Esteemed lawyers and partners Diana Thomas, Geoffrey DuBoulay, and Sardia Cenac-Prospere of Floissac, DuBoulay & Thomas joined legal leaders at the Lex Mundi Caribbean Regional Marketing & Business Development Roundtable in Miami, discussing trends in legal marketing, AI applications, and business development strategies.

CASTRIES, Saint Lucia, Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — On November 14 and 15, renowned lawyers and senior partners Diana Thomas and Geoffrey DuBoulay of Floissac, DuBoulay & Thomas in Saint Lucia attended Lex Mundi’s Caribbean Regional Marketing & Business Development Roundtable. The Lex Mundi event, which was hosted by law firm Akerman LLP in Miami, Florida, drew participants from across the Caribbean region.

Over the course of two days, participants explored interactive and informative sessions covering key trends in legal marketing and business development. Several networking opportunities, including lunches and an evening dinner at La Mar, complemented the informative sessions.

After an opening breakfast, introductions, and opening remarks by Lex Mundi partner Luis Perez on the morning of November 14, participants were invited to join a Lex Mundi Update covering strategic initiatives for 2025 and beyond. Jorge Carrillo, Global Head of Client Relations and Head of Latin America, and David Sanders, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Lex Mundi, informed participants of current Lex Mundi initiatives and partnering opportunities with Lex Mundi’s Global Markets team.

Later that morning, Sunaina Arshad from Lex Mundi and Elan Hersh from Akerman LLP hosted a roundtable discussion on the potential of Generative AI within the legal landscape. Diana Thomas, a recognized leader in litigation and insolvency law, shares: “It was especially relevant to sit down with other legal professionals and discuss innovative solutions and business cases for law firms within the Caribbean region.”

Diana Thomas, Geoffrey DuBoulay, and Sardia Cenac-Prospere of Floissac, DuBoulay & Thomas, member firm for Saint Lucia, made a presentation to participants on Thursday afternoon. They discussed a unique opportunity to work together in the Caribbean region by highlighting how Lex Mundi’s Caribbean member firms can partner as a cohort on a corporate social responsibility initiative.

Diana Thomas reports: “I’m thankful for the chance to highlight this opportunity and discuss partnerships with others. I believe we can all gain from collaborating and learning together.”

On Friday morning, all roundtable participants were encouraged to participate actively in an interactive fishbowl conversation covering topics such as AI, pricing strategy, branding, ESG, and more. The rest of Friday morning was reserved for further informative sessions, and the event was concluded with a final networking lunch. At dinner that evening, participants had more time to network and connect with their peers.

Overall, participants of the 2024 Lex Mundi Caribbean Roundtable event appreciated the focus on innovation and collaboration. Geoffrey DuBoulay, co-head of the Litigation & ADR Department at Floissac, DuBoulay & Thomas, shared his thoughts: “This event emphasized the significance of collaboration and innovation within our industry. We will use the insights we gained to further improve our approach to client relationships, business development, and operational efficiency at our firm.”

About Diana Thomas
Diana Thomas, a leading attorney in St Lucia, is a senior partner and co-head of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Department at Floissac, DuBoulay & Thomas. With over 20 years of legal experience across multiple practice areas, Diana has established herself as an esteemed leader, consistently ranking in Chambers and Partners for her unparalleled expertise.

About Floissac, DuBoulay & Thomas
Floissac, DuBoulay & Thomas is a leading law firm in St. Lucia, celebrated for nearly 60 years of outstanding legal service. The firm blends expertise with a client-centric approach, offering both local legal representation and transnational support. The firm and its senior partners—Brenda Floissac Fleming, Geoffrey Du Boulay, and Diana Thomas—are consistently recognized by Chambers and Partners for their exceptional service.

Media Contact

Floissac, DuBoulay & Thomas, Floissac, DuBoulay & Thomas, +1 (758) 455-2860, info@fdt.law, https://www.fdt.law/

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SOURCE Floissac, DuBoulay & Thomas

Premier Battery Retailer Recognized for Best Franchise Development Website

HARTLAND, Wis., Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Batteries Plus, the world’s leading consumer and business specialty battery franchise, was recognized with the Franchise Development Website Award by the leading industry resource for franchise development, Franchise Update Media. The publication recently announced the winners of its annual STAR (Speaking To And Responding) Awards, which recognize excellence in lead generation, recruitment, and industry-wide best practices in franchising.

Batteries Plus earned this recognition by addressing investors’ pain points and highlighting the benefits of being a Batteries Plus franchisee with their website updates. This allowed them to address what candidates are interested in and present the content in a way that piques their interest. As a result, not only has there been increased traffic to the site, but they are able to measure their conversion rate and quality of leads generated. Batteries Plus is also now able to see candidates that match backgrounds of the individuals they are targeting, as well as specific geographic areas.

“This recognition is a testament to our continued investments in our franchise development efforts. A website is often the first impression your brand makes on a potential franchisee, so we understood the importance of overhauling our franchise development site to make for a better experience,” said Victor Daher, VP of Global Franchise Development for Batteries Plus. “By continuing to make these types of investments, we are able to attract the exact type of operator we want and be strategic with our growth.”

The top franchises were honored for their excellence in the following categories and investment levels: Franchise Development Website and Online Lead Form Submission & Telephone Follow-Up – $101,000 to $250,000; $251,001 to $500,000; $500,000 to $1 Million; and over $1,000,000. There was also a top award for Most Responsive Brand.
The Franchise Innovation Awards for Franchise Development categories were: Most Innovative Lead Generation Program or Platform; Most Innovative On-Boarding Program; Most Innovative PR or Social Media Campaign; Innovation in Support of Franchisee Profitability & Validation

The annual awards are judged by mystery shoppers, who pose as ideal candidates, and contact franchises by telephone and through the company’s website. The mystery shoppers contacted more than 90 brands, with each franchise evaluated according to a list of standard criteria for each category.

This recognition from Franchise Update adds to the list of accolades earned by Batteries Plus in 2024. Earlier this year, the brand was named to Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® Hall of Fame, alongside placements on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® and the Top Brands for Multi-Unit Owners lists. Most recently, Batteries Plus was again named to Franchise Times’ annual Top 400 ranking. The company also continues to see record-breaking performance, with over 700 units open nationwide, positioning itself for even more growth in the coming years.

For more information on Batteries Plus and its franchise opportunities, visit batteriesplusfranchise.com. 

ABOUT BATTERIES PLUS:
Batteries Plus, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hartland, WI, is a leading omnichannel retailer of batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels. The retailer also offers key programming, replacement and cutting services. Through a nationwide network of stores, the company offers a differentiated value proposition of unrivaled product selection, in-stock availability and customer service. Batteries Plus is owned by Freeman Spogli, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles and New York City. To learn more about one of Forbes®’ Best Franchises to Buy in America, visit https://www.batteriesplusfranchise.com.

ABOUT FRANCHISE UPDATE MEDIA:
Franchise Update Media has been a leader in the franchising space for more than 35 years. Founded in 1988, the company produces online franchise opportunity and educational websites, two quarterly print magazines, 11 newsletters, three annual conferences, independent research, and books, 100% focused on franchising. Serving franchise audiences online, in print, and in person, Franchise Update Media delivers a unique combination of educational and lead generation sources to help franchisors, multi-unit franchisees, opportunity seekers, and suppliers achieve their growth objectives. For more information, visit Franchising.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Cole Koretos, Fishman Public Relations, ckoretos@fishmanpr.com or 847.331.1190

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SOURCE Batteries Plus

Solicitation now open for multiple awards supporting space-based tissue engineering and mechanobiology research

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — For the eighth consecutive year, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding a solicitation seeking projects that utilize the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory to advance tissue engineering and mechanobiology research. Through this solicitation, NSF will provide up to $1.6 million in total funding for multiple projects.

Microgravity affects organisms—from bacteria to humans, causing changes in gene expression and DNA regulation, altered cellular function and physiology, and 3D aggregation of cells. Research leveraging these effects can drive advances in the modeling of healthy and pathological tissues and organs, disease diagnosis and treatment, regenerative medicine, and many other areas within bioengineering and the biomedical sciences.

Fundamental science is a strategic focus area for the ISS National Lab, and knowledge gained from such studies could have profound impacts on future research and technology development that brings value to our nation and the scientific community. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS®), manager of the ISS National Lab, has established powerful multiyear partnerships with government agencies such as NSF to fund fundamental research on the orbiting laboratory. NSF supports transformative research to help drive the U.S. economy, enhance national security, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation.

A project selected from a prior NSF-funded solicitation recently launched on SpaceX’s 31st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission for NASA. The collaborative investigation from Oregon State University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is using 3D-bioprinted cardiac organoids to study microgravity-induced atrophy on heart muscle cells. Results could lead to a better understanding of heart muscle atrophy, which occurs in several conditions, such as cancer, muscle disease, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, sepsis, and heart failure.

This solicitation follows a two-step proposal process. All interested investigators must first submit an ISS National Lab Feasibility Review Form for evaluation of the proposed concept’s operational feasibility. The deadline to submit a Feasibility Review Form is January 15, 2025. Only investigators whose concept passes the Feasibility Review step will be invited to submit a full proposal. The full proposal submission deadline is March 18, 2025.

For more information on this solicitation (NSF 25-513), including how to submit a Feasibility Review Form, visit the ISS National Lab solicitation webpage. To view the full solicitation, please see the NSF solicitation page.

To learn more about the benefits of conducting research leveraging the ISS National Lab, please visit our website.

Download a high-resolution image for this release: BioFabrication Facility on the ISS

About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS®) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CASIS® accepts corporate and individual donations to help advance science in space for the benefit of humanity. For more information, visit our donations page.

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SOURCE International Space Station National Lab