News & Information

Class-action sought for Qwest benefits suit Denver Post Wednesday, July 16, 2008 An attorney for the Association for U S West/Qwest retirees filed a document in U.S. District Court in Denver Tuesday in an effort to get class-action status for a lawsuit regarding life-insurance benefits.

Retiree Benefits Take Another Hit. GM's Plan to End Medical Coverage For Many 65 and Over Signals a New Era; Pensions to Increase by $300 a Month By Vanessa Fuhrmans and Theo Francis The Wall Street Journal
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 General Motors Corp.'s move to eliminate retiree health benefits for salaried workers is a sobering signal to the rest of the U.S. work force

Packers name ex-Qwest exec a senior VP Denver Post Wednesday, July 16, 2008 The Green Bay Packers named former Qwest executive Laura Sankey as senior vice president of marketing and sales

Last defendant in Milberg kickback case pleads guilty From the Associated Press Los Angeles Times Tuesday, July 15, 2008 The last defendant in a major federal kickback case involving class-action lawsuits against some of the nation's biggest corporations pleaded guilty Monday to a tax-related felony

Lawyer to Plead Guilty in Kickback Scheme By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS New York Times Saturday, July 12, 2008 Paul T. Selzer, a lawyer who is the final defendant in a federal kickback case involving class-action lawsuits against big corporations, has agreed to plead guilty to a tax-related felony, prosecutors in Los Angeles said Friday

Depositions of former Qwest execs delayed. Postponement due to uncertainty of Joe Nacchio's case By Jeff Smith Rocky Mountain News Thursday, July 9, 2008 A defense attorney Wednesday described the Securities and Exchange Commission's civil fraud case against five former Qwest executives as in a "syrupy morass."

Retirees slam Qwest filing. The group says the firm is threatening to end life-insurance benefits for all if a class-action lawsuit succeeds By Kimberly S. Johnson Denver Post Thursday, July 10, 2008 Qwest retirees are voicing concern over comments made in a brief filed by Qwest last week in a case surrounding their life-insurance benefits

Qwest, union have reason to deal: DNC. Neither wants a strike before the convention By Jeff Smith Rocky Mountain News Saturday, July 5, 2008 Qwest Communications and its largest union start new contract talks Tuesday, negotiations especially critical given the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Denver

Telstra Purchases Majority Stakes In 2 China Firms By Lyndal McFarland
The Wall Street Journal Monday, June 30, 2008 SYDNEY  Telstra Corp. said Friday it has taken majority stakes in two more online advertising groups in China, which it could spin off later in an initial public offering

AT&T moving headquarters to Dallas The Denver Post Sunday, June 29, 2008 DALLAS AT&T Inc., the nation's largest telecommunications company, said Friday that it is moving its corporate headquarters to Dallas from San Antonio for easier access to customers and operations around the world

Qwest: Let FCC rule on prices. The company asks Congress to stay out of the debate as it seeks an exception to limits on its wholesale service rates By Kimberly S. Johnson Denver Post Thursday, June 26, 2008 With just a month before a key regulatory ruling, Qwest is continuing to fight for a petition that would let it raise rates for wholesale customers and is asking congressional members to refrain from getting involved

HR Departments Get New Star Power at Some Firms. Business Executives Now Tapped to Lead As Job Is Rethought By Erin White The Wall Street Journal When the CEO of Qwest Communications International Inc. asked Teresa Taylor to run human resources a few years ago, she thought she was being punished

(AZ) Qwest chief Pat Quinn stepping down By Amy Eagleburger The Arizona Republic Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Qwest Arizona said Wednesday that President Pat Quinn would step down after 31 years with the company

SEC: Fraud case against former Qwest execs should proceed Denver Post Thursday, June12, 2008 The Securities and Exchange Commission said five former Qwest executives have failed to prove why the SEC's fraud complaint against them should be dismissed

Anschutz, IRS lock horns again in latest joust. The Denver billionaire's legal battle with the government is at least his seventh since 1987  By Greg Griffin Denver Post Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Philip Anschutz's ongoing dispute with the Internal Revenue Service isn't his first battle with the tax man

A tax break for funding HSAs via IRAs By Lydell C. Bridgeford, Employee Benefit News SourceMedia, Inc. Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Owners of individual retirement accounts who are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) can now shift IRA funds to a Health Savings Account (HSA) without facing a tax penalty

Companies Promise CEOs Lavish Posthumous Paydays. Options Vest, Insurance Flows; Even Salaries May Continue By Mark Maremont The Wall Street Journal Tuesday, June 10, 2008 You still can't take it with you. But some executives have arranged for the next best thing:  huge corporate payouts to their heirs if they die in office

Qwest hiking rates for a la carte services By Jeff Smith Rocky Mountain News Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Qwest Communications is raising the rates of a la carte products -- such as caller ID and call forwarding -- by 7 to 28 percent.  The new rates take effect July 1

IRS Targets Billionaire's Lucrative Tax Strategy By Jesse Drucker The Wall Street Journal Monday, June 9, 2008 The Internal Revenue Service is fighting with billionaire Philip Anschutz to force the Denver-based mogul to pay back taxes totaling $143.6 million. The court battle is part of a broad attempt by tax authorities to crack down on complex transactions used to defer paying capital-gains taxes.

Performance pay sends salaries into higher orbit. Execs' rewards overshadow raises given typical worker By David Milstead Rocky Mountain News Saturday, June 7, 2008 Executive pay continues to increase at a pace far beyond the raises typical workers see in their paychecks

Grinding axes over unions By Al Lewis Denver Post Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Jay Hesterman, a technician at Qwest, resigned from a union 14 years ago, but he still pays about $500 a year in dues and gets the union's newsletter anyway

Class-Action Law Firm Close to a Settlement By Nathan Koppel The Wall Street Journal Monday, June 2, 2008 Class-action law firm Milberg LLP is close to a settlement that could end a federal prosecution of the firm for alleged kickbacks, according to two people familiar with the discussions

Alcatel Talks Up Its Prospects to Holders By Jethro Mullen and Leila Abboud The Wall Street Journal Saturday May 31, 2008 PARIS Alcatel-Lucent tried to reassure restive shareholders at its annual meeting that its long-term growth prospects were strong, despite the competitive pressures buffeting the telecommunications-equipment sector

Weiss gets prison for legal scheme By Greg Risling, AP Denver Post Tuesday, June 3, 2008 LOS ANGELES Melvyn Weiss, the co-founder of a law firm known for securities class-action suits, was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison for his role in a lucrative lawsuit kickback scheme targeting some of the largest corporations in the nation

Some Qwest directors warm to stockholders at annual event By Jane Hoback & Gil Rudawsky Rocky Mountain News Friday, May 30, 2008 Nelson Phelps noticed a change by Qwest's board of directors this year at the annual stockholders meeting

DNC host officials short on cash. The committee for the Democratic convention considers cuts in light of the fundraising shortfall. By Chuck Plunkett Denver Post Friday, May 30, 2008 Millions of dollars behind in raising money and unlikely to meet a fast-approaching final deadline, the Denver committee hosting the Democratic National Convention is considering spending cuts

Family to drop suit against ranch over Qwest exec's death The Associated Press Denver Post Thursday, May 29, 2008 DENVER The family of a Qwest executive killed while turkey hunting in 2005 is dropping a lawsuit filed against the ranch that hired the suspect, according to a court document

CEO Security: No Replacements. Lack of Deep Bench Can Help Preserve Poor Performers By Joann S. Lublin The Wall Street Journal Tuesday, May 27, 2008 Fewer big-company chief executives are leaving their posts, and CEOs face little risk of dismissal even after two years of poor shareholder returns, according to a new study

Qwest misses a connection By Al Lewis Denver Post Sunday, May 25, 2008 Qwest customer Joe Halpern has a problem. "I have a Ph.D. with an emphasis in applied statistics and I can't understand my bill," he told me