Warren Herlong Elected to Serve on Owners’ Counsel of America Board of Directors

At its recent annual meeting in San Diego, California, the members of the Owners’ Counsel of America elected Warren Herlong to serve on its Board of Directors.  The Owners’ Counsel of America is a nationwide network of independent condemnation attorneys who focus on representing property owners in eminent domain actions.  Warren is the only lawyer from Alabama who is a member of the Owners’ Counsel of America.  For more information about the Owners’ Counsel, please visit its website at www.ownerscounsel.com.

Firm’s Partners At National Eminent Domain Conference

Warren Herlong, Casey Pipes and Chris Conte attended the annual ALI-ABA Eminent Domain and Condemnation 101 conference in San Diego, California from January 26-28, 2012. While at this conference, Warren Herlong co-presented a paper on How to Depose the Opposing Appraiser. This is one of the leading eminent domain conferences in the country.

Christopher Conte, a partner in the firm’s Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights practice group, gives presentation at December 5, 2011 foreclosure and bankruptcy seminar in Mobile sponsored by National Business Institute.

Mr. Conte’s presentation focused on debtor and creditor issues in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, and the elements of a confirmable Chapter 13 Plan.  Mr. Conte also covered recent developments in bankruptcy law, including the United States Supreme Court’s June 23, 2011 decision in Stern v. Marshall, 131 S. Ct. 2594 (2011) and its impact on bankruptcy court jurisdiction.

Firm Makes Annual Christmas Donation to Local Family

Donating funds to help a local family in need has become an annual Christmas-time tradition at Helmsing Leach.  This year, members of the firm and staff donated $1,545.00, which was more than enough to pay for items on the family’s Christmas lists, plus a few extras.  The remainder of the money will be divided between the Bay Area Food Bank and Waterfront Rescue Mission.  Thanks to our members and staff for donating.

Firm Managing Member James B. Newman was recently named Legal Counsel and elected to the Executive Council and Board of Directors of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.

Established in 1836, the Chamber serves as a regional economic development agency, coordinating with city, county and private partners.  The Chamber is composed of more than 2,200 businesses representing more than 108,000 professionals who have joined together to maximize their business opportunities.  Membership is open to all businesses in the Mobile area, or businesses with an interest in doing business in this area.

Warren Herlong and Casey Pipes Make Presentation to the PCMA December Meeting

Warren Herlong and Casey Pipes made a presentation to the Petroleum and Convenience Marketers of Alabama Association at its December 7, 2011 meeting in Birmingham, Alabama concerning eminent domain and inverse condemnation issues of interest to convenience store owners and operators.  Their presentation covered such topics as the measure of damages in partial takings, applicable appraisal methodologies, enhancement deductions from compensation that would otherwise be due, inverse condemnation claims, changes in the right of way without a physical taking which can lead to an inverse condemnation claim, and inverse condemnation claims based on turnout permit denials or revocations.

Casey Pipes Panelist In Strafford Webinar

Casey Pipes was a panelist in a Strafford Webinar on “Eminent Domain: Redevelopment Challenges for Local Government” that took place on December 1, 2011.  Casey’s topic was on local government compliance with federal aid conditions in the context of eminent domain property acquisitions.  Other panelists from New Jersey,California and Hawaii discussed similar issues of concern to local government agencies in the context of property acquisition by condemnation.

Just Compensation in Enhancement Cases

The Firm represented several different land owners in different condemnation actions in Baldwin County, Alabama in which the acquiring agency took the position that the remaining property was enhanced by the project to such an extent that the land owners were only entitled to a nominal offer of $500 as compensation.  Over the past year in these cases, the Firm’s clients in these types of cases have received the following results:
  November 2011 – Settlement for $95,000
  August 2011 – Voluntary dismissal of condemnation action
  February 2011 – Settlement for $156,000
  November 2010 – Jury Trial resulting in a $180,205 recovery

Jeffrey J. Hartley, head of the firm’s Bankruptcy and Creditor’s Rights practice group, serves as panelist for CLE seminar on “Emerging Issues in Chapter 11” at Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham.

Mr. Hartley was participating in Cumberland’s 22nd Annual Bankruptcy Law Seminar on September 30, 2011 and led a presentation on “Prepackaged Chapter 11 Plans.”  He has been a regular member of the seminar faculty over the years.  His co-panelists were Judge William Sawyer, Bankruptcy Judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, attorney Richard Carmody of Birmingham and attorney Patricia Redmond of Miami, Florida.

Helmsing Leach attorney Joseph P. H. Babington gives presentation on Alabama tort reform to the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association.

On September 30, 2011, at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama, Helmsing Leach partner Joseph P. H. Babington gave a presentation to members of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association on the 2011 Alabama tort reform measures.  The new laws decrease the period of repose for claims against architects, engineers, and builders; reduce the interest rate on money judgments; affect the venue of wrongful death actions; protect non-manufacturer sellers from product liability actions; and change the standard for the admission of expert testimony in certain civil and criminal proceedings.