Law Firm News

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Law Firm News

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Law Weathers & Richardson, P.C.

Gerald R. Ford: The Reluctant President
Two traits that characterized President Ford were his loyalty and ethical nature. In 1974, these traits prevented him from considering that President Nixon may resign and he could possibly occupy the Oval Office. In May of that year, Philip Buchen, a Law Weathers partner and one of President Ford's closest friends secretly began preparations for his presidency. The planning began in May of 1974 with Mr. Buchen and Clay Whitehead, director of the White House Office of Telecommunications Policy. Mr. Buchen believed that Vice President Ford's staff could not be relied on to establish an orderly transition to the Oval Office. So, he took matters into his own hands and began secretly planning a transition without Vice-President Ford's knowledge. Mr. Buchen had no legal staff at the ready in Washington so he called upon two attorneys at Law Weathers to research the legal issues of a possible transition and, in particular, the 25th Amendment of the United States Constitution.

The issues and scenarios that Law Weathers researched were complex and had considerable constitutional implications. Due to Mr. Nixon's resignation on August 8, 1974, the legal conclusions were never "put to the test". Nevertheless, the work done kept Law Weathers fresh on Mr. Buchen's mind. He enlisted the firm's assistance in the early days of Ford's presidency as he assumed the role of White House counsel without having the benefit of a White House legal staff.

01-02-2007

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Law Weathers & Richardson, P.C.

In Memory of Gerald R. Ford
Law Weathers & Richardson acknowledges the meaningful contributions made throughout the life of their former partner and the 38th President of the United States, Gerald R. Ford.

Ford was a star athlete in his youth and at the University of Michigan, but turned down NFL contract offers in order to attend Yale Law School. He graduated in the top third of his class and in 1941 opened a Grand Rapids law practice with his longtime friend, Philip Buchen. Ford took a leave of absence from the firm to fight in World War II, during which time Buchen joined Butterfield, Keeney & Amberg, now known as Law Weathers & Richardson, on the condition there would be a place for Ford when he returned from the war.

Upon his return in 1946, Gerald Ford joined Buchen at Law Weathers & Richardson, becoming a partner in 1951. Ford spent his time at the firm practicing law in the morning, and campaigning in the afternoon. He practiced with the firm until he was elected to Congress, but remained a partner until 1959.

Buchen left the firm in 1961 to become Vice President of Business Affairs at Grand Valley State College. He returned to Law Weathers & Richardson after the college was successfully off the ground, and practiced with the firm until August of 1974 when Gerald Ford became President, and named him as White House Counsel.

“We feel incredible pride to have been involved in some part of the historic life of Gerald Ford,” said Bob Buchanan, Member of Law Weathers & Richardson. “He kept in contact with our firm over the years and was known as a real person to stick to his views, and a true and dedicated public servant.”

Raised in Grand Rapids, Ford had strong ties to Western Michigan. “Gerald Ford had a profound impact on the people of Michigan,” said Buchanan. “Several residents knew him personally and had great love and respect for his integrity, openness, and humble and friendly nature.”

The Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids and the Gerald R. Ford Library in Ann Arbor were dedicated to Ford in 1981. Ford was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Bill Clinton and the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award for his decision to pardon Richard Nixon to stop the agony America was experiencing over Watergate.

Ford is also the recipient of numerous other awards and honors by many civic organizations. Ford earned a B.A. from University of Michigan, and a law degree from Yale University.

01-02-2007

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Lathrop & Gage LLP

Lathrop & Gage Promotes Seven Attorneys to Member (Partner) Status
Lathrop & Gage L.C. today announced the promotion of Robyn L. Anderson, Pat Fanning, Nicol S. Fitzhugh, Mark A. Fletcher, Jennifer M. Hannah, Brian M. Holland and Bridget A. Short to members (partners) in the firm, effective Jan. 1, 2007.

Robyn L. Anderson practices business litigation and insurance analysis and recovery for policyholders in the firm’s Kansas City, Mo. office and has a broad based knowledge of insurance law as it relates to London polices. She has extensive experience negotiating and litigating complex, multi-million dollar coverage disputes involving the "solvent" and "insolvent" London insurance market. In addition to her London market practice, Anderson devotes a notable portion of her practice to ERISA employee benefit litigation and individual medical benefit claims. She has litigated more than 100 life, health and disability benefit claims in numerous jurisdictions within the Eighth Circuit, Tenth Circuit and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She received her juris doctorate from the University of Missouri at Columbia. She received two bachelor's degrees from the University of Missouri at Columbia.

Pat Fanning practices tort and business litigation in the firm's Kansas City, Mo. office. Fanning has successfully handled several varieties of personal injury and complex commercial litigation claims involving premises liability, wrongful death, toxic tort, trespass, automobile negligence, worker's compensation, contract claims, FCRA, FDCPA, fiduciary allegations, merchandising acts and insurance coverage disputes for individuals, small businesses and major corporations. Fanning also has defended white-collar criminal claims in Missouri and Kansas federal courts. A Kansas City native, Fanning is currently involved in the Centurions program through the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. He received both his juris doctorate and his bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia.

Nicol S. Fitzhugh practices environmental law and insurance coverage litigation and analysis on behalf of corporate policyholders in the firm's Kansas City, Mo. office. In the latter capacity, Fitzhugh has been actively involved in the litigation of multi-million dollar insurance coverage actions involving numerous insurance policies providing coverage for environmental liabilities in connection with hundreds of sites across the United States and Canada. Her environmental experience includes participation in the allocation analysis and negotiation of numerous corporate entities' alleged respective environmental liabilities arising from waste oil sites in Florida and California. Fitzhugh received her juris doctorate from the University of Kansas. She received her bachelor's degrees in molecular and cellular biology and zoology from the University of Washington in Seattle. Prior to joining Lathrop & Gage, she served as a law clerk to the Hon. John W. Lungstrum, United States District Judge for the District of Kansas.

Mark A. Fletcher practices business litigation and complex commercial law in the firm's Springfield, Mo. office. His practice includes construction litigation, foreclosure of security interests in personal and real property, general loan enforcement and workouts, collections and banking litigation. In addition, he has experience handling complex and contentious loan enforcement situations including removing over 40 squatters from vacant hotel property so that a banking client could proceed with a scheduled foreclosure sale and evicting a former- state court judge, turned pro-se litigant, from a multi-million dollar property in a foreclosure case. Fletcher received both his juris doctorate and his bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia. Prior to joining Lathrop & Gage he served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Jennifer M. Hannah practices business litigation, real estate advocacy, complex commercial, and construction law in the firm's Overland Park, Kan. office. She has extensive experience litigating all phases of complex construction, land use, condemnation, commercial and business litigation cases including substantial jury trial practice, appellate practice and alternative dispute resolution. This past year, she served as president of the Young Lawyer's Section of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association. She received her juris doctorate from Creighton University. She obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas.

Brian M. Holland practices bankruptcy, creditors' rights, business reorganization, and receivership litigation in the firm's Kansas City, Mo. office. His experience includes representation of secured and unsecured creditors in Chapter 7, 11, and 13 bankruptcy cases, executory contract and unexpired lease litigation, and preferential transfer litigation. In addition to his bankruptcy practice, Holland devotes a notable portion of his practice to representation of receivers in Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions recovering funds, both domestically and internationally, for defrauded investors. He received his juris doctorate from the University of Virginia. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Albion College.

Bridget A. Short practices intellectual property litigation and prosecution, corporate transactions involving intellectual property assets and licensing in the firm's New York, NY office. She represents Fortune 500 companies in multi-claim actions including trademark, trade dress, copyright and patent infringement; unfair competition; false advertising; and related tort and contract claims. Her cases have involved temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunction hearings and jury trials. She counsels clients on trademark and copyright matters including the selection, adoption and protection of trademarks and on internet domain name disputes including a wide range of consumer goods and services, industrial products and academic institutions. Short also manages domestic and international trademark portfolios. She received her juris doctorate from Pace University. She obtained her bachelor's degree from Skidmore College.

01-02-2007

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Kane Russell Coleman & Logan PC

Zach Mayer joins KRCL
KRCL is pleased to announce that Zach Mayer has joined the Firm as a Director in the Dallas Office. Mr. Mayer, formerly a Partner in the firm Fee, Smith, Sharp & Vitullo, L.L.P., will practice in the Litigation Section where he will continue his representation of insured and self insured companies in personal injury litigation, as well as in business litigation of all types.

Mr. Mayer is a 1999 graduate of Texas Tech School of Law.

01-02-2007

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Haskell, Slaughter, Young & Gallion, L.L.C.

Haskell Slaughter’s Finch Leads National Insurance Litigation Community Through Second ABA Appointment
Haskell Slaughter Young & Rediker, LLC attorney F. Lane Finch, Jr. has been appointed to serve as Co-Chair of the Programming Subcommittee of the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee (ICLC) of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Section of Litigation. Mr. Finch previously served two terms as Co-Chair of the Directors and Officers Subcommittee of the ICLC.

The more than 2,000 members of ICLC come from both sides of the national insurance coverage litigation bar, representing both insurers and policyholders, and include many in-house and insurance company counsel.

Mr. Finch will identify topics and organize panels for presentations at all of the ICLC's conferences and meetings, including the ABA's Annual Meeting. He will serve a one-year term from August 2006 through August 2007.

With more than 400,000 members, the ABA is the largest voluntary professional association in the world. The ABA provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work, and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public.

01-02-2007

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Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Advises Chairman and CEO James R. Crane in Proposed Buyout of EGL, Inc.
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, the international law firm, advised James R. Crane, the chairman and CEO of EGL, Inc. (Nasdaq: EGL) who, along with investment partner General Atlantic LLC, has submitted a proposal to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of EGL at a price of $36 per share. Crane currently owns approximately 18% of EGL’s outstanding common stock.

Founded in 1984, Houston-based EGL, Inc. operates under the name EGL Eagle Global Logistics. EGL is a leading global transportation, supply chain management and information services company dedicated to providing superior flexibility and fewer shipping restrictions on a price competitive basis. With 2005 revenues of $3.1 billion, EGL’s services include air and ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, local pickup and delivery service, materials management, warehousing, trade facilitation and procurement, and integrated logistics and supply chain management services. The company’s shares are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “EAGL.”

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP’s Team

Lead partners: James R. Westra (Corporate), R. Jay Tabor (Corporate)

01-02-2007

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McGuireWoods LLP

Jenkens & Gilchrist’s Los Angeles/Pasadena Financial Services Group Moves to McGuireWoods
McGuireWoods LLP continues to grow its Los Angeles presence through the addition of lawyers from the Los Angeles office of Jenkens & Gilchrist and a partner from Hogan & Hartson.

Jenkens & Gilchrist’s Los Angeles and Pasadena offices’ financial services practice group will join McGuireWoods on January 2. Three of the former Jenkens & Gilchrist lawyers, including Gary Samson, Matthew J. Wrysinski and Donald K. Kirkelie, will practice in McGuireWoods’ Los Angeles office. Linda D. Sartin, also formerly of Jenkens & Gilchrist, will move to McGuireWoods’ Charlotte, N.C., office.

Theodore J. Roper, previously a partner with Hogan and Hartson, also is joining McGuireWoods’ Los Angeles office. Roper is recognized as a preeminent Japan-business lawyer with a practice focus on international trade, corporate and commercial law. He will head McGuire Woods' Japan Practice Group. Fluent in Japanese, Roper has served as outside general counsel and legal advisor to a wide array of Japan-based businesses and their U.S. subsidiaries. He regularly lectures and writes in both English and Japanese on legal issues relating to United States-Japan business.

“We are very excited that Ted is joining our L.A. office because of his strong reputation for legal matters concerning Japanese corporations and know he will contribute a broad range of corporate experience to McGuire Woods and its clients in managing transactions in a resurgent Japanese economy,” said David Van Etten, managing partner of McGuireWoods’ Los Angeles office.

“We are also fortunate to attract Gary Samson and Linda Sartin, who have excellent national reputations for their financial services practices, along with Matthew Wrysinski and Donald Kirkelie,” Van Etten added. “All of the lawyers joining represent the level of legal talent we are focused on attracting to McGuireWoods.”

Samson, formerly the co-head of Jenkens & Gilchrist’s financial services practice in Los Angeles and Pasadena, represents banks and national commercial lenders on sophisticated asset-based and other commercial loans made to businesses across a broad spectrum of industries. Samson is a Fellow of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers, is listed in the 2005-2006 Best Lawyers in America and is a 2006 Los Angeles Super Lawyer. Samson also is the former chair of the Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and a former chair and current Governor of the Financial Lawyers Conference. He joins McGuireWoods as a partner.

Sartin, the other former co-head of Jenkens & Gilchrist’s financial services practice in Los Angeles and Pasadena, specializes in the representation of commercial banks, finance companies, and other commercial lenders in almost all types of debt financing transactions, including structured financings. She also joins McGuireWoods as a partner.

Wrysinski, who joins McGuireWoods as an associate, represents commercial banks, finance companies, and other commercial lenders in various types of secured and unsecured financings, including revolving credit and term credit facilities, senior, subordinate, tranche B, mezzanine and other working capital facilities, including debtor-in-possession financings.

Kirkelie, who joins McGuireWoods as an associate, focuses his practice on bankruptcy and commercial finance. Kirkelie's primary emphasis is on the representation of secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy. Kirkelie also represents various financial institutions and other commercial lenders in secured financing transactions ranging from asset-based loans and leveraged buyouts to debtor in possession financings.

01-02-2007

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