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Sullivan & Worcester Reunites Father in Portugal with Two SonsSullivan & Worcester Reunites Father in Portugal With Two Sons After Year of SeparationPress Release, December 13, 2006 BOSTON, Mass… After a five-day trial before the Honorable William G. Young, a federal court in Boston issued an Order earlier today mandating the return of two young children to their father, Paulo Bettencourt, in Portugal. The Order requires the return of the two children to Portugal within three weeks. After closing arguments, the children's mother, Fatima Bettencourt, agreed to specific terms that will govern the return of the children to Portugal and the parties' parental rights there until a court in Portugal orders otherwise. Sullivan & Worcester LLP attorneys Lindsay Barna and Lisa Hodes served as lead counsel for Paulo Bettencourt in the matter. They brought this action in federal court pursuant to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, which allows for the reunification of left-behind parents and their children who have been abducted from their home country. Ms. Barna stated: "Under the applicable international treaty, each of the parties can offer their versions of marital and parenting issues in the appropriate court in Portugal to resolve them in the long run." She added: "Paulo Bettencourt is excited about seeing and hugging his young children for the first time in more than a year, as well as the opportunity to care for them going forward." The reunion of this family in Portugal resulted from Sullivan & Worcester's pro bono project, S&W International ChildFind. Under this 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. S&W International ChildFind also provides an opportunity for associates at Sullivan & Worcester to gather valuable trial experience in federal court while helping a good cause. Partner Barry Pollack, who supervises the S&W International ChildFind Program, said, "in the modern practice of law, many associates struggle for opportunities to obtain the kind of trial experience that Ms. Barna and Ms. Hodes obtained here, where they worked tirelessly to obtain a favorable result and presented a terrific case from start to finish." Ms. Bettencourt was represented pro bono by the law firm of Bingham McCutchen. 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. For more information please visit www.sandw.com.
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