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Viles & Beckman, LLC Attorney Marcus W. Viles Speaks At July Immokalee Inter-Agency Council Meeting
Last week, Attorney Marcus Viles met with our area’s leaders, members of the Immokalee Inter-Agency Council (IIAC) in Immokalee, Florida to introduce a new community service endeavor, the Migrant Farm Worker Empowerment Project. Viles, who is no stranger to the Immokalee area or to the serious community issues facing Immokalee, told the council “I was here in 1985 litigating these cases, and here we are again sitting at a table 20 years later discussing the same issues. History seems to repeat itself.” Viles was not alone in that sentiment.
Viles highlighted several critical issues that continue to prevent migrant farm workers from reaching a level of stability or greater success in Immokalee, such as predatory lending and pesticide abuses. He continued by stating that these injustices are waged specifically against the elderly, the poor, and immigrants who are not fluent in English, all to make an unfair gain at the expense of the working class. “These individuals are cheated out of their hard earned pay and then excluded from the legal system because they think they aren’t able to access the courts because they are illegal or poor. This is simply not true. Immigrants enjoy many of the same rights as Americans”, says Viles.
The IIAC proved to be a perfect venue for the farm worker project. The council consists of community association advocates working together to assist disadvantaged Immokalee residents, many of whom are migrant farm workers. The project, founded in February of this year, uses the combined efforts of political activists, the media, attorneys, and local businesses to advance the rights of the migrant workers and their families through litigation, educational articles, and meetings. This month, bilingual Attorney Edward Rosado was recruited by Viles & Beckman, LLC to help implement the project.
The legal services rendered by Viles & Beckman, LLC are free and each case is considered for representation on an individual basis. To learn more about the Migrant Farm Worker Empowerment Project, contact Mike Fallon at (800) 648-4537 or via E-mail at mfallon@vilesandbeckman.com.
ABOUT VILES & BECKMAN, LLC
Viles & Beckman, LLC has taken pride in making corporations accountable for their actions. Viles & Beckman, LLC was the first law firm in the U.S. to file a class action suit against the manufacturers of the diet drug Fen-Phen. Viles & Beckman, LLC helped lead the successful effort to recall defective tires in the Ford/Firestone class action and has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, Good Morning America and CBS Evening News. We have also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post and other publications. Viles & Beckman, LLC has been nationally recognized for their extensive work towards defending the rights of the consumer and demand that goliath companies take responsibility for their actions. They hope to promote corporate accountability and to protect the rights of consumers worldwide.