 Catching David Bracht in the office isn’t as easy as it sounds. He travels extensively to serve his clients’ needs. – Photo by Michael Tran
David Bracht:
One Good Reason for Stinson Leonard Street’s
Success in Agriculture, Renewable Energy Fields
By Lorraine Boyd
The Daily Record
Is bigger better?
The law firm of Stinson Morrison Hecker recently merged with Leonard, Street and Deinard to become Stinson Leonard Street LLP. That merger created a firm of more than 525 attorneys with offices in 14 cities, and they became the 75th largest law firm in the United States.
If being bigger means meeting client needs better, then yes, bigger is indeed better.
Take renewable energy, for example. An exploding field of opportunity, with a maze of government regulations and other challenges to navigate. A field in need of experienced legal experts to sort things out and keep them on a successful path.
Enter David Bracht. He’s only been with Stinson for a year, but he brought with him a wealth of experience and knowledge in the fields of agribusiness, finance, renewable energy, and environmental and regulatory issues.
Bracht is sort of one of the late bloomers; actually more like those hybrids that bloom in the spring and the fall. He began his career in agribusiness – “I’m one of the ‘aggies’ in the office” – and banking and government. Click here for full story For more information on the firm, visit www.stinsonleonard.com
 Entrance screening Officer Doug Schlautman, left, uses Lt. Scott Lane to demonstrate how security personnel maintain building security through use of metal detectors and screening stations.
Saving Lives … and Cutting Log Chains?
Just Another Day at the Office for Guards
By Dennis Friend
The Daily Record
The personnel that ensure our security in our government buildings perform a vital task day in and day out. They are serious about their responsibilities, but acknowledge that the job has its moments. Here they share some of the lighter aspects of their jobs.
Log Chains & Pink Glocks
There was the guy with the log chain and the woman carrying the pink gun. Oh, and there was that couple who inadvertently videotaped their own sex video on the picnic table. Click here for full story
 |  Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, addressing a seminar at Holmes Murphy & Associates, said cyber crime has become a major concern because of the growing importance information technology now plays in daily life. – Photo courtesy of Holmes Murphy & Associates
Take Steps to Safeguard Your Cyber Security
By Dennis Friend
The Daily Record
The facts about cyber crime can be unnerving.
The average cost of a data breach is $200 for each compromised record.
Many company resources are needed to comply with legal requirements of a data breach.
Maybe worst of all, customers lose trust in the organization that fell victim to the breach, resulting in irreparable reputational damage.
That’s the assessment of Holmes Murphy & Associates, and that’s why the insurance brokerage firm held a February 27 seminar on “Cyber Crime: Protecting Your Organization Against Data Breaches.”
Cyber crime can be described as any criminal act involving a computer and a network, and “cyber crime affects virtually every business, regardless of the industry or the size,” according to Cameron Burt, Holmes Murphy vice president. “Since it’s an emerging risk, we want to build a common understanding of the risk.” Click here for full story
 Fitzgerald Schorr Names Elofson as Shareholder  Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan recently announced that Paul R. Elofson has become a shareholder of the firm.
Elofson joined Fitzgerald Schorr in 2009 as Of Counsel after practicing law in Omaha for several years. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law, where he received his J.D. with distinction. He received his bachelor of business administration from Nebraska Wesleyan University. Elofson practices in the areas of civil, commercial and employment litigation, as well as business and real estate law and estate planning. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Centris Federal Credit Union. He is a past adjunct faculty member of Metropolitan Community College and is a lecturer for the Service Corp of Retired Executives. A member of the Omaha Bar Association and Nebraska State Bar Association, he is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Nebraska as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Elofson is also involved in several civic and community organizations.
For more information regarding Fitzgerald Schorr, please visit www.fitzlaw.com.
 Photo by Lorraine Boyd
AP’s CEO Stresses Value of Free Press
Gary Pruitt, president and CEO of The Associated Press, delivered a compelling keynote address at the Greater Omaha Chamber Annual Meeting February 20 to nearly 1,000 members. Titled “Free Press vs. National Security: The False Choice,” the speech explored the AP’s response to, and new rules arising from, the secret government seizure of reporter phone records. Click here for full story
“The 2040 Initiative: Leading the Discussion of America’s Changing Demographics and Explaining the Structural and Societal Shifts Expected
with the New Face of America”  Professor David Weber is leading the 2040 Initiative to plan for the challenges of America’s shifting demographics.
Creighton’s 2040 Initiative Taking
Long-Range Look at Immigration
By Jack Martin
The Daily Record
As with budget matters and the national debt ceiling, Congress has been kicking the can labeled “immigration reform” down the road for some time. But if and when that ever comes to a stop, with some sort of legalization for undocumented immigrants and other measures, what happens then? Click here for full story You can read Weber’s Blog on the subject at https://www.creighton.edu/law/academics/twentyforty/blog
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
Here are some of our recent articles. Click on "Click here" to access the entire article.
 Tom Stalnaker and his son John (seated) are flanked by four of the firms other partners: (from left) Bob Becker, Aimee Cizek, Ashley Dreyer and Dan Carnahan. Don Buresh is not pictured.
The Stalnaker Family Business Is Law
By Julien R. Fielding
The Daily Record
The Stalnaker’s law firm is truly a family affair. John Stalnaker, 36, works with both his father, Tom, and his father-in-law, Bob Becker. The blend is by all accounts harmonious, after more than five years together.
John smiled and said, “Some people ask me if I am a glutton for punishment, working with both my father and father-in-law, but it truly could not be working out any better.”
–– Additional reporting by Lorraine Boyd Click here for full story
Regional Award for ATF Investigation
The “Wipe It Down” investigation, partnering the Omaha Police Department and the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), has received a regional High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) award. A recent awards ceremony honored 24 investigators and prosecutors.
 Ken Wentz chose his hometown to practice law, raise his family and contribute to his profession.
– Photo by Michael Tran Ken Wentz: Making His Mark in a Hurry
By Andy Roberts
The Daily Record
From the Prairie to the Pacific and back, Ken Wentz has developed a striking legal career at a still-young age.
Wentz, who was born in Lincoln and did his undergraduate work at California-Riverside before graduating from law school at Creighton, is a shareholder and litigation manager in the Omaha office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Click here for full story
– Photos by Michael Tran
The second floor entrance to the new home of Legal Aid of Nebraska is warm and welcoming and represents a 40 percent increase in space.
A Bigger and Better Legal Aid Facility is Open
By Lorraine Boyd
The Daily Record Legal Aid of Nebraska has moved, although you can probably still park at the same meter without a long walk. Executive Director Dave Pantos has packed up all 50 full and part-time employees, including attorneys, interns and clerks, and relocated them up the street, from 19th and Farnam north to 19th and Douglas. Taking up the entire second floor of the imposing building, plus administrative offices on the sixth floor, Legal Aid now has 14,000 square feet, up from 10,000. “The move allows us to serve more people and to increase our services,” Pantos said. Click here for full story
 – Photo by Michael TranSmalheiser may not have a lot of time off, but when he does, he continues putting on the miles … having vacationed in 55 countries and Antarctica.
Every Day Is Really a Busy One for Office
Of Omaha Prosecutor David Smalheiser
By Jack Martin
The Daily Record
It’s a large and busy law office in a prime downtown Omaha location, which usually means it would have some expensive furnishings and touches like portraits on the walls.
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