Brydon, Swearengen & England

Hamblin Makes CLE Presentation

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:39:25 +0000

BSE Shareholder Scott A. Hamblin was recently a lecturer for The Missouri Bar’s Continuing Legal Education progam entitled “How To Series: Criminal Law.” Mr. Hamblin made a presentation concerning basic criminal procedure.

Mitten Selected for Historic Preservation Commission

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:43:38 +0000

BS&E shareholder Russ Mitten was recently selected to serve as a member and secretary of the Historic Preservation Commission for Jefferson City. The purpose of the Historic Preservation Commission is to identify and safeguard sites, buildings, structures and objects which reflect elements of the city’s historic conservation, to foster civic pride, and to enhance the city’s attraction to tourists and visitors. The Commission has nine members who are Jefferson City residents and have an interest, competence or knowledge in historic preservation. Members are nominated by the Mayor and approved by the city council.

BS&E Lawyers Named to The Best Lawyers in America

admin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:42:47 +0000

Brydon, Swearengen & England P.C. is pleased to announce that James C. Swearengen, William R. (Trip) England, III, Gary W. Duffy, Paul A. Boudreau, Dean L. Cooper and L. Russell Mitten have been selected by their peers to be included in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. The firm is ranked #1 in Missouri in Energy Law, with six named attorneys listed in this category. Trip England is also listed in the field of Communications Law.

Selection to Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive and rigorous peer-review survey comprising more than 2.8 million confidential evaluations by the top attorneys in the country. Because no fee or purchase is required, being listed in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Best Lawyers’ annual, advertisement-free publication has been described by The American Lawyer as “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

Smarr at State Liquor Administrators’ Conference

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:42:16 +0000

Charles Smarr recently attended the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Smarr was the moderator for the panel entitled, “21st Century Challenges for the Regulators”. Panelists were Murphy Painter, Commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, Victoria Horton,Esq., President of the California Beer & Beverage Distributors, and Max Hess, Esq., of the law firm of Chorey, Taylor & Fine, Atlanta, Georgia.

The panel discussed the new challenges state liquor administrators are facing as they move into the 21st Century. Mr. Smarr began the session by addressing the biggest challenge for regulators today and that is obtaining sufficient funding. Mr. Smarr suggested an approach similar to TTB’s recent proposal for self-funding by receiving funding from industry fees in order to stabilize agency budgets to enable the state liquor administrators to effectively enforce the state liquor control laws and carry out their missions.

Commissioner Painter addressed the new challenges facing state liquor administrators in the 21st century from the perspective of a state regulator. Ms. Horton discussed current three-tier issues in California and how these issues are presenting state administrators with new challenges. Mr. Hess provided his perspective regarding the challenges facing state liquor administrators from a legal standpoint. Mr. Hess discussed what state administrators and their legal counsel can do to prepare for 21st Amendment and Sherman antitrust lawsuits and possible defenses to these types of legal challenges such as those raised in the Manuel v. Louisiana case.

Hamblin Active in Family Law Matters

admin — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:41:29 +0000

BSE shareholder Scott Hamblin has recently been active in bar activities associated with his Family Law/Divorce practice. In November of last year, Mr. Hamblin made a presentation for the Missouri Bar concerning the Basics of Dissolution of Marriage at a continuing legal education program entitled “Stepping Up and Stepping Out: The New Lawyer Experience.”
More recently, on April 16, 2009, Scott attended the 2009 Family Law Symposium, an all day program co-sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. The Symposium was an advanced seminar on family law in Missouri, intended to provide an advanced-level study of issues confronted in family law practice. Included were detailed discussions about Prenuptial Agreements, recent cases in the field of Family Law, judicial perspectives on the family law practice and issues in property division, among other subjects.

Smarr Presentation to State Liquor Administrators

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:40:46 +0000

In October, 2008, Charles Smarr, served as the moderator for a panel entitled, “How to Prepare for a 21st Amendment/Antitrust Lawsuit” at the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators Central/Western Region Meeting in Kansas City, Missouri.

Panelists were Max Hess with the law firm of Chorey, Taylor & Feil in Atlanta, Georgia and Michael Madigan with the law firm of Madigan, Dahl & Harlan in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Central to the discussion was a recent Louisiana decision, Manuel v. State of Louisiana, in which Mr. Smarr was appointed as special assistant attorney general by the Attorney General of Louisiana to help the state of Louisiana defend a lawsuit challenging numerous provisions of the Louisiana Liquor Control Act. Mr. Smarr was successful in assisting the state of Louisiana in defending the lawsuit against various 21st Amendment and Antitrust challenges.

Mitchell Named General Counsel to Licensing Board

admin — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:39:49 +0000

Greg Mitchell, Counsel to the Firm, has been named General Counsel for the Missouri Board of Therapeutic Massage. Greg also serves as General Counsel for the Missouri State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, the Missouri Powersport Dealers Association and the Missouri Automobile Dealers Association.