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S&W Locates Two Children in Medford, MASullivan & Worcester Locates Two Children in Medford, Masssachusetts, Allegedly Abducted from Portugal in 2005Press Release, October 27, 2006 BOSTON, Mass…Sullivan & Worcester LLP obtained a federal court order this week arising from the alleged abduction of two children from Portugal to Massachusetts. Last night, the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office served the order on Fatima Bettencourt, at a residence in Medford, Massachusetts. The order required Ms. Bettencourt immediately to surrender her passport and the children's passports, and prohibited her from leaving the jurisdiction. The children's father, Paulo Renato Bettencourt (age 33 of Lajos do Pico), has been searching for his children since late 2005. According to the Verified Petition that Mr. Bettencourt filed last week, he possesses a court order giving him full custody of the two boys, ages 5 and 2, in Portugal. Sullivan & Worcester Associates Lisa M. Hodes and Lindsay Barna are co-counsel on the matter, which has been filed in federal court in Boston under an international treaty known as the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Ms. Hodes stated: "The Middlesex County Sheriff's Office was extremely helpful in finding the children, which required efforts at multiple addresses in Medford." Ms. Barna added: "This matter is scheduled for a hearing before United States District Judge William G. Young in Boston, Massachusetts on November 10, 2006. Through these proceedings, Mr. Bettencourt seeks the return of his children to Portugal." The two young boys have been located in connection with Sullivan & Worcester's pro bono project, S&W International ChildFind. Under the program, Sullivan & Worcester attorneys provide legal assistance to parents of limited financial means, whose children have been abducted across sovereign borders. More than 200,000 children are abducted by family members each year and moved across international borders making it extremely difficult for parents to locate them. Sullivan & Worcester Partner Barry Pollack, who runs the S&W International ChildFind Program, said "I am proud that my colleagues, Ms. Hodes and Ms. Barna, continue to help parents like Mr. Bettencourt who otherwise might never see their children again." Contact: ### About Sullivan & Worcester LLP Sullivan & Worcester LLP is a leading corporate law firm providing counsel to domestic and international clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to emerging businesses. With 200 lawyers in Boston, New York and Washington D.C., the firm offers services in a wide range of areas including corporate finance; securities; litigation; mergers and acquisitions; tax; real estate; private equity and venture capital; bankruptcy; regulatory law and employment and benefits. Sullivan & Worcester is also recognized for its representation of REITs and its deep expertise in energy and mutual fund law.
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