Category: News & Events
Employee 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…
Read MoreLunch and Learning: Carole Clark Isakson Presents ACBA CLE Seminar
September 27, 2017 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.On Wednesday September 20, 2017, BGS shareholder Carole Clark Isakson presented an informative and enjoyable lunch seminar to attending members of the Anoka Country Bar Association. Carole has decades of experience handling business transactions, including those relating to intellectual property rights. She put her experience to use in crafting the seminar, entitled ‘7 Things Every Business Attorney Should Know about IP (But Probably Doesn’t)’. Her solid advice to business attorneys highlighted the actions that can and should be taken early on in the formation of a business to avoid issues in the future. For example, when an entity is created it is important to make sure that the entity owns (or licenses) all of the software needed to run the company. Social media accounts should be owned by the company. The use of outside programmers should be the subject of a strong written agreement to ensure that the company owns the work – and the same is true when hiring web site designers or advertising professionals. Attendees of the luncheon learned about this type of intellectual property and important concepts that sometimes don’t come to the forefront during the creation and day to day running of a business. If you have questions about how intellectual property, particularly in the areas of software development,…
Read MoreTotally overwhelmed by the TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE!
August 22, 2017 | Carole Clark IsaksonThese days, everything is subject to being overhyped – cars, diets, clothing, the next snowstorm. When advertisers use words like “amazing”, “breathtaking”, and “life changing” we barely take notice. But having traveled to Nebraska to witness the total solar eclipse, I can tell you that those words, in all their glory, are not strong enough to describe the experience! Last Friday August 18th we began our eclipse road trip. Seven us (me, my parents, husband, niece, teenage daughter and her friend) took two cars and headed to the tiny town of Mullen Nebraska, located in the totality. We booked our three rooms at the Sandhills Motel in Mullen A YEAR AGO. The drive was gorgeous, through the sandhills, and we were delighted with the folks in Mullen and the small town’s events. We didn’t stay in Mullen for the eclipse however, as the weather forecast on the day of the eclipse warned of 70{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} cloud cover. So we hopped in our cars and drove west, following RVs and campers clearly headed the same way, out of the clouds and into the sun. An hour later we turned off the little highway on to a dirt road that led to a park, and found a field with a few other cars parked on the…
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