Welcome to the Klass Law Firm Newsletter

Partner Serves on Board of Boys and Girls Home and Family Services of Nebraska

Sharese Manker serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Home and Family Services of Nebraska.  She has recently been elected Vice Chair of the Agency.  The Agency's mission is to improve the lives of children and families.  Independently or in partnership with public and private entities, the Agency brings innovative, but practical approaches to identifying and addressing individual and community needs.

Partner Serves on Board of Community Action Agency of Siouxland

Sharese Manker serves on the Board of Directors for the Community Action Agency of Siouxland and was recently elected to serve as Secretary for the Agency.  The Agency was created in 1971 to help people through economic crises and help them make it on their own.  It is a private, nonprofit human services organization.  The Agency has a number of programs to carry out its mission of providing short-term aid and encouraging long-term change including early childhood education, emergency assistance, weatherization, transitional housing, senior employment training, family development and child care food program.  In the last fiscal year, the Agency touched the lives of 15,796 individuals.

Partner Attends Annual Family Law Seminar

Sharese Manker attended the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association Annual Family Law Seminar April 17th and 18th in Riverside, Iowa.  This annual event was hosted at the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort and focused on legislative and case law updates in the family law arena.  Klass Law Firm, LLP serves families in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota with all of their family law issues.

E-Discovery

Sharese Manker presented a seminar on E-Discovery and the New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to the Employers Council of Iowa (ECI) in Participation with Iowa Workforce Development on June 15, 2007.  This seminar focused on how the new Federal Procedural rules enacted on December 1, 2006, impact employers. Statistics show that 90% of U.S. Corporations are engaged in some type of litigation.  Today, 95% of new data is stored electronically.  The new rules place the burden on employers to preserve this electronic information for litigation purposes.  Ms. Manker provided information regarding steps employers can take before litigation commences, which can provide them with some protection from accusations of abusive or obstructive destruction of this evidence.  Additionally, Ms. Manker informed employers of the steps they must take once litigation is imminent.  Finally, a discussion was held regarding the severe sanctions that courts can dole out if there is negligent or intentional destruction of electronic information.

Estate Planning and Asset Protection

Sharese Manker presented a seminar to physicians at The Center for Neurosciences, Orthopaedics & Spine (CNOS) on estate planning and asset protection for high net worth individuals.  The needs of every individual and family are different.  The attorneys at the Klass Law Firm work with each individual to meet their estate planning and asset protection needs and concerns.  A well crafted estate plan is the best gift you can give your family and it will provide you peace of mind.

Prenuptial - Estate Planning - Elder Law

Sharese Manker presented three courses at Western Iowa Tech Community College through the Life Long Learning Program.  These courses focused on legal issues relevant for individuals as they get older.

The first course focused on the legal aspects of Prenuptial Agreements and Second Marriages.  Divorce, widowhood and remarriage have become common issues for older people.  Older people may have accumulated significant assets and understanding the legal obligations of marriage and remarriage and steps individuals can take to protect their assets is important.

In the second course, Ms. Manker provided a wide range of information relating to estate planning and probate.  This included an overview of the probate process and discussion of basic estate planning tools including wills, powers of attorney and trust instruments.  Of course, no discussion regarding estate planning is complete without a discussion of the federal estate tax and state inheritance taxes.  Ms. Manker explained the current state of the legislation and the significance of the coming changes.

In the third course, Ms. Manker focused on Elder Law and Elder Rights issues including protecting your estate, guardianship/conservatorship proceedings, Medicare, Medicaid, long term care insurance and grandparent's visitation rights.

The Klass Law Firm is prepared to counsel and advise individuals on all of these topics.

Small Business Planning and Formation

Barb Orzechowski made a presentation in Storm Lake for the Renew Rural Iowa program which is co-sponsored by the Farm Bureau and Entrepreneurial Development Center.  Barb's presentation focused on selecting the right legal entity for small, growing businesses.  The Klass Law Firm has substantial expertise and experience helping small businesses organize, grow and succeed.

The Klass Law Firm, LLP is pleased to announce that the law firm is now assisting Tyson Foods, Inc. with Workers' Compensation claims.

Partner Elected to Iowa State Bar Association Board of Governors 

Barbara Orzechowski

The Iowa State Bar Association is governed by a 46-member Board of Governors elected from each of the state’s fourteen judicial election districts.  The Klass Law Firm, LLP, is pleased to announce that Barbara Orzechowski has been elected to a six year term on the Board of Governors.

Employment Law

The Klass Law Firm, LLP is a full service Law firm which includes a long record of assisting employees and employers with a wide range of employment law issues.  The Klass Law Firm, LLP was recently retained to provide employment law advice to the Pocahontas County Board of Supervisors.

Employers often have employee handbooks which are allowed to get out of date and inaccurately reflect current law.  The Klass Law Firm, LLP is currently helping multiple public and private employers with updates and revisions of their handbooks.

Partner Attends Seminar

René Charles Lapierre attended the Insurance Coverage and Claims Institute in Chicago which was sponsored by the Defense Research Institute.  For more information see: http://www.dri.org/.  The Klass Law Firm, LLP routinely provides coverage advice and claims assistance to a substantial number of insurance companies.  See our list of representative clients.

What's New at the Klass Law Firm

The Klass Law Firm, LLP is protecting its computer system and the security of e-mail communications with clients by subscribing to the services of MessageLabs.  For more information see:  http://www.messagelabs.com/email

The Klass Law Firm, LLP has improved client service by subscribing to GoodLink to provide secure, real time delivery of e-mail to cell phones of attorneys who spend a substantial amount of time out of the office.  For more information see:  http://www.good.com/

The Klass Law Firm, LLP consistently adopts the latest technology to allow the law firm to provide better, more cost effective service to its clients.  James Villone, the law firm managing partner, and Carol Barnes, the law firm administrator, recently attended the three day ABA Techshow in Chicago.  ABA Techshow is the world’s premier legal technology conference and expo.  For more information see:   http://www.abanet.org./techshow/