BGS Attorney Dave Schaps Presents Award at Roseville Area Optimist Club
November 13, 2017 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.BGS Attorney Dave Schaps presented the Roseville Area Optimist Club’s inaugural “Optimist of the Year” award to Club President Don Salverda at the November 3rd Club meeting. Salverda is a former Ramsey County Commissioner from the Roseville Area and President of Don Salverda and Associates, a personal and professional leadership consulting firm. Both Dave and Don are founding members of the Roseville Area Optimist Club, and worked to charter the organization in January. The purpose of the club is to be a friend of local area kids by promoting activities that bring out the best in ourselves, the community and in our youth. The 10 member Optimist Club board, of which Dave serves as the Club Secretary, unanimously agreed that Salverda should receive the first award due to his great work in building the Club to almost 70 members in eleven short months. This accomplishment was truly a feat warranting recognition. The Club meets for a networking lunch and to hear a speaker on the second Friday of every month at the Roseville Radisson. There are over 1500 Optimist Clubs world wide and 23 in Minnesota. The Roseville Club is made up of a number of people including leaders in business, local government and local non-profit groups. For questions about this article or…
Read MoreCan International Laws Affect My Divorce?
October 23, 2017 | Elizabeth A. SchadingGoing through a divorce is a very difficult time in many people’s life and not something we ever plan to deal with. This means that the process can often be stressful and tense for both partners and will involve sorting out property, valuables and making the best arrangements for the children going forward. Often it can take months before a divorce is final due to the complexity of the circumstances. In Minnesota, a divorce is called Dissolution of Marriage and unfortunately, problems often arise concerning property and children and who is entitled to receive the property and have custody. Yet, sometimes there are more complications that arise before sorting out issues concerning the marriage. The most common scenario that can make divorce proceedings tricky is when one of the partners has maintained citizenship or has residence in another country that has a different jurisdiction. This will mean that the question of international law pops up before anything can be dealt with, which will require the courts to decide what state or country can grant and finalize the divorce. After all, laws are very specific to each state and country, which means issues in divorces will be resolved differently from country to country. Generally, it will depend on where the divorce paperwork is filed…
Read MoreEmployee Spotlight: Jackie Campbell, Legal Administrative Assistant
October 11, 2017 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.Jackie Campbell became a member of Barna Guzy & Steffen in 2016 when two attorneys for whom she had worked for more than twenty-five years joined the firm. Over many years of working with transportation lawyers, including Jim Wills, Jackie became essential to the team and gained a base of impressive knowledge about the unique industry. Knowing the law isn’t as critical as knowing the way the system works and the intent of the regulations; Jackie would tell you it also has a lot to do with knowing who to call (and call.. and call!). In July of 2017, Jackie’s expertise was put to the test when she was called on to help an important Minnesota trucking client regain its illustrative safety rating. The company was given a “Conditional” rating by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2014. This was a blow to the company due to the influence a negative rating can have on maintaining relationships with vendors, customers (shippers) and employees. In fact, many shippers will cancel contracts or simply refuse to deal with a carrier that does not have a “Satisfactory” rating. Not only are motor carriers subject to inspection of vehicles and log books while on the road, each company is also subject to periodic audits by the U.S. Department…
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