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Fleeson Firm Wins United Way John Rees Award
Fleeson, Gooing, Coulson & Kitch, L.L.C. is pleased to
have been recently informed that it has been named the
2009 winner of the John Rees Award given by the United
Way of Wichita.
John Rees was an attorney with the firm in 1996 when
he was tragically murdered by two individuals who were
later tried and convicted. John was very active in the
United Way and, in his memory, the United Way designed a
traveling plaque which is presented annually to the law
firm that conducts the most successful United Way
campaign. Factors considered in choosing the annual
winner include giving and participation levels, and the
visibility of the campaign.
This is the sixth time the firm has won the John Rees
Award since it was created in 1996. We are honored to
again have the efforts of our attorneys and staff
recognized in this way.
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Adam Burrus joins the Firm
Adam Burrus,
a 2009 graduate of Washburn University School of Law,
has joined the firm as an associate. Adam is a Wichita
native and was recently admitted as a member of the
Kansas Bar. He will practice in the areas of litigation,
bankruptcy and creditor’s rights.
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Fleeson Attorneys Listed in
Chambers and Partners
Fleeson, Gooing, Coulson & Kitch, L.L.C. and four of its
members have been listed in the latest edition of Chambers and Partners America’s Leading Lawyers for
Business. Since 1999 Chambers and Partners have
researched the United States legal profession,
identifying the leading lawyers and law firms through
interviews with thousands of lawyers and their clients.
Firm members listed in the publication are: Eric
Engstrom (Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions); Ron
Campbell (General Commercial Litigation); Steve Robison
(General Commercial Litigation and White-Collar Crime &
Government Investigations); Steve Stark (Real Estate)
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Fleeson Attorneys
Identified as Missouri Kansas Super
Lawyers
Eight members of Fleeson, Gooing,
Coulson & Kitch, L.L.C. have been singled out for
recognition in the 2009 edition of Missouri Kansas Super
Lawyers.The annual publication is intended to identify the
top attorneys in their respective fields in the
two-state area, as recognized by their peers.
The Members listed in the 2009 edition of Missouri
Kansas Super Lawyers include Charles Cole (Estate
Planning and Probate); Linda Constable (Estate Planning
and Probate); Eric Engstrom (Business and Corporate);
Brooks Kancel (Civil Litigation Defense Rising Star);
Chuck Millsap (Business Litigation); Steve Robison
(Civil Litigation Defense); Steve Stark (Real Estate);
and Greg Stucky (Energy and Natural Resources).
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Fleeson Attorneys Listed in
The Best Lawyers in America ®
Seventeen members of Fleeson, Gooing, Coulson &
Kitch, L.L.C. have been included in the 2010 edition of
The Best Lawyers in America® in nineteen different
practice areas. Best Lawyers® lists lawyers in 79
practice areas based on an exhaustive and rigorous
peer-review survey that has been developed and refined
over nearly 25 years.
Firm members listed in the publication are, Ron
Campbell (Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial
Litigation and Construction Law); Charles Cole (Elder
Law and Trusts & Estates); Linda Constable (Trusts &
Estates); Eric Engstrom (Corporate Law and Mergers &
Acquisitions Law); John Gerdes (Tax Law); Tom Kitch
(Natural Resources Law and Oil & Gas Law); Tom Lasater
(Commercial Litigation and Corporate Law); Kent
Meyerhoff (Elder Law, Intellectual Property and Trusts &
Estates); Chuck Millsap (Bet-the-Company Litigation,
Commercial Litigation and Construction Law); Steve
Robison (White Collar Criminal Defense and Eminent
Domain & Condemnation Law); David G. Seely (Labor and
Employment Law and Oil & Gas Law) Steve Stark (Real
Estate Law); Greg Stucky (Natural Resources Law and Oil
& Gas Law); Bill Thompson (Corporate Law and Trusts &
Estates); Bill Townsley (Insurance Law and Workers’
Compensation Law); Bill Tretbar (Commercial Litigation
and First Amendment Law) and Lyndon Vix (Appellate Law,
First Amendment Law and Insurance Law).
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Gerrit H.
Wormhoudt 1926-2009
We mourn the loss of our
colleague and friend Gerry Wormhoudt, who died on
September 28, 2009 following an extended illness.
Gerry was a native of Mount Pleasant, Iowa who moved
to Wichita to join the firm in 1952. Over the course of
the ensuing 50 years he became well-known to lawyers and
judges throughout the state for his sound judgment and
formidable intellect. Indeed, in a profession filled
with intelligent people, Gerry was simply the brightest
lawyer most of us will ever meet.
He was at his best in times of crisis and stress. His
friendly, soft-spoken and unassuming personality
reassured clients and co-workers alike. His ability to
distill the most complicated factual or legal scenario
into something others could understand was legendary,
and earned Gerry the respect of both allies and
adversaries.
Gerry remained a serious student of the law, and in
particular constitutional law, throughout his life. As
recently as 2006, shortly after his 80th birthday, he
presented a CLE program on constitutional law sponsored
by the Wichita Bar Association to more than 100 lawyers.
At times, it seemed as if he remembered everything he
ever read, verbatim and as if he had done so yesterday.
Gerry left an indelible stamp on those of us
fortunate enough to practice with him and on hundreds of
other friends he made throughout his life. Our
condolences go out to his beloved wife, Angie, and to
his children. We will not see his like again.
Click for The Wichita Eagle Obituary
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Class
Action Settlement
The firm's successful
representation of the plaintiffs and plaintiff class in Littell v. Oxy USA, Inc.
has culminated in the distribution
of almost $12 million in settlement funds to class members.
The Littell case was commenced in 1998 to challenge the
deduction of certain expenses from royalty payments on natural
gas produced from hundreds of wells in Kansas. After years of
litigation, the settlement of claims was initially approved by
the District Court of Stevens County in March, 2008. Payment of
the settlement funds was delayed because of an appeal to the
Kansas Supreme Court -- ultimately dismissed -- and the funds
were made available for distribution on February 6, 2009.
In addition to monetary relief, the defendant has agreed as
part of the settlement to reduce drastically deductions from
royalty payments in the future.
The plaintiffs and plaintiff class have been represented
throughout the litigation by Tom Kitch, Greg Stucky and Dave
Seely of Fleeson, Gooing, Coulson & Kitch, L.L.C.
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Former
Fleeson attorney Carl Bell passes away
The firm
mourns the loss of its friend and former colleague Carl Bell who
passed away on February 15, 2009, at the age of 86. Carl had a
long and distinguished legal career that included a term as
mayor of Wichita. He joined the firm in 1987 and was active as
both a practitioner and mentor until his retirement in 2000.
Click here to read an article
about Mr. Bell that appeared in the Wichita Bar Association
Barometer in 2004.
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Firm Welcomes New Attorneys
Fleeson, Gooing is pleased to welcome two new attorneys as
associates in the firm.
Dan Lawrence is a
2008 graduate of Washburn University School of Law where he
graduated first in his class and served as Source and Cite
Technical Editor for the Washburn Law Journal. He spent two
summers with the firm as a law clerk. Dan practices in the areas
of litigation and business.
Sylvia Penner joins
the firm after four years with the Sedgwick County District
Attorney’s Office. She is a 2004 graduate of University of
Kansas School of Law where she participated in moot court while
also working as a law clerk to the District Court for the Third
Judicial District. Sylvia’s practice focuses on the areas of
workers compensation and civil litigation.
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Summary
Judgment in Injunction Case Upheld
The Kansas Court of Appeals recently upheld a
favorable judgment obtained by the Fleeson firm in an action out
of Cowley County, Kansas. The firm represented Liftco, L.L.C. in
a lawsuit brought by Barnesco, Inc., in which Barnesco accused
Liftco of misappropriating certain confidential information.
Barnesco sought an injunction prohibiting Liftco form engaging
in competitive activities. The Cowley County District Court
found no evidence that Liftco had misappropriated any of
Barnesco’s property and denied the injunction. The Court of
Appeals affirmed this decision in a unanimous unpublished
opinion. Attorneys Steve Robison and Roarke Gordon successfully
represented Liftco.
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Calvin Rider Joins the Firm Of
Counsel
The firm is pleased to welcome
Calvin Rider who
has joined the firm of counsel. Calvin has practiced law in the
Wichita area for 23 years and comes to Fleeson Gooing from the firm
of Brown, Dengler, Good & Rider, LC. He practices primarily in the
areas of business, education, probate and estate law.
