The American Board of Certification (ABC) Board of Directors met May 1, 2004, in New Orleans. The meeting was held at the offices of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, with ABC President Rudy J. Cerone presiding. The ABC Standards and Marketing Committees also met in New Orleans, hosted at the offices of Adams and Reese. Twenty-two Board members were in attendance. McGlinchey Stafford PLLC and Adams and Reese also hosted a cocktail reception and an ABC dinner at Emeril's restaurant. Following the meetings, ABC Board Members enjoyed the Jazz Fest.

At the May 1 meeting, ABC also elected new directors. The organization is proud to have a highly regarded law professor and three prominent certified attorneys join the ABC Board. The following are the new additions to the Board of Directors. Prof. Margit Livingston teaches consumer law, copyrights and trademarks, remedies, and secured transactions at DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. She co-authored a book on tidal and coastal law and published numerous articles and book chapters on a variety of legal topics, including ethical implications of attorney/client sexual relations, creation of security interests, and criminal and civil contempt. Her articles have appeared in the primary law reviews of such well-respected law schools as North Carolina, Iowa, Washington, Fordham, William and Mary, and Nebraska. She has won both the College of Law and University Teaching Awards. She received her B.A. from Augsburg College, her M.A. in theatre arts from the University of Minnesota, her J.D. from the University of Minnesota and her LL.M. from the University of Illinois.

Mac D. Finlayson practices at the firm of Morrel West Saffa Craige & Hicks Inc. in Tulsa, Okla. He is ABC-certified in consumer and business bankruptcy law and creditors' rights law—one of only three attorneys to hold all three ABC certifications. He received his B.A. cum laude from Drury College and his J.D. from the University of Tulsa. He is a member of the Tulsa County Bankruptcy and Reorganization Section, the Oklahoma Bankruptcy and Reorganization Section, the American Bar Association Business Section, ABI and the Commercial Law League of America. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Craig Geno is a member of the Jackson, Miss., law firm of Harris & Geno PLLC. He received his liberal arts and law degrees from the University of Mississippi, serving on its Moot Court Board while in law school. He is ABC-certified in business bankruptcy law. Mr. Geno is a member of the American Bar Association, Mississippi State Bar Association (president of its Law Office Economics Section, 1993-94), Federal Bar Association (Southern District vice president, 1989-90, Mississippi Chapter) and the Mississippi Bankruptcy Conference (president, 1999-2000). He is also a member of ABI, the Business Bankruptcy Subcommittee of the Section of Business Law of the American Bar Association, and the Turnaround Management Association. His bankruptcy practice consists of representing secured and unsecured creditors, unsecured creditors' committees, chapter 11 debtors-in-possession and bankruptcy trustees in chapter 7 and 11 cases. Additionally, he has served as a trustee in chapter 11 cases. He is a frequent writer and lecturer on various bankruptcy topics.

Dion Hayes is a partner in McGuire Woods's Financial Services Department in Richmond, Va., and is ABC-certified in business bankruptcy law. He focuses his practice on insolvency and debtor-creditor issues, including bankruptcy, out-of-court workouts, distress acquisitions, enforcement of liens and judgments, creditors' rights litigation and commercial litigation. He has represented various parties-in-interest in chapter 11 cases, including debtors, committees, secured and unsecured creditors, indenture trustees, lessors and asset-purchasers. Among the clients he has advised in chapter 11 cases are AMF Bowling Worldwide Inc., Best Products, Heilig-Meyers Co. and the unsecured creditors' committees in the Schwinn Bicycle Co. and Fasmart Convenience Stores bankruptcies. He also advised Motient Corp. in connection with successful disclosure statement and reorganization plan litigation. He has lectured on bankruptcy at the University of Richmond Law School and to various bar and business groups, and is past president of the Virginia Business Finance and Turnaround Association.

Ohio Supreme Court Accredits American Board of Certification's Creditors' Rights Program

On April 23, 2004, the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Certification of Attorneys as Specialists granted accreditation of ABC's creditors' rights program. The ABC business bankruptcy and consumer bankruptcy programs were accredited in January 2003. The accreditation of the programs means that Ohio attorneys certified by ABC may cite their ABC certification in advertisements and other communications under Rule DR 2-105 of the Ohio Rules of Court—Code of Professional Responsibility. In order to be accredited by the Supreme Court of Ohio, certifying organizations must demonstrate, among other things, that their lawyers can attain extraordinary competence and efficiency in the delivery of legal services in the practice area through intensive training, education and work concentration.

Six Attorneys Achieve Board Certification

Business Bankruptcy
William P. Janvier
Everett, Gaskins, Hancock & Stevens
Raleigh, N.C.

Jeanette McPherson
Schwartzer & McPherson Law Firm
Las Vegas

Consumer Bankruptcy
John C. Lange
Gold, Lange and Marjoros P.C.
Southfield, Mich.

G. Donald Golden
Attorney at Law
Brandon, Fla.

Alan C. Lee
Alan C. Lee, Attorney
Morristown, Tenn.

John Patrick Neblett
Attorney at Law
Harrisburg, Pa.

Robert B. Vandiver
Law Office of Verner Smith
Jackson, Tenn.

Exam Dates

July 28, 2004
Lake Oconee, GA

September 9, 2004
Las Vegas

October 10, 2004
Nashville, Tenn.

November 11, 2004
New York

December 2, 2004
Scottsdale, Ariz.