Recent News

• Two court victories obtained by Hall Estill for a publicly-held client, paved the way for a shareholder vote allowing our client to acquire another business in a $1.6 billion merger.  Recently, the Oklahoma County District Court granted our client's Motion to Stay shareholder litigation seeking to enjoin the merger vote.  In July 2010, in an emergency proceeding, the Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court denied a shareholder attempt to enjoin the merger.

  Tulsa Hall Estill shareholder, Graydon Dean Luthey, Jr. argued the Supreme Court proceeding on behalf of the client, while he, along with Oklahoma City Hall Estill shareholders, Jon A. Epstein and Larry G. Ball, represented them in the District Court case.

• Sarah E. Hansel has been selected as one of the Journal Record's "50 Making A Difference," which is part of the publication's Woman of the Year program. She will be honored at an event in October.
• Chambers USA recently released their 2010 rankings and Hall Estill has been ranked in Band 1 in Labor & Employment and Native American Law, and in Band 2 for Energy & Natural Resources Law. In addition, 12 attorneys have also been ranked: Steven A. Broussard, shareholder in the Tulsa office, Band 1 in Labor & Employment Law; B. Kenneth Cox, Jr., shareholder in the Tulsa office, Band 2, Real Estate; J. Patrick Cremin, shareholder in the Tulsa office, Band 1 in Labor & Employment Law; Angelyn L. Dale, shareholder in the Tulsa office, Band 2 in Labor & Employment; James C.T. Hardwick, Band 1 in Energy & Natural Resources Law; J. Kevin Hayes, shareholder in the Tulsa office, Band 2 in Energy & Natural Resources Law; Graydon Dean Luthey, Jr., shareholder in the Tulsa office, Band 1 in Native American Law; Robert D. Nelon, shareholder in the Oklahoma City office, Band 2 in Litigation: General Commercial; Timothy S. Posey, shareholder in the Tulsa office, Band 2 in Native American Law; Michael E. Smith, shareholder in the Oklahoma City office, Band 2 in Energy & Natural Resources Law; Margaret A. Swimmer, shareholder in the Tulsa office, Band 2 in Native American Law; and Elaine R. Turner, shareholder in the Oklahoma City office, Band 2 in Labor & Employment.
• J. Terrell Siegfried, associate in the Tulsa office, was recently appointed to the National Board of the Gilcrease Museum.
• M. Scott Hall, assoicate in the Northwest Arkansas office, was recently appointed Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Humane Society of the Ozarks, Inc.
• Jon A. Epstein, Sarah Jane Gillett and Pamela H. Goldberg, all shareholders with the firm, were named recipients of the 2010 Leadership in Law award presented by the Oklahoma Bar Association and the Journal Record.
• Robert K. Rhoads, shareholder in the Northwest Arkansas office, was recently elected Chairman of the Board for the Green Valley Development.
• Elaine R. Turner, shareholder in the Oklahoma City is a new member of the Oklahoma City University School of Law Executive Board.
• Robert D. Nelon, shareholder in the OKC office, was recently elected President of the Defense Counsel Section of the Media Law Resource Center.
• Benchmark Litigation has released its 2009 results and Hall Estill has been named a recommended law firm in Oklahoma. In addition, Mark Blongewicz, shareholder in the Tulsa office was named a local litigation star and John Heil, shareholder in the Tulsa office, was named a future star.
• Molly Aspan, associate in the Tulsa office, was recently elected to a one-year term as chairwoman of the Oklahoma Bar Association Board of Governers Young Lawyer Division.
• Larry G. Ball, shareholder in the OKC office, was recently presented the 2009 Inspiration Award by the Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity in deep and grateful appreciation for years of steadfast commitment and heartfelt support.
• Graydon Dean Luthey, Jr., shareholder in the Tulsa office, was recently honored at the 3rd Goodwill Appreciation Awards, sponsored by the Islamic Society of Tulsa, with an award "for excellence in exemplary encouragement and protecting our rights" for his work with the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Center for Community Justice.
• A total of 24 Hall Estill attorneys have been named Oklahoma Super Lawyers for 2009. To read the complete list, please click here.
• A total of 28 Hall Estill attorneys have been names Best Lawyers in America. In addition, the firm has been ranked #1 in 19 categories. To see the full list, please click here.
• Robert D. Nelon, shareholder in the Oklahoma City office, was recently presented the Bobby G. Knapp Bar Leadership Award by the Oklahoma County Bar Association.
• Graydon Dean Luthey, Jr., shareholder in the Tulsa office, recently received the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Warrior's Award for Lifetime Achievement as Champion in the Cause of Oklahoma Indian Gaming.
• Amir M. Farzaneh, special counsel in the Oklahoma City office, recently co-authored two books with Aspatore Books: "Inside the Minds: Working with Government Agencies in Immigration Law," and "Prep Your Client: Naturalization Interviews with the USCIS," both were published this fall.
• Trent A. Gudgel, a shareholder in the Tulsa office, has been selected to co-author the book, "Inside the Minds: Construction Legal Strategies." 
• J. Patrick Cremin, a shareholder in the Tulsa office, is a co-author of the recently published book, "Inside the Minds: Labor Law Best Practices." Mr. Cremin wrote the chapter on Strategic Preparation.