Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC is proud to announce that 12 of its attorneys have been named to the 2011 edition of Best Lawyers. The attorneys are:
Scott Bogguss - Employee Benefits Law; Tax Law; and Trusts and Estates
Paul Gamez named to Task Force for Civil Justice Reform
On August 5, 2010, the Iowa Supreme Court named Paul Gamez to its Task Force for Civil Justice Reform. The task force is charged with studying the strengths and weaknesses of the current processes for resolving civil cases and proposing reforms that will foster prompt, affordable, and high-quality resolution of such cases.
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman welcomes Paul Gamez
Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC announces Paul D. Gamez has joined the firm as an associate in its Cedar Rapids office. Before joining the firm, Paul was an attorney with Moyer & Bergman, PLC in Cedar Rapids and also worked in both legal and business capacities in the finance and technology industries.
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Friday, July 23, 2010
ABA's Bar Leader Magazine Publishes Article on Event Chaired by Matt Hektoen
The July-August edition of Bar Leader, a magazine of the ABA Division for Bar Services, published an article on the success of the Legislative Leadership Academy chaired by Matt Hektoen. The academy was put on the Young Lawyers Division of the Iowa State Bar Association in January. It focused on encouraging lawyers, especially young lawyers, to also serve as legislators. Discussion topics included ethical issues in running for office, fundraising, and splitting the duties of public office and private practice.
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Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Gazette quotes Jacob Koller on collaborative family law
The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette recently reported on the development of collaborative family law in Eastern Iowa, quoting Jacob Koller in the articles:
Collaborative law is a non-adversarial process that views the issues arising from a divorce as a series of battles to be solved rather than fought. Several Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman attorneys have been involved with implementation of the collaborative method in family law cases, including Jacob Koller, Allison Heffern, Brian Fagan, Matthew Brandes, and Larry Gutz, all of whom are founding members of the Collaborative Lawyers of Eastern Iowa.
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Thursday, July 01, 2010
Christine Conover Elected President of Waypoint
On June 29, 2010, Christine Conover was elected President of the Board of Directors of Waypoint. Waypoint serves women, children, and families by providing advocacy, crisis intervention, supportive services, shelter, quality child care, and community leadership.
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Monday, June 28, 2010
Jeff McGinness selected into Leadership for Five Seasons Program
Jeff McGinness has been named a member of the 2011 class of the Leadership for Five Seasons program. Leadership for Five Seasons is a program sponsored by the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of
Commerce. It is designed to prepare emerging and existing leaders
in the Cedar Rapids area to be community trustees. The 2011 class will
be the program's 28th class.
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Nick Abou-Assaly Named Rotarian of the Year
The Cedar Rapids-Daybreak Rotary named Nick Abou-Assaly its Rotarian of the Year for the year 2009-10. The award was in recognition of his work on international development projects through Rotary.
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Travis Schroeder selected into Iowa City Community Leadership Program
Travis Schroeder has been named a member of the 2011 class of the Community Leadership Program sponsored by the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce. Now in its
20th year, the Community Leadership Program provides an opportunity for current and future
leaders to gain insight into the issues, opportunities, strengths and
challenges within the Iowa City area.
Travis also became a member of the Cedar Rapids Area Estate Planning Council and a member of the Board of Directors of the Indian Creek Nature Center earlier this year.
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Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Jeff McGinness graduates from Leadership Iowa program
Jeff McGinness recently completed the Leadershiop Iowa program, a program of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) Foundation. Leadership Iowa is a statewide, premier issues-awareness program. The program is designed to instill passion in current and emerging leaders while fostering a high level of civic engagement. Please see the full announcement from Leadership Iowa.
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Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Jeff McGinness helps to clarify Mississippi statute of limitations law
A recent decision by the Mississippi Supreme Court involving the appeal of a toxic tort case clarifies that the time limit for bringing a cause of action begins to run when the plaintiff discovers the injury, or the date of diagnosis, not upon discovery of the injury and its cause. At his previous firm, Jeff McGinness served as lead pleadings and appellate brief author in a series of cases stemming from the 100-year-plus operation of a railroad treatment plant in Grenada, Mississippi. Plaintiffs were comprised of more than 1000 individuals allegedly injured by exposure to treatment chemicals. The decision by the Mississippi Supreme Court follows a similar opinion issued by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals where Mr. McGinness likewise served as primary brief author.
The cases are:
Angle v. Koppers, Inc., 2010 Miss. LEXIS 273 (Miss. May 27, 2010)
Barnes ex rel. Barnes v. Koppers Inc., 534 F.3d 357 (5th Cir. 2008)
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Monday, June 14, 2010
Firm Attorneys Ranked in Chambers USA 2010
Several Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman attorneys have been ranked in Chambers USA 2010. They include:
Christine Conover Elected President of Iowa Society of Healthcare Attorneys
On May 11, 2010, Christine Conover was elected President of the Iowa Society of Healthcare Attorneys (ISHA). She has previously served as Secretary, Vice President, and President-Elect of ISHA.
The Iowa Society of Healthcare Attorneys is an affiliate group of the Iowa Hospital Association. Membership is limited to attorneys who represent or are employed by a health care institution or organization that holds membership in the Iowa Hospital Association, or who represent a provider who holds privileges at such health care institutions or organizations. The Iowa Hospital Association's mission is to represent Iowa hospitals and support them in achieving their missions and goals.
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Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Scott Bogguss elected Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel
The Board of Regents of the American College of Tax Counsel (ACTC), based in Washington, D.C., has elected Scott Bogguss a fellow of the College. To be nominated for election, an individual must have been in the practice of law for at least ten years, devoting substantial time to tax and tax-related matters. The individual must also have demonstrated an exceptional degree of professional commitment to the practice of tax law. There are currently only approximately 700 lawyers who are Fellows of the College.
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Nick Abou-Assaly presents on doing business in North Africa and the Middle East
On May 25, 2010, Nick Abou-Assaly presented a program at the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce’s International Trade Symposium. His topic was: "Doing Business in North Africa and the Middle East."
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Friday, May 21, 2010
Firm Attorneys Present CLE Program Sponsored by the Iowa Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel
On May 20, 2010, Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman attorneys Iris Muchmore, Nick Abou-Assaly, Kathleen Kleiman, and Eric Lam presented a continuing legal education program sponsored by the Iowa Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. Iris spoke on employment law issues arising out of social media; Nick on negotiating deals in the various cultures of the Middle East; Kathleen on representing joint venture partners; and Eric on Disciplinary Board and Grievance Commission updates.
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Sunday, May 16, 2010
Jason Steffens presents at ISHA Spring Conference on Social Media and Lawyer Ethics
On May 11, 2010, Jason Steffens presented at the Iowa Society of Healthcare Attorneys (ISHA) Spring Conference in Johnston, Iowa. Jason's topic was "Social Media and Lawyer Ethics." He discussed the increasing use of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs among lawyers and the ethical implications -- including client confidences and attorney advertising -- arising out of the use of social networking web sites.
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Friday, April 23, 2010
Allison Heffern speaks on keeping wellness programs within legal parameters
On April 8, 2010, Allison Heffern spoke before a group of representatives from area employers that sponsor wellness programs for employees. Her topic was "Keeping your Wellness Program within Legal Parameters....What is GINA and More." The program was sponsored by Mercy Corporate Wellness Services.
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Abbe Stensland coaches Cornell College Mock Trial team to 6th place national finish
In her first year as coach of the Cornell CollegeMock Trial team, Abbe Stensland coached the team to a 6th place national finish. Abbe led the team through local and regional events in qualifying for the 48-team National Championship Tournament held April 16-18 in Memphis, TN. Two members of the team were recognized as Intercollegiate All-American Attorneys for their
individual performances. The Cornell College team has only been in existence for less than five years.
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Iris Muchmore and Kevin Visser Speak at Employment Seminar
On April 9, 2010, Iris Muchmore and Kevin Visser made presentations as part of the Iowa Defense Counsel Association's spring seminar, titled "Current Developments in Employment Law." Iris spoke on "New Developments under the Family and Medical Leave Act." Kevin's topic was "Current Developments in Federal Employment Litigation."
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115 3rd Street SE, Suite 1200 - Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401-1266
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Several Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman attorneys have been ranked in Chambers USA 2010. They include: