Category: BGS in the Community

Fall in Galina, Illinois

October 27, 2015  |  Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.

BGS Labor and Employment shareholder Scott Lepak spent Sunday, October 25 in Galina, Illinois as an instructor for the National Public Employers Labor Relations Association at its Labor Relations Academy. Participants in this Academy are working toward becoming Certified Labor Relations Professionals. Scott is a regular instructor for this program and is happy to share his 25+ years of experience as a chief labor negotiator with up and coming labor negotiators. Participants always get a kick out of the fact that Scott started doing labor negotiations when people would smoke at the negotiations table and shout at each other (well actually there still is some shouting once in a while in negotiations). Scott says that this academy is one of his favorites because fall colors in Galina are spectacular and Galina is a great place to spend time in all of the local establishments. BGS is particularly happy to have had Scott at this conference because he brought back Apple Cider donuts.

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BGS Attorney Karen Kurth Elected President of the Anoka County Bar Association

July 8, 2015  |  Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.

BGS Attorney Karen K. Kurth has been elected President of the Anoka County Bar Association for a one year term that began July 1, 2015. Karen practices in the firm’s Business Litigation and Employment Law section focusing her practice on commercial litigation, employment litigation and counseling, construction litigation, real estate litigation, landlord/tenant law, shareholder disputes, and appellate advocacy. Karen’s extensive background in accounting and commercial insurance enhances her ability to evaluate and successfully resolve a broad range of employment and commercial litigation issues. Karen received her J.D. at William Mitchell College of Law in 2002, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She was admitted to the Minnesota State Bar in 2002 and to the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota in 2004. Karen joined Barna, Guzy, & Steffen as an associate in 2004. Also from Barna Guzy & Steffen, Family Lawyer Elizabeth Schading was named the ACBA’s MSBA Alternate Representative and Litigation/Employment Lawyer Jennifer Moreau was named to the Education Subcommittee. The Anoka County Bar Association is the 21st district of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Its membership is primarily made up of attorneys that live or work in Anoka County. The organization seeks to help lawyers become better lawyers by providing social and educational opportunities for its members. It seeks to aid…

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BGS Bass Fishermen on Mille Lacs 2015

June 1, 2015  |  Scott M. Lepak

The Barna, Guzy & Steffen bass fishing team of Bill Huefner and Scott Lepak was back at it for the first time in 2015. Bill and Scott were joined by Bill’s brother Tom from Columbus Ohio. Tom was spending his last day before his official retirement on the lake. While Mille Lacs has had more than its share of bad publicity on walleyes, it remains a lake that offers monster smallmouth bass opportunities. The changes in weather systems and the cold water temperature for the last Friday in May made for prospects on Lake Mille Lacs that were as dim as the sky overhead. Using the theory that you can’t catch a bass while sitting in your office, we set out with our trusty guide Wyatt. It didn’t take long for us to discover that bass were not hard to locate because they were still sitting on their spawning beds. Unfortunately they were not budging off the beds to attack anything we put in front of them. As dedicated catch and release enthusiasts, we discussed the fact that it is hard to release a fish that you don’t catch. The day produced two smallmouth and one rock bass and one loon that appeared to want to spend the day next to our boat….

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