July/August 2005 ARBEA B Genesee County Bar AssociationT 2005-2006 Hiring a Forensic Accountant GCBA President Strange But True H. William Reising A New Life: Roberta Wray The First 100 Days and Beyond: David Leyton Motion Day 5K Race l-r: Judges David Newblatt, Judith Fullerton, John Gadola l-r: Lynne Taft, David Megdell, Suellen Parker, Judge Duncan Beagle, Melissa Bellamy Motion Day 5K Donors Court of Appeals Donors District Court Donors Chris Christenson Erwin F. Meiers Joliat, Tosto, McCormick & Bade Professional Human Capital Brian Barkey Dennis R. Lazar WestLaw Ramona Sain Henry Hanflik PC Circuit Court Donors Winegarden & Himelhoch Henry Hanflik PC Behm & Behm Suellen Parker Yeo & Yeo Prosecutor David Leyton l-r: Kevin Rush, Jeff Himelhoch at the finish line Motion Day 5K volunteers l-r: Jennie Barkey, Brian Barkey Genesee County Bar Association BAR BEAT July/August 2005 July/August 2005 Genesee County Bar Association BAR BEAT 3 2 Genesee County Bar Association Table of Contents 2004-2005 Board of Directors PRESIDENT – H. William Reising VICE PRESIDENT – Kraig S. Sippell 4 2005... A Great Year by William Reising TREASURER – Kurtis L.V. Brown SECRETARY – David S. Leyton 5 Law Day and 5K Successful by Ramona Sain IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT – Susan Philpott Preketes 6 Hiring a Forensic Accountant by Stanley Foodman Specialty Bar Board Members 8 Strange But True by Don Harper Mills Young Lawyers Delegate – Amy Kline 9 A New Life: Roberta Wray by Francine Cullari Mallory, VanDyne, Scott Bar – Anthony T. Maxwell Women Lawyers Delegate – Wendy J. Maxfield 10 The First 100 Days and Beyond: Bar Auxiliary Representative – Vacant Flint Trial Lawyers Representative – Eric McCormick David Leyton by John Potbury Board Members David S. Leyton ‘05 Bernhardt “Chris” Christenson ‘06 M. Cathy Dowd ‘06 Robert H S. Schaffer ‘06 Lynne A. Taft ‘06 Michael J. Behm ‘07 Orene Bryant ‘07 Karen L. Folks ‘07 Linda A. Pohly ‘07 Advertisers John R. Green ‘08 Tim Knecht ‘08 Dennis Lazar ‘08 Steve Moulton ‘08 Bar Beat Editor Larry Day Jack E. Tubbs Francine Cullari Attorney/Mediator 3 Registered Patent Attorney 8 [email protected] Yeo & Yeo Gould Engineering, Inc. Accountants and Civil, Municipal and Genesee County Bar Association Business Consultants 4 Land Development 8 315 E. Court St. Flint, Michigan 48502-1611 (810) 232-6012 BKR Dupuis & Ryden Cislo Title Company For editorial information, call (810) 695-7400. Financial Services 6 Title Insurance and Escrow Services 9 Published bi-monthly by the State Bar of Michigan, 306 Classifid Ads 7 Townsend St., Lansing, MI 48933, for the Genesee JPMorgan Raymond James & Associates For advertising, call (517) 346- Private Client Services 12 County Bar Association. Financial Services 7 6315. No material in Bar Beat reflects the opinion or endorsement of the Genesee County Bar Association, unless otherwise stated. MEDIATION SERVICES Larry Day Attorney & Mediator Citizens Banking Center Flint, Michigan 48502 (810) 603-3400 � Mediation TrainingHarvard University, Nova University and State Bar of Michigan � ExperiencePracticing mediator since 1995, and practicing lawyer for more than 25 years � ChairpersonGenesee County Circuit Court Civil MeditationMediation Committee � PresentationsPreparing Yourself and Your Client for Facilitative Mediation, ADR Section, State Bar of Michigan, July 2000; ADR, Saginaw Valley Adjusters Association, March 1996; ADR Seminar, Genesee County Bar Association, September 1995 � PublicationsPrivate Mediation, Bar Beat, July 1995; Facilitative Mediation, April 1996 and Michigan Mediation Update, June 2004, Michigan Lawyers Weekly Genesee County Bar Association BAR BEAT July/August 2005 July/August 2005 Genesee County Bar Association BAR BEAT 3 2 2005… A Great Year by H. William Reising, President find myself both humbled and hon- County for the last several years. I ored to serve as the President of the My intent is to further expand the Genesee County Bar Association for role of the Genesee County Bar Asso- this year. I am following in the foot- ciation in association with Law Week. H. William Reising steps of individuals that, I believe, can We need to expand the Mock Trial during those years. I could not be hap- only be categorized as “pillars of the Program and consider other options pier than with that role. Bar”, and who have selflessly devoted which will allow our Association to On February 4, 2005, my wife and both time and energy to that end. I further its role of community service. I were blessed with a new granddaugh- can only hope that my Presidency The Lawyer Referral Service run by ter, Margaret Cecilia, who is doing measures up to that standard, and I can your association is an outstanding pro- gangbusters. She is growing up under assure all that I intend to do everything gram, and is a community service for the watchful eye of our daughter and I can do to make sure it does. which this association can take pride. son-in-law in the Windy City. Need- For those of you who have had Every effort will be made to make sure less to say, Grandpa and Grandma get occasion to read the column penned that the program remains viable, and I over there as often as possible. by Executive Director, Ramona Sain, hope to expand it to include more at- The crowning event is my el- in the May/June Bar Beat, you became torneys. evation to President of the Genesee aware of the acute financial crisis These are just some of the ex- County Bar Association. I have truly which faced the Genesee County Bar amples of what the Genesee County enjoyed my stint on the Board of Di- Association. The annual budget was at Bar Association is doing. None of this rectors, and in the other officer chairs, great risk, and it was through the ef- would be possible without the support leading up to the Presidency. forts of Ms. Sain, the other employees of those individuals who have chosen I assure you I will do everything of the Bar Association, and your Board to become members of this voluntary possible to make this organization a of Directors, that the issues related to association. I will remember it is a vol- better organization during my Presi- that shortfall were dealt with, and the untary association, and keep my eye on dency. If anyone has any suggestions, financial stability of the organization its goals to serve its membership and feel free to send them my way. I am was preserved. One way to make sure the community. looking for input on all segments of that the organization was preserved Having belonged to other Bar As- the legal community, and for that mat- was to recommend to the general sociations, I am pleased to report that ter, the community at large. membership a dues increase. No one the Genesee County Bar Association is likes a dues increase; there was no “head and shoulders” above the others CHARGE! other choice, however, for GCBA to with the services offered to its mem- continue its good work and be a vital bers, and its role in the community. force in the community. We can be pleased with our success BAR BRIEFS THANKS The revitalization of the “vital force and I hope to do everything possible concept” will be the primary focus of during the next year to make sure that Thank you from the Bar Briefs my Presidency. I intend to concentrate continues. editor Francine Cullari to the Bar on the development of an appropriate Enough said about serious top- Briefs Swimsuit Issue Committee: mission statement and a strategic plan, ics. The title of this article indicates so that the Association can remain vi- that 2005, from my perspective, has Brian Barkey able in the future. been a banner year for me. My rea- Richard Barron The strategic plan process was sons for saying that are many. Among Karen Folks recently completed at the State Bar those reasons is my 35th anniversary in Louis Giampetroni Clifford Hart level, resulting in a much more viable January 2005 with Plunkett & Cooney. David Lattie organization. I am very much aware Plunkett & Cooney is the only law firm Fred Meiers of that increased vitality due to my in- that I have worked with during my legal Ramona Sain volvement with the Representative As- career, and it has provided me with an Kraig Sippell sembly, on which I have proudly served environment which has allowed me to Reese Stipes Jim Wascha on behalf of the attorneys in Genesee grow both as a person and an attorney Genesee County Bar Association BAR BEAT July/August 2005 July/August 2005 Genesee County Bar Association BAR BEAT 5 4 Law Day and 5K Successful by Ramona Sain, Executive Director nce again, the Association hosted The event could not have succeeded Oa series of successful Law Day without their financial support. While events, culminating in a public lecture I was in Washington D.C. on race day, by attorney and mountain climber fretting about the snow blizzard, Tina, Ramona Sain Lou Kasischke, co-sponsored by the Star, all the volunteers and commit- Vice President, Kurtis Brown as Treasur- University of Michigan-Flint Recreation tee members had everything under er, and David Leyton as Secretary. New Center and Standard Federal Bank. control. As race chairman Judge John board members include Tim Knecht, There were over ninety attendees and Gadola said to me after the event, Steve Moulton, and Dennis Lazar, with following his presentation on "The Pow- "You worry too much. It’s probably a John Greene returning for an additional er of Will" about his 1996 ill-fated Mt. good thing you were in Washington!" term. Welcome. Everest climbing expedition, Kasischke Point well taken. entertained questions from the audi- Once again it’s the changing of ence.