BGS Participates in MTA's Trucks and Toys 2016 Event
December 13, 2016 | Carole Clark IsaksonThe BGS Transportation Law Department is carrying on the tradition of involvement with a great cause – the Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA) Trucks and Toys event. This event provides toys for disadvantaged children and teens all over the state of Minnesota, through the efforts of MTA members like BGS. This year BGS attorneys and staff enthusiastically jumped in to the shopping challenge, and even helped load a truck! The MTA has been running this event for more than 20 years, and this year twenty three MTA members around the state collected toys and cash (used to buy more toys). The MTA coordinates with many charities throughout the state, and this year partnered with even more groups to donate even more toys. Here in the metro area, the MTA donated toys to Kinship in Fridley, People Serving People in Minneapolis and Harriet Tubman Foundation in Minneapolis. BGS personnel took part in the event on a more direct level. On Friday night December 2, BGS staff Jackie Campbell and Marly Gullekson (and Marly’s daughters and grandkids!) had a great time helping shop at the Blaine Target, where they helped the MTA purchase more than $13,000 of toys. Bright and early the next morning, and fueled by coffee and hot chocolate, assistant Jackie Campbell and attorneys…
Read MoreWhy we all need an “IDIOT!” light
December 5, 2016 | Carole Clark IsaksonMy first car was a canary yellow 1964 Corvair coupe. I could tell stories about that car for hours! Learned a lot too – one my strongest memories is of my father’s description of a dash feature. “This,” he said nicely, “is commonly called the ‘idiot light’. If it goes on you need to pull over immediately, shut off the engine, go find a phone and call me!” That light is a warning that things are on the verge of going badly. IF you paid attention, he said, there was still time to save the day (and the engine block) by pulling over and calling for help. What (or who) is your “idiot” light? We all need one! For some of us, it’s a spouse or other family member with enough distance from a situation to see that things are headed in the wrong direction. Your accountant and financial advisor may play this role as well, warning you when an investment isn’t performing, the 529 is underfunded, or the 401k is weighted too heavily in one fund. As parents we try to be the ‘idiot light’ for our kids. As attorneys we are sometimes in this position as well, a role that we take very seriously. I have been counseling business owners for…
Read MoreBGS and the Canada-Minnesota Business Council
November 10, 2016 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.Barna Guzy & Steffen is a member of the Canada-Minnesota Business Council (CMBC), a Minnesota-based volunteer organization established in 1994 to support the commercial, economic, and cultural relationship between Minnesota and Canada. BGS attorney Carole Isakson recently attended an event hosted by the CMBC, featuring an intelligent and insightful presentation by global investment research firm TIS Group Inc. CMBC works closely with the office of the Consulate General of Canada in Minnesota, and at the event Ms. Isakson was pleased to meet and converse with Canadian Consul General Khawar Nasim. The Minneapolis office of the Consul General covers Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. According to the CMBC, trade between Minnesota and Canada now exceeds $20 billion dollars annually, with Canada representing Minnesota’s largest trading partner in the world. The CMBC’s ongoing mandate is support for education, policy advocacy, and business networking within the growing community of private and public stakeholders involved in this critical business partnership. BGS is proud to be a member of the CMBC, and looks forward to becoming more involved with this valuable organization.
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