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Attorneys Speak at Upper Rio Grande Workforce Solutions Job Expo 2010

November 11, 2010

       M. Mitchell Moss and Diana M. Valdez, attorneys at the ScottHulse law firm, spoke to employers at the Upper Rio Grande Workforce Solutions Job Expo 2010.  Their presentation was entitled "Protect Your Business: Top 10 Mistakes Employers Make in the Workplace."  The job expo was held at the Judson F. Williams Convention Center.

       Mr. Moss practices in the Labor and Employment, Insurance Defense and Commercial Litigation groups of the ScottHulse law firm.  He is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  He is a graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law and is a member of the State Bar of Texas, State Bar of New Mexico, and Texas Association of Defense Counsel.  He is also a frequent speaker for business and employment law-related seminars.

       Ms. Valdez, a graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law, practices in the firm's labor and employment and commercial litigation sections.  She serves on the Board of Directors for the Center Against Family Violence, El Paso Collaborative for Community and Economic Development and is a past member of the Board of Directors for the El Paso Bar Association.  She served as the President of the El Paso Women's Bar Association in 2007-08.  She is also a member of the El Paso Young Lawyer's Association, Mexican American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and American Bar Association - Labor
& Employment Section.


R. Glenn Davis
gdav@scotthulse.com
El Paso: (915) 546-8253
Las Cruces: (575) 522-0765

R. Glenn Davis Speaks
at Estate Planning Institute

November 11, 2010

       R. Glenn Davis, a shareholder practicing in the estate planning, probate and trust law group of the ScottHulse law firm, presented a paper entitled "Planning in Uncertain Times: Bypass (or Credit Shelter) and Marital Deduction Trusts in 2011 and Beyond" at the 18th Annual Estate Planning Institute in Las Cruces, New Mexico on November 4-5, 2010. 
The presentation and paper focused on the legal requirements of estate planning trusts for creditor protection and reduction of estate taxes.  About 65 attorneys, certified public accountants and financial planners from throughout west Texas and New Mexico attended the event.

       Mr. Davis represents individuals and institutional clients in a variety of wealth transfer, preservation and taxation matters in both Texas and New Mexico.

Diana Valdez Speaks at Trust Screening
Human Resources Lunch & Learn Series

November 3, 2010

       Diana M. Valdez, an associate at the ScottHulse law firm, recently
spoke along with Alfredo Ramirez, President of Trust Screening, at Trust's HR Lunch & Learn Series on the topic "Employee Screening and Fair Credit Reporting Act Compliance."

       Ms. Valdez, a graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law, practices in the firm's labor and employment and commercial litigation sections.  She serves on the Board of Directors for the Center Against Family Violence, El Paso Collaborative for Community and Economic Development and is a past member of the Board of Directors for the El Paso Bar Association.  She served as the President of the El Paso Women's Bar Association in 2007-08.  She is also a member of the El Paso Young Lawyer's Association, Mexican American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and American Bar Association - Labor & Employment Section.

Stuart Schwartz Speaks at Mastering the Arts
of Collecting Debts and Judgments Conference

October 18, 2010

       Stuart R. Schwartz, a shareholder at the ScottHulse law firm, spoke at the University of Texas at Austin continuing legal education course entitled "Mastering the Arts of Collecting Debts and Judgments." Mr. Schwartz' topic was "Pre-Suit Investigation and discovery Issues."

       Mr. Schwartz practices in the firm's Commercial Litigation, Creditors' Rights, and International law sections.  He is one of five attorneys in the State of Texas board certified in Creditors' Rights Law by the American Board of Certification and is a member of the American and El Paso Bar Associations and the State Bar of Texas.  Mr. Schwartz is a graduate of Southern Methodist University School of Law.

Diana Valdez Speaks at El Paso
Paralegal Association Brown Bag CLE Meeting

October 15, 2010

       Diana M. Valdez, an associate at the ScottHulse law firm, spoke at the El Paso Paralegal Association Brown Bag CLE Meeting on the topic "The Family Medical Leave Act."

       Ms. Valdez, a graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law, practices in the firm's labor and employment and commercial litigation sections.  She serves on the Board of Directors for the Center Against Family Violence, El Paso Collaborative for Community and Economic Development and is a past member of the Board of Directors for the
El Paso Bar Association.  She served as the President of the El Paso Women's Bar Association in 2007-08.  She is also a member of the El Paso Young Lawyer's Association, Mexican American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and American Bar Association - Labor & Employment Section.

Yvonne Acosta Receives
UTEP Gold Nugget Award

October 7, 2010

       Yvonne Acosta, an attorney with the ScottHulse law firm, is recognized as a UTEP 2010 Gold Nugget Award recipient for the School of Nursing.

       The Gold Nugget Award recognizes exceptional graduates from each of the university's colleges and schools who distinguish themselves in their profession and life, give back to their communities and alma mater, and serve as inspiration for future generations of Miners.

       Ms. Acosta practices in the ScottHulse labor, employment and litigation practice groups.  She has 11 years of litigation experience and is a Master's Prepared Registered Nurse.  She also has extensive experience handling various administrative matters, including charges before the Board of Nursing for the State of Texas.

       Currently, Ms. Acosta serves as the Vice President for the El Paso Women's Bar Association.  She is a member of the Texas Association of American Nurse Attorneys, El Paso Bar Association and Mexican American Bar Association.  She is a published author and a frequent presenter at legal workshops and seminars throughout the West Texas Region.   Ms. Acosta received her J.D. from St. Mary.s University School of Law.  She is also involved in various El Paso civic organizations.

ScottHulse Attorneys Speak to SHRM Group

September 16, 2010

       Rosemary Marin, Yvonne Acosta and Bonnie Hungerford, attorneys at the ScottHulse law firm, recently presented at a half-day legal seminar to the El Paso Society of Human Resources Management.  They spoke on recent legal rumblings in HR, updates in the new federal health care reform law, and developments in immigration law as it relates to human resources.

       Ms. Marin is Board Certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  She practices in the firm's labor and employment, litigation and education law sections.  Ms. Marin's practice encompasses a wide variety of claims and clients, including national, regional and local concerns.  She represents management in all aspects of labor and employment law and is a frequent presenter and author of employment-related publications and seminars.

       Ms. Acosta practices in ScottHulse's labor, employment and litigation practice groups.  She has 11 years of litigation experience and is a Master's Prepared Registered Nurse.  She also has extensive experience handling various administrative matters, including charges before the Board of Nursing for the State of Texas.

       Ms. Hungerford practices in ScottHulse's labor, employment, education and litigation sections.  She received a Masters in Human Resources and Industrial Relations and is licensed to practice law in Texas and New Mexico.


R. Glenn Davis
gdav@scotthulse.com
El Paso: (915) 546-8253
Las Cruces: (575) 522-0765

R. Glenn Davis Speaks at State Bar of Texas Advance Estate Planning Course

July 27, 2010

       R. Glenn Davis, a shareholder practicing in the estate planning, probate and trust law group of the ScottHulse law firm, spoke on "International Issues in Estate Administration" at the State Bar of Texas 2010 Advanced Estate Planning and Probate Course.   The course was held June 22–24, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas.   The event drew approximately 350 attorneys from across Texas and will be presented again by videotape in Dallas on July 28–30 and Houston on Aug 4–6.

       Mr. Davis represents individuals and institutional clients in a variety of wealth transfer, preservation and taxation matters in both Texas and New Mexico.

ScottHulse Attorneys Elected
to Young Lawyers Board

June 17, 2010

       Cole Gearhart and Melissa Moreno, attorneys at the ScottHulse law firm, are elected to the 2010 . 2011 El Paso Young Lawyers Association (EPYLA) Board.

       EPYLA serves young lawyers and the public interest in the El Paso area by facilitating the administration of justice, promoting reform in the law, foster and respect for the law, and advancing the role of the legal profession in serving the public.

       Mr. Gearhart is a Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law graduate.  He practices in the firm.s real estate, lending, financial institutions, corporate and securities practice groups.  Ms. Moreno is a Texas Tech University School of Law graduate.  Her practice encompasses commercial litigation and construction law.

Yvonne Acosta Receives
UTEP Gold Nugget Award

June 16, 2010

       Yvonne Acosta, an attorney at the ScottHulse law firm, is recognized as a UTEP 2010 Gold Nugget Award recipient for the School of Nursing.

       .The Gold Nugget Award recognizes exceptional graduates from each of the university.s colleges and schools who distinguish themselves in their profession and life, give back to their communities and alma mater, and serve as inspiration for future generations of Miners.

       Ms. Acosta practice.s in ScottHulse.s labor, employment and litigation practice groups.  She has 11 years of litigation experience and is a Master.s Prepared Registered Nurse.  She also has extensive experience handling various administrative matters, including charges before the Board of Nursing for the State of Texas.

       Currently, Ms. Acosta serves as the Vice President for the El Paso Women.s Bar Association.  She is a member of the Texas Association of American Nurse Attorneys, El Paso Bar Association and Mexican American Bar Association.  She is a published author and a frequent presenter at legal workshops and seminars throughout the West Texas Region.  Ms. Acosta received her J.D. from St. Mary.s University School of Law.  She is also involved in various El Paso civic organizations.

Sarah Snook to Speak
at National CdLS Conference

June 16, 2010

       Sarah Snook, an Estate Planning attorney at the ScottHulse law firm, is a speaker at the Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) Foundation.s National Conference, to take place June 24-27, 2010 at the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum in Dallas, TX. The conference focuses on the issues and challenges individuals with CdLS face throughout their lives.  This theme is reflected in the event tagline: Living and learning for a lifetime.

       Ms. Snook is a featured speaker for the .Planning for Your Child.s Future. portion of the program.

       Ms. Snook is a 2007 graduate of the University of Houston School of Law.  During school she interned with the Ethics Service at the M.D. Anderson Medical Cancer Center.  Prior to law school, Ms. Snook was a paralegal at a Houston employment law firm.

Stuart Schwartz Speaks
at State Bar Collections Conference

May 24, 2010

       Stuart R. Schwartz, a shareholder at the ScottHulse law firm, is course director of the State Bar of Texas, .Collections and Creditors. Rights Course 2010. held in San Antonio and Houston.  In addition he is a featured panelist for the .Nuts and Bolts. portion of the program.

       Mr. Schwartz practices in the firm.s Commercial Litigation, Creditors. Rights, and International law sections.  He is one of five attorneys in the State of Texas board certified in Creditors. Rights Law by the American Board of Certification and is a member of the American and El Paso Bar Associations and the State Bar of Texas.  Mr. Schwartz is a graduate of Southern Methodist University School of Law.

Diana Valdez Named .Boss of the Year.

May 18, 2010

       Diana M. Valdez, an attorney at the ScottHulse law firm, is the El Paso County Legal Support Associations 2010 .Boss of the Year.. Ms. Valdez received the award at the annual EPCLSA Bosses Appreciation Luncheon.  Each year one attorney is given the honor in recognition of their leadership skills and contributions to the legal community as a whole.

       Ms. Valdez, a graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law, practices in ScottHulse.s labor, employment and commercial litigation sections.  She serves on the Board of Directors for the Center Against Family Violence, El Paso Collaborative for Community and Economic Development and is a past member of the Board of Directors for the El Paso Bar Association.  She served as the President of the El Paso Women's Bar Association in 2007-08.  She is also a member of the El Paso Young Lawyer's Association, Mexican American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and American Bar Association - Labor & Employment Section.


Valerie Valenzuela, Cassandra Smith, Alyssa Nava, Noemi Lopez

ScottHulse Hires Four
Summer Associates

May 17, 2010

       ScottHulse law firm hires four law students to participate in the firm.s six-week summer associate clerkship program: Noemi Lopez of Penn State, Alyssa Nava of the University of Austin, Cassandra Smith of the University of Houston, and Valerie Valenzuela of the University of Wisconsin.

       The summer program is traditionally available to students who complete their second year of law school.  It is designed to expose law students to the actual practice of law at ScottHulse.  During the summer, students work on real legal issues alongside the firm's shareholders and associates.

Court of Appeals Issues Decision
in Favor of ScottHulse Client
Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages

May 13, 2010

       The Eighth District Court of Appeals, in El Paso, Texas, recently issued an opinion in favor of a ScottHulse client, Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages.  The appeal involved a counterclaim against Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages for lost profits.  The lost profits claim was based on the calculations of an expert witness, a certified public accountant, who claimed that there were lost profits in the amount of $447,000.  That claim had been dismissed at trial.  As a result, there was no monetary award on the lost profits counterclaim.  ScottHulse and Henry Paoli represented Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages at trial and on appeal.

       The main issue on appeal involved whether the lost profits claim should have been dismissed by the trial court.  On May 13, 2010, the El Paso Court of Appeals issued a unanimous decision that affirmed the trial court decision dismissing the $447,000 lost profits claim.

       ScottHulse regularly represents clients in business litigation matters, in commercial litigation cases, and in cases that are on appeal.  Mr. Paoli has handled appeals in cases that have been pending before the Texas Supreme Court, the Eighth District Court of Appeals in El Paso, Texas, the Thirteenth District Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi, Texas, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Casey Stevenson and Diana Valdez
Named Rising Stars

March 23, 2010

       Casey S. Stevenson and Diana M. Valdez, attorneys with the ScottHulse law firm, were selected as .2010 Texas Rising Stars. by the Texas Super Lawyers and publishers of Texas Monthly and Law & Politics magazines.  Rising Stars are nominated by the Texas Super Lawyers as being among the top up-and-coming lawyers (40 years old or younger, or in practice 10 years or less) in Texas.  Only 2.5% of Texas attorneys are selected as Texas Rising Stars each year.

       Mr. Stevenson practices in the firm.s litigation, collections and transportation and logistics law sections.  Ms. Valdez practices in the firm.s labor and employment and commercial litigation sections.

Yvonne Acosta Presents at UTEP
Undergraduate Nursing Program 

February 23, 2010

       Yvonne M. Acosta, an attorney at the ScottHulse law firm, recently spoke to the UTEP undergraduate nursing program. Ms. Acosta spoke on the Nurse Practice Act, and legal issues in Nursing Documentation. 

       Ms. Acosta practices in the firm’s Labor & Employment and Litigation practice groups.  She has 11 years of litigation experience and is a Master’s Prepared Registered Nurse.  She also has extensive experience handling various administrative matters, including charges before the Board of Nursing for the State of Texas.

       Currently, Ms. Acosta serves as the Vice President for the El Paso Women’s Bar Association.  She is a member of the Texas Association of American Nurse Attorneys, El Paso Bar Association and Mexican American Bar Association.  She is a published author and a frequent presenter at legal workshops and seminars throughout the West Texas Region.  Acosta received her J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law.  She is also involved in various El Paso civic organizations.


David P. Hassler
dhas@scotthulse.com
(915) 546-8219


R. Glenn Davis
gdav@scotthulse.com
El Paso: (915) 546-8253
 Las Cruces: (575) 522-0765

Pending Change to Estate Tax and
Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax

February 9, 2010

       This year may prove to be one of the most disruptive years in recent history for estate planning.  Yet uncertainty regarding pending legislative activity also leads to a possible window of opportunity to reduce estate tax exposure.  According to El Paso attorneys Glenn Davis and David Hassler, virtually all adults should review their estate plans from both tax and non-tax perspectives.

       “Taking a wait and see approach to one’s estate plan is risky because of the uncertainty of capacity and life,” said Mr. Davis, an estate planning attorney with ScottHulse law firm.

       In 2001, Congress amended the tax code to repeal, over time, the estate tax (also known as the “death tax”) and the even more draconian generation-skipping transfer tax (“GSTT”).  The amendment accomplished the repeal by gradually increasing the exemption from both taxes from $1,000,000 per person in 2001 to $3,500,000 in 2009 and finally remove both taxes altogether in 2010.  At the same time and as part of a compromise, however, the amendment’s repeal of the estate tax and the GSTT was to last only one year.

       In 2011, both the estate tax and the generation-skipping transfer tax are scheduled to come back with a vengeance.  For deaths beginning January 1, 2011, the estate tax and the GSTT exemptions will be only $1,000,000.  Because of the effect of inflation, the result will be an even greater exposure to the estate tax than existed ten years ago.  According to The Inflation Calculator, $1,000,000 in 2008 is equivalent in purchasing power to only $820,334 in 2001, representing a 21.9% increase in exposure to the tax based on value over only a portion of the period.

       The 2001 amendment also effectively did away with state inheritance taxes in many states, because of the way in which those states historically drafted their inheritance tax laws.  The 2001 amendment, however, also will effectively cause the inheritance tax in those same states to be reinstated beginning in 2011.  For example, in both Texas and New Mexico, if an estate is subject to the federal estate tax, it also will be subject to state inheritance taxes. The net result, however, should not change, because the estate will receive a credit for the taxes paid to the state.

       “All estate plans should be reviewed as soon as possible, but people who know that they have tax-planned wills or trusts should be especially prompt in updating their documents if necessary,” said Mr. Hassler, an estate planning attorney with ScottHulse law firm.

       Mr. Hassler and Mr. Davis suggest individuals also review their asset protection plans, insurance and retirement plan beneficiary designations, and representative documents such as powers of attorney, advance health directives (“living wills”) and medical records releases (“HIPAA waivers”). More information regarding possible changes to the estate tax law can be found at http://www.scotthulse.com/EstatePlanningWealthPreservation.html.

       Mr. Hassler and Mr. Davis are shareholders in ScottHulse, with offices in El Paso and Las Cruces.  Mr. Hassler is board certified in estate planning and probate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.  Mr. Davis represents individuals and institutional clients in a variety of wealth transfer, preservation and taxation matters. Mr. Davis is licensed to practice law in both Texas and New Mexico and is a member of the El Paso Estate Planning Council and the Southern New Mexico Estate Planning Council.

Yvonne Acosta Presents
at UTEP School of Nursing Forum  

January 27, 2010

       Yvonne M. Acosta, an attorney at the ScottHulse law firm, recently spoke at the UTEP School of Nursing Community Forum.  Acosta participated in a panel discussion to educate nurses, executive officers, professional medical staff, and the public on the role of acute care nurse practitioners and the liabilities involved with the emerging practice area.

       Ms. Acosta practices in the firm’s Labor & Employment and Litigation practice groups. She has 11 years of litigation experience and is a Master’s Prepared Registered Nurse. She also has extensive experience handling various administrative matters, including charges before the Board of Nursing for the State of Texas.

 
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