Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman News

Jason Steffens Appointed to Rules Committee

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:01:00 GMT

Jason M. Steffens has been named as one of the Iowa State Bar Association's appointees to the Iowa Supreme Court's Advisory Committee on Rules of Civil Procedure. His three-year term began October 1, 2012.

17 Firm Attorneys Named to Great Plains Super Lawyers

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 11:30:00 GMT

17 Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC attorneys have been named to the 2012 Great Plains Super Lawyers, published by Super Lawyers. They are:

Nicolas Abou-Assaly
J. Scott Bogguss
James A. Gerk
Robert S. Hatala
Stephen J. Holtman
David W. Kubicek
Eric W. Lam
Michael McDonough
Darrel A. Morf
Paul P. Morf
Iris E. Muchmore
Mark A. Roberts
James E. Shipman
Roger W. Stone
William Vernon
Kevin J. Visser
Thomas D. Wolle

Firm Welcomes Lisa Stephenson, Allison Slager, and Travis Cavanaugh as Associates

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:01:00 GMT

We are pleased to announce that Lisa Stephenson, Allison Slager, and Travis Cavanaugh have become associated with the firm.

Lisa was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Mount Mercy College in 1995 and her J.D. in 1998 from the University of Iowa College of Law. Before joining Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC, Lisa worked for United States District Judge John A. Jarvey (Southern District of Iowa) as his career law clerk and, prior to her clerkship with Judge Jarvey, Lisa was in private practice with Moyer & Bergman, PLC for several years. Lisa is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association and the Linn County Bar Association.

Allison was raised in Iowa City, Iowa. She earned her B.B.A. in Finance, with distinction, in 2009 from the University of Iowa College of Business and her J.D., with distinction, in 2012 from the University of Iowa College of Law. Allison is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association.

Travis was born in Iowa City, IA. He earned his B.B.A. in 2007 from the University of Iowa College of Business and his J.D., with distinction, in 2012 from the University of Iowa College of Law. Travis is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association.

Kyle Wilcox Recipient of "Forty Under 40" Award

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 08:06:00 GMT

Kyle W. Wilcox has been selected as a 2012 recipient of the Corridor Business Journal's Forty Under 40 award. Each year, the Corridor Business Journal spotlights 40 of the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City Corridor's outstanding leaders who have made a significant impact in their business or community early in their careers. This year's recipients will be profiled in the Oct. 22 issue and at an Oct. 23 awards dinner. Other Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman attorneys who have previously received the award are: Nicolas Abou-Assaly, Christine Conover, Paul Morf, David Zylstra, Tom DeBoom, and Matthew Adam.

Simmons Perrine Attorneys Added to Best Lawyers in America 2013

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:59:00 GMT

Kathleen Kleiman, Randy Scholer, Matt Brandes, and Kyle Wilcox were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013 (Copyright 2012 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC). Kathleen Kleiman and Randy Scholer were selected in the field of Corporate Law, Matt Brandes in the field of Family Law Mediation, and Kyle Wilcox in the field of Trusts and Estates.

Fifteen other firm attorneys had previously been selected and will appear in the 2013 edition:

Scott Bogguss - Employee Benefits Law; Tax Law; and Trusts and Estates

Philip Brooks - Insurance Law

James Gerk - Medical Malpractice Law (Defendants)

Larry Gutz - Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law

Lynn W. Hartman - Banking and Finance Law, and Financial Services Regulation Law

Stephen Holtman - Commercial Litigation and "Bet-the-Company Litigation"

David Kubicek - Real Estate Law

Eric Lam - Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law

Darrel Morf - Trusts and Estates

Paul Morf - Trusts and Estates, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, and Non-Profit / Charities Law

Iris Muchmore - Labor and Employment Law

Mark Ogden - Trusts and Estates

Lorie Reins-Schweer - Trusts and Estates

James Shipman - Medical Malpractice Law

Roger Stone - Construction Law and Litigation - Construction

Nick Abou-Assaly and David Kubicek Contribute to Real Estate Guide

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:59:00 GMT

Nick Abou-Assaly and David Kubicek contributed the “Iowa” chapter for the newly published State-by-State Guide to Commercial Real Estate Leases, Fourth Edition. They previously contributed the Iowa portions of the prior three editions.

Nick Abou-Assaly elected to state board of Iowa international trade organization

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 19:44:00 GMT

Nicolas Abou-Assaly has recently been elected to the state board of International Traders of Iowa. ITI works with Iowa businesses to promote exporting, importing, and investment in global enterprises.

Carrie Thompson selected into Leadership for Five Seasons Program

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 19:44:00 GMT

Carrie Thompson has been named a member of the 2013 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 2013 class will be the program's 30th class.

Darrel Morf receives recognition from Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:51:00 GMT

Darrel A. Morf received special recognition from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation at the William Quarton Heritage Society Annual Luncheon on June 20, 2012. Darrel was recognized for his generosity to the foundation as well as his legal assistance in transitioning the Foundation into its current struture as a community foundation to support Cedar Rapids. He was further recognized for assisting numerous clients in drafting dispositive provisions in their trusts and wills to benefit the Foundation. Other honorees included the Community Health Free Clinic and Ernie and Joanne Buresh.

Firm Attorneys Ranked in Chambers USA 2012

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:52:00 GMT

Several Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman attorneys have been ranked in Chambers USA 2012. They include:

Corporate/M&A:
Randal J Scholer

Labor & Employment:
Iris Muchmore
Kevin Visser

Litigation: General Commercial
James E Shipman
Stephen Holtman

Real Estate:
David W Kubicek
Matthew J. Hektoen

Matt Brandes elected to ISBA Board of Governors

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:51:00 GMT

Matthew J. Brandes has been elected to the Iowa State Bar Association Board of Governors. His term begins in June 2012.

Simmons Perrine represents more than half of fastest growing Corridor companies

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:57:00 GMT

"At its annual Fastest Growing Companies event May 22, the Corridor Business Journal awarded 25 companies for their revenue growth during the past three years," reports the CBJ. Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman represents more than half those companies.

Simmons Perrine Among Fortune Top Ranked Law Firms

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:35:00 GMT

Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC has been distinguished as one of the Top Ranked Law Firms by Fortune Magazine using a Martindale-Hubbell ratings methodology. This first-time list of Top Ranked Law Firms features US law firms with 21 or more attorneys in which at least 1 in 3 of their lawyers earned the AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating, the highest possible rating. An AV Preeminent certification is a significant accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.

Nick Abou-Assaly speaks at international trade conference

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:26:00 GMT

On March 29, 2012, Nicolas Abou-Assaly spoke at the Opening Global Opportunities Conference in Dubuque, Iowa, which was attended by Iowa companies engaged in exporting. The topic was legal considerations and compliance in international trade. The conference was sponsored by Prosperity Eastern Iowa, a four-county economic development region including Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, and Jones Counties and the cities of DeWitt and Marion.

Darrel Morf and Paul Morf to Speak at Mercy Foundation Estate Planning Seminar

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:09:00 GMT

On Wednesday, April 25, 2012, Darrel Morf and Paul Morf will present an estate planning seminar hosted by the Mercy Medical Center Foundation. Topics include potential estate tax changes, living trusts v. wills, charitable legacies v. family bequests, and maintaining family harmony. There is limited seating, so those wishing to attend should contact the Mercy Foundation office at (319) 398-6206.

New Book: Bankruptcy in Iowa by Eric Lam and Abbe Stensland

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:09:00 GMT

Eric Lam and Abbe Stensland have authored Bankruptcy in Iowa (2d Ed.), a book published by the University of Iowa College of Law. Eric authored the first edition in 1992. This second edition covers developments in the case law as well as the 2005 major overhaul of Chapter 7 practice, when Congress enacted the Bankruptcy Amendment and Consumer Protection Act.

Erroneous Penalty Notices Sent to Tax-Exempt Organizations

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:31:00 GMT

From Susan Willey: The IRS has sent penalty notices to some tax-exempt organizations for late filing, despite the agency’s earlier published notice permitting an automatic extension of time to file. The IRS suspended electronic filing of Form 990 for January and February 2012 due dates to allow the agency time to update its computer system. Notice 2012-4 authorized tax-exempt organizations with tax returns due in January or February to file a paper copy of the return or to file an electronic copy by March 30. The IRS recently announced that a tax-exempt organization that received an erroneous notice should call 1.877.829.5500 and request that the penalty be abated.

Paul Morf serves on panel on the legal impact of dementia

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:47:00 GMT

On Thursday, March 1, 2012, Paul Morf served on a panel of a session of the University of Iowa College of Law Elder Law Colloquium on: The Aging Population, Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias: Law and Public Policy. It addressed the legal impact of dementia on the ability of individuals to manage their everyday financial affairs.

SPMB Named 2012 Go-To Law Firm for Top 500 Companies in Intellectual Property Law

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:50:00 GMT

Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman will be recognized in the Spring 2012 edition of Intellectual Property as a "Go-To" law firm for The Top 500 Companies. Intellectual Property is a stand alone supplement distributed with the April editions of Corporate Counsel and The American Lawyer magazines.

Paul Morf Named to ACTEC's Fiduciary Litigation Committee

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:12:00 GMT

Paul Morf has been named to the Fiduciary Litigation Committee of ACTEC for the 2012-13 College year. See more about ACTEC here.