New Venue Limits on Workers’ Comp Lawsuits

Effective May 21, 2012, venue for filing workers’ comp lawsuits is limited by new law restricting lawsuits against non-governmental employers to the county where the work injury occurred or where the employee resided at the time of the injury.  Previously, such suits could be filed in the county where the employee resided at the time of filing.  Claims against governmental employers must still be filed in the county where the governmental entity is located or where the injury occurred.  When employees move, this new statutory change provides clarity for employers and employees with regard to potential venues for a claim.

Will Bell Addresses Training Conference on the Probate Process

Jackson, TN (January 7, 2013) – Will Bell, an attorney with Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC (Rainey Kizer) provided attorneys and others involved in the probate process with updated information on managing the process from start to finish.  He spoke during

a recently completed Jackson training conference presented by National Business Institute.

In 2011, Bell served as attorney for more than 30 estates and trusts and worked with more than 150 clients in estate, financial, and business planning matters, including the preparation of wills and trusts, gift planning, and business succession planning.  That year Bell also recovered, through estate litigation, over $1.4 million for two well-known charitable organizations.

At the seminar, his topics included administering the estate effectively, including how to respond to creditors’ claims and effectively managing the estate’s cash. Bell also addressed issues related to litigating a case in probate court and closing an estate, which included final accounting, distribution of estate to beneficiaries, and required tax returns.

Bell was chosen by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers®  in America 2013 in the category of Trusts and Estates. In the real estate category, he was chosen as Lawyer of the Year for the Memphis area.  Bell is also recognized as a Super Lawyer and has been AV Rated by Martindale Hubbell for more than a decade.

In addition to his estates and trusts practice, his work includes matters related to the purchase and sale of such diverse real estate assets as shopping centers, farms, undeveloped and developed commercial real estate, manufacturing facilities, warehouse and distribution centers, and hotels.  His practice also includes negotiating and finalizing leases on commercial and industrial buildings and the sale and acquisition of other types of businesses.

About Rainey Kizer

Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and was named a Go-To Firm® by Fortune 500 general counsels.  The full-service law firm with offices in Memphis and Jackson, TN represents local, state, and national clients before state and federal courts and regulatory agencies throughout the Mid-South.  For more information visit www.raineykizer.com.

Latosha Dexter and Cory Brown to Address Healthcare HR Administrators

Memphis, TN – Latosha Dexter and Cory Brown, attorneys in theMemphis office of Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC (Rainey Kizer), presented an update on 2012 employment law changes and HR related healthcare issues during the December holiday meeting of the West Tennessee Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (WTSHHRA).

At Rainey Kizer, Dexter’s practice focuses on employment law and local government law.  She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and writes regularly on employment law issues for HR Professionals magazine.  Dexter is a graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Law, where she was a member of the law review.

Brown’s practice includes healthcare transactions and regulatory compliance.  He customarily represents hospitals, physician groups and various individual healthcare providers. Brown also is a regular contributor to Memphis Medical News magazine.  He received his law degree, cum laude, from theUniversity ofMemphis, where he served as Notes Editor for the law review.

About WTSHHRA

WTSHHRA is a non-profit organization established exclusively for research, education and information sharing purposes. The objective of the Society is to promote better human resources management by:

•  Fostering knowledge and competence in personnel practices in healthcare facilities,

•  Providing optional methods for the interchange of ideas and information relative to the healthcare human resources administration, and

•  Conducting and participating in educational programs and activities concerning professional and personal development.

About Rainey Kizer

 Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and was named a Go-To Firm® by Fortune 500 general counsels.  The full-service law firm with offices in Jackson and Memphis represents local, state, and national clients before state and federal courts and regulatory agencies throughout the Mid-South.  For more information visit www.raineykizer.com.

Rainey Kizer’s Mansfield Updates Executives and Attorneys on Key Insurance Law Provisions

Memphis, TN (December 12, 2012) – New and evolved types of insurance policies now on the market require that professionals on both the buy and sell sides remain up-to-date on those changes, according to Michael Mansfield, an attorney with Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC (Rainey Kizer). Mansfield’s remarks were made in Memphisto participants during a recently completed training conference for corporate executives and practicing attorneys presented by National Business Institute.

 One area Mansfield highlighted was the importance of carefully reading and interpreting insurance contract language.  Factors such as policy limits, exceptions, conditions, and waivers should be taken into careful consideration.

 “When managing risk for your company or organization, it is important to be aware of the common bases for denial of coverage,”Mansfield explained.  “If you fail to do so, problems could arise when filing a claim.”   He cited pre-existing conditions, assumption of risk, breach of contract, lack of causation, statute of limitations, and more as common bases for denial of insurance coverage.  “Dynamic companies should not put their insurance policies in a drawer until there is a potential claim.  They should regularly review their coverage in light of their current operations, and make changes as needed.”

 At Rainey Kizer, Mansfieldis a member of the firm’s Employment Law Group and represents insurers in connection with coverage issues.  He joined the firm after receiving his law degree, with honors, from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.  Since that time, his practice has included defending insured and self-insured persons and entities in workers’ compensation, trucking/automobile accidents and premises liability cases throughout the state. His experience also includes representing debt management companies in FDCPA/FCRA claims.

 Mansfield is a member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association, a past president of the Young Lawyers Division of the Jackson Madison County Bar Association, and a member of the Howell Edmunds Jackson American Inn of Court. 

About Rainey Kizer

Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell, PLC is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and was named a Go-To Firm® by Fortune 500 general counsels.  The full-service law firm with offices in Memphis and Jackson, TN represents local, state, and national clients before state and federal courts and regulatory agencies throughout the Mid-South.  For more information visit www.raineykizer.com.