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 MoreBGS Adds a New Associate in Real Estate Law
October 3, 2017 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.Barna, Guzy & Steffen LTD. announces the addition of a new associate to our firm. Andrew C. Thompson has joined the firm’s Real Estate department. He will be working closely with attorneys practicing in the firm’s growing Real Estate area serving existing clients and enhancing the firm’s ability to serve new areas of the community. Andrew received his J.D. in New York in 2013 and was most recently practicing law in St. Paul as a solo practitioner. Before that, he clerked for Washington County District Court Judge Ellen L. Maas. He is experienced in a variety of real estate related areas, including: commercial leasing, real estate financial structures, transactions, and real estate management. His experience attending law school, and living and working in New York has enhanced his law practice with a foundation in the City’s vibrant and busy real estate market. Andrew graduated cum laude from New York Law School in 2013 where he ranked in the top 12{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} of his class. He was a John Marshall Harlan Scholar, recipient of the Law Review Outstanding New Member award and on the Dean’s List four of six semesters. He is excited about this new opportunity in his legal career and says, “I am very much looking forward to working with the experienced attorneys…
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,…
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