Solutions Letter
 An update from Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell  | Spring 2014
  FROM OUR  BLOG                                                    Solutions@Law  
RULING COULD REQUIRE EMPLOYERS TO ALLOW TELECOMMUTING IN SOME DISABILITY CASES

 

By Martin J. Boetcher
 
A recent appeals court ruling that an employer may be required to permit an employee to work from home as part of a "reasonable accommodation" for a disability could have implications for Ohio employers. Read the full blog post here.

 

'PREFERENTIAL' LABEL ADDS INSULT
TO INJURY IN BANKRUPTCY CASES

 

By Frederick S. Coombs, III
 

Bankruptcy law allows a Bankruptcy Trustee (or Debtor-in-Possession in a Chapter 11 case) to recover, or "claw back," certain payments made by a bankrupt Debtor within 90 days of filing bankruptcy. However, there are a number of defenses available to lessen or eliminate the creditor's exposure. Read the full blog post here.

IS THE VALLEY MISSING THE ROYALTY RAPTURE?

 

By Alan D. Wenger
 

With major oil and gas drilling companies like Halcon Resources, BP and Chesapeake recently slowing activities in the Valley, lessors may be wondering how this will affect their royalty checks. Although things have slowed significantly, lessors still have options to consider to ensure that they will benefit from the Valley shale boom. Read the full blog post here

OHIO BWC SHIFTS TO PROGRESSIVE BILLING

 

By Martin J. Boetcher
 

The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation is transitioning to a prospective premium payment plan for Ohio state fund employers. Previously, the Bureau had billed state fund employers retrospectively for the prior six months of workers' compensation coverage. Read the full blog post here.

  NEWS ITEMS

WENGER SPEAKS TO CITIZENS GROUP 

ALAN D. WENGER recently spoke to nearly 150 local residents on oil and gas legal issues during a Carroll Concerned Citizens meeting in Carrollton. He discussed lease forfeitures and terminations, dormant mineral rights, severed mineral and surface rights, unitization, pipeline easements, state preemption of local zoning, royalty calculations and related topics. Wenger also recently spoke on oil and gas matters during a presentation to the Nathaniel R. Jones Inn of Court at Youngstown State University.

MURPHY JOINS
OHIO LAWYER EDITOR PANEL

 

KEVIN P. MURPHY has been selected by the Ohio State Bar Association for a two-year position on the Ohio Lawyer magazine's board of editors. The board reviews submissions to the magazine, which features articles on Ohio lawyers, legal issues and trends. Murphy has also been named to a one-year term on the association's audit committee, which provides financial oversight to the Board of Governors and audits the association books, records and system of internal controls.   

CHRISTIAN NAMED TO STATE BAR COMMISSION   

 

SHIRLEY J. CHRISTIAN was recently appointed as an at-large member to the Commission on Judicial Candidates of the Ohio State Bar Association. She was appointed by the bar association president with the consent of the OSBA Board of Governors. The commission evaluates candidates for the offices of chief justice and justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio and publicizes the ratings given to the candidates. Her colleague KEVIN P. MURPHY is also a member of the commission.

DUTTON, WILSON JOIN BOARD LEADERSHIP PANEL   

 

PAUL M. DUTTON and PATRICK K. WILSON have been selected to participate in a series of upcoming Wean Foundation workshops designed to help board members of non-profit organizations learn and share best practices. Dutton is a member of the boards of the Akron Children's Hospital Foundation, Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education, Mahoning Valley College Access Program, Tod Homestead Cemetery Association, William Swanston Charitable Fund and International Institute Foundation, and Wilson serves as a board member for the John F. Kennedy Catholic School and the Trumbull Memorial Health Foundation.

HOSPITAL BOARD WELCOMES ABRUZZINO

 

VITO J. ABRUZZINO was recently selected as a new member of the Salem Regional Medical Center's board of directors. His three-year term begins July 1, 2014 and runs through 2017. Meanwhile, Abruzzino has been promoted to the rank of Major in the U.S. Army Reserves Judge Advocate General Corps. As a Senior Defense Counsel, he will be responsible for a team of defense lawyers charged with defending service members accused of or being investigated for misconduct. 

WILSON WINS JFK CATHOLIC EAGLE AWARD

PATRICK K. WILSON recently received the John F. Kennedy Catholic School's Golden Eagle Award, an honor given annually to a person who shows courage, integrity and dedication to their profession, family and faith. He was honored at a dinner the night before the high school graduation ceremony and delivered the commencement speech. Wilson is a cancer survivor, chairman of the Kennedy Catholic board of directors and former member of the board of the high school's alumni association. 

REMEMBERING COLLEAGUE MIKE MARANDO

 

HHM is honoring the memory of its partner and friend MICHAEL G. MARANDO, who passed away on May 3. Mike served our firm and its clients with tremendous skill and dedication for nearly 40 years.

  COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

HHM BACKS COMMUNITY EVENTS, CAUSES 

YSU English Festival Co-Chair Dr. Gary Salvner addresses
some of the event's more than 2,400 participants.

 

HHM was pleased to sponsor the Youngstown State University English Festival, a regional learning event that attracted more than 2,400 high school and elementary school students from throughout northeastern Ohio to the YSU campus in April. The annual three-day festival, in which several HHM lawyers and family members have participated, promotes reading and writing. Other recent and upcoming activities sponsored by HHM and its lawyers and staff include the following:

  • Youngstown-Warren Chamber ATHENA Award Dinner
  • Trumbull Town Hall lecture series in Warren
  • Youngstown CityScape's Streetscape 2014 downtown
  • Thunder Over the Valley air show
  • Memorable Meals, a fundraiser for Grow Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley Historical Society
  • Salem Regional Medical Center's Healthy Steps 5K Run/Walk
  • Humility of Mary Partners Foundation's Fuel the Fight car show
  • Akron Children's Hospital Champions of the Valley banquet
  • Warren City Schools' Hall of Fame induction
  • Columbiana County All-Star basketball game
  • Salem High School drama club's production of "Annie"
  • Turning Point Counseling Services "Healing Minds by Design" fundraiser
  • Jewish Community Center's Suzi Solomon Golf Classic
  • Catholic Charities Regional Agency's Men Who Cook Fundraiser
  • Trumbull County FOP Run with the Deputies 5K Dash
  • Vienna Township summer concert series
  • Beaver Township 2014 park programs
  • Salem High School Taste of Home cooking school
  • Neil Kennedy Recovery Center golf outing
  • Mahoning County Justice Center Advisory Board golf outing
  • Northeast Ohio Adoption Services golf outing

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The Solutions Letter is published by Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell

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.