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An update from Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell SPRING 2012 |
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HHM NEGOTIATES MASSIVE O&G LEASE
WITH BP FOR TRUMBULL LANDOWNERS
 HHM represented the Associated Landowners of the Ohio Valley in its recent negotiations with BP for an oil & gas rights agreement in Trumbull County. The contract involves more than 1,500 property owners and nearly 84,000 acres of land, mostly in northern Trumbull County. It is believed to be the largest single-county group lease ever negotiated. "We entertained interest from several energy companies and are pleased to reach this agreement with BP," said ALAN D. WENGER, who spearheaded the discussions. "The agreement provides solid protection for landowners and their properties while also providing substantial signing bonus payments and royalty payments." In the past two years, HHM directly and through landowner groups has represented more than 4,000 landowners in lease agreements covering more than 250,000 acres of property. More information is available on the Oil & Gas page of HHM's website.
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HHM LAWYERS PLAN FREE CLINICS
FOR LOCAL LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS
HHM and Community Legal Aid are teaming up to offer free clinics this year for low-income individuals in the Youngstown-area who need civil legal advice. The venture with Community Legal Aid, a regional non-profit law firm, is the first of its kind in the Youngstown area. "This is an excellent way for us to provide solutions to problems for the needy in ways that we are not normally able," said SHIRLEY J. CHRISTIAN of HHM. The clinics will be held in June, August, October and December, all during evening hours at the Newport Branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. Specific times will be announced later. Each clinic will involve several HHM lawyers. Community Legal Aid and various bar associations have scheduled free local legal clinics in the past, but never a series of four in one year through the efforts of one private law firm. |
VIENNA TWP., VANSUCH PREVAIL
BEFORE COURT OF APPEALS
 MATTHEW G. VANSUCH and his client, Vienna Township, recently won a favorable ruling from the 11th District Court of Appeals to preserve what local news reports identified as $3.8 million in tax revenue from the estate of industrialist John Rebhan. The court rejected an appeal by the City of Warren, which contended it was due the highest share of the taxes since Rebhan had a home in the city. The court concluded that Rebhan's primary residence was his Vienna home. More information on the case is available here from the court or in this Vindicator story.
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BEWARE OF PLANS THAT DELAY
PAYMENT OF OIL & GAS BONUSES
By George P. Millich, Jr.
Some landowners considering leasing their oil and gas rights are being encouraged to set up "structured settlements" that spread bonus payments over multiple years, supposedly to reduce taxes. Such schemes need to viewed with extreme caution. They may involve putting bonuses at risk. And they may involve tax strategies of questionable legal standing. Read the full post here.
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OIL & GAS MECHANIC'S LIENS:
CRYSTAL CLEAR CONFUSION
By Frederick S. Coombs, III
Now that the shale boom has moved from the leasing frenzy into actual fracking of wells, suppliers of labor and materials to drilling operations need to be aware of how they can assure that they get paid. One of the most common devices to protect these vendors is the mechanic's lien. But how that lien gets established, and what the lien affects, can vary immensely. Read the full post here.
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SEISMIC TESTING: ISSUES FOR
LANDOWNERS TO CONSIDER
With the rise of the oil and gas boom in northeastern Ohio, companies have been asking landowners for permission to enter their property to conduct seismic testing. Seismic testing involves sending shockwaves and vibrations into the ground. When those shock waves and vibrations hit rock, they bounce back to the surface where sensors record them. Read the full post here. |
REPAYING STUDENT LOANS:
OPTIONS FOR DEALING WITH DEBT
By Frederick S. Coombs, III
Massive student loan debt -- often in the six-figure range -- has become a fact of life for many young adults. Bankruptcy is usually not a solution, as student loan debt is generally not dischargeable in bankruptcy, absent a showing of undue hardship. Fortunately, there are other options to deal with student loans. Read more here.
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LABOR BOARD DELAYS DATE
FOR UNION RIGHTS POSTING
By Martin J. Boetcher
The National Labor Relations Board has postponed the effective date of its Employee Rights Notice Posting Rule. Under the rule, most private sector employers will be required to post an 11-by-17-inch notice about their employees' right to join a union. The new implementation date is now April 30. Read the full post here. |
HHM LAWYERS IN THE COMMUNITY |
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ALAN D. WENGER and CHRISTOPHER J. BARONZZI have been quoted extensively in local media reports about the rise of oil and gas exploration activity. The videos above are on The Vindicator's new Shale Sheet, one of several news subsites launched in recent weeks by local media reporting on the energy boom. Wenger is part of a panel of shale-related news sources assembled recently by WFMJ-TV Channel 21. The growing list of stories referencing HHM's oil & gas practice law group is catalogued on the Oil & Gas page of the firm's website.
 SHAWNA L. L'ITALIEN has been elected chair of the board of the Counseling Center of Columbiana County. She has been a member of the board since 2005. The center, based in Lisbon, provides professional help for people experiencing emotional and substance abuse problems, behavioral challenges and relationship difficulties.
 The William Swanston Charitable Fund and two community organizations "vigorously pursued an agenda designed to bring positive change for children and youth in the Mahoning Valley," PAUL M. DUTTON says in an article in the 2011 annual report of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley. Dutton is chairman of the board of the Swanston fund, which advances programs for children and youth. Read the article here.
MATTHEW G. VANSUCH and his wife, Deena, both graduates of Youngstown State University's University Scholars program, were spotlighted in the latest edition of YSU's alumni magazine. The story pictured a number of married couples who met during their days in the scholarship program. The magazine can be found here (the story is on pages 16-17). |
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Comments can be directed to any of our practice group chairs:
- Alan D. Wenger, Oil & Gas, 330.744.1111 or by email.
- William L. Hawley, Litigation, 330.392.1541 or by email.
- Neil D. Schor, Public Sector, 330.744.1111 or by email.
- Frederick S. Coombs III, Creditors Rights & Bankruptcy, 330.744.1111 or by email.
- Alan D. Wenger, Business & Employment, 330.744.1111 or by email.
- Neil H. Maxwell, Estate Planning & Probate, 330.744.1111 or by email.
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