For this 25th episode of the Next Lawyer Up podcast, you'll note that I have changed the title to the "Next Soldier Up" podcast. Colonel (R) Greg Gunter is a 30-year Army veteran who has given his blood, sweat and tears to our country. He and I were commissioned as 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 pledge ship 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 at the University of Arizona and his mother was the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi. I was in New Orleans in the spring for a legal conference where I also did the podcast of Pete Barry and Cary Flitter. While there, I also did one with Greg so we that 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.
Greg Reeves is a Decatur, Alabama native, a good guy and a very talented lawyer. I have known Greg for a number of years through his legal work. Coincidentally, his father Bobby Reeves, who is also a great guy, has been our landlord at our Decatur, Alabama office for many years. Greg is an excellent personal injury trial lawyer who also serves as a teacher and mentor for other trial lawyers. He also served his community as an elected member of the Decatur, Alabama City Council for a number of years. I enjoyed catching up with Greg and I think you will like listening to his story.
On this episode of Next Lawyer up, Bill Baxley. Mr. Baxley has done so much for this state as attorney general, lieutenant governor, military officer and private attorney.
I won't say that Harvey Morris is a legal legend here in North Alabama but, just by me making that disclaimer, you know that it is pretty much the case. Harvey has been practicing law throughout the state of Alabama and the country for just about 50 years.
If you believe that estate planning is a straight forward and simple area of the law, you'll think differently after listening to L. Thomas "Tom" Ryan, Jr.
Tom is a very well-known lawyer in North Alabama and his firm's offices are in Huntsville, Mobile and Pensacola, Florida.
Steve Peskind is a great lawyer with many accolades. He practices throughout Illinois and his office is located in the far western suburbs of Chicago in the Fox River area.
Larry Heinkel's website name really sums up what he does - www.taxproblemsolver.com. For all of the lawyers that I know in the consumer world, Larry is the "go to tax guy." He has been handling all manner of consumer tax legal issues for many, many years.
If there is any justice at all, attorney Doug Jones will be the very next United States Senator elected from the state of Alabama.
If there is a nationwide "de facto" Dean of the consumer bankruptcy bar in our country, then Max Gardner is it. Max is a fountain of knowledge who counsels, advises and encourages consumer bankruptcy lawyers nationwide on a daily and, oftentimes, hourly basis.
I can't imagine a lawyer in the state of Alabama who doesn't know the name of attorney Jere Beasley. In fact, it is probably the same way for at least 90% (if not all!) of the lawyers in the entire United States. Jere Beasley is that universally well-known and respected. Not only has he tried many cases in his past, he and his law firm are on the absolute cutting edge in many areas of plaintiff's personal injury and mass tort cases.