Vol. 3 No. 38 | Sept. 20, 2023
Courts
No published opinions this week.
Dispositions Other than by Published Opinions
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma Court Calendar
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is in session year round, unless otherwise noted. The Court regularly schedules conferences on Mondays and other days as needed.
Member Transitions
More
"The OBA Annual Meeting is a great time for all our members to socialize and get quality continuing legal education. This year’s theme is 'Aspire & Inspire,' and we ask that you all join us, so we can gather and discuss growth, collaboration and visions for the OBA.
REGISTER NOW FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING
One of the central aspects of the Annual Meeting is the power of aspiration. It's a time to aspire for greatness, set new goals, envision future accomplishments and chart the path forward. As members come together, we are hopeful that visions will be shared and that a collective ambition will grow to push our association to evolve and thrive.
But let’s take it one step further – another central tenet of this year’s meeting is our drive to inspire. It is time to motivate others by recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of the past year. From our many OBA awards to section and committee work, our members continually go above and beyond. Seeing such great work gives me a sense of pride and determination to find ways to inspire more involvement for the greater good of the OBA. All our membership accomplishments, whether big or small, serve as beacons of inspiration and demonstrate what can be achieved with dedication and teamwork."
The annual Women in Law Conference, hosted by the OBA Women in Law Section, is just around the corner! This one-day event celebrating and supporting women in the legal profession will kick off at 9 a.m. this Friday, Sept. 22, at the Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker, Oklahoma City. Walk-ins will be welcome on a first-come-first-serve basis; space is limited.
This year's event will feature Chandler Baker, a New York Times bestselling author, as keynote speaker. Her works include Cutting Teeth, The Husbands and Whisper Network, which was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick. Ms. Baker attended the University of Texas School of Law and worked as a lawyer for a major sports franchise and as a corporate attorney. The Women in Law Conference will be worth 6 hours of MCLE.
The event will also feature the Mona Salyer Lambird Spotlight Awards Luncheon, where leading women lawyers and judges from across the state are annually recognized. This year’s honorees are LeAnne Burnett, Oklahoma City; Susan Carns Curtiss, Oklahoma City; Tricia Everest, Oklahoma City; Betsy Grabel Jackson, Tulsa; and Sharolyn Whiting-Ralston, Tulsa.
This is the 27th year of award presentations. Attendees may register for the full conference or for the luncheon only. Visit www.okbar.org/wil for more information.
Oklahoma Bar Foundation Trustee Nominations Announced
Pursuant to Article IV, Section 2 of the Bylaws of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation (OBF), the following OBF members have been nominated by the 2023 Nominating Committee to serve on the OBF Board of Trustees: Justin Meek, Oklahoma City; Dylan Erwin, Oklahoma City; and David Van Meter, Oklahoma City; they have been nominated for their first three-year terms.
Any group of 25 or more Partners for Justice (formerly Fellows) may submit the name of a member of the foundation as an additional nominee by submitting a petition duly signed by said Partners and submitted to the OBF Executive Committee no later than 10 days after the nomination slate is published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal. Nominating petitions can be mailed to Renee DeMoss, Executive Director, Oklahoma Bar Foundation, P.O. Box 53036, Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3034, or delivered to 1901 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4901.
"As professionals operating professional limited liability company law firms in Oklahoma, our commitment to corporate governance standards surpasses those of standard limited liability company owners. This article explores annual best practices for corporate governance in Oklahoma professional limited liability company law firms, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a strong and secure barrier between business and personal assets. While limited liability companies can offer limited liability protection, adhering to annual best practices ensures the preservation of those protections. From filing annual certificates and maintaining law licenses to conducting business on behalf of the company and updating your operating agreement, meticulous attention to governance is crucial. By marking these annual goalposts, law firm owners can safeguard their assets and mitigate legal and financial risks."
"It is common knowledge that legal due diligence is a critical step in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions. This article, intended as a quick reference for junior M&A attorneys tasked with the legal due diligence process, includes certain basic discussions of the most common legal diligence issues.
For simplicity purposes, the discussions in this article are limited as follows: 1) this article does not address the business, financial or other types of nonlegal diligence that may occur in connection with M&A transactions; 2) this article focuses on the legal due diligence performed after the execution of the letter of intent (LOI) and does not include discussions of the preliminary diligence performed before an LOI; 3) the discussions are centered on a simple transaction with only one acquiring entity (the buyer) and one selling entity (the seller), without any lenders or financing sources, representations and warranties insurance providers and other third parties ..."
"Heroes often appear in tales of bravery, hope and adventure. They have been popular since ancient Greece. However, we forget that some of these tales have a dark part: As our heroes rise to help us, they, unfortunately, might fall.
When the unexpected happens, the heroes who served us leave behind their legacy. Likewise, they leave behind loved ones. In a small effort to honor their work, the Oklahoma Bar Association has maintained a Wills for Heroes program. The program helps those who serve their communities by offering no-cost legal assistance in the areas of wills and estate planning. The Wills for Heroes program serves first responders, emergency personnel and veterans."
As an OBA member, you can use Fastcase to efficiently conduct legal research at no cost! This OBA member benefit is valued at approximately $995 per year.
Fastcase offers a spectrum of legal software tools and national coverage with unlimited usage, customer service and printing as part of your bar membership. To use Fastcase, go to your MyOKBar account and click the "Fastcase" link in the box near the bottom of the page. OBA members also have access to the free, one-hour CLE programs "Legal Research Using Fastcase for Oklahoma Lawyers" and "Mastering Advanced Legal Research Techniques in Fastcase."
Featured CLE
By OBA MAP Director Jim Calloway
Online marketing can be a challenge. Paying for professional assistance is often expensive. Improving lawyers' website bios should be low cost or no cost. Attorney bio pages that would impress your law school classmates might not be the best approach to inspire potential clients to retain you. Potential clients are visiting your website because they have a problem, and your website should focus on the problems your firm solves. Today, we are sharing some excellent advice on how to improve your bio, written by Julie Ackerman, "No One is Reading Your Attorney Bio: (Five Tips to Fix That)." Lawyers who can’t give up citing every publication, award and honor they have received can still have that content. I suggest putting a link at the bottom of your bio that says “Extended Professional Biography” so those with an interest can find that information. But the primary function of your website is to convince people to retain you, and the lawyer’s bio should support that.
The Oklahoma Bar Journal is a publication of the Oklahoma Bar Association. All rights reserved. Copyright© 2023 Oklahoma Bar Association. Statements or opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Oklahoma Bar Association, its officers, Board of Governors, Board of Editors or staff. Although advertising copy is reviewed, no endorsement of any product or service offered by any advertisement is intended or implied by publication. Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their ads, and the OBA reserves the right to edit or reject any advertising copy for any reason. Legal articles carried in The Oklahoma Bar Journal are selected by the Board of Editors. Information about submissions can be found at www.okbar.org.