Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus

Darren Wurz is a certified financial planner with a master's degree in financial planning. He specializes in financial planning for lawyers and law firm owners.  Darren is the author of the book, “The Lawyer Millionaire: The Complete Guide for Attorneys on Maximizing Wealth, Minimizing Taxes and Retiring with Confidence published by the American Bar Association.  Darren also hosts The Lawyer Millionaire podcast.  These are obviously catchy titles and draw the attention of a lot of attorneys, me included!  Darren spoke to me and my colleagues with the American Consumer Bankruptcy College at our semi-annual meeting last year. I enjoyed meeting Darren and I won a copy of his book in a raffle. It is a great book and I highly recommend it. I enjoyed getting to know Darren on this episode of the podcast and I think an awful lot of lawyers and, really,  anyone interested in accumulating financial assets in a sound and logical way would get a good bit out of the information that Darren provides. 

If not for my wife Patty's love of all things Tik Tok, I would not have run across attorney Adrienne Hines.  Adrienne is a long-standing attorney in Ohio who practiced initially in the area of worker's compensation and now works pretty exclusively in the area of consumer bankruptcy.  More than that, Adrienne has morphed her law practice into providing important and detailed information on bankruptcy through her social media platforms on Tik Tok and Instagram.  Fans of Tik Tok will recognize her by her user name and website called TheLadyLikeLawyer.com  As you'll hear, Adrienne is smart, funny, warm and engaging.  It is no wonder that she has so many followers!  As you'll see and hear, she lives her practice with the mantra of “Debt Relief with Dignity.”  Her law practice approach mirrors our Bond and Botes' law practice insofar as how we try to help our own bankruptcy clients in Alabama and Mississippi.  The difference, however, is that Adrienne speaks to a vast nationwide audience of Tik Tok users and, as I mentioned, she provides tremendously valuable information to them.  I enjoyed getting to know her story on this episode of the podcast.   

  Robin Wolfe is a long-standing and highly regarded criminal defense attorney located in Huntsville, Alabama.  Robin has had a singular focus of practice in the area of criminal law since early in her career.  Robin handles every type of criminal case imaginable to include capital murder and death penalty cases.  She is fortunate to have a highly skilled investigator working with her, Jackie, who also happens to be her husband!  In addition, their son Jack works as a law clerk for them when not in his graduate studies program.  Robin is highly respected in Alabama for the legal work that she does.  She also mentioned to me, after we finished the podcast, that she is open, willing and eager to help out young lawyers who decide to practice criminal defense law.  This would be a great opportunity for young lawyers to learn the correct way to handle a criminal defense case from Robin who is a master of her craft.     

Kenya Rothstein is an environmental attorney barred in California and Washington, D.C. I recently learned about Kenya from an article in the January/February 2025 edition of the Washington Lawyer magazine which gets distributed to all DC bar members.  Kenya has her own podcast called “Thank You For Saying NO” which is available at all podcast platforms.  She has been doing this podcast for several years, and it focuses on finding a way to be thankful and appreciative when you are told no.  As you'll hear, Kenya has an up-tempo and infectious spirit, so it is no wonder that her podcast does well!  I really enjoyed getting to know her story on this episode of the podcast.   

Attorney Charles Brinkley comes from the long line of highly respected “Brinkley” attorneys in North Alabama, to include  Allen Brinkley, John Brinkley and Becca Brinkley.  Charles has had a varied practice of law over the years to include personal injury, criminal defense and family law.  For the past decade or so, Charles has focused primarily on real estate commercial and residential transactions along with estate planning. Charles is located in a historic building on Randolph Street built in 1836.   Jonathan Lusk is a good friend of his located in the same building who practices exclusively in the area of family law.  I enjoyed getting to know Charles' story on this episode of the podcast.   

Attorney George Flowers is an exceptional DUI and criminal defense attorney located in Huntsville, Alabama. He practices throughout the state of Alabama. George previously served as a DUI prosecutor in Montgomery, Alabama until he moved to Huntsville and worked for several years in partnership with attorney Phil Price before starting his own law firm.  George is considered a master of his craft in the world of DUI defense.  I enjoyed getting to know him on this episode of the podcast.   

Attorney George Smith is a highly respected and well-known attorney throughout the State of Alabama.  As most attorneys in the state know George, I have known him by reputation, and this is really the first time for me to speak in depth with him. George is a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law and he also received an LLM in tax law from the New York University School of Law. Following that, he clerked in Washington DC for a judge on the U.S. Tax Court for two years before returning back to Huntsville to start his law practice.  George has practiced with large Alabama law firms throughout his career.  He has been at Bradley since 2012.  As you'll hear, even with his impressive background, George is easy to talk to and I can well imagine that his clients appreciate the skill and practicality he brings as he represents them.  Since George has practiced in “big law” for his entire legal career, we also discussed a number of his friends and colleagues that are also very prominent lawyers in Alabama to include Pat Graves, Frank Caprio, Bartley Loftin, David Holt, Kevin Gray, Chris Hinson and Joe Ritch. I enjoyed getting to know George on this episode of the podcast and I think you will like his humble and up-tempo spirit!  

I have appeared before Judge Carol Ricciardello many times over the years for security clearance revocation hearings. She served for the last twenty years as an Administrative Judge with the Department of Defense (DOD)  Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA) where she heard and decided over 1,700 security clearance cases during her tenure. This was really the second job in her career, as she first served for over 20 years on active-duty with the United States Navy, rising to ultimately serve as the Chief Judge of the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary covering and supervising all Navy and Marine Corps Trial Judges around the world. Carol retired from the U.S. Navy as a highly decorated 0-6 Captain.  I have always liked her spirit, and I found her to be very smart, thoughtful, and straight forward.  I have been waiting for her retirement in order to do this podcast with her to learn her story.  I hope you enjoy it!   PS. You may also like a podcast I did with one of Carol's colleagues, retired DOD DOHA Judge Michael Leonard here.          

Judge Patty Demos is a highly respected jurist here in Madison County, Alabama.  She has served on the bench for about a decade, after a long career as a prosecutor with the Madison County District Attorney's Office.  Her main focus during her prosecution time was in the area of child abuse where she ultimately directed the Family Violence and Sexual Assault unit for the DA's office.   She and her husband, Joe, have 4 boys who all wrestled in their youth and in high school.  In fact, that is how I first met her since my three boys all wrestled for a rival high school.  I enjoyed getting to catch up with Judge Demos on this episode of the podcast and I hope you enjoy getting to know her story here!

Zach Guyse is a highly respected attorney who practices throughout North Alabama.  Zach is a partner at the long standing and well-regarded firm of Wolfe Jones.  You can find my podcast with another Wolfe Jones law partner, Matt Hancock, here.  Zach has an impressive background to include serving as a member of the law review at the University of Alabama School of Law and, as I tell him on the podcast, it is hard to believe that he has only been practicing law for a little over a decade!  I enjoyed getting to know Zach's story on this episode of the podcast..     

Kevin Heard is a highly respected business attorney located in North Alabama. He is the founder and managing partner of Heard, Ary and Dauro, LLC. Kevin is board certified in business bankruptcy and he has been practicing law in North Alabama for about as long as I have.  I have always liked Kevin's up-tempo spirit. As you'll hear on the podcast, Kevin is very smart, thoughtful and articulate.  I haven't talked to him in quite awhile and it was good to catch up with him on this episode of the podcast.  

It is not a stretch to say that attorney Richard Jaffe is at the top of the legal profession in the state of Alabama.  I say this somewhat objectively, given the fact that he has been consistently named as a top 50 lawyer in the State of Alabama for well over a decade by Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers has listed him Lawyer of the Year for Birmingham in either White -collar criminal law or criminal defense 4 times in recent years.  In fact, he was featured on the cover of the 2023 Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine and you can read that article here.  This quote pretty much sums up his 45 plus year career:  “A philosopher and a warrior.  Richard Jaffe helps people from being executed by the state.”  Richard's book, “Quest for Justice: Defending the Damned”2 Ed is available at this link, and on Amazon .He is also a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). I learned on the podcast that Richard got his start through the help of correspondence he started with Alabama's then up and coming Attorney General, Bill Baxley.  Also, during his career, he worked closely with former Alabama United States Senator Doug Jones as they taught each other state and federal legal practice.  It obviously worked out well for both of them!  It occurs to me that a lot of young lawyers just starting their legal careers can learn a lot from this episode with Richard as to how to have an enduring, impactful and satisfying career in the law      

Attorney Reed Allmand runs one of the largest consumer bankruptcy law firms in Texas, Allmand Law.  Reed is highly respected nationwide in this practice area.  I know him as a colleague with the American Consumer Bankruptcy College.  Born and raised in Texas, Reed talks about his roots and how he has grown his law firm to be one of the biggest bankruptcy filers in Texas over the years.  I enjoyed getting to know Reed  on this episode of the podcast.    

Attorney Michelle Cross is the founder of Atlanta's Law Firm.  While she hasn't been practicing law very long, Michelle has already established herself in Atlanta, Georgia as an excellent criminal defense lawyer. In fact, she was named to Atlanta's Jezebel magazine (published by Modern Luxury) 40 under 40 this past year, in addition to a cover feature.  As you'll hear on the podcast, Michelle's singular goal has been to work as a criminal defense lawyer since she was five years old.  Michelle has taken full advantage of social media in this day and age, and I can't think of a lawyer who utilizes those platforms better than she does.  Besides criminal law, her other passion is the nonprofit that she co-founded called FYI Diabetes, which is near and dear to her heart. I enjoyed getting to speak with Michelle on this episode of the podcast and you can find her at Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, in addition to her website.

Attorney Erik Clark is a highly respected consumer bankruptcy attorney based in California.  He, and his longtime law partner, Barry Borowitz, run the law firm of Borowitz and Clark.  I have known Erik and Barry for probably 20 years or so, as both are nationwide leaders in this practice area. It was good to catch up with Erik on this episode of the podcast and to learn how a boy who grew up in Brooklyn made his way to California.  Erik is a really good guy and I think you'll enjoy hearing his story.     

I first learned about attorney Bruce Wolf through WLUP, the preeminent Chicago radio station back in the day.  WLUP was very important to a lot of us growing up in the Chicago area when we did and there is a great new book out about this radio station. Here is the link to “The Loop Files” by long time WLUP employee Rick Kaempfer.  Rick's book discusses Bruce Wolf in detail and all of the contributions Bruce made to that radio station.  Listening to him, I was fascinated by the fact that Bruce was a lawyer and, also, a highly respected Chicago sportscaster with a very quick wit. I enjoyed getting to speak with Bruce on this episode of the podcast and he is still as energetic, smart, and sharp as I remembered him!

Attorney Martin Conway, founder of Conway Legal, is a highly respected consumer bankruptcy lawyer who practices law throughout Virgina. I first got to know Martin as a colleague with the American Consumer Bankruptcy College (ACBC).  Since Martin is in Virginia, he has many clients who have security clearances. Invariably, when people with clearances run into financial difficulties, they are always concerned about the potential impact on their clearance which, in turn, potentially affects their jobs.  Martin and I spend a good bit of time discussing these aspects and this blog post is helpful when someone is considering bankruptcy who holds a secret, top secret or TS-SCI, TS-SAP, etc., security clearance.  I enjoyed getting to know Martin's story on this episode of the podcast and how a Louisiana boy made his way to Virginia and never left.

If you are a lawyer who practices in the area of immigration law, then you undoubtedly know the name of attorney Kevin A. Gregg. Kevin is a partner with the law firm of Kurzban, Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt and he practices immigration law nationwide.  Additionally, he is the host of the Immigration Review Podcast which is a “must listen” if you practice in the area of immigration law.  Interestingly, I was introduced to Kevin by my close Army friend from my JAG days, Rico Bartolomei.  Rico is a long-standing immigration judge based out of San Diego, California.  Many of my friends know that Rico introduced me to my wife, Patty, 36 years ago when he and I were both serving on active duty with the U.S. Army at Fort Bliss, Texas.  Kevin ended up serving as a law clerk to Rico early in his career, prior to devoting his professional practice to the area of immigration. I enjoyed getting to know Kevin's story on this episode and I hope you like it too!

There are two Mark Zuckerberg's in the country and this podcast features the one who is a bankruptcy lawyer practicing in Indianapolis, Indiana.  You can imagine how often the name confusion comes up for Mark over the last several years!  Mark is the de facto “Dean” of the American Consumer Bankruptcy College (ACBC), which is how I got to know him.  Mark is an expert in consumer bankruptcy law and he is someone who really enjoys his work. To this point, Mark has been selected as an Indiana Super Lawyer for many years.    I enjoyed getting to know Mark's history on this episode of the podcast and how he came up with the idea for ACBC.  

I have known Scott Lawrence since 1996.  I can pretty much guess the exact date since he and his family moved into the same neighborhood at the same time that my family did and we all became immediate fast friends. In fact, our builder told us that Scott, Mary Carol, Jackson and Mary Kathryn were moving in at about the same time as us and  predicted we would get along well and, in the end, he was correct!  Even though Huntsville is now a cosmopolitan area where a lot of folks are from other areas of the country, Scott is a true Huntsville native and his family goes back here for several decades.  Scott  is a close friend and confidant  to many and you'll understand why after you listen to him on this podcast!    

Attorney Sam Givhan is very well known in Huntsville and, really, throughout the state of Alabama.  A highly respected attorney, Sam is currently a law partner at Lanier Ford which is based in Huntsville. By the way, you can listen to my podcasts with other Lanier Ford partners Andy Sieja, Laura Harper, and former law partner and now full time author, Robert Bailey.   Sam also serves our area and the state as an elected Alabama State Senator.  Sam, as you'll hear, comes from deep farming roots down in south Alabama.  He has an engaging personality, and it is evident that he has never met a stranger! It is no wonder that Sam has a large constituency, along with his legal clients, that are grateful for his help and service.  As an aside, Sam also does a good bit of charitable work in our community.  I haven't talked to Sam for many years, really since he was doing creditor's work in bankruptcy court a long time ago.  It was good to catch up with him on this episode of the podcast.  

This 150th episode of the Next Lawyer Up podcast is quite personal to me.  As I readily tell people, I was an 18-year-old first generation (and somewhat aimless!) college student who ventured from Chicago to the University of Arizona. There, very quickly, I fell in with Sigma Chi fraternity and pledged immediately.   Philip "Flip" May was our pledge class trainer, called Magister in the Sigma Chi world. He was off-the-charts impressive, having already been a student body senator and then student body president. On top of that, he was selected to the senior honorary, Bobcats, limited to the top13 most outstanding seniors at the university.  He is, as he should be, a member of the Sigma Chi – Beta Phi Chapter Hall of Honor and you can read about his information here. I learned a great deal from Flip and the rest of the Sigma Chi upperclassmen who were his friends, and they really ended up having a major impact on my own life and career.  It is no surprise that Flip went on to co-found the highly respected law firm of May, Potenza, Baran & Gillespie, P.C., where he currently serves as the managing partner.  I have not talked to Flip since probably 1982 or so and it was great to catch up with him on this 150th episode.   

Colonel (R) Greg Gunter is a 30-year Army veteran and we were both commissioned as U.S. Army Second Lieutenants on the same day in May 1984 from the University of Arizona. My Sigma Chi fraternity brothers liked Greg so much that we offered him a bid late in his college career. Greg went through pledgeship in the spring of his junior year so that we could be fraternity brothers and have an uproarious senior year. As it turned out, Greg's father was a Sigma Chi, Beta Phi Chapter, at the University of Arizona and his mother was the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi. I was in New Orleans for a legal conference some years back and I did a couple of Next Lawyer Up podcasts, and while there, I also did one with Greg so that we could commemorate a little bit of our history for posterity's sake. Greg lives in New Orleans after retiring from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He is a great guy and I hope you like this little bit of personal history!

Luke Homen is a bankruptcy attorney and Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee who practices throughout the state of Oklahoma.  He runs the law firm of Convenient Bankruptcy.  Luke is a colleague of mine with the American Consumer Bankruptcy College. As you'll hear, originally from California, Luke made his way to Cleveland, Ohio and, finally, he ended up in Oklahoma where he'll be for good!   Luke has an engaging personality, and it is no wonder he is covered up with clients throughout Oklahoma! I enjoyed getting to know Luke on this episode of the podcast.

William Messervy is a highly respected personal injury attorney with the Huntsville firm of Timberlake, League and Brooks. You can also listen to previous podcast episodes with Michael Timberlake here and Will League here. In addition, this law firm sponsors the popular LawCall show on WAAY/ABC 31 on Sunday nights at 10:30pm.   As you'll hear, William has been working at that same firm, in some form or fashion, since high school!  William gives back to the community and is a strong believer in pro bono work, as reflected by his receipt of the Order of the Samaritan from the University of Alabama School of Law and his work on the board of the Madison County Volunteer Lawyers Program.  I enjoyed getting to know his history on this episode of the podcast.   

Michael Harrison is one of the preeminent creditor's attorneys in the state of Alabama.  I know Michael's skill level from first-hand knowledge, since he initially worked with Bond and Botes here in Huntsville many years ago, right after he graduated from law school. He subsequently moved back to Birmingham and has been with his law firm, Key, Greer, Harrison and Casey, for the past 25 years or so. Michael specializes in the area of creditors bankruptcy representation, and he works throughout the state of Alabama in all of the bankruptcy courts in the state. He is highly regarded and, as you'll hear, he has a warm and engaging spirit and is eminently likable. I really enjoyed catching up with Michael on this episode of the podcast.

Attorney Andrew Walker is a colleague of mine in the American Consumer Bankruptcy College.  Andrew is an expert in bankruptcy law and he manages  Walker and Walker, a law firm based in Minnesota that was started by his father, Curt Walker, decades ago.  Born and raised in Minnesota, Andrew made a couple of pit stops along the way to full time law practice; first, to Spain to learn Spanish, and then to Albania for two years of service with the Peace Corps before landing back in Minnesota for law school and to work with his father.  I enjoyed getting to know his history on this episode of the podcast.      

I have known Morgan Stangle for probably 25 years or so.  He is a close friend and a great guy!  I have always observed that people like being around Morgan.  As he mentions on the podcast, he is a “glass half full” kind of guy, and he has an easy-going nature. Morgan is the one person that I know where his work life always interfered with his various and assorted weekend hobbies and interests.  As you'll hear, Morgan is now busier in retirement than when he was working! 

Attorney Will Pylant is the owner and founder of Pylant Estate Law located in Huntsville, Alabama.  Will is a well-known Huntsville native who attended Huntsville City Schools.  He then went on to excel at the University of Alabama and Cumberland School of Law.  Will subsequently  returned back to Huntsville to begin his law practice.  For long term estate planning needs, it is pretty evident that he will be in Huntsville for the rest of his career taking care of his clients!  I enjoyed getting to know Will's background on this episode of the podcast.  

I was very happy to catch up with my Marine Corps' Officer Candidate School bunk mate on this episode of the podcast.  Pete is a great guy and he, along with Brian Sullivan, helped me get through OCS. The three of us remain close friends to this day.  After receiving his Marine Corps' commission, Pete served as a Marine Corps officer for many years before moving to the DEA for the rest of his professional career.  Here is the thing that I have always liked about Swick – in the email he sent to me about scheduling this podcast, he puts this on the bottom of his email signature, and I couldn't love this any more than I do!

Paul “Hypo” DiGioia is the kind of guy whom everyone considers a great friend.  He has an engaging and up-tempo personality that immediately attracts a crowd.  I have been fortunate enough to know Hypo since about the 6th grade. I couldn't have been happier to see him show up for this podcast wearing  “The Loop” t-shirt.  WLUP was important to a lot of us growing up in the Chicago area when we did. I really enjoyed catching up with Hypo on this episode and talking about our mutual history and how his life has  evolved over the year

Brian and I met under very unique and stressful circumstances when we were 20 years old at the US Marine Corps' Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. This article in the Washington Post made me question my decision to attend OCS.  I then ended up  watching this movie, Baby Blue Marine, with Jan Michael Vincent, the night before leaving for Quantico.  As a result, I was extremely concerned about my upcoming fate at Quantico!  Sully and my bunkmate, Pete Swicker, made the time and stress at OCS manageable and the three of us still talk to this day. It is hard to believe that over 40 years have passed by since we first met. I enjoyed catching up with Brian on this episode.  

 I have known attorney Eron Epstein as a colleague with the American Consumer Bankruptcy College for the past couple of years. Eron, as you'll hear, has an easygoing and affable personality that makes him very relatable to his clients.  On top of that, Eron has been practicing consumer bankruptcy law for many years in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  That area of the country is fortunate to have Eron as an asset.  Eron is clearly an attorney who has mastered his craft and, fortunately for Chattanooga residents, he has no plans on retirement any time soon!  I enjoyed getting to know his history on this episode of the podcast.   

Sparks Ford is a great guy with a great wife and kids!  This is exactly who you want at a party and he holds a room naturally.  He has been in sales for his entire career and that is exactly where he needs to be!  I have been fortunate enough to have known Sparks for twenty years or so and I am always happy to see him and talk to him.  I hope you enjoy hearing his story on this episode.

I have known attorney Todd Farmer as a colleague with the American Consumer Bankruptcy College for the past couple of years. Todd, along with his law partner, Sam Wright, are the co-founders of Farmer and Wright.  They have offices throughout Kentucky, hence the phrase “the Kentucky boys!”  Both Todd and Sam strike me as very bright, personable, driven and focused. I've never really seen lawyers take apart every aspect of their own law practice on a consistent basis in order to make sure things run as smoothly and efficiently as possible, ultimately ensuring great results for their clients. There is never any complacency with these guys!  They practice in the areas of consumer bankruptcy, immigration, personal injury and social security disability.  I think you'll enjoy hearing about Todd's humble roots from junior college to accountant/CPA, restaurateur, and ultimately to where he is at now. 

I always say that I don't know anyone in Huntsville that doesn't know Jim Kaplan and his family. I've known Jim for probably 20 years and he is one of the most extroverted and warm individuals I have ever run across!  He and his wife Jennifer have raised a great family and I am fortunate to have them in my world. I hope you enjoy this inaugural podcast of Ronnie and Friends.  In the introduction of this podcast, I explain the evolution of the podcast name and it is not as self-involved as one would think!  

Attorney Eric Artrip is a partner with the law firm of Mastando and Artrip. This firm is highly respected, and you can listen to a podcast I did previously with one of Eric's law partners, Teri Mastando, here.  As you'll hear me say on this podcast, for the past several years, whenever there is notable news of any type in North Alabama that entails some type of legal matter, I expect to see Eric's name attached to it. His case list is really a barometer of things that have happened in our community over the past decade or so.  I first met Eric many years ago when he worked with the chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee and former Alabama State Bar President, the late Tazewell Shepard.  Eric has since morphed his law practice into high end civil litigation, along with a focus on class action work as well.  I enjoyed catching up with Eric on this episode of the podcast.  

The Honorable Chris Comer has been on the bench for about the past decade or so, serving as a Circuit Court Judge in Madison County, Alabama.  Judge Comer is a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law. After graduating, he served as a judicial clerk for Judge Buddy Little.  He then worked for several years as an assistant district attorney in Madison County followed by a partnership at Wilmer and Lee before he became a judge.  Judge Comer is highly respected by both lawyers and litigants who practice before him.  He also gives back to the community in several ways, to include long time service as the judicial member of the Madison County Volunteer Lawyers Program.  We are fortunate to have him on the bench here in Huntsville/Madison County and I hope you enjoy hearing his story on this episode of the podcast. 

I know attorney Robert Geller as a fellow member of the American Consumer Bankruptcy College.  As you'll hear, Robert is personable, thoughtful, engaging and intelligent.  His main office is located in Tampa, Florida and he practices in the areas of consumer bankruptcy, personal injury, family law and immigration.  South Floridians are fortunate to have such an accomplished attorney available to represent them.  I enjoyed getting to know Robert's story on this episode of the podcast and I hope you like it too!  

If there was a NBA Best Players list or a New York Yankees Murderers Row for lawyers, attorney Roy Black would unquestionably be on it.  He has been an integral part of American jurisprudence over the last 50 years.  His accolades are too numerous to list separately but you can find them here.  He even has his own Wikipedia page so that pretty much sums up his career!  He is a founding partner of the Black Srebnick law firm.  What I found interesting in talking to Roy on this episode of the podcast is that I have rarely encountered someone so passionate about the work that they do.  You will hear the vitality, vigor and enthusiasm in his voice and, if you didn't know better, you would think that Roy was 25 years old and 6 months out of law school!  I hope you enjoy hearing his story on this episode. 

Attorney Laura Harper is the President of Lanier Ford, a large and well-respected law firm located in Huntsville, Alabama.   I have previously done podcasts with Lanier Ford partner, Andy Sieja and former Lanier Ford partner, Bob Bailey.  Laura practices in the areas of corporate law and estate planning.  Laura left her native Huntsville to attend law school at Mercer University in Georgia where she graduated summa cum laude and also served on the Mercer Law Review.  Laura ultimately made her way back to Huntsville and then took a couple of years detour to practice law in Seattle before returning once again back to Huntsville and Lanier Ford.  I have known Laura by reputation, but this is the first time that I have spoken with her.  I think you will enjoy getting to know her story on this episode of the podcast.

Brendan Prince is an attorney here in Huntsville, Alabama.  He is well-known as a “local product,” first for his athletic achievements (Alabama High School State Wresting Champion and Alabama State Swimming Champion) and, now, for his legal work in government contracting and procurement, in addition to all the work he does for non-profit organizations.  Brendan left Huntsville after high school to wrestle at the Citadel.  Following graduation, Brendan attended law school at the Stetson University College of Law in Florida.  It is clear that Brendan likes sun and warmth, as evidenced by the fact that he is admitted to practice law in both Alabama and Hawaii, where he spends a good bit of time each year.  I have known Brendan since he was the captain of the Grissom high school wrestling team his senior year.  He always struck me as being very squared away, humble and driven and you will hear that on this episode of the podcast.

I did not realize that attorney Jeff McKinney was part of the University of North Alabama crew that made their way to law school, including Brad Botes and Stuart Maples, until we talked on this podcast. I am sure there are several others in that group that I am probably missing. Jeff practices with his long-time law partner, Clint Butler, with the law firm of McKinney and Butler located in Huntsville, Alabama.  Jeff practices in the area of personal injury law and is considered to be a master at his craft.  I have not spoken to Jeff much prior to this podcast so I enjoyed getting to know his back story on this episode.  

This podcast features attorney Jonathan Lusk.  Jonathan is a highly respected attorney with offices in both Huntsville and Guntersville, Alabama. As you'll hear on this episode of the podcast, Jonathan's firm goes back to 1895 when it was started by his great-grandfather, John Lusk.  The law practice was then continued by his grandfather, Marion Lusk,  then his father, Louis Lusk, and, now, Jonathan.  In fact, his Guntersville office is in the same building that his great-grandfather purchased back in the late 1800's!  Jonathan is a skilled and compassionate lawyer who has many positive reviews by satisfied clients.  He focuses his law practice in divorce and family law matters throughout North Alabama.  I enjoyed getting to know him on this episode of the podcast. 

As you'll hear on this episode of the podcast, attorney David Hodge has really benefitted from his humble roots working throughout his childhood into his college years on his father's farm.  Interestingly enough, his farm background has greatly benefited his clients with a number of plaintiff's cases he has brought just because of what he knows and has seen in his past work on the farm!  David is a partner with the esteemed firm of Morris, King and Hodge, located in Huntsville, Alabama.  You can listen to the podcasts I have done with his law partners,  Harvey Morris here and Joe King here.  David is a very-well respected attorney in Alabama as reflected by the fact that he is consistently named as a top 50 lawyer in the State of Alabama by Superlawyers.  I have known David over the years but I never really understood his back story until this episode of the podcast.  I think you'll enjoy hearing about his roots and how he has achieved the level of success that he now has with his legal career. 

David Holt is a founding partner of Loftin Holt, a law firm he started with Bartley Loftin.  You can hear Bartley's episode of the Next Lawyer Up podcast here.  David is a highly respected lawyer who gives back to many organizations in our community.  He is past president of the Madison County Volunteer Lawyers Program and the President-Elect of the Huntsville Bar Association.  David has a technical pedigree with both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama.  He is also a graduate of University of Alabama's School of Law as well.  David practices in complex litigation, in addition to all aspects of intellectual property.  This podcast is an interesting story of how David and Bartley left “big law” to build their own law firm which is highly respected in the North Alabama legal community.  I hope you enjoy hearing David's story on this episode.

If you watch CNN at all, you have undoubtedly seen attorney Elie Honig, CNN Senior Legal Analyst, especially over the past several months. Elie always comes off very knowledgeable about any legal matter that he is asked about and he has an easy going and affable manner about him that allows him to help explain complicated and nuanced legal situations quickly and in an understandable way.  Elie, as you'll hear, has an impressive pedigree to include Rutgers University and Harvard Law School, followed by work as an assistant US attorney with the well-known office of the Southern Distrct of New York (SDNY) in Manhattan. That position was followed by several years working as an assistant Attorney General with the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.  Currently, he is a special counsel at Lowenstein Sandler. In addition to the work he does for CNN, Elie teaches at Rutgers and serves as the executive director of the Rutgers Institute for Secure Communities.  He has authored two books,  here and here, and he hosts two podcasts as well, here and here. Elie has carved out an interesting career path for himself and I enjoyed talking with him on this episode.  I hope you enjoy it!

I have known of attorney Mark Zaid by reputation for many years, given my own security clearance practice.  I recently ran across Mark's name again in the July/August 2023 issue of the Washington Lawyer Magazine which gets distributed to all DC bar members.  The article was titled  “Keeping Up with Pioneers in Evolving Practices” and it discussed Mark's work over the years.  His law practice, based in Washington, DC,  has included representing the families of victims of the 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.  He  has a broad practice to include representing government whistleblowers and intelligence community members with security clearance issues.  He has a website to help whistleblowers. We also discussed his Freedom of Information/Privacy Act practice on this episode of the podcast.  As you'll hear, Mark has an affable and engaging personality and it is no wonder that he appears on various news programs as an expert commentator on a very regular basis!  I think you'll like hearing his story on this episode of the podcast. 

Robert Lockwood is a well-known and highly respected attorney in Alabama.  He practiced with a large Huntsville law firm for over 25 years before deciding to go out on his own earlier this year.  You can find Robert's information at his two websites, LockwoodLawyers.com and EmployingAlabama.com   As I mentioned to Robert on the podcast, I don't know where he found the time, between his law practice and other commitments, to do all of the outside work that he has done. He is the past president of several organizations to include the Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association, the Madison County Volunteer Lawyers Program and the Huntsville Rotary club, among other organizations he has worked with and for. He also served for a long time and continues to work presently as member of the Alabama Board of Law examiners. As you'll hear on the podcast, Robert is looking forward to the next chapter of his legal career. I think you will enjoy hearing his story.

Joe Milowic is the director of well-being and serves as of counsel for Quinn Emanuel. He has previously been selected as a New York Super Lawyer in Intellectual Property and he was also chosen as a Global Fellow by the Federal Circuit Bar Association in recognition of  his commitment to leadership and cooperation in the global legal community.   I first learned about Joe from the July/August 2023 issue of the Washington Lawyer Magazine which gets distributed to all DC bar members.  The article was titled  “The Power of Vulnerability” and it discussed the Lawyers Depression Project which was co-founded by Joe.  I enjoyed getting to know Joe's story on this episode of the podcast and learning about the very important work that he is doing for the legal profession.

This podcast features attorney Laura Terrell.  Laura has a broad legal background to include attending the University of Virginia Law School,  “big law” partnerships, and stints serving at the White House and Department of Justice.  Interestingly, she has now turned her focus and work into serving as an executive coach. Oftentimes, lawyers, like all professionals, can get stuck in a rut and not be able to clearly see the next step in their career or how they want things to look for themselves professionally. Laura offers guidance in many areas that can assist both young lawyers and mid-level or older lawyers as they look to change, morph, and/or improve their legal careers.  Her website, www.LauraTerrell.com,  offers a lot of information on how she can help professionals improve their careers. I enjoyed getting to know Laura's story on this episode of the podcast.