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News and Events
Cydney Boler Joins Foulston Siekfin as Special Counsel
Cydney Boler came to Foulston Siefkin after serving as corporate counsel of the KU Medical Center Research Institute. Cydney Boler represents bioscience and health care companies in Kansas and Missouri with clinical research compliance, clinical trial and research contracting, good clinical practices, submission of
investigational new drug applications (INDs), investigational device exemption applications (IDEs), and preparation of new drug applications (NDAs). Cydney has experience negotiating, reviewing and advising on grants and
contracts for federally-funded and privately-funded research projects. Cydney counsels clients on FDA regulatory compliance, preparing and reviewing agreements related to clinical trials, and licensing of FDA-regulated products. Cydney also works with companies on antitrust matters for the FTC specializing in generic drug and bioequivalance litigation. Cydney is a graduate of the University of Missouri and received her law degree from the University of Iowa Law School.
Cydney can be contacted at cboler@foulston.com or 913.253.2158.
Foulston Siefkin Names C. Edward Watson as Partner
Mr. Watson provides advice to employers on day to day employment matters such as the application of the Wage and Hour Act to specific employment situations and complex litigation involving employment discrimination. Mr. Watson is also an ordained Elder in the Churches of God in Christ and represents religious institutions of various faiths in their intra-denominational/ecclesiastical disputes relating to hiring and terminating pastors (and other church leadership) and litigation involving pastoral misconduct. Mr. Watson has also represented various hierarchical religious organizations in their efforts to preserve property rights and other disputes implicating Church polity. He practiced in Chicago, Illinois for 17 years before joining Foulston Siefkin in 2007. In Chicago, he represented small to midsize businesses in general commercial disputes, both pre and post litigation, and in matters before the State Legislature, Executive Branch and various City Administrative Boards. Mr. Watson has extensive experience helping companies coordinate legislative efforts, and drafting legislative proposals.
Mr. Watson received a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from the University of Kansas. He can be contacted at 316.291.9589 or cewatson@foulston.com.
Foulston Siefkin Names Brooke Bennett Aziere as Partner
Ms. Aziere is a trial lawyer who litigates a variety of cases, including medical malpractice defense, intellectual property disputes, contract disputes and torts, in federal and state court. Ms. Aziere also has experience in health law, including HIPAA and medical staff issues. Her peer memberships include the Kansas Association of Defense Counsel and the Defense Research Institute.
Ms. Aziere received a J.D. from the University of Kansas and a B.A. from Friends University. She can be contacted at 316.291.9768 or baziere@foulston.com.
Foulston Siefkin Names Andrew Thengvall as Partner
Mr. Thengvall’s practice includes an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, franchise, general business law and corporate practice. Mr. Thengvall represents start-up and established franchisors with state and federal compliance issues and general business concerns. Mr. Thengvall also represents many public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, securities transactions, private equity transactions, venture capital investments, financing, contract negotiations and preparation, creation and termination of business entities, business entity ownership issues, and general business matters.
Mr. Thengvall received a J.D., MBA, and B.S. from the University of Nebraska. He can be contacted at 316.291.9765
or athengvall@foulston.com.
Foulston Siefkin Issue Alert
The Federal estate tax and generation-skipping transfer tax were repealed as of January 1, 2010.
Our estate planning attorneys suggest individuals currently having an estate of over $1.0 million, or who have a formula clause under the provisions of their Will or Revocable Trust dividing their estate into a Family Trust/Marital Trust type of arrangement, or who have bequests in their planning documents tied to the generation-skipping tax exemption should at least have their estate plans reviewed to ensure that no implementation of any estate planning techniques or alterations to their estate planning documents are warranted in this interim period.
Click here to view the Alert: Foulston Siefkin Issue Alert
Kansas Legislative Insights
Kansas Legislation Insights is a periodic publication developed by the Public Policy Law and Governmental Relations practice group of Foulston Siefkin. It is designed to inform business executives, human resource and governmental relations professionals and general counsel about current actions occuring in Kansas legislation. For more information about Foulston Siefkin's Public Policy Law and Governmental Relations practice group, contact James P. Rankin at 785.233.6371 or jrankin@foulston.com or visit www.foulston.com.
Check out this week's issue: Legislative Insights, March 2-5
Tim O'Sullivan Named "Attorney of the Year"
Best Lawyers, the oldest peer-review publication in the legal profession, has named Timothy P. O’Sullivan as the “Wichita Area Best Lawyers Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year” for 2010.
Only a single lawyer in the “trusts and estates” specialty area in Wichita is being honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.” The lawyers being honored as “Lawyers of the Year” have received particularly high ratings in surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity. Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.
Steven Naifeh, Managing Editor of Best Lawyers, says, “We continue to believe – as we have believed for more than 25 years – that recognition by one’s peers is the most meaningful form of praise in the legal profession. We would like to congratulate Timothy P. O’Sullivan on being selected as the ‘Wichita Area Best Lawyers Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year’ for 2010.”
Foulston Siefkin LLP, is Kansas largest law firm, providing a full range of practice areas that cover the spectrum of the legal profession, including civil and complex litigation, business matters, employment and labor and health care. For more information, please contact Matt Knoblauch, Chief Marketing Officer, at (316) 291-9789, mknoblauch@foulston.com, or refer to the Foulston Siefkin web site at www.foulston.com.
Attorney Jim Goering inducted into the Litigation Counsel of America
Wichita attorney Jim Goering, of Foulston Siefkin LLP, was inducted into the Litigation Counsel of America. Fellows are selected based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation.
Foulston Siefkin LLP, is Kansas largest law firm, providing a full range of practice areas that cover the spectrum of the legal profession, including civil and complex litigation, business matters, employment and labor and health care. For more information, please contact Matt Knoblauch, Chief Marketing Officer, at (316) 291-9789, mknoblauch@foulston.com, or refer to the Foulston Siefkin web site at www.foulston.com..
For more information regarding the Litigation Counsel of America, please contact Dottie M. Henry at 212.724.4128 or dottie.henry@litcounsel.org.
Foulston Ranks #1 in Kansas
Foulston Siefkin is ranked #1 in Kansas by "Best Lawyers", based on the number of listed attorneys, in Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Energy Law, Health Care Law, Labor and Employment Law, Medical Malpractice Law, Mining Law, Natural Resources Law, Personal Injury Litigation, Product Liability Litigation, and Tax Law.
Foulston Siefkin attorneys selected as 2009 MO/KS Super Lawyers-Wichita
Thirty lawyers from Foulston Siefkin are listed in the new edition of Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers. Only 5 percent of the lawyers in each state or region are named Super Lawyers.
Twenty Foulston Siefkin attorneys in Wichita selected as Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers include: Stanley G. Andeel, Tax; James M. Armstrong, Business Litigation; Gary L. Ayers, Business Litigation; Mark Biberstein, Business Litigation; Boyd A. Byers, Employment & Labor; Terry C. Cupps, Bankruptcy & Creditor Rights; Charles Efflandt, Environmental; Jack Focht, Criminal Defense: White Collar; Jay Fowler, Business Litigation; Douglas Hanisch, Employee Benefits/ERISA; Christopher Hurst, Tax; Stephen M. Kerwick, Appellate; Timothy O'Sullivan, Estate Planning & Probate; Jay Rector, Employment & Labor; Harvey Sorensen, Securities & Corporate Finance; Douglas Stanley, Employment & Labor; Mikel Stout, Business Litigation; Todd N. Tedesco, Intellectual Property Litigation; Darrell Warta, Civil Litigation Defense; and Craig W. West, Personal Injury Defense: General.
Four Foulston Siefkin Wichita attorneys were selected as Missouri & Kansas Rising Stars including: William P. Matthews, Andrew J. Nolan, Michael J. Norton, and Scott C. Palecki.
Foulston Siefkin attorneys selected as 2009 MO/KS Super Lawyers-Wichita
See article above.
Foulston Siefkin Topeka Attorneys selected as Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers-Topeka
Two Foulston Siefkin attorneys in Topeka were selected as Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers in 2009: Charles R. “Dick” Hay, Health Care; and Thomas L. Theis, Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice.
Foulston Siefkin Attorneys selected as Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers-Overland Park
Three Foulston Siefkin attorneys in Overland Park were selected as Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers in 2009: Vaughn Burkholder, Employment & Labor; William P. Trenkle, Jr., Business and Corporate; and Wyatt M. Wright, Employment & Labor. Toby Crouse was selected as a Missouri & Kansas Rising Star.
Amy Lemley inducted as Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
Foulston Siefkin LLP partner Amy S. Lemley has been inducted as a Fellow of The American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), one of the premier professional organizations composed of pre-eminent trial lawyers from the U.S. and Canada, at its 58th annual meeting in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship in the College is limited to the top one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. Fellowship status is extended by invitation only, after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of 15 years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship.
“We are very proud that this premier professional trial organization has recognized Amy as one of the best trial attorneys in America. Induction into the American College of Trial Lawyers is considered one of the most significant achievements in a legal career,” said Douglas Stanley, Foulston Siefkin’s Managing Partner. "Amy has the additional honor of being the first woman attorney in Kansas to be inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL).” Stanley added, “Amy has carried on a tradition for legal excellence within the Foulston Siefkin firm. George Powers, a former managing partner of Foulston Siefkin, was the first attorney in Kansas to be named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers." Lemley is the ninth fellow named to the college from Foulston Siefkin, joining her partners Mikel Stout, Jay Fowler, and Darrell Warta; retired partner Robert Howard; special counsel Jack Focht; and deceased partners, Robert Foulston, Robert M. Siefkin and George Powers.
Amy Lemley received her J.D. from University of Texas and B.A. from Texas Tech University, and was admitted to both the Texas Bar and the Kansas Bar in 1982. Ms. Lemley is the practice group leader for the firm’s general litigation group. Her practice focuses primarily on complex litigation for both plaintiffs and defendants. She was also selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (medical malpractice law; personal injury litigation) and was selected as one of the Top 50 Female Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers in 2005. “I personally know about half of the 55 Kansas members of the ACTL,” she said. “Joining the college is both humbling and exciting for me. The Fellows are passionate, talented trial lawyers and it is my greatest desire to live up to the standard they set for all of us.”
The American College of Trial Lawyers is an honorary association comprised of experienced trial lawyers in the United States and Canada who have mastered the art of advocacy and adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct and professionalism. The College is dedicated to furthering the administration of justice and improving the ethics and standards of the trial profession. The College’s Fellowship represents all branches of trial practice, enabling the organization to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice. For more information on the American College of Trial Lawyers, visit www.actl.com .
Fowler Elected to Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission
Jay Fowler, a partner in Foulston Siefkin's Wichita office, was recently elected to a four year term on the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission by attorneys and peers of the Fourth Congressional District. The Nominating Commission consists of an attorney elected from each congressional district, a non-lawyer appointed by the governor from each congressional district, and a chairman elected by attorneys statewide. The Commission is responsible for nominating and submitting to the Governor candidates to be considered for vacancies on the Kansas Supreme Court and Kansas Court of Appeals.
Jeffrey B. Hurt Joins Foulston Siefkin
Foulston Siefkin LLP, the largest law firm in Kansas, is pleased to announce that Jeffrey B. Hurt has joined the firm as Special Counsel. Mr. Hurt practices in the Wichita office and focuses his practice on employment and labor law. “We feel very fortunate to have him now as a part of our team”, said Doug Stanley, Managing Partner for Foulston Siefkin. “Foulston Siefkin has grown through its ability to attract attorneys like Jeff, who is one of the leading employment lawyers in Kansas. Jeff’s skill and experience in working with businesses throughout Kansas gives Foulston Siefkin another resource to provide our clients excellent legal services promptly and efficiently.”
Jeffrey Hurt graduated from Washburn University School of Law in 1989. He is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (“SPHR”) with more than 19 years experience in a broad range of employment, traditional labor and human resource related matters. Jeffrey Hurt can be contacted at 316.291.9566 or jhurt@foulston.com .
Jack Focht Awarded the 2009 WBA's Lifetime Achievement Award
Jack Focht, Special Counsel with Foulston Siefkin, has been awarded the 2009 Wichita Bar Association's Lifetime Achievement Award.
49 Foulston Siefkin Attorneys Selected as 'Best Lawyers in America' - Wichita
The Best Lawyers in America, the oldest and one of the most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession, selected 49 attorneys from Kansas-based Foulston Siefkin for the “Best Lawyers in America 2010”, the most of any law firm in Kansas and over 13% of the total selected in Kansas. In Kansas only 351 attorneys throughout the state were selected for inclusion. The list includes thirty-seven Foulston Siefkin attorneys in Wichita, eight Foulston Siefkin attorneys in Overland Park, and four Foulston Siefkin attorneys in Topeka.
The thirty-seven Foulston Siefkin attorneys selected in the Wichita office include: Stanley G. Andeel, (Corporate Law; Health Care Law; Tax Law; Trusts and Estates), James M. Armstrong, ( Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Labor and Employment Law; Legal Malpractice Law), Kevin Arnel, (Non-Profit/Charities Law; Tax Law), Gary L. Ayers, (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Health Care Law), Donald Berner, (Imigration Law; Labor and Employment Law), Mark A. Biberstein, (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation), Boyd A. Byers, (Labor and Employment Law), Terry C. Cupps, (Bankruptcy and Creditor' Rights Law), Charles P. Efflandt, (Environmental Law), Jack Focht, (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Legal Malpractice Law; Personal Injury Litigation; White-Collar Criminal Defense), Jay F. Fowler, (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation), Jim Goering, (Energy Law; Intellectual Property Law; Antitrust; Mining Law; Natural Resources Law; Oil & Gas Law), Douglas L. Hanisch, (Employee Benefits Law), Wyatt A. Hoch, (Construction Law), Christopher M. Hurst, (Tax Law), Jeffery A. Jordan, (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation), Stephen M. Kerwick, (Appellate Law; Commercial Litigation), Eric K. Kuhn, (Workers' Compensation Law), Amy S. Lemley, (Medical Malpractice Law; Personal Injury Litigation), William Matthews, (Intellectual Property Law), Timothy P. O'Sullivan, (Elder Law; Trusts and Estates), Scott C. Palecki, (Health Care Law), Larry G. Rapp, (Corporate Law; Equipment Finance Law), Jay M. Rector, (Labor and Employment Law), David E. Rogers, (Personal Injury Litigation; Product Liability Litigation), Harvey R. Sorensen, (Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Tax Law; Venture Capital Law), Douglas L. Stanley, (Labor and Employment Law), Kyle J. Steadman, (Medical Malpractice Law), Mikel L. Stout, (Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation), Todd N. Tedesco, (Labor and Employment Law), Trisha A. Thelen, (Commercial Litigation; Labor and Employment Law), David M. Traster, (Energy Law; Environmental Law; Water Law), Darrell L. Warta, (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation; Product Liability Litigation), Stewart T. Weaver, (Trusts and Estates), Craig W. West, (Personal Injury Litigation), William R. Wood II, (Banking Law; Corporate Governance and Compliance Law; Franchise Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Project Finance Law; Real Estate Law; Securities Law), Charles J. Woodin, (Energy Law; Mining Law; Natural Resources Law).
Eight Foulston Siefkin attorneys in the Overland Park office were selected including: Vaughn Burkholder, (Workers' Compensation Law; Labor and Employment Law), James K. Logan, (Tax Law; Trusts and Estates), Scott Nehrbass, (Commercial Litigation), James D. Oliver, (Appellate Law; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law; Mining Law; Securities Law), John C. Peck, (Natural Resources Law; Water Law), R. Douglas Reagan, (Corporate Law), William P. Trenkle, Jr., (Corporate Law; Tax Law; Trusts and Estates), Wyatt M. Wright, (Labor and Employment Law).
Four Foulston Siefkin attorneys in the Topeka office were selected including: Charles R. Hay, (Health Care Law), Marta Fisher Linenberger, (Health Care Law), James P. Rankin, (Employee Benefits Law; Government Relations Law), Thomas L. Theis, (Health Care Law; Personal Injury Litigation),
Best Lawyers is one of the preeminent national legal referral guides for the legal profession in the U.S. Best Lawyers compiles lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.
49 Foulston Siefkin Attorneys Selected as 'Best Lawyers in America' - Topeka
See article above.
49 Foulston Siefkin Attorneys Selected as 'Best Lawyers in America' - Overland Park
See article above.
Foulston Siefkin Attorneys Named 'Lawyer of the Year'
Best Lawyers, the oldest peer-review publication in the legal profession, has named Harvey R. Sorensen as the “Wichita Area Best Lawyers Corporate Lawyer of the Year” , Mikel L. Stout as the “Wichita Area Best Lawyers Bet-the-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year” and R. Douglas Reagan as the “Kansas City, Kansas Area Best Lawyers Corporate Lawyer of the Year” for 2009.
Only a single lawyer in each of the specialty areas: Banking Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Corporate Law, Family Law, Personal Injury Litigation, and Real Estate Law in each community is being honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.”
The lawyers being honored as “Lawyers of the Year” have received particularly high ratings in surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity. Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.
Steven Naifeh, Managing Editor of Best Lawyers, says, “We continue to believe – as we have believed for more than 25 years – that recognition by one’s peers is the most meaningful form of praise in the legal profession.
Chambers USA Ranks Foulston Siefkin Amongst Kansas's Top Law Firms
Chambers USA, a national research publication, released its rankings of law firms in Kansas for 2009. Foulston Siefkin was once again ranked as the leading law firm in the state of Kansas in the key practice areas of Corporate/M&A, Employment Law, General Commercial Litigation, and Real Estate.
Chambers USA also included 20 Foulston Siefkin attorneys in its rankings of leading individual attorneys: Jim Armstrong, General Commercial Litigation; Gary Ayers, General Commercial Litigation; Boyd Byers, Employment Law; Terry Cupps, Corporate/M&A; Chuck Efflandt, General Commercial Litigation; Jack Focht, White-Collar Crime & Govt Investigations; Jay Fowler, General Commercial Litigation; Doug Hanisch, Employment Law; Karl Hesse, Real Estate; Andrew Nolan, Real Estate; Jim Oliver, General Commercial Litigation; Jay Rector, Employment Law; Harvey Sorensen, Corporate/M&A; Douglas Stanley, Employment Law; Mike Stout, General Commercial Litigation; William Trenkle, Corporate/M&A; Patricia Voth Blankenship, Real Estate; Darrell Warta, General Commercial Litigation; Bill Wood, Corporate/M&A and Real Estate; and Wyatt Wright, Employment Law. Foulston Siefkin’s complete Chambers USA rankings and profile are available on the Chambers and Partners website at www.chambersandpartners.com . Chambers USA rates lawyers and law firms based on exhaustive research including interviews with practicing attorneys, their clients, and other industry leaders familiar with the legal market.
Stephen M. Kerwick Inducted into the Litigation Counsel of America
On May 8, 2009, Wichita attorney Stephen M. Kerwick, of Foulston Siefkin LLP was inducted into the Litigation Counsel of America at the LCA’s Spring Conference and Induction of Fellows in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Fellows are selected based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation.
The Litigation Counsel of America is a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. Fellowship in the LCA is highly selective and by invitation only. Fellows are selected based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation. The LCA is aggressively diverse in its composition. Established as a trial and appellate lawyer honorary society reflecting the American bar in the twenty-first century, the LCA represents the best in law among its membership.
Foulston Siefkin Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2009
Benchmark Litigation 2009 ranks Foulston Siefkin as a recommended litigation firm in Kansas
The publication cites “A strong team of litigators within the “immense” Foulston Siefkin has kept the firm a viable presence in the Kansas legal marketplace. With three offices in the state, Wichita, Overland Park and Topeka, the firm’s 86 lawyers keep a strong grasp on the state’s important legal matters. The litigation team boasts a particularly strong employment group, with an impressive insurance defense practice specializing in personal injury defense work. The team’s commercial litigation group is able to handle any type of business matter, from class action employment disputes to breach of contract suits.”
Holly Dyer Elected to the Wichita Bar Association Board of Governors
Holly Dyer, a partner at Foulston Siefkin, was elected to The Wichita Bar Association Board of Governors to serve a term through 2010. The Wichita Bar Association is governed by a Board of Governors that meets monthly to set policy and review issues affecting the legal profession. The WBA is committed to providing member and community services that promote learning, respect and appreciation of the law and the administration of justice.
Efflandt named Charter Fellow and Founding Regent
Charles Efflandt, a partner of Foulston Siefkin LLP, and the firm’s Environmental and Natural Resources Law Practice Group Leader, has been named a Charter Fellow and elected a Founding Regent of the American College of Environmental Lawyers. Mr. Efflandt is one of only 22 attorneys from across the United States (and the only Kansas lawyer) named as Charter Fellows of the American College of Environmental Lawyers. “Some of the best known and most experienced environmental lawyers from across the nation are coming together to form this new college, the first of its kind in environmental law,” said Rick Glick, newly-elected president of ACOEL and an environmental attorney in the Portland, Oregon office of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. “Forming the College will allow us to build a strong fellowship, share best practices and continue to strengthen this thriving practice area.” Membership in ACOEL is by election only, and eligibility is limited to those who are recognized as leaders in their field and have predominantly practiced environmental law for 15 years or longer.
More information, including the latest national and local environmental legal news, is posted on the ACOEL’s website at www.acoel.org.
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