June 2022

Innovation, Change and the Next 70 Years

Queen Elizabeth II has now sat on the throne for 70 years—a milestone celebrated across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth this past weekend. Much has changed in those seven decades. And as the world now contends with war, inflation, a looming recession and lingering challenges from the global COVID-19 pandemic, it is perhaps worth asking, where will we be—and where will your law firm be—70 years from now?

Law firms are notoriously slow to change, but these days you’d be hard-pressed to find a firm that does not profess to embrace innovation. Some are more successful than others, but most understand that to guarantee longevity and be successful in a highly competitive industry like the law, innovation is key. 

Of course, innovation does not follow a straight line and mistakes are more common than most like to admit. That’s what Jessica Seah discovered when reporting her fascinating story about the recent $40 billion crash of Terra Luna, the stablecoin that lost its peg to the dollar last month, causing investors to lose millions of dollars. 

The crypto industry is angry and lawsuits are coming, Jess writes, although it’s unclear whether investors will have much recourse in what remains

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District 11 Attorney Linda Stanley’s Law License Suspended – by Jan Wondra

District 11 Attorney Linda Stanley’s Law License Suspended – by Jan Wondra
District 11 Attorney Linda Stanley’s Law License Suspended – by Jan Wondra

On Wednesday, June 1, the Colorado Supreme Court suspended the law license of 11th Judicial District District Attorney (DA) Linda Stanley for failing to complete the required continuing education credits required to maintain her legal status.

Stanley, who is in her first term, is the DA for Chaffee, Fremont, Custer, and Park counties, made an initial statement to KRDO news in Colorado Springs late today, saying that it was “not a big deal” and that law license suspensions happen. Attorneys are required to complete 45 continuing education credits over a three-year period. These days, most attorneys have completed their requirements online and less than one percent of attorneys fail to fulfill this standard requirement.

According to the Wet Mountain Tribune, Stanley was sent three notices by the state of Colorado, reminding her of the requirement, and the actions the state must take if the requirements were not met. The notices apparently went unanswered.

11th District DA Linda Stanley has had her law license revoked for failing to complete the required continuing education credits Courtesy photo.

Stanley has faced criticism from more than one front. Prior to withdrawing the DA’s murder charges against Chaffee resident Barry Morphew, Stanley’s team found

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TN flood insurance to increase by up to $100 a month

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee homeowners could soon pay more out of pocket for flood insurance

FEMA recently changed the way it calculates flood risk. For some, this will mean paying less, but the vast majority of residents living in flood zones will pay more, according to LendingTree.  

“We have seen a 163% increase in the last 20 years in the number of natural disasters, and a lot of those have been floods. So even if you don’t believe in climate change, that doesn’t matter, your insurance company does,” said Nick VinZant, Senior Research Analyst at QuoteWizard by LendingTree.  

Although this new system will mean some will pay more, VinZant said it’s ultimately a more equitable way of determining rates.  

“What FEMA is really doing is they are shifting the burden of flood insurance. Before, everybody kind of paid for everybody equally. Now people who have the riskiest properties are going to be paying the most. And if you’re not facing a lot of risk, you’ll be paying a lot less,” VinZant said. 

Unfortunately, VinZant doesn’t see Tennessee flood insurance costs going down anytime soon. He added that Tennessee has

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Murphy calls Florida gun law ‘the right one’ as senators negotiate federal legislation

The Florida law, known as the red flag law, raised the age to buy long guns, including AR-15s, from 18 to 21, added a three-day waiting period, created a program to allow trained school staff to carry guns and invested $400 million in mental health and school security.

“The template for Florida is the right one. Which is do some significant mental health investment, some school safety money and some modest, but impactful, changes in gun laws,” Murphy said. “That’s the kind of package we’re putting together right now. That’s the kind of package I think can pass the Senate.”

In terms of raising the age on long guns from 18 to 21, Murphy didn’t say whether that would be added to the national law. The senators involved, including Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), are focused on writing legislation that will reach 60 to 70 votes.

“We’re having a conversation about that specific population, 18 to 21, and how to make sure that only the right people, law-abiding citizens, are getting their hands on weapons,” he said.

Changes to the background check system are also on the table, Murphy said. While he conceded the Senate wasn’t likely to pass comprehensive

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Florida Supreme Court Disciplines 19 Attorneys—Including a Former State Attorney

Florida Supreme Court Disciplines 19 Attorneys—Including a Former State Attorney

The Florida Supreme Court recently disciplined 19 attorneys, including a former state attorney, the Florida Bar Association announced on May 31.

Former State Attorney Jeffrey Siegmeister received permanent disciplinary revocation, which involves agreeing to surrender his license rather than contesting the disciplinary charges, according to the association’s senior communications coordinator Leslie Smith.

Siegmeister pleaded guilty on Feb. 22 to four felonies—including conspiracy, extortion, fraud, and filing a false 2015 tax return, the first of three years for which that charge had been filed—while he was the elected prosecutor for a seven-county area, according to a Feb. 23 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Jacksonville.

The former North Florida state attorney is facing a “maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit extortion and wire fraud, five years in federal prison for conspiring to use a facility of commerce for bribery and extortion, and three years in federal prison for filing a false tax return,” according to the office.

It added that Siegmeister had agreed to forfeit almost $519,000, along with more than 7,300 shares of Coca-Cola Company common stock.

The 53-year-old Republican was a state attorney from 2013 to 2019, when he

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