Lanier Ford is pleased to announce that Corey Jenkins became a shareholder in the firm on January 24, 2011. An associate since 2007, Mr. Jenkins’ practice in centered on business, corporate, and tax law.
On behalf of the City of Huntsville and the International Municipal Lawyers Association, David Canupp has written and submitted an amici curiae brief to the United States Supreme Court. The case involves a lawsuit filed by users of motorized wheelchairs in Arlington, Texas. The plaintiffs maintained that the City of Arlington failed to make recently built and altered sidewalks readily accessible to them and therefore violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The plaintiffs maintain that sidewalks, curbs, and parking lots are services under the ADA. The defendant—and the amici curiae brief—maintain that they are not services under the ADA. The U.S. Fifth Circuit of Appeals ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. The defendants have filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus. If the writ is granted, the defendants will then be able to argue their case before the U.S. Supreme Court; if the writ is denied, the decision of the Fifth Circuit will be affirmed. Download a copy of the brief. See also Frame v. City of Arlington, 657 F.3d 215 (5th Cir. 2011).
On February 29, Sterling Education Services will present an all-day seminar on labor and employment law. David Canupp of our firm will present the section on immigration law compliance, addressing such subjects as the e-verify program, I-9 audits, and the effects of the new Alabama immigration bill. The seminar is designed for supervisors, managers, and human resources personnel. Download a copy of the brochure.
Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, has named J. R. Brooks as the Huntsville Best Lawyers Commercial Litigation Lawyer of the Year for 2012.
After more than a quarter of a century in publication, Best Lawyers is designating lawyers of the year in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is being honored as a lawyer of the year.
Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 18th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2012 edition) is based on more than 3.9 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.
The lawyers being honored as lawyers of the year have received particularly high ratings in the surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.
Two new Lanier Ford attorneys were added to Best Lawyers for 2012: Rich Marsden and Joe Campbell. Mr. Marsden is listed under corporate law and mergers and acquisitions; Mr. Campbell, under health-care law.
Once again, the following attorneys were listed:
Generally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States, this book frequently serves as the basis of articles about best lawyers in national magazines and local newspapers. Unlike many other legal directories, lawyers cannot pay to be listed in The Best Lawyers in America; neither does purchase of the book determine whether a lawyer is listed. Instead, practicing lawyers nominate, frequently without solicitation from the publisher, their fellow lawyers for inclusion. Lawyers then confidentially comment and vote on those nominated.
Those lawyers who vote are asked to answer this type of question in determining their vote: If you were not able to handle a relative’s legal problem because of limitations of time or conflict of interest, whom would you recommend?
The following firm attorneys are participating in the Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Program. The program provides free legal assistance to clients who meet income and net-worth qualifications. The following Lanier Ford attorneys are participants in the program:
or call 256-539-2275 for more information about the program.
On August 3, Bob Bailey, a Lanier Ford shareholder, was elected treasurer of the Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association.
U.S. News and World Report, in conjunction with BestLawyers.com, has named Lanier Ford among the best law firms in the United States. The magazine named Lanier Ford as a ”Tier 1” law firm in the areas of education law, environmental law, general commercial litigation, defense of medical malpractice claims, defense of personal injury claims, water law, and representation of employers in workers’ compensation claims.
From July 18 to 22, 2011, Rod Lewis participated in the 2011 Mega Conference for Alabama educators held in Mobile. Mr. Lewis provided two sessions on how to avoid a due-process hearing and prepare if one is unavoidable—under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). He also participated in a third session that provided an overview of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and how it affects public schools. Among other topics, he discussed placement of students with disabilities, short-term suspensions, exclusion, manifestation determination reviews, behavior intervention plans, and notifications to police.
Super Lawyers has named the following Lanier Ford attorneys as 2011 Super Lawyers:
Donna Pate was also named among the top-25 women lawyers in Alabama.
Super Lawyers named Graham Burgess as a Rising Star in the area of banking.
Super Lawyers are not merely voted onto the list, but are named only after the following steps are completed:
Criteria considered in the evaluation process include the following:
To qualify as a rising star, an attorney must be 40 years or younger and been in practice less than 10 years.
