St. Charles County Business Record, MO articles from September 2006

St. Charles County Business Record, MO archives from September 2006

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri turns 50.
September 1, 2006... Byline: Emily Umbright Whether it was fighting for the freedom of mentally ill patients or the rights of consumers, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri's mission over the past 50 years has been providing a gateway to justice for people...

Memorable cases in Legal Service of Eastern Missouri history.
September 1, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Over the past 50 years, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has handled thousands of cases. Many, like the cases below, helped preserve and enhance the rights of the area's poorest residents: * In...

Charles E. Polk Jr. sentenced to maximum because he was a lawyer.
September 1, 2006... Byline: Geri Dreiling A federal judge gave former St. Louis lawyer Charles E Polk Jr. 46 months in prison at a criminal sentencing hearing Thursday in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri. Polk was also ordered to pay more...

Clayton wine bar ordered to pay $14,000 over contract dispute.
September 1, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka A St. Louis County jury found Tuesday that a Clayton wine bar was in breach of contract when it failed to make $70,000 in payments on a wine dispensing machine. But the jury verdict ordered Sasha's Wine Bar and...

Hurricane law: Four lawyers carve out niche in wake of devastation.
September 2, 2006... Byline: Dick Dahl New Orleans attorney Jeffrey Berniard was a refugee from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina last year when he realized that the monstrous storm could contain a silver lining for his practice. "I had an inkling there...

Litigation over option backdating increases.
September 2, 2006... Byline: Reni Gertner With new SEC enforcement proceedings and shareholder suits over stock option backdating cropping up almost daily, attorneys should be urging public companies to complete internal investigations of their options...

Real estate lawyers adding 'anti-terrorism' clauses to contracts.
September 2, 2006... Byline: Nora Lockwood Tooher In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, an executive order targeting supporters of terrorism has had implications for an unlikely group - real estate attorneys. Executive Order 13224 froze the assets...

Securities regulators issue new warnings regarding hedge funds.
September 2, 2006... Byline: James J. Eccleston The New York Stock Exchange recently published, "Hedge Fund Investing - Is It a Suitable Investment For You?" That publication, available on the NYSE's Web site, is one of several pronouncements that securities...

Commentary: New traffic laws benefit safety but threaten accountability.
September 2, 2006... Byline: Mike Nixon Ours is a society of laws. But when legislation takes the place of personal responsibility there is reason for concern. Such is the case of three new traffic regulations that went into effect Monday in Missouri. ...

Tech roundup: Helpful products for lawyers.
September 2, 2006... Byline: Dick Dahl Voice recognition software, a "smart pen" and technology to assist with e-discovery are some of the new legal products on the market. In an effort to keep lawyers up-to-date on the ever-changing world of legal...

Commentary: Finding the needle in the electronic haystack.
September 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce L. Dorner One of the most vexing problems confronting lawyers is how to deal with electronic evidence. The e-mails in a divorce, the text messages on cellphones, the documents in a failed business transaction - each may be...

Ying Ko joins Argent Capital Management LLC as senior analyst.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Ying Ko has joined Argent Capital Management LLC as senior analyst and trader. In her new position, she monitors current portfolio holdings and identifies and analyzes companies for potential addition to...

Missourians in the news.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Linda Shapiro, a partner in Thompson Coburn's government contracts practice, was recently named one of the 2006 Most Influential Business Women by the St. Louis Business Journal. The 2006 award...

Allen J. Grieve appointed to Convention Committee of the Missouri Bankers Assn.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Allen J. Grieve, a senior vice president and division manager for First National Bank of St. Louis has been appointed to serve on the Convention Committee of the Missouri Bankers Association. Committee...

Missourians in the news.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Mark Nelson has been promoted to regional marketing president of Earth City at Frontenac Bank. Nelson has been in banking for more than 25 years. He spent the last seven years developing and overseeing a...

Missourians in the news.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff

Frontenac Bank names president of St. Louis region.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff David Webb has been hired as president of the St. Louis region and senior lender at Frontenac Bank. He will be responsible for the bank's corporate and retail functions, and reporting. He is a CPA with...

Arthur Combs, M.D. appointed to Growth and Technology Advisory Board at Midwest BankCentre.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Arthur Combs, M.D. , president and founder of life sciences consulting firm FutureTech Strategies Inc., has been appointed to the Growth and Technology Advisory Board at Midwest BankCentre. FutureTech...

Welsch, Flatness & Lutz Inc. adds to staff.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Christopher O'Hagan of Webster Groves has joined Welsch, Flatness & Lutz Inc. as vice president producer. O'Hagan has more than five years of experience in the mortgage industry, with 14 years of...

Brown Smith Wallace adds to staff.
September 2, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Larry Newell joins Brown Smith Wallace as IT audit manager in the risk services practice. As a certified information systems auditor, Newell is responsible for performing evaluations and assessments on...

Cash balance pension plan not discriminatory.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Correy E. Stephenson A cash balance pension plan doesn't violate ERISA's prohibition against age discrimination, the 7th Circuit has ruled in a case closely watched by employers. Following a growing trend, IBM adopted a cash...

Commentary: Limitations on censure through adverse publicity.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Barry S. Pollack and Joshua L. Solomon In 1973, Professor Ernest Gellhorn commented in the Harvard Law Review that "little attention" had been focused on the use of adverse publicity by government agencies "and almost no effective...

IRS issues rules on health savings account contributions.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Lawyers Weekly USA BOSTON - The Treasury Department and the IRS have released a final guidance for employers that make contributions to employees' health savings accounts. Health savings accounts were established under the...

Lawyer with chronic liver disease awarded $1.1 million.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Natalie White A California jury has awarded nearly $1.1 million to a lawyer who sued his firm for wrongful termination and failure to accommodate after he was fired while undergoing treatment for a chronic liver disease. After...

Commentary: Using your case management system to avoid malpractice.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey S. Krause Case management systems have become an essential tool for law firms. These applications organize client data in a relational framework and allow easy access to the entire file including calendars, documents,...

Commentary: The obstacles and benefits of client satisfaction surveys.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Jeffery A. Miller Many lawyers would agree that a client satisfaction survey is a practical tool for strengthening client loyalty and bringing in more business. Still, many lawyers resist doing surveys because of deep concerns and...

Commentary: Cyberinsurance could save you from an IT disaster.
September 3, 2006... Byline: Edward Poll "Disaster" for any law firm is not a question of "if," but rather of "when." The only unknowns are the type of disaster, when it will occur and how bad it will be. That's particularly the case when disaster...

Former tourism director for St. Charles, Steve Powell is back, but for how long?
September 4, 2006... Byline: Mike Trask Steve Powell, who left his job as St. Charles' tourism director a little more than a year ago for a similar post in Peoria, Ill., is back. It seems Powell and his board in Peoria didn't see eye-to-eye on what direction...

Rumors Salon & Day Spa in St. Charles offers unusual service of ear candling.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Amy Armour Don't laugh, but getting the wax drained out of your ears is supposedly a very relaxing and luxurious treatment. At least that is what's said of an ear candling at Rumors Salon in St. Charles. Rumors Salon & Day Spa,...

Alliance Training Program membership is bargain, says some.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Robin Seaton Jefferson Small nuances gleaned from the Alliance Training Program seminars have resulted in big changes for local businesses, said some company leaders. And they said the program's nearly $1,000 price tag is well...

Proposed mixed-use structure in St. Charles criticized by Historic Landmarks Preservation board.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Mike Trask A proposal to build a five-story, mixed-use structure on South Main Street in St. Charles would threaten the nearby historical district, opponents of the project contend. Brightstar Development LLC wants to put the $15...

Low vacancy in county reflects good market.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Cathy Lenny Unlike the county's residential market, which is slowing down, the commercial real estate market is continuing to improve with office market vacancy rates declining, occupancy rates increasing and lease prices going up....

Headstone company pays restitution for delivery failures.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Jeffery Thomure, operator of Standard Monument Company, a Manchester cemetery headstone company, will pay more than $28,000 in restitution and penalties and complete all outstanding contracted work for 43...

Mortgage company pays $15,000 for No Call violation.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Right Choice Mortgage of St. Charles, and its owners John O'Connor and John Linnenbrink, will pay $15,000 to the state for violating its No Call law. Attorney General Jay Nixon's office received 76 complaints...

State of Missouri receives federal job grant.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Missouri received a $1.2 million federal grant that will enhance the ability of working-age disabled Missourians to find jobs by linking them to employment opportunities and improving access to services to...

Hiring in marketing field expected to increase.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff According to The Creative Group's annual hiring survey, a majority of employers within the creative field plan to hire in the coming year. About 60 percent of advertising and marketing executives polled said...

Revenues, hiring expected to increase in manufacturing.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff According to the results of an International Profit Associates Small Business Research Board survey released at the end of August, small and medium-sized manufacturers are more optimistic than other industry...

Jeff Willenborg, Timothy Moseley join Shannon & Wilson.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Jeff Willenborg and Timothy Moseley joined the environmental consultant agency of Shannon & Wilson recently. Willenborg is a recent graduate from Lakeland College in Mattoon, Ill., where he received a degree...

Auvi Technologies development team adds new director.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff The digital entertainment and emerging technologies incubator company Auvi Technologies recently announced the appointment of Shailesh Patel as its director of product development. In his newly created...

Heartland Bank adds three to staff.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Heartland Bank recently hired Joan M. Herman as vice president of card management services, and Mark Widdicombe and Michael Cassamatis as assistant vice presidents-loan officers. Herman of Clayton has a...

Shari Kaminsky joins Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Shari Kaminsky, D.P.M., podiatry, recently joined Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital. Kaminsky specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle health. She recently expanded her practice to the...

Lauren Kolbe named president of American Marketing Assn. St. Louis.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Lauren Kolbe, president of KolbeCo Marketing Resources in St. Charles, has been elected president of the St. Louis Chapter of the American Marketing Association. A member of the chapter's board of directors...

Dr. Brian Grus becomes qualified diabetes provider.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Dr. Brian Grus of the BJC Medical Group is now one of 35 physicians in the state of Missouri to complete the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program and become a physician recognized by the National Committee...

Dale Carnegie devotes 12 weeks to HR course.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Dale Carnegie, one of the companies holding one-time educational seminars for the St. Charles County Economic Development Center's Alliance group, will offer a 12-week program on effective communication and...

Small Business Administration offers teen business resource.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff The U.S. Small Business Administration and Junior Achievement Worldwide launched a new online resources for young entrepreneurs at the Mind Your Own Business teen Web site, www.mindyourownbiz.org, to help...

T.R. Hughes tops companies in fund-raising efforts.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff T.R. Hughes Inc. presented a $35,000 check to the American Heart Association after this year's Heart Walk fund-raising campaign. Steve Thomas of T.R. Hughes was the chair of this year's Heart Walk. T.R. Hughes...

Steve White celebrates 20 years of service with White Auto Body.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Steve White recently celebrated 20 years of service with White Auto Body. In June 1986, White opened White Auto Body located in Florissant, where he was the sole employee. Four years later, he moved operations...

Terry Guerrant celebrates five years of service with The Corporate Group.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Terry Guerrant recently celebrated five years with commercial real estate development and management company The Corporate Group. Guerrant is responsible for accounts receivable and tenant relations as well as...

Tim Almeling joins McGrath & Associates as project engineer.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Tim Almeling of Wentzville has joined the general contractor and construction management firm of McGrath & Associates Inc. as a project engineer. Almeling comes to McGrath with more than 35 years experience in...

Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis rewards man for reporting jobsite theft.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Business Record Staff Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis President Ken Stricker of Consort Homes, left, presented a $1,000 reward check to Mike Bess of Moscow Mills for reporting suspicious activity at a McBride & Son...

Definition of 'employer' debated in case before St. Louis County Circuit Court.
September 5, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka A disabled dishwasher is suing the Renaissance St. Louis Hotel Airport for firing him and failing to explore on-the-job accommodations for his substantial mental impairments. Timothy Hogan of Arnold worked for 17...

St. Louis Circuit judge rules school board cannot impose restrictions on board candidates.
September 5, 2006... Byline: Emily Umbright William Purdy can keep his seat as vice president of the board because the St. Louis Board of Education cannot impose restrictions on board candidates that do not exist in state law, ruled St. Louis Circuit Judge...

8th Circuit rules lawyers that loaned money to judge may be named.
September 5, 2006... Byline: Bridget Heos (This article was originally published in The Daily Record, Kansas City, a sister publication.) Is having your named released as a lawyer who loaned money to a judge scandalous? Perhaps, practically speaking, it...

St. Louis attorney ordered to pay more than $1.1M.
September 6, 2006... Byline: Donna Walter A federal judge has ordered a St. Louis attorney to pay more than $1.1 million to resolve charges of fraud and breach of contract. Senior District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh also ordered the attorney, Gerald M....

St. Louis County jury awards secretary $850K in sexual harassment trial.
September 6, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka On the eve of a long Labor Day weekend, a jury stayed in St. Louis County Circuit Court until 8 p.m. last Friday to return an $850,000 verdict to a woman in her sexual harassment case against St. Louis Community...

Law suit claims Missouri pig farms lower quality of life.
September 6, 2006... Byline: Charles Emerick A lawsuit brought by a dozen northwest Missouri families is scheduled to go to trial this week. The families claim that hog confinements owned and operated by ContiGroup Cos., Premium Standard Farms and PSF...

Commentary: Overcome brick walls - it's your duty as a lawyer.
September 6, 2006... Byline: Jim Wirken This week's topic is "the brick wall." You have all probably heard of the concept of running into a brick wall. I have used two quotes regarding the brick wall, and I think both of them are incredibly true. The...

Plastic surgeon faces malpractice suit after patient's eye injury.
September 7, 2006... Byline: Emily Umbright A doctor facing liability for the chemical burn on his patient's eye appeared before a St. Louis jury Wednesday in the medical malpractice suit's first day of testimony. Plaintiff Mary Burke entered outpatient...

Plastic surgeon faces malpractice suit after patient's eye injury.
September 7, 2006... Byline: Emily Umbright

Shareholder's suit against art gallery goes to court.
September 7, 2006... Byline: Allison Retka Against a backdrop of country club visits, mink coats and astrology, a disgruntled shareholder is suing a Ballwin art gallery and its owner for alleged financial mismanagement. Deborah Harris claims former "close...

Lawsuit against SPvG firm centers on conflict-of-interest allegation.
September 7, 2006... Byline: Donna Walter The St. Louis law firm of Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard says it will fight allegations of fraud and legal malpractice filed by a doctor the law firm represented 10 years ago. The lawsuit alleges the firm had a...

Bryan Cave firm appoints new CFO.
September 7, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Bryan Cave LLP has promoted Michael D. Stolte to chief financial officer of the international firm's St. Louis office. Stolte previously worked for 10 years as the firm's accounting projects and tax...

Lawsuit in federal court challenges online store's 'Zoo' merchandise.
September 8, 2006... Byline: Donna Walter There is no love lost between the St. Louis Zoo and a man who says he owns the trademark for "I Love St. Louis Zoo." The Zoological Subdistrict of the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District filed a...

Guilty plea entered in million-dollar investment scam.
September 8, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff A Hazelwood man who stole more than $1 million by posing as a business dealer pleaded guilty Thursday to fraud charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. James "Jimmy" Knight, 57, told St....

Report: High turnover for minority women attorneys.
September 8, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff (This article also appears in The Daily Record, Kansas City, another Dolan Media publication.) Mischa Buford Epps reached her 12th year as an attorney at Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Kansas City on...

Commentary: Employees lose 8th Circuit duty and discrimination cases.
September 9, 2006... Byline: Marshall H. Tanick (This article originally appeared in Minnesota Lawyer, Minneapolis, MN, another Dolan Media publication). As the nation commemorates Labor Day, a union and two companies had occasion to celebrate their...

Commentary: Effective mediation preparation involves communication.
September 9, 2006... Byline: Lee Hornberger (This article originally appeared in Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Detroit, MI, another Dolan Media publication). This article reviews effective mediation preparation techniques. This includes suggestions on how the...

Commentary: Sentencing marks another embarrassment among lawyers.
September 9, 2006... Byline: Mike Nixon The behavior of legal professionals indicates their standards. Unfortunately the actions of a few can make a bad name for many. A 46-month prison sentence and order for convicted St. Louis lawyer Charles E. Polk Jr.,...

Commentary: When 'irrevocable' doesn't really mean irrevocable.
September 9, 2006... Byline: Perry Ganz (This article originally appeared in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Boston, MA, another Dolan Media publication). At the time, it seemed an appropriate estate planning strategy: purchase life insurance, set up an...

Commentary: Taking the mystery out of the hiring process.
September 9, 2006... Byline: Edward Poll Technology has conspired with traditional attitudes to make many solo practitioners think they truly can go it alone. However, if you believe that the only things done right are the things you do yourself, you'll...

The Appellate Judicial Commission selects nominees to fill appeals court vacancy.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff The Appellate Judicial Commission has selected M. Susan Appelquist, W. Edward Reeves and Daniel E. Scott as the panel of nominees for submission to Gov. Matt Blunt to fill a vacancy on the Missouri Court...

Evans & Dixon adds to civil defense practice group.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Reno R. Cova III has joined the civil defense practice group of Evans & Dixon LLC as an associate. Cova is licensed to practice in Missouri and Illinois. His two years of case experience include FELA...

Brown Smith Wallace adds to staff.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Tosha Fritz joins Brown Smith Wallace as staff accountant in the audit group. Her responsibilities include conducting full scope audits, completing financial statement reviews and performing employee...

Blair K. Mehlman joins Mark S. Mehlman Realty.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Blair K. Mehlman recently joined Mark S. Mehlman Realty. Mehlman's background in real estate includes experiences with residential custom home building, commercial multi-tenant retail development,...

Andrew W. Manuel elected to board of alliance of midsize law firms.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Andrew W. Manuel, an officer in the construction law practice group at Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale P.C., has been elected to the board of Meritas, the world's largest alliance of midsize law firms with...

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri adds paralegal to staff.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Claudia Harris has joined Legal Services of Eastern Missouri as a paralegal and officer manager for the St. Louis County Family Court Project. Prior to joining LSEM, Harris served as a paralegal with...

Anders Minkler & Diehl hires human resources director.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Judith M. Roach, has joined Anders Minkler & Diehl LLP as the human resources director. Roach is an experienced human resources professional and in her new role, will focus on AMD's external recruitment...

Auvi Technologies names director of product development.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Auvi Technologies, a hardware designer and developer of digital entertainment and emerging technologies, has announced the appointment of Shailesh Patel as its director of product development. In his...

Benjamin F. Evans joins Gallop, Johnson & Neuman.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Benjamin F. Evans has joined the firm of Gallop, Johnson & Neuman as an associate in the firm's real estate law practice group, one of the firm's largest practice areas. Evans concentrates his practice...

Karen A. Lenk receives Certified Fraud Examiner designation.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Karen A. Lenk of Schowalter & Jabouri P.C. has received the Certified Fraud Examiner designation from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. The association's Board of Regents selectively awards...

Gov. Blunt names chair of St. Louis City Board of Election Commissioners.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Gov. Matt Blunt has selected Kimberley J. Mathis to chair the St. Louis City Board of Election Commissioners. She will be replacing Edward R. Martin Jr., who was recently tapped to serve as Blunt's chief...

Three join Collaborative Family Law Association.
September 9, 2006... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Rosalyn Schultz, Ph.D; Dawn Holeman, M.D.; and Sam Marwit, Ph.D, have joined the Collaborative Family Law Association. Last year, the organization began accepting mental health professionals as full team...

Lawyers, judges seek out adjunct-faculty work at law schools.
September 10, 2006... Byline: Barbara Rabinovitz As law schools in Massachusetts fling open their doors this month to welcome students for the 2006-2007 academic year, they also are giving wide berth to adjunct faculty members - lawyers and judges who...

Commentary: Book review: Book teaches lawyers lessons they can learn from card players.
September 10, 2006... Byline: Press Millen and Todd Sullivan Let's start with the obligatory caveat: law is not a game. It's a serious business about life, liberty (and money). The judges wear black robes for crying out loud. Now to the message: law,...