All of us at Shumaker Williams want to wish our friends, families, clients and colleagues a safe and wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year. This year has been an eventful one for our Firm. Our already prominent regional banking and mortgage law presence expanded with the addition of two leading New Jersey practitioners, Robert Levy and Wayne Watkinson, now Of Counsel to the Firm. John O'Donnell, Assistant Professor in Hospitality Management at The Pennsylvania State University and another Of Counsel addition this year, brings the firm enhanced capabilities in the areas of hospitality law and labor / management relations. Steven Koehler, whose practice focuses primarily on counseling businesses in general corporate and commercial law, including mergers and acquisitions, joined the firm as a shareholder in November. And Ashley Galloway, our one-time law clerk, joined the firm as an attorney in October upon passing the bar exam.
The Firm's Camp Hill, Pennsylvania and Towson, Maryland offices are thriving and growing, and we recently completed the move of our York, Pennsylvania offices to new and more spacious surroundings right on the square in downtown York. The York office will enable us to better serve our growing clientele in south central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. Our attorneys and staff are performing admirably in light of the noise and frequent disruptions of the yet-to-be-completed construction.
We want to express our appreciation for the wonderful business and personal relationships we have been privileged to share with so many of you, and we pledge our commitment to their continued development, as well as to ongoing support of our local communities.
Here's wishing you health and happiness for the holidays and throughout 2008!
Paul Adams Jeff Lee
Don Allan Harry Levy
Melanie Butz Robert Levy
Keith Clark Steve Lovejoy
Michele Connor Tammy Margeson
Ruth Courtney Sheri McLaughlin
Laurence Dague Becky Munscher
Jane Davis Carol Myers
Margo Einsig John O'Donnell
Marty Ellis Stacy Orner
Reginald Evans Evan Pappas
Tony Foschi Jim Reid
Veronica Freeman Michael Rowan
Colleen Gill Ryan Siney
Ashley Galloway Marc Tarlow
Sue Hirshman Craig Trebilcock
Beverly Hudson Kelly Troutman
Joanna Koch Wayne Watkinson
Steve Koehler Tom Weesner
Linda Koons Deb Wilkinson
Wendy Leahy Rachel Wolf
Dave Ledermann
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Offices
Camp Hill
3425 Simpson Ferry Road Camp Hill, PA 17011 Telephone: 717.763.1121 Facsimile: 717.763.7419
Towson
40 W. Chesapeake Avenue Towson, MD 21204 Telephone: 410.825.5223 Facsimile: 410.825.5426
York
1 East Market Street York, PA 17401 Telephone: 717.848.5134 Facsimile: 717.848.5125
Email
mail@shumakerwilliams.com
Website
www.shumakerwilliams.com
Editor
David J. Ledermann
Editorial Staff
Michele Connor
Publishing/Layout
Jeffrey A. Lee
Melanie L. Butz
We believe that providing our clients with timely information on developments in the law will enable them to make effective business decisions. We have dedicated ourselves to providing our clients with current information. This newsletter serves as one vehicle of promptly reporting to our clients. It is provided at no cost and outside of any professional relationship with a person, entity or file. The information contained in this newsletter is merely the opinions and thoughts of the authors and does not, in any way, constitute legal or professional advice.
Attorney Advertising
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 Craig Trebilcock Obtains $11 Million Verdict Against Military Funeral Protestors
In a case that garnered national and international headlines, firm attorney Craig Trebilcock implored the jury in a Baltimore federal courthouse to render a verdict against the Westboro Baptist Church in an amount "that says don't do this in Maryland again. Do not bring your circus of hate to Maryland again." The jury returned a verdict of nearly $11 million in favor of Albert Snyder, the grieving father of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq. The award included $2.9 million in compensatory damages and $8 million in punitive damages against the Kansas-based church, whose members believe that U.S. military deaths in Iraq are punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.
Mr. Snyder filed the suit after a protest last year at his son's funeral. Church members picket the funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and carry placards with slogans celebrating the deaths of American soldiers and denouncing homosexuals. While the church maintained that the protests constitute protected free speech under the First Amendment, Mr. Snyder's claim that they intruded upon what should have been a private ceremony was vindicated in court. The defendants were found liable for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Craig is a shareholder in the firm and a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. He has served overseas in conflicts including the war in Iraq and the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He handled the case for Mr. Snyder pro bono.Complete Article
 The Subprime Mortgage Lending Crisis -- Surviving and Thriving By J. Steven Lovejoy
Many of our clients who originate, purchase and service mortgage loans have been impacted by the national subprime mortgage crisis. The problem has taken the form of a severe curtailment in funds available for investment in mortgages generally, and subprime mortgages particularly. Bond investors on Wall Street have lost some of their prior confidence in the ability of the mortgage industry to deliver a safe, investment grade product. Foreclosures are on the rise and originators are having difficulty placing mortgage loans with wholesale lenders. The one good sign appears to be that consumer demand for mortgages appears to remain strong, although the purchase money market has slumped substantially since the beginning of 2007.
Business Practitioner Steven J. Koehler Joins Firm
We are pleased to announce that Steven J. Koehler has joined the firm as a shareholder. Steve's practice involves handling corporate and commercial law matters, including transactional representation and counseling in mergers and acquisitions, as well as real estate, UCC and general contract matters. He also deals with issues unique to companies with employee ownership.
Steve counsels clients ranging from start-up entities to multinational businesses on matters involving entity selection, shareholder and operating agreements, intellectual property licensing and protection of confidential information, manufacturing sales and joint venture agreements, as well as general business and real estate. His background includes employee benefits law and ERISA, which he utilizes in the representation of lenders, shareholders and plans relative to ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) matters. Steve also has considerable experience dealing with the unique issues facing internationally-based entities doing business in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Steve has lectured on the subject of ESOPs and contributed to Pennsylvania Bar Institute publications, including, most recently, the Pennsylvania Business Corporation practice manual. He is a licensed title agent, a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the York County Bar Association and the National Center for Employee Ownership. Steve earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1983. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in rhetoric and communications.
Congratulations to New Attorney Ashley Galloway
The firm happily welcomes Ashley Galloway to the practice following her recent graduation from law school and successful performance on the Pennsylvania bar exam. Ashley had been working for the firm part-time while attending school. She is a member of the firm's Immigration Section and Corporate and Financial Services Department.
Ashley's practice is principally focused on assisting clients in both business and family immigration matters. Her clients include professionals, including physicians, engineers and computer specialists, as well as both multinational and small U.S. businesses seeking specialized workers. She also assists clients in general business matters and loan documentation.
Ashley received her law degree this year from the Pennsylvania State University - Dickinson School of Law, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Penn State International Law Review. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in international business management from Dickinson College. We congratulate Ashley on her accomplishments with best wishes for her future success with the firm!
RECENT EVENTS
Steve Lovejoy talked on the Federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and the Federal Truth in Lending Act at the Mortgage Bankers Association of Pennsylvania Conference held October 28 - 30 at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
The firm held its annual Securities Compliance Seminar at the Wyndham Gardens Hotel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on November 16. Featured topics included current accounting issues; new e-proxy rules and executive compensation disclosure; Internal Revenue Code Section 409A compliance; Sarbanes-Oxley/Section 404 overview and internal control reporting; audit standards update, auditing financial institutions and risks and controls in auditing financial reports and disclosures; disclosure of intentions relating to mergers and acquisitions; and a panel discussion on internal and external audit perspectives. Speakers included firm attorneys Jane Davis, Dave Ledermann and Ruth Courtney, with Paul Adams as moderator. Also presenting were Richard Farrell of Parente Randolph, Robert McDonough of S. R. Snodgrass and Robert Hoster of McKonly & Asbury.
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 27, 2008
John O'Donnell will present "Legal Aspects of Foodborne Illnesses" to the Pennsylvania Tourism & Lodging Association / Pennsylvania Restaurant Association Food and Beverage Conference being held at the Harrisburg Hilton in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
March 11 - 12
Steve Lovejoy will present a "Federal Update of Mortgage Law" at the Maryland Association of Mortgage Brokers "March Madness" taking place at the Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. | |
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