News

Dallas Office Expansion
The Spencer Crain Dallas office recently expanded its practice to include an Employee Benefits Group headed by Riva T. Johnson. Ms. Johnson, formerly with Morgan Lewis & Bockius, has over thirty years of experience in the ERISA and benefits area. She assists employers with the establishment, administration and ongoing compliance issues of their welfare plans, executive compensation, pension, 401(k), profit sharing, stock ownership and other qualified and nonqualified benefit plans.

Ms. Johnson focuses her practice on fiduciary issues, executive compensation, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), health and welfare plans and other traditional employee benefits. She represents companies before the IRS and DOL, and advises management and fiduciaries on problems arising in operation of such plans. Ms. Johnson has extensive experience with the design, preparation and modification of medical, dental and disability plans, including negotiation and drafting of plan, trust and funding instruments. She regularly negotiates with third-party administrators and other vendors on behalf of employer self-insured welfare plans, designs and drafts bonus plans, incentive and nonstatutory options, and other forms of executive compensation.

Fred Gaona's Promotion to Shareholder
Spencer Crain is pleased to announce that attorney Fred Gaona III has been promoted to Shareholder. Mr. Gaona has been with Spencer Crain since its inception in May 2008. Mr. Gaona received his J.D. from The Ohio State University College of Law in 2000 where he received the Nancy Rogers' Writing Price in Dispute Resolution and the CALI Award for the Mediation Practicum Course. He practices primarily in the areas of Labor and Employment and Employment Litigation. Mr. Gaona has been named co-chair of the Texas Minority Counsel Program (TMCP) for 2011 and 2012.

Lisa Sotelo Board Certification
Spencer Crain is pleased to announce that Associate Attorney Lisa Marie Sotelo is now Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS). TBLS was established in 1974 by the State Bar of Texas to advance the standards of the legal profession. Board Certification is a mark of excellence and a distinguished accomplishment. Board Certified attorneys are distinguished by the State Bar of Texas as attorneys with substantial, relevant experience in a select field of law, as well as demonstrated, tested, special competence in that area of law. Ms. Sotelo joins Spencer Crain’s Shareholder Elise Healy as one of the 25 Board Certified Immigration attorneys in the Dallas Metro Area. This designation sets them apart as attorneys with a demonstrated commitment to excellence in the field of Immigration and Nationality law.

'Tis the Season for Holiday Parties
Texas Bar Journal (December 2010)

Gayla Campbell Crain – Dallas Maverick
Texas Super Lawyers (October 2010)

Spencer Crain attorneys, Fred Gaona, III and Merrill Walls, recently won summary judgment for an employer, on disability discrimination claims brought by a former employee, in a case styled O'Brien v. Walgreen Co., Cause No. 3-09CV1053-L, in the United Stated District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The plaintiff alleged that Walgreens regarded him as disabled because he disclosed his medical condition to the company. The Court held that Walgreens' request for additional medical information related to O'Brien's medical condition was not tantamount to a showing that Walgreens regarded him as limited in his ability to perform a major life activity. Additionally, the court held that Walgreens had no duty to accommodate O'Brien on his 'regarded as' disability claim.
(October 2010)

Fred Gaona III of Spencer Crain Cubbage Healy & McNamara, pllc has been named co-chair of the Texas Minority Counsel Program (TMCP) for 2011 and 2012. Mr. Gaona will co-chair the TMCP Steering Committee this year along with Michelle Peak of American Airlines. The TMCP conference will take place on September 7-9, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Austin.
(September 2010)

29 Law Firms, 31 Dallas ISD Students Take Part in Bar Association's Summer Intern Program,
Dallas Morning News (July 14, 2010)

Take Same-Sex Claims Seriously,
Society for Human Resources Management (July 2009)

Guest Column: Ignore "No Match" letters? No Way!,
Foodservice East (Spring 2009)

 

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