tulsa lawyer magazine september 2015

Professionalism for judges and lawyers means possessing, demonstratingand promoting the highest standards of Character, Competence,

Compliance, Courage, Civility and Citizenship.

September 2015

Annual Meeting&

Awards Issue

TL 0915 CVR PG1.indd 1 8/26/15 11:54 PM

TL SE15_INSIDE FRCVR.indd 1 8/29/15 7:47 PM

4Gary C. Clark Award

Bradford J.Williams, Jr.

6Neil Bogan Award for Professionalism

Judge Theresa Dreiling

8OutstandingSenior Lawyer

Anne Sublett

10TCBACLE

11OutstandingYoung Lawyer

Sabah Khalaf

12James C. Lang Mentoring Award

Dean Janet K. Levit

14Roger R. ScottCommunity Service Award

Hugh Robert

16 Golden Rule4th Quarter

Teresa Meinders Burkett

20How Do You Recognize AnOutstandingBarAssociation?

282014-2015President’sAwards

30 FoundationAwards

37Grapevine

39Classifieds

In this Issue

2 Message from the President: Motivation & Purpose

18 Meet Bethany - TCBA Staff

33 Building Update-Progress in Pictures

36 Annual Luncheon

Tulsa

Law

yer

September 2015

TL SE15_P1.indd 1 8/26/15 11:37 PM

2 Tulsa Lawyer

A Message From the PresidentE. Zach Smith

motivationpurpose

In last month’s issue of Tulsa Lawyer President Williams signed off with a wonderful message to the members about purpose. Specifically, he was speaking in terms of purpose and its micro-cosmic application to both our professional and personal lives. However, on a grander scale, it was postulated the lessons taken from The Purpose Driven Life could be applied to an organiza-tion just as it could be to individuals for whom the book was written. This made me wonder, though, what is our purpose as an organization in the existing legal climate, and has that purpose changed?

One statement from President Williams’ mes-sage of which I took peculiar note was an excerpt from the book, The Purpose Driven Life:

“Knowing your purpose motivates your life.”

This one line rings especially true to me because, and no pun intended, I feel the major purpose of the book is to help people identify and have a purpose in order to motivate change. Motivation is key to any such lesson taught in life, as we must be motivated to implement this newfound knowledge in order to expe-rience the benefits to be obtained therefrom. What good is any sage advice if the person receiving it isn’t motivated to implement it? We are all motivated every day by different factors, whether it be as simple as

eating lunch because we are hungry or moti-vated to finish a brief due in a couple of days.

Motivation is what keeps certain members coming back to serve on a committee each and every year. It is why many members attend their favorite CLE course or attend a Young Lawyer’s event. This motivation is what causes some members to serve as Section or Committee Chairs, Board members, or on the Executive Committee. The aggregate purpose of these individuals is the motivation that annually delivers benefits to the members of the Tulsa County Bar Association. Clearly everyone is motivated, just not by the same incentives. Therefore, in the context of our organization, it is important to provide mul-tiple benefits and services, and create specific roles and functions in order to meet everyone’s needs.

I understand not everyone wants to be a Committee

TL SE15_P2 PRES LETTER (original).indd 2 8/26/15 10:18 PM

2 Tulsa Lawyer

Chair nor wants to serve on the Board of Directors, and not every-one wants to attend all of the events scheduled each year. Many members simply do not have the time in any given year to devote to these positions or functions. However, all of the lawyers and judges in our community possess similar motivations and many common incentives, and since this is the largest professional organi-zation in our community tasked to provide benefits to its lawyer mem-bers, I find myself asking these increasingly difficult questions each and every year: Why isn’t every attorney in our community a member of the Tulsa County Bar Association? Can we provide all of the needed services and benefits to our members to grow our ranks and satisfy the needs of everyone? How can this be done? More impor-tantly, in the context of President Williams’ message, has our pur-pose changed, and are the new attorneys joining our ranks moti-vated in different ways by different needs than in the traditional past?

Truthfully, never before have such questions been as important to our organization as these are right now. We are witnessing more attorneys vying for less legal positions each year, and as technology grows, so do the number of jobs being replaced by the internet and self-help companies like Legal Zoom and FindLaw. Young attorneys fresh out of law school are jock-eying for a successful place in an environment ripe for third-party companies to line their pockets in

the multimillion-dollar legal sup-port industry. Further, attorneys new and old are finding many benefits offered to them each year, many of which can be very attractive. In the face of growing competition, there has never been a more dire time to identify what our future lawyers will need and provide those quality services.

As your incoming President, I am not naïve to think the Board and staff alone, even with the help of the existing membership, can satisfy the needs of an entire profession within our commu-nity. Having said that, I know the current leadership and staff at the Tulsa County Bar Association are striving like never before to pro-vide our members with the best possible services in the existing dynamic, legal climate. I do feel we must take action now. I simply ask all of you consider becom-ing more involved in the Tulsa County Bar Association this year.

While I am aware you are being pulled in many directions and time is a scarce commodity, I ask that each of you get as involved as you possibly can this next year. You can begin by letting the current leadership know what it can do specifically to help you or your firm. How can we help you achieve your professional purpose, and what motivates you to main-tain your membership? I ask what each of our members can do to help our beloved organization motivate more attorneys in our commu-nity to join its ranks and grow its

membership benefits such that any person in the community who isn’t a member wants to become one.

While I do not intend to reinvent the wheel this year, I do intend to identify what motivates our members in this current legal climate and provide services and benefits that will help each of you achieve your purpose, what-ever that may be. I look forward to serving as your President this year. The staff and leadership at the TCBA will continue work-ing together to ensure we include everyone and continue to provide the same wonderful experiences and benefits for which the Tulsa County Bar Association is known.

E. Zach Smith2015-2016 TCBA President

Tulsa Lawyer 3


4 Tulsa Lawyer

The Tulsa County Bar Association is pleased to announce

that Bradford J. (“Brad”) Williams, Jr. has been awarded the Gary C. Clark Award for Distinguished Service for the year 2015. Brad graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics in 1966, and in 1969 Brad received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa. After graduating from TU, Brad was an Assistant District Attorney for Tulsa County for three years. He then worked for the Hall Estill law firm for six years. Brad currently serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Mazzio’s LLC. Brad joined Mazzio’s as a Vice President and General Counsel in 1979.

Brad is an outstanding lawyer and has dedicated his time and energy as a member and as a great sup-porter of the Tulsa County Bar Association. Brad has served as Co-Chairman of the Tulsa County Bar Foundation Golf Committee on two occasions, and each time he served as Chairman, the Foundation was able to make substantial gifts to its charitable

beneficiaries. These beneficiaries have included the Disabled American Veterans Tulsa Chapter 32, the Blue Star Mothers Tulsa Chapter 1, Tulsa Lawyers for Children, Neighbor for Neighbor, TCBA Community Outreach Committee, and South Tulsa Community House. Brad has been instrumental as a representative of Mazzio’s which has participated as an Eagle Sponsor for the golf tournament every year since the golf tournament was reinstated.

Brad and his wife, Nanci, have two sons, Brad and Brent, and they have four grandchildren. In addi-tion to his activities with the Tulsa County Bar Association and the Tulsa County Bar Foundation, Brad is actively involved in St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Habitat for Humanity, and the South Tulsa Community House. Brad exemplifies the charac-teristics of service to the Bar Association and the Bar Foundation and giving back to his community. Bradford J. Williams, Jr. is a most worthy recipient of this award. Congratulations to Brad from all of his friends at the Tulsa County Bar Association!

Gary C. Clark award

Bradford J.Williams, Jr.


Tulsa Lawyer 5


Tulsa Lawyer 76 Tulsa Lawyer

Neil BogaN award for ProfessioNalism

The Tulsa County Bar Association is pleased to announce that the 2015 Neil Bogan Award for Professionalism is awarded to Judge Theresa Dreiling, Special District Judge for Tulsa County. Even at the outset of her legal career in private practice, Judge Dreiling was prepared and professional, articulate and persuasive, sound in judg-ment and temperament. Later, serving as a Judicial Assistant for the Court of Civil Appeals, she was thorough, decisive, unsur-passed in legal research and writing, and hugely knowledgeable across a wide spectrum of civil law, both on procedure and substance.

When she applied for a Special Judge vacancy, these attributes made her a natural candidate for appoint-ment as a Special Judge, which became a reality in December 2006. Judge Dreiling has been assigned to the mental health, guardianship, civil and fam-ily dockets, where she has exemplified a steady, even-tempered, knowledgeable and hard-working approach to these demanding and sometimes emo-tional dockets. It is difficult on occasion to maintain

patience, calm, and civility toward all parties under the trying conditions that manifest themselves in the courtroom, but Judge Dreiling keeps her head “while all about . . . are losing theirs and blaming it on you.”1

Based on both a personal and profes-sional relationship with Theresa Dreiling spanning 25 years, Judge Linda Morrissey shared the following regarding this year’s award winner:

“Professionalism is revealed through one’s temperament, conduct,

character and work ethic. Judge Theresa Dreiling personifies the highest level of each of these qualities. When she and I worked as staff attorneys at the Court of Civil Appeals in the early 1990s, Theresa distin-guished herself as the premier expert on many areas of law. Her legal acumen and intellectual agility were respected by the staff attorneys, and we often sought out Theresa’s advice on complicated legal issues. She gave her enthusiastic assistance to us regardless of her own work load. The judicial system and the citizens she serves have benefitted from Theresa’s strong work

The HonorableTheresa Dreiling


Tulsa Lawyer 7

ethic. She grew up on a farm in Kansas in a large family and developed solid work habits early in life. Theresa works efficiently and persistently until each project she undertakes is completed with excellence. Her organizational skills allow her to manage a high volume docket both thoroughly and expeditiously, yet with great professionalism. In addition to her extraordinary legal competence, Theresa possesses an even temperament, the ability to work well with others, and the composure to manage contested hear-ings and sensitive issues diplomatically. She is of impeccable character and has earned the admiration of her colleagues. On a lighter note, perhaps the most graphic illustration of her professionalism was her characteristically restrained response to a rather public affront. At a black tie dinner at Southern Hills, she and I sat side by side near the head table, populated by several federal judges, including the guest speaker from California. Although certain I had silenced my cell phone and stowed it safely in my purse under my chair in response to the MC’s stern reminder, it sud-denly began a persistent, disruptive ringing. Rather than hastily retrieve the phone, as all eyes turned my way, I simply slid it under Theresa’s chair with a subtle nudge of my foot, while looking over at her as if to say “Turn off your phone!” (along with the many other guests staring our way). Instead of confronting

the real culprit, she sat there, stoically, neither con-firming nor denying that the ring of the offending phone was hers—or worse yet mine. For that I’m eternally grateful and she reluctantly forgiving.”

Judge Dreiling’s active participation in the Hudson-Hall-Wheaton Chapter of the American Inns of Court demonstrates her commitment to the ideals and principles of professionalism. Her honesty and intellect are unquestioned, and her reputation for integrity and courtesy highlights the reasons the Tulsa County Bar Association proudly acknowl-edges Judge Theresa Dreiling as this year’s recipient of the Neil Bogan Award for Professionalism. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Judge!

1 From “If—” by Rudyard Kipling.

TCBA MEMBERSHIPRENEWALS

AVAILABLE ONLINEwww.tulsabar.com


8 Tulsa Lawyer

Outstanding

seniOr Lawyer

Anne B.Sublett

Anne Sublett is passionate. She is passionate about social justice, the poor, the homeless, those who suffer from a mental illness and children. Children are her great-est passion. Especially, children who have been abused, neglected, abandoned and mistreated by their parents and caregivers. She will advocate for these children in any and every forum possi-ble. It doesn’t matter if it is a court of law, an elegant hotel ballroom or a meeting of the Tulsa County Bar Association.

Anne has advocated tirelessly on behalf of abused children since the mid 1990’s. She and a group of valiant volunteers from Conner and Winters agreed to take cases at the Juvenile Bureau when the

PD’s office couldn’t because of a conflict. Anne will admit she was more fearful than fearless at the beginning. Her talents and skills were better suited for corporate law. But, she overcame her trepi-dation (and if you didn’t know it, her shyness) and has been a fixture at 315 South Gilcrease Museum Road for the past 20 years. Since the day she first entered Judge Chappelle’s Courtroom she has led, emboldened and empowered others by her passion to serve children who have been harmed. Her zeal led to the creation of Tulsa Lawyers for Children, an orga-nization staunchly supported by the Tulsa County Bar Association and many of its members.

Anne’s fervor often puts her in the

middle of hotly contested issues, but she will not be silenced. She works on behalf of all abused children in Oklahoma, not just those in Tulsa. Her quest for jus-tice lead to joining as next friend the class action lawsuit against the State’s foster care system.

Tulsa University and Georgetown University are her proud alma maters. She has worked with many of the best and bright-est minds in Tulsa at Hall Estill and Conner and Winters and she has donated thousands of hours of her legal expertise to the causes she supports. It is truly fitting to acknowledge her passion and her profes-sionalism as the “Outstanding Senior Lawyer” of 2015.


Tulsa Lawyer 9


10 Tulsa Lawyer

TCBA offers top-quality

seminars on a wide variety of topics to

help attorneys stay current

in their practice as well as

meeting the mandatory continuing

legal education requirements.


Sabah Khalaf is the TCBA’s Outstanding Young Lawyer for 2015. A Tulsa native whose family is from Iraq, Sabah has served as Chair of the TCBA’s Young Lawyers committee. Sabah received his undergraduate degree from The University of Oklahoma, before attend-ing The University of Tulsa College of Law. While in law school, he was awarded the Order of the Barristers for outstanding performance in a mock trial. In addition, Sabah served as the Managing Editor of the Tulsa Journal

of Comparative and International Law, was a Chesapeake Scholar and held the position of Speaker Pro Tempore of the Student Bar Association. Prior to entering private practice, Sabah served as an assistant district attorney for the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office.

Under his leadership, the Young Lawyers orga-nized a Trivia Night held at the Schusteman Center. The event raised funds to assist the YLD in its community service projects.

Outstanding YOung LawYer

Sabah S. Khalaf

Tulsa Lawyer 11


Janet K. Levit has devoted her life and career to advancing scholarship in the field of law.

Levit earned her JD in 1994 from the Yale Law School, where she was book reviews and articles editor of the Yale Journal of International Law. She earned a MA in International Relations in 1994 from Yale University and an AB, magna cum laude, in 1990 from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. She served as law clerk for Stephanie K. Seymour, Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and for the Chair of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States.

Levit practiced in the interna-tional trade and finance areas at the Export-Import Bank of the United States, as well as in the private sector. She writes about international finance and interna-tional human rights issues. Her articles have been published in the

Emory Law Journal, Yale Journal of International Law, Harvard International Law Journal, and the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law.

In October 2007, Levit was appointed Interim Dean of The University of Tulsa College of Law, and in July 2008, she was named Dean and Dean John Rogers Endowed Chair of TU Law. During her tenure as dean, Levit led TU Law to unprece-dented strength, resulting in a marked rise in the national US News & World Report rankings, from number 147 to number 72. This rise was largely due to her commitment to improve the aca-demic credentials of students, as well as her dedication to improve bar passage rates and ensure graduates find employment.

Levit serves on several phil-anthropic boards, and she is co-chair of the Teach For America Oklahoma Advisory Board. Her community involvement includes

having served as a board mem-ber of the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, the Booker T. Washington Foundation for Excellence, the Tulsa County Bar Association Board of Directors, and as a member of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa’s Holocaust Education Committee. She has also served as president of the Simon Estes Education Foundation.

In 2012 she received the Judge Linda Morrissey Award for her service to the legal pro-fession and was inducted into The Journal Record’s “50 Making a Difference” Circle of Excellence. She is also a 2015 inductee into the TU College of Law Hall of Fame to recognize her commitment to law students, legal educa-tion, and the legal profession.

James C. Lang mentoring award

DeanJanet K.

Levit

12 Tulsa Lawyer


T H E T C B A M E M B E R S H I P D I R E C T O R YPick yours up today!1 copy per member

For firms of 10 or more, please email ahead of time with the names of each TCBA Member in the firm requesting a copy and we will have

them ready for pickup in 24 hrs.

To request a pickup order, please email Julie Cook at [email protected]

Tulsa Lawyer 13


Hugh M. Robert is recipient of the TCBA’s 2015 Roger Scott Community Service Award. The award recognizes those attorneys who best exemplify the standard of volunteerism in the commu-nity. He also represents and works with over 50 non-profit foundations and organizations.

While at the University of Tulsa College of Law, Hugh served as Articles Editor for the Energy Law Journal and received the Outstanding Service

Award from the Law & Medicine Society, Phi Delta Phi Professional Responsibility Award, and Cali Awards (highest grade) in Mental Health Disability Law, Civil Procedure, Pre-Trial Practice, and Professional Responsibility. He also received the Martin H. Belsky Award in Public Interest law for his demonstrated commitment in the areas of public service, diversity, religious respect and promotion of constitutional values in 2008.

Hugh founded and served as Executive Director of the non-profit organization Oklahoma Center for Consumer & Patient Safety, now OKWatchdog, a 501(c)(3) organization. He was awarded the Consumer Advocate of the Year by the Oklahoma Association for Justice in 2007. Hugh was awarded The University of Tulsa College Law Distinguished Young Alumni in 2001. He received Iron Gate’s Volunteer of the Year Award and Volunteer under 40 awards in 2011.

Hugh currently serves on the board of direc-tors of Iron Gate, and the Oklahoma Association for Justice. Hugh is the co-founder of Lawyers Fighting Hunger, Inc. a 501(c)(3) foundation that raises money to help feed the hungry. He also serves as the President on the International Board of Directors of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and board member on the Kappa Sigma Endowment Fund.

RogeR R. Scott

community SeRvice AwARd

Hugh M. Robert

14 Tulsa Lawyer


Tulsa Lawyer 15

TCBA COMMUNITY OUTREACH

COMMITTEE

Making a difference in our community.


Golden Rule AwARd

Teresa Meinders Burkett

16 Tulsa Lawyer

The Tulsa County Bar Association is proud to announce that Teresa Meinders Burkett is the winner of the Golden Rule Award for the 3rd Quarter of 2015.

Teresa Meinders Burkett is an avid blogger/poster on Facebook. Her thoughtfully composed comments enrich the lives of her friends and nourish a desire for a deeper understanding of life above and beyond the confines of our daily existence. An example:

“I woke up this morning reflecting on the two groups of women I met with after work last night. The first group met to assess the sta-tus of our efforts to secure adequate health care services for low income Oklahomans…. Smart women, working to help solve an obvi-ous problem that our elected state leaders can’t or won’t address….. Then off to another gathering of women to challenge the sudden closure of Sweet Briar, one of the few remain-ing colleges for women in the country, and the only women’s college with an engineer-ing school…..Then home to world news where extremists have destroyed more cultural trea-sures…. Extremists in our own country who try to exclude those different from themselves….”

Whether practicing law as head of the health care practice group at Conner & Winters, LLP, or gently paddling along with husband, Robert, canoeing in the gentle waters of the Illinois or Buffalo Rivers, Teresa’s passion for life is contagious. A frustrated novelist, her posts and musings about life are envari-ably interesting and deeply rewarding. Teresa became interested in the laws that affect patient care while working as a registered nurse in the ICU. Interacting with medical clients is Teresa’s favor-ite part of her daily job: “because they’re bright, they’re educated, they know their business, they appreciate it that I understand their business—and just that interaction of helping them work through complex problems is my favorite part of the day.”

Teresa yearns to live life in a helping profession. Like the nursing profession, she considers the practice of law to be a helping profession. Just as when finding an eddy in the swirling waters of the river, Teresa pro-vides a safe haven to clients in times of troubles. “I’ve had a number of clients comment after we finish some-thing that, after talking with me, they’re able to sleep at night because they’ve been so worried about some complaint or investigation or lawsuit.” Her actions are centered around service and a deep concern for those

4th QuARteR

GOLDEN RULE1: capitalized G&R : a rule of ethical conduct : do to others as you would have them do to you 2: a guiding principle


Tulsa Lawyer 17

she encounters along the pathway of her life. After a recent tornado scare, she posted the following:

“After making sure family, friends and col-leagues were fine last night, my thoughts turned to our red tailed hawk family in the top of the sycamore tree. Our morn-ing walk revealed an intact nest and safe family. Nature knows what she is doing. Grateful all around now.”

Teresa’s is a life well lived. A gracious, caring individual full of the wonder of our world and striv-ing for endless opportunities to improve the lives of others. Her father, Hadley Meinders, grew up in the Depression and often observed his mother offering food to out-of-work men passing through.

That impression formed a basis for his active volun-teerism throughout his long life. No doubt, Teresa’s father instilled her passion for volunteerism in her life. Like her father, Teresa tells engaging stories and loves the great outdoors. Please congratulate Teresa as the winner of the TCBA’s Golden Rule Award.

2014-2015 Golden Rule Winners (Featured in previous issues of Tulsa Lawyer)

1st QuarterStanley D. Monroe

2nd QuarterWilliam C. “Bill” Kellough

3rd QuarterThe Honorable Carlos Chappelle

The Bar Center will

be CLOSED Monday,

September 7th, Labor Day.


Jerry L. Witt is the recipient of the 2014 Hood Corbitt Award for Excellence in Family Law.

The Hood Corbitt award honors TCBA members who demonstrate

the highest level of legal ability, ethics and

professionalism in the area of Family Law and exemplary ser-

vice to the Family Bench and Bar. It is awarded by majority vote of the Family Law Section.

Jerry L. Witt2015 Hood Corbitt Award

for Excellence in Family Law

18 Tulsa Lawyer

Bethany Lyon manages the Continuing Legal Education and Membership Services for the Tulsa County Bar Association. She serves as a mem-ber of the Community Outreach Committee and Tulsa County Bar Foundation Golf Committee.

Bethany received her Master of Management from Oral Roberts University College of Business and holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business from ORU and an associ-ate’s degree in Political Science and Journalism. Bethany is a member of the Legal Marketing Association, Tulsa Area Human Resources Association, and Tulsa Young Professionals.

“I have always been fascinated by the many avenues of government, including its legal, business, and international affairs. When I’m

not wrapped up in the WSJ or new book on leadership with coffee in hand, I enjoy finding creative inspiration from culture. I previously taught piano and music lessons and love sup-porting local artists. I have become passionate about running and yoga, not only for the obvious health and fitness benefits, but also because they are stress-relieving and rejuvenating activities for me. (Also, I love the opportunity to support so many great charities at running events... and am a bit of a finisher medal junkie.) This fall I will become an official aunt, welcoming the first grand baby into my family, and am looking for-ward to the busy but enjoyable addition! Thank you everyone for your warm welcome, I look forward to seeing you soon.” – Bethany Lyon

Meet Your Association Staff


Jerry L. Witt2015 Hood Corbitt Award

for Excellence in Family Law

Tulsa Lawyer 19


20 Tulsa Lawyer

How Do You Recognize An Outstanding County Bar Association?Outgoing President ~D. Kenyon (“Ken”) Williams, Jr.

[The following article, as promised to the attendees at our Annual Meeting, is a gently modified copy of our self-nomination for the Oklahoma Bar Associa-tion Award.]

Possibly as the famous 1946 statement of United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart put it, you “know it when you see it.” With no false modes-ty, I respectfully suggest that if you look at The Tulsa County Bar Association (“TCBA”), you will see an outstanding county bar association.

Our Physical Presence in the CommunityThe tag line for our 2014-2015 Bar Year has been “BUILDING OUR FUTURE” to acknowledge the successful completion of a Capital Campaign that the TCBA achieved as the predicate for a major reno-vation of our headquarters at 1446 South Boston in Tulsa.

Through our Tulsa County Bar Founda-tion (“TCBF”), TCBA owns and operates our headquarters, which

serve as a “hub” for the multitude of activities by and services for the benefit of our Members. The first phase of the renovation, involving total replacement and aesthetic of the exterior of the building, is underway and will be followed by phase two, modernization of the interior of our building. Despite the difficult economy, our Members have been very supportive of this much needed project, which has served as a unifying activity this Bar Year.

We are particularly proud and pleased about the renovation because of the heavy use of the building. Examples of the activities, over and above its use as our administrative offices and meeting place for our Boards, Committees and Sections, are:

• The Certified Public Accountants State organiza-tion meets in our headquarters for its Spring and Fall session of its version of CLE. Each session is 5 weeks and lasts about 4 hours per day.

• Oklahoma Bar Association’s Title Standards Committee holds its meeting in our facility about 3 times a year.

• Oklahoma Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division regularly schedules meetings several times per year in our headquarters.

• Barbri Group conducts its annual preparatory courses for the Oklahoma Bar Exam here at TC-BA’s facility. Its half-day sessions usually last about 6 weeks.

• Legally Pink, discussed below, conducts fund raisers at our headquarters.

• We make space available to our Members for occasional meeting space as a convenience for Members and their clients who are distant from their offices and homes when in Tulsa. We also have acted as host for depositions, mediations and mock jury sessions for our Members and their clients.

• As mentioned below, the Law Day Commit-tee conducts public and private school student awards ceremonies in our large meeting space.

• Oklahoma Bar Association uses our facility to conduct its all day seminars for new attorneys in the Tulsa area – “Opening your Law Practice.”

• Our headquarters host the University of Tulsa, College of Law orientation lunch for first year law students.

• Visiting Nurses use our facility to provide flu shots to our community.

• Blood drives are conducted at our building.

Before

After


Tulsa Lawyer 21

Our Outreach to the CommunityThrough our Community Outreach Committee, Law Day Committee, Bench and Bar Committee, Charity Golf Committee, Pro Bono Committee and Paralegal Section, TCBA had direct interaction with our com-munity in many ways. To highlight a few of which we are especially proud:

LAWYERS FIGHTING HUNGER: TCBA partnered with this locally based charity to pro-vide both food to distribute and our Members to assist in the distribution for Fall (Thanksgiving) and Spring (Easter) events. Total cash contributions by TCBA Members exceeded $4,000 plus an incredible amount of lost billable hours that were donated in the distribu-tions.

TULSA BALLET: TCBA partnered with this local-ly based troupe in its Hope for the Holidays event. Underserved children experienced a world class ballet

event and were served holiday snacks by our volunteer Mem-bers, including our Executive Director costumed as the Nut-cracker.

SANTA BRINGS A LAW SUIT: In its 15th year, one of TCBA’s most popular charitable events was again a resounding success. Slightly used but dry-cleaned business and business casual clothing was donated by our Members and provided to local charities, i.e. Women in Recovery; John 3:16 Mission; Salvation Army; and Goodwill, for distribution to aid people

attempting to transition from unemployment and/or homelessness into self-sufficiency. With regard to the Women in Recovery Program, TCBA volunteered to and did donate one-half of its dedicated Lawyers Lounge area at the Tulsa County District Courthouse to provide desperately needed space to expand this worthwhile program to reunite women with their fami-lies through alternatives to incarceration.

COMMUNITY FOOD BANK: TCBA partnered with this Eastern Oklahoma charity to prepare 4,416 sacks of food for the Spring “Food for Kids Backpack Program.”

TULSA DAY CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS: In another of what has become an annual partnering with a local char-ity, TCBA Members donated approximately approximately $5,000 in cash and products to make up home kits for the Welcome Home Project. The Project targets homeless that are transitioning to housing. The home kits are made up of helpful prod-ucts to assist recipients in setting up housekeeping in their transition housing.

LEGALLY PINK: In partnership with this local char-ity organized by Members of the TCBA’s Bench and Bar Committee, our volunteer Members conducted a fund-raising event on October 2nd and a Rally on October 3rd, 2015, for the purpose of raising aware-ness of and raising funds for research to find cures for breast cancer.


22 Tulsa Lawyer

JUDICIAL CAMPAIGN AND DISTRICT ATTOR-NEY CAMPAIGN FORUMS: TCBA’s Bench and Bar Committee episodically holds Judicial and District Attorney Forums in our large meeting room.

SELECT LOCAL CHARITIES: Our Charity Golf Committee conducted its annual Tulsa County Bar Foundation Golf Classic, which benefits through do-nations the local charities selected by the Foundation. The select charities for this Bar Year were: Disabled American Veterans Tulsa Chapter 32; Blue Star Moth-ers Tulsa Chapter 1; South Tulsa Community House; and Tulsa Lawyers for Children. This event generated over $20,000 for benevolent distributions.

OKLAHOMA EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION AUTHORITY: In partnership with the OETA for the 22nd year, the Law Week event (Ask A Lawyer) from

9AM to 9PM on April 30, 2015, provided an opportunity for the public to receive answers to legal question from our volun-teer Members.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES: In conjunction with Law Week, our volunteer Members conducted an immi-gration clinic where the public had an opportunity to receive answers on this timely topic.

NATURALIZATION CEREMONY: Our Law Day Committee also sponsored and addressed the new citizens at the Naturalization Ceremony on March 11, 2015 by the United States District Court, Northern District. A Committee Member spoke to 41 new citi-zens on the meaning of Law Day.

LEGAL CIVICS EDUCATION: Also in conjunction with Law Week, our volunteer Members acted as guest teachers in civics education programs in elemen-tary schools throughout Tulsa County and a similar program was presented at the Tulsa County District Courthouse. The Law Day Committee instituted and awarded its first ever Sandra Day O’Connor Award for Civics Education to the 8th grade Social Studies De-partment of Owasso Public Schools. The award will

annually be given to the person or persons who have signifi-cantly advanced the teaching of legal civ-ics in Tulsa County public schools.

STUDENT ART AND POETRY CONTEST: Using the Law Day theme of “Foundation of Law - Magna Carta and Beyond” as the subject for their creativity, our Law Day Committee sponsored a contest open to all students from PK through 12th grade. The win-ners selected by the Committee received their awards at an event held at TCBA’s headquarters at which the students and their family and friends were treated to snacks and drinks.


Tulsa Lawyer 23

COURTHOUSE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: In part-nership with Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, our Pro Bono Committee and our Paralegal Section provides short term legal assistance at the Tulsa County District Courthouse to individuals that have immediate need for legal services but cannot afford them. Our volun-teer Members provide this assistance in the areas of landlord/tenant, consumer collection, and other mat-ters that come before the Small Claims Division of the Tulsa County District Court.

Our Outreach and Value to Our MembersTo obtain information to support updating of our Long Range Plan, our Long Range Planning Committee conducted a survey of our Members. From that sur-vey, we learned that the three most important benefits that our Members receive from TCBA are, in descend-ing order of importance: Discounted/Free Continu-ing Legal Education; Practice Area Sections; and Networking; with Courthouse Security Badges and Community Service Opportunities showing as close runner-ups. Some additional details on the benefits and value to our Members are as follows:

LEADERSHIP RETREAT: To start our Bar Year off with all of our leadership, i.e. officers, directors, committee chairs and section chairs, working with the same understanding of the mission and goals of TCBA and TCBF, we held our second annual Leadership Re-treat on the first Saturday of September. During this half-day meeting, we reviewed our By-Laws and pol-icies and programs and provided each attendee with copies of relevant information to assist them in their respective area of responsibili-ty. We also used this meeting as an opportunity to brainstorm about ways to improve the benefits and values that TCBA and TCBF provide to our Members.

FREE CLE: In collaboration with our Law Day Com-mittee, our CLE Committee held its 24th Annual Free CLE for TCBA Members at which approximately 150 registered attendees enjoyed the free presentation of 6 hours of CLE, with an optional hour of ethics.

DISCOUNTED CLE: TCBA offers its Members a “CLE Gold Card” which allows each participating Member the opportunity to receive 12 hours of CLE during the Bar Year for the discounted rate of less than $20 per hour. Our CLE Committee offered more than 25 different live CLE presentations this Bar Year and TCBA has developed a “library” of CLEs on videos. Together with the CLE opportunities described below, all of these CLE presentations represent a wealth of opportunities for our Members to update their knowl-edge in areas of interest to them.

BROWN BAG SEMINARS: Our Bench and Bar Committee, in collaboration with the Judges of the Tulsa County District Court, had 5 one hour BROWN BAG SEMINAR CLE presentations on litigation top-ics, with practical tips and valuable insights from the perspective of judges and of experienced litigators.

RICHARD B. RISK PRACTICUM SERIES: The Bench and Bar Committee, in collaboration with the University of Tulsa, College of Law, held 5 one hour CLE presentations at the Law School. These Practi-cums provide quality instruction in specialized areas of practice for current law students and young attor-neys. Each Practicum session is presented by a judge and attorney from the Tulsa area. TU LAW DOCKET: Although not strictly a presen-tation for CLE credit, TCBA brings additional edu-cational value and benefit to our Student Members through a TU Law Docket. In collaboration with the University of Tulsa, College of Law, a Tulsa County District Court Judge and our Bench and Bar Commit-tee, a satellite courtroom at the Law School serves as an actual courtroom where motions are heard for an actual case pending in Tulsa County District Court. Another educational value and benefit for our Tul-sa University Student Members is provided by our


24 Tulsa Lawyer

Mentoring Committee, which partners experienced volunteer Member mentors with participating Student Member mentees.

PRACTICE AREA SECTIONS: Our Members have 19 practice area or special interest Sections available to them. These Sections provide invaluable brain-storming and practice skills updates through interac-tion between senior and less senior Members. They also provide opportunities for Networking that is clearly valued by our Members.

NETWORKING: In addition to the Networking opportunities available to our Members through the Practice Area Sections, as well as TCBA’s/TCBF’s 20 Committees, we provide specific Networking opportu-nities through events, such as:

LAW DAY LUNCHEON: This annual Law Day cel-ebration, which is a collaborative effort by TCBF and TCBA, is always well-attended, primarily because of the collegiality and Networking that are key elements of the event. This year’s theme of “Foundations of the Law: Magna Carta and Beyond” and the opportunity to hear Tenth Circuit Jerome Holmes speak about it added to the draw of the ever-popular event.

BRICKS AND BREW: To celebrate the commence-ment of the first phase of the renovation of our head-quarters, the Capital Campaign Committee and the Special Events Committee threw an open house/party for all Members to enjoy swinging a sledge hammer against the old brick façade of the building, share a cold drink and enjoy a good Networking event. A great time was had by all!

SPECIAL EVENTS: Our Special Events Committee also organized 2 other events, one of which will not occur until next Bar Year. A Members Mixer Pizza Party was sponsored and underwritten by TCBA. The event was open to all of our Members and was a fun evening of good food and conversation, as well as cross-marketing and Networking between attorneys who might not regularly cross paths. The event which will not occur until the Fall is the Thunder Member Mixer, which will be an opportunity to attend the OKC Thunder versus Dallas Mavericks pre-season game. Again, TCBA organized and underwrote ad-vance purchase of blocks of tickets and offered those to all of our Members on a first come/first served ba-sis. The event sold out in a few minutes and should be another great opportunity for fun and Networking.

DIVERSITY NETWORKING: Our Diversity Com-mittee held a Diversity Networking Event in partner-ship with the University of Tulsa, College of Law, the Hispanic National Bar Association and Conner & Winters Law Firm. The Event created a venue for diverse law students to interact with diverse attorneys who have the advantage of experiences to share and tips and guidance on how the students can improve their networking skills. The goal is to improve the future prospects of the diverse students to locate and land employment as attorneys in our community.

Join or renew your membership at www.tulsabar.com


Tulsa Lawyer 25

TRIVIA NIGHT: The Young Lawyers Section of TCBA conducted its second annual Trivia Night, a well-attended event that also created a venue for young and not-so-young Members to Network in a fun way. Food trucks and trivia competition teams make this a very collegial and special opportunity for Net-working.

TEAM SPORTS: TCBA annually organizes a Bowl-ing League and a Softball League and invites all of our Members and their staffs to participate as com-petitive teams. This physical outlet for the naturally competitive spirit of our Members creates venues and vehicles for Networking and fun!

ANNUAL LUNCHEON: Similar to the Law Day Luncheon, this is a collaborative effort of TCBA and TCBF and serves as our annual business meeting and awards ceremony but is primarily another collegial Networking event. It is always well attended and serves as the “closing” of our Bar Year.

JUDICIAL DINNER: Every other year, TCBA’s Bench and Bar Committee holds a Judicial Dinner to honor our Tulsa County District Court Judges, which

is sometimes held in our large space. This event is incredibly popular and well-attended and provides yet another great opportunity for non-litigation based interaction between our attorney and judge Members.

It has been my honor to serve as President of the TCBA during the 2014-2015 Bar Year. My sincere hope is that the Oklahoma Bar Association sees the same outstanding county bar association that I do when I view the TCBA!

On a different but related note, it is time for out Committees and Sections to get back to work. As Past President, I will chair the Awards and Nominations Committee and solicit your nominations for our next Golden Rule Award. Please let me hear from you.As always, thank you for your service.

D. Kenyon “Ken” Williams Jr.President 2014 - 2015

Tulsa Lawyer SubmissionsTulsa Lawyer depends on submissions by

members and those in our community.Please consider sharing your talents,

ideas and stories. Questions and ideas can be submitted to [email protected].


E VIDENCE AT YOUR F INGERTIP S

www.avansic.com

DATA PRESERVATION | E-DISCOVERY | DIGITAL FORENSICS

ONLINE REVIEW | EXPERT SERVICES


Tulsa County Bar Association2014-2015 PRESIDENT’S AWARDS

Ben Oxford & Hans Lehr

28 Tulsa Lawyer

Hopefully, each of you has at least one good friend who is that person that you know in times of chal-lenge will “have your back.” The kind of friend that you do not even have to wonder “Is he or she going to be there when I need them?” For me, the recipients of this Bar Year’s PRESIDENT’S AWARDS are a bit like that. I did not ever have to wonder about whether they would do a good job for our Association – I relied upon them to do the very best that they could – and they did!

D. Kenyon (“Ken”) Williams, Jr.TCBA President 2014-2015

Phil Feist: Phil is an uncommon recipient of this award. By that I mean that he is not the Chair of a Committee or Section. He was not tasked or asked to perform any particular duties for the Association. However,

Phil saw a need for a basic continuing legal education offering here in the Tulsa County Bar in the area of probates and estates and “volunteered” to provide that offering – not just once but for six sessions. His contribution to the Association’s CLE this Bar Year has been one of the most successful and will carry over into next Bar Year. He is a volunteer’s volun-teer. Well done!

Millie Otey: Millie neither wants nor expects recognition for all that she does for our Association, but she deserves it! As Chair of the Legal Aid/Pro Bono Committee, she has tirelessly worked to increase the

access to justice of the under-served of our

community. It is so typical of Millie that she seeks nothing for herself but instead asks us to recognize the work of her volunteers, specifically Attorneys: Diane Hernandez, Michael Pacewicz, Jessie Pierre, James Proszek, Jason Riddle, Whitney Rodich, Amy Sellars, Andrew Shank, Steve Soule and Josh Tietsort; and Paralegals: Deborah Howard and Elizabeth Nellis. Well done, Millie and all of her volunteers!

Hans Lehr and Ben Oxford: On the Lawyer Referral Service panel, Hans and Ben have both gone above and beyond their commitment, as demonstrated by their willingness to see referral clients with special situations, such as needing to meet on Saturdays or after normal business hours. Further, Hans and Ben have taken time away from their busy practice to meet with referral clients with poor potential for success – just because these lawyers consider the Lawyer Referral Service to be a public service. Our Association does and should say “thank you” to all of the Members serving on the Lawyer Referral Service Panel but Hans and Ben have exceeded our expectations of helping provide access to jus-tice to those least able to afford it. Well done!


Tulsa Lawyer 29

Kevinn Matthews: For those of you who are not a Member of the Energy & Mineral Law Section or have not attended one of the Section’s meet-ings in the last year, I am

proud to report that this Section is one of our most vibrant and “engaged” practice area groups. Under Kevinn’s guidance as Chair, the Section remained numerically strong and conducted extremely infor-mative presentations that benefited the Section Members in the best tradition of the Association to provide value to our Members. Well done!

Fred Slicker: As Chair of the Professionalism Committee, Fred started what I hope will become a new tradition for our Board of Directors. This Bar Year, Fred opened each of our meetings with a “Professionalism Moment” – a thought pro-voking comment or story

to help each attendee focus on professionalism. Further, Fred created and published ESSAYS ON PROFESSIONALISM, a book that he then donated to the Association to be shared with new law school graduates as a gift from the Association or to be sold by the Association as a resource. I greatly appreci-ate Fred’s contributions this Bar Year. Well done!

Ken Underwood: Ken has been recognized in the past for his excellent efforts to publicize our Association’s events and good works but I want to do so again! As Chair of the Committee for several years, Ken has learned how and whom to contact to get our message out. Simply put, I

do not know how we could ask for anyone to do more as a volunteer than he does for our Association. Well done!

Larry Yadon: Larry did an outstanding job of mak-ing the TULSA LAWYER MAGAZINE an even more “user friendly” com-munication tool for the Association this Bar Year. In addition to his guid-ance of the Committee, Larry found the time to write articles that were

enjoyable and informative. With him as Chair of this Committee, we have made great progress in transitioning from a paper delivery system to a combined paper/electronic delivery system AND we have a new vendor that will greatly reduce the Association’s cost of publication. Well done!

In closing, I want to recognize a member of our Association’s staff that has been invaluable to me this Bar Year:

Julie Cook: As the Association’s Lawyers Referral representative, Julie is both the “face” and “voice” of the Association that the public most often encounters. Her profes-sional but caring attitude toward the public and our Members

is part of what makes our Association an outstand-ing organization. Julie has never failed to help me carry out my tasks as President, has tried at all times to make my job easier, and should be commended for all of the ways in which she tries to make us the best organization of our kind. Well done!


Tulsa County Bar Foundation 2014-2015 AWARDS

Jim Hicks - Chair, TCBF Charity Golf Tournament

The annual tournament was held on May 18, 2015, on a break from the monsoon spring of 2015. The skies were gorgeous and 112 play-

ers attended at the Bailey Golf Ranch in Owasso.

Jim and his committee organized several members of the bar to assist in putting on the tournament at a new location. Kevin Cousins and his staff, worked extremely hard in overseeing the registration and with logistics on the course. The Committee had

numerous volunteers that assisted with obtain-ing items for the prizes, the golf “swag bags” and the running of the tournament on the course.

There were several sponsors that were garnered to assist in putting on the event. McAfee and Taft, Mazzio’s Corporation; Richards & Connor; Seed Technologies; Sonoma Bistro & Wine Bar; and Ligistix Business Solutions were Eagle sponsors. The Birdie sponsors were Barrow & Grimm; Land Rover of Tulsa; Moyers Martin; Works and Lentz; Insurica – Joe West Company; and Hall Estill. Par sponsors were Baker’s Custom Golf; Central States Orthopedic; Crowe and Dunlevy; Head Johnson Kachigan; Leonard and Rineer and James R. Gotwals & Associates. There were numerous other hole sponsors

30 Tulsa Lawyer


and donors that made the tournament a success.

The disabled American Veterans and members of the blue Star mothers also assisted in facilitat-ing the tournament and presenting the colors.

Several thousand dollars were raised for the Tulsa County Bar foundation charities. The Tulsa County Bar Foundation appreciates Jim’s work in chair-ing this committee and the committees’ service.

Grant T Lloyd – Chair, Community Outreach Committee (“COC”)

Under his leadership, the COC participated in six (6) events during the year: Lawyers Fighting Hunger/Live Local Give Local Thanksgiving

Event; Tulsa Ballets Hope for the Holidays event; Santa Brings a Lawsuit; volunteer opportunities at the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma; Lawyers Fighting Hunger/Live Local Give Local Easter Event, and the Welcome Home Project for the Tulsa Day Care Center for the Homeless..

Members of the COC helped collect over $2000 for the the fall and spring lawyers fighting hunger events. They participated in the food distribu-tion in the vault parking lot for both events.

At Tulsa Ballet’s Hope for the Holidays Event in November, COC members served snacks and Kevin Cousins dressed up as a Nutcracker. It was an excel-lent opportunity for many of Tulsa’s underserved children to experience some Holiday Magic.

Santa brings a lawsuit delivered cloth-ing to women in recovery, John 316 Mission, Salvation Army, and Goodwill. There were

over 1000 items of clothing distributed.

COC organized a group of volunteers for the community food bank of Eastern Oklahoma to prepare 4,416 sacks of food for the “Food for Kids Backpack Program.”

The committee also donated $3000 to the wel-come home project benefiting the day care center for the homeless. In addition to that, they prepared approximately 20 kits. These kits are distributed to people transitioning from living on the streets or in their vehicles into homes or apartments and contain essential items needed to set up housekeeping.

The Tulsa County Bar Foundation appreci-ates the fine service by Grant Lloyd as chairman of COC and the Committee’s efforts.

The Hon. Damon Cantrell - Chair, Law Day Committee

14th Judicial District Judge Daman H. Cantrell served as the Chairman

of the Tulsa County Bar Association/Tulsa County Bar Foundation Law Day Committee. Several events were conducted around the law Day theme of “Foundation of law Magna Carta and Beyond.”

The Tulsa County Bar Foundation held its annual law Day luncheon on May 1, 2015 at the Tulsa Country Club. The Honorable Jerome Holmes of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals was the keynote speaker. Tulsa world reporter Bill Braun received the Liberty Bell Award in recognition of his 30 years of effective and balanced reporting on the courts of Tulsa County. There was a naturalization ceremony held at the federal courthouse in honor of Law Day and student art and writing awards were given out to students

continued on page 32

Tulsa Lawyer 31


32 Tulsa Lawyer

from pre-K-12 grade on the on the Law Day theme.

The committee organized and provided lawyers for the ask a lawyer program at the OETA offices on April 30, 2015. The committee provided and organized an immigration clinic which took place at Catholic Charities on April 26. Legal civics edu-cation programs were conducted at the Owasso eighth-grade Center and various elementary schools in the County and at the Courthouse.

The committee awarded an inaugural award denominated as the Sandra Day O’Connor Award for Civics Education. this award was given to the Owasso eighth-grade social studies depart-ment. The award is designated for a person or persons who have significantly advanced the teaching of legal civics in Oklahoma Schools.

The Tulsa County Bar Foundation is very grate-ful and appreciative of Judge Damon H Cantrell and the work of the 2015 Law Week Committee.


36 Tulsa Lawyer


Tulsa Lawyer 37

Sherwood, McCormick & Robert is proud to announce that Kristin Straily, has joined the firm as an associate. She graduated from the University of Tulsa College of Law cum laude in 2011 and Oklahoma State University, with a degree in Biological Sciences. While

in law school, Ms. Straily was a member of the honor fraternity Phi Delta Phi, served as an articles editor for the Energy Law Journal, and competed in the National Health Law Moot Competition at Southern Illinois University. She was also active in the Law & Medicine Society serving as President and in the Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Society as Vice President. Ms. Straily served as a combat medic in the United States Army. Her practice will focus on Social Security Disability (both the initial filing and appeals), Elder Law, and Medical malpractice.

Mary Quinn Cooper, a trial lawyer and co-leader of the Litigation Group at McAfee & Taft, has been selected as one of two Oklahomans in the 2015 edition of Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation.” This marks the third consecutive year Cooper has been named to the exclusive guide.

The publication noted that Cooper has served as national trial counsel for General Motors and Ford Motor Company for more than 25 years on a range of product liability cases and has secured multiple defense verdicts for major automakers in recent years. Cooper is a member of the Tulsa County Bar Association, Oklahoma Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Inns of Court, American Board of Trial Advocates, Defense Research Institute, International Association of Defense Counsel, Oklahoma Associate of Defense Counsel, and Products Liability Advisory

Counsel. She is also a fellow with the Oklahoma Bar Foundation. In 2014, she was inducted into the University of Tulsa College of Law Hall of Fame.

James M. Sturdivant, Esq. of GableGotwals in Tulsa, OK was recently inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL) at their Mid-Year Meeting held July 22-25, 2015. The International Academy of Trial Lawyers limits membership to 500 Fellows from the United States. The

Academy seeks out, identifies, acknowledges and honors those who have achieved a career of excel-lence through demonstrated skill and ability in jury trials, trials before the court and appellate practice. Members are engaged in civil practice on both the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s side of the courtroom, and the trial of criminal cases. The Academy invites only lawyers who have attained the highest level of advocacy. Mr. Sturdivant has been evaluated by his colleagues and the judges in his jurisdiction and has been highly recommended by them as pos-sessing these qualifications and characteristics.

Nine GableGotwals attorneys have been selected by their peers as the 2016 Best Lawyers® in America “Lawyer of the Year”. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant. These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer-review assessments. Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communi-ties and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism, and their integrity.The following GableGotwals attorneys were selected as a 2016 “Lawyer of the Year”:

G r a p e v i n e N e w s


38 Tulsa Lawyer

Steven L. Barghols, Arbitration

John R. Barker, Banking and Finance law

David L. Bryant, Bet-the-Company Litigation

Craig A. Fitzgerald, Litigation-Antitrust

Jeffrey D. Hassell, Litigation—Banking and Finance and Litigation—Trusts and Estates

David E. Keglovits, Insurance Law

Graydon Dean Luthey, Jr., Corporate Governance Law

Sidney K. Swinson, Litigation—Bankruptcy

Jay P. Walters, Native American Law

Hall Estill announced the opening of a new office in Nashville, Tennessee. Susanna Gattoni, a Hall Estill Labor and Employment and Criminal Defense attor-ney will oversee business in Nashville and will continue to serve her Oklahoma clients. “The Nashville

market presents a great opportunity for growth in our firm,” Michael D. Cooke, Hall Estill’s Managing Partner, said. “Susanna’s expertise and reputation for results will further the proud leg-acy of Hall Estill as leaders in the practice.” Gattoni is a 17-year attorney and a grad-uate from the University Of Oklahoma College of Law where she received many distinguished honors and awards such as Order of the Coif, Order of the Barristers and the American Jurisprudence Award for Civil Procedure. Gattoni previously worked as a Federal Prosecutor with the United States Attorney’s office in the Western District of Oklahoma where she focused on violent and white-collar crime. The Oklahoma County Bar Association recognized Gattoni with the Courageous Lawyer Award. Super Lawyers identified Gattoni as an Oklahoma Rising Star in Employment Litigation, and in 2012 the Journal Record hon-ored her with the Leadership in Law award.Gattoni is admitted to the Tennessee Bar Association and will be practicing from the Nashville office,

which is located in Midtown, while continuing to regularly visit the Oklahoma City offices.

Fellers Snider is pleased to announce that over half of the firm’s attorneys were included in The Best Lawyers in America© 2016. Attorneys at the firm were selected in 38 litigation and transactional specialty areas. Said Bryan N.B. King, president of Fellers Snider, “The attorneys here have a passion for serving

clients in the practice of law, but it is a special honor to be recognized by our peers.” Two of the firm’s attorneys were selected as Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” which is an honor given to only one lawyer “in each practice area and desig-nated metropolitan area.” Robert G. McCampbell, of the firm’s Oklahoma City office, was selected this year in the specialty area of White Collar Criminal Defense. McCampbell has previously been selected “Lawyer of the Year” for Government Relations and for Administrative/Regulatory Law. Terry L. Watt, was selected in Patent Law in the Tulsa area. Last year, Watt was rec-ognized as “Lawyer of the Year” for Copyright Law. Best Lawyers is a peer based review where attor-neys assess and provide feedback on their colleagues.

Terry L. Watt


Tulsa Lawyer 39

CLUGSTON POLYGRAPH & INVESTIGATING SERVICES

FBI National Academy graduate, 25 years law enforcement experience. See our Website at www.clugston-polygraph.com or call (918) 622-7008 for information about our services. Corporate internal

investigations, criminal defense, divorce, child custody, loss prevention….We can help answer your questions.

AV rated downtown Tulsa law firm seeks an attorney with 3-5 years of experience in family law. Compensation DOE. Great benefits and friendly atmosphere. Submit

confidential resume, references, writing sample and salary requirements to [email protected].

Multistate AV Rated Insurance Defense Firm is looking for associate attorney for our Tulsa office. Applicants must have one year experience in workers’ compensa-tion law, civil experience is a plus. Will consider third year law student as clerk with possibility of long term employment. Salary commiserate with experience. The firm offers excellent benefits including, but not

limited to 401K and health insurance. Please provide resume to Thomas Walsh at [email protected]

Elderly resident(s) need pro bono assistance. City is violating U S SUPREME COURT

ruling Memphis Light, Water & Gas v. Craft; + lack of Equal Protection under the law(s).

Phone 1 538 777 4642.

LOOKING FOR THE WILL OF Miriam Spindler Lynch of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa

County, who passed away on the 3rd day of July, 2015. CONTACT: Emily Crain, 918.492.4500 or P.O. Box 700116, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74170

MoreLaw SuitesLegal Suites and Virtual Office

406 South Boulder & 624 South DenverStarting at $165

www.morelawsuites.com918-582-3993

[email protected]

Mediators & Arbitrators of Oklahoma, LLC

Jon Starr * Michael GassettScott McDaniel * Jack Crews

Mark Smiling * David Wilson Scott Ryan * Robert Coffey, Jr.

Mark A. Warman * Truman RuckerPeter Erdoes * Jeff Curran

Call (918) 693-7850 to schedule you next mediation

.

Legal secretarial; Quickbooks; databases.Fast; accurate; high-quality work.

Available 24/7. Call Brenda (918) 805-9110

Receptionist 4 YouLegal Professional Answering Service

Starting at $100 Per Month918-582-3993

C l a s s i f i e d a d s


40 Tulsa Lawyer

Tulsa lawyer MagazineOfficial Publication of the Tulsa County Bar Association

The Tulsa Lawyer is a full-color monthly publication of the Tulsa County Bar Association and is distributed toits membership of over 2,100 attorneys, Tulsa County Courthouse, the Law Library, the Oklahoma BarAssociation and all advertisers.The Tulsa Lawyer accepts advertisements for products or services that have an ex-isting or potential market in the Tulsa Legal Community. Space reservations may be requested, but no guarantee of ad placement can be made. The Tulsa Lawyer reserves the right to reject any advertisement.

SUBSCRIPTIONS• Subscriptions are available for $40.00 a year for those

who are not Tulsa County Bar Association members or advertisers.CLASSIFIED ADS• Classified ads are accepted at a charge of $35.00 for 40

words and .25 cents for each additional word.• You can add a small picture or color logo for $10.00.DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS• The deadline for submitting advertisements is 5:00 PM

on the 10th of the month preceding publication.• Example: Oct 10 for the Nov issue) Ads accepted after

this date will be published if space and time allow.PAYMENTS• Due upon receipt of invoice. Please make check pay-

able to TCBA.• Credit card payments can be made at our website www.

tulsabar.com a small convenience fee will be charged.

Advertising Rates - Please visit www.tulsabar.com or con-tact TCBA at 918.857.2124 for ad sizes & rates.

Submit: Send files to [email protected]

PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS

Preferred Material: Digital files are preferred.Four-color CMYK film is acceptable but file must be built to the correct ad dimensions.

We cannot accept ads in the following formats: Microsoft Word, Publisher, Powerpoint or Corel Draw.Black only ads can be submitted as camera-ready copy.

File Formats Accepted:Color ads: All digital files must contain only CMYK data. No RGB or any other color space accepted.

Files must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Files will be output with a line screen of 133.

The following are acceptable formats. Keep in mind, printer will not be able to make corrections in these formats:

1. CMYK or grayscale EPS All fonts must be outlined.2. CMYK or grayscale TIFF3. PDF 1.4 or lower version (Write a postscript file and use Acrobat Distiller to make PDF file; do not use an export PDF plug-in within program to make PDF. Distiller must be set up for 300 dpi, CMYK output.) 4. Fonts must be embedded.

The following formats are also acceptable. All fonts and artwork must be provided along with page layout file. Printer will be able to make minor corrections if necessary:

1. QuarkXpress 6.5 or lower (PC or Mac version)2. Illustrator CS2 or lower (PC or Mac version)3. InDesign CS2 or lower (PC or Mac)Pagemaker 7.0 or lower (PC or Mac version)

Black and White ads: Files must have a resolution of at least 200dpi.

If you are not familiar with the technical terms above, please feel free to call or email for clarification – Jody at [email protected] or 918-584-5243 ext 240.

If staff assistance is required or requested to prepare any display advertisement there will be an additional“set-up” charge at $40 per hour, with a 1 hour minimum. This includes attempting to rearrange existing layout of an ad submitted.

All advertising must be accompanied by a written request including:

• Ad size• Number of insertions and dates• Position preference• Full name & mailing address• Contact full name & address• Magazine mailing address


Untitled-1 1 8/26/15 11:09 PM

Tulsa County Bar A

ssociation1446 S. Boston Ave.Tulsa, O

K 74119

PRSRTD STD

US PO

STAG

EPA

IDPontiac, IllinoisPERM

IT# 592

TL SE15_C4 -updated mailing specs.indd 1 8/31/15 10:19 AM

tulsa lawyer magazine september 2015

Documents