The Race.”

E Eric Guirard Voiceover:

“If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, many lawyers will be lining up to chase after your case.”

“I’m E Eric Guirard. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, I’ll help you get the money for your injuries…the money you deserve. Don’t get lost in the chase. Call me right now at 433-EEEE and get the ‘E’ guarantee.”