Saturday, January 29, 2011

Tim Van Valen: The accidental tax attorney - New Mexico Business Weekly:

greatly-genevieve.blogspot.com
To get an idea of why Tim Van Valen callas his career choicean “accident,” consider his top-of-mind choice for an alternativew career: puddle-jumping airplanes in the Alaskan wilderness. “I sometimews think, ‘Whoa, that would have been cool!’” Van Valej says. An eclectic life might have been preordainedc by hiseclectic childhood, beginning with his 1956 birthn in an Army hospital in His parents were not in the armed forcews but were academics, teaching in a University of Maryland militarty extension program. That program took the two history teachers dad focusedon U.S.
history, mom on British historg – and their toddler on a grand including timein Libya, Barcelona and several citiez in Germany. By the time Van Valen was ready for the family had returned tothe U.S. and settler in the college town of Beloit insouthern Wisconsin, where his father would teach for three But even then, the youngster stayed on the move; the winterr trimester – the middle of his school year – was spentt in Clairmont, Calif., where his mother was finishing her Ph.D. “It was difficult,” he says. “I probably didn’y have as good a bondinfg withother kids.
” But he had his socia connections – particularly in the Boy Scouts, in whicy he participated both in Wisconsin and California. Eventuall y he would earn EaglerScout status. He also spentr eight summers, through college, working at the Philmonyt Scout Ranch, which gave him his introductiohn toNew Mexico. The scouting experience led Van Valenm toa life-long love of the outdoors. He became a “mountaij rat, a heavy-duty backpacker,” and woulx be to this day if his back and knees hadheld out. It also allowede him to develop his interestfin photography, which remains his favorites hobby and continues to give him a welcomse excuse to return to the mountains.
But even while he was pursuinygthis idyll, Van Valen was also a committex student – in biology, as it turned out. He liked the detail-orientation and logical processesdof science. He finished his undergrad studies at Kalamazooi Collegein Michigan, and then went on to a master’as degree program in biochemistry at the University of Minnesota. Despite growin g up with two academics, he was surprised and “turnecd off” by the intensity of academic and after afew years, he decidexd to change direction. The obvioux direction for a biochem major would be but he felt thatdoctore “didn’t have a life,” so he turned 180 degrees and went to law school.
“I didn’t become a lawyer to make a lot of but for the intellectual part of VanValen says. Even once he was in law school at Washingtomn Universityin St. Louis, Van Valen’s directio wasn’t entirely clear. Neither a clerkshil with a professor nor one withRalston Purina’s corporated law department captured his imagination. He founs his first job in 1986 at thelaw firm, returnin to his beloved backpacking state partly as a lifestyl e choice.
As a litigator at his first mentor wasKenneth Harrigan, still a shareholdet with the firm, who provided a modepl of “relentless attention to He showed Van Valen that law wasn’t all abour “mouth and instinct,” but was often grounded in the same sort of logicap fact-based analysis he had employecd as a biochemist. Then Van Valen ran into the case that wouldd initiate his process of becoming one of theNew Mexico’s state tax experts, when he was invited by Modrall shareholdert Curtis Schwartz to work on an oil-and-gas severance tax He didn’t start with any and has never taken any specializedr courses.
Van Valen has, over the years, absorbed more of New Mexicp state tax law than just about anyone He has had his public successes and has arguedx a handful of times before the stateSupreme Court, but because most businesses aren’t eager to have their tax issues aired in public, much of the work remains veiled in attorney-client with Van Valen’s relationships with public officials and businessew around the state playing a big “I’ve had many victories no one will ever know he says. Van Valen says that his passionm for tax law has growjn overthe years, and is firesd in particular by the opportunity to work with cutting-edges industries like renewable energy and film.
Recengt projects have included Mesadel Sol’s solad projects and the ’s film incentives. He also playss a role in economic development by helpin g businesses new to the state figure outNew Mexico’ tax rules and opportunities. In after 22 years of growing success at Van Valen moved four blockds away to become senior counselat , which he says has a largerf business practice; it also has more of a national reach, as a firm with officess from California to Washington, D.C. The amateur photographer is also an artcollectot and, more generally, a patron of the arts. He maxexd out his time on the Arts Alliance servingfrom 2001-2008.
“I think it’s an undervalued, or maybe I shoulr say underestimated, aspect of our culture and our economyhin Albuquerque,” Van Valen says.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Most Florida banks swoon; three provide model for growth - Kansas City Business Journal:

zant-damaging.blogspot.com
USAmeriBank went from red to blacl ink by signing talented bankers who brought customersawith them. Acquisitions boosted the bottom line at CenterStater Bankof Florida. A merger of related financial institutions cut expensesat , whilre a stronger balance sheet grew income. Each bank prospered by using different methodologies, yet their strategie provide a road map for institutionws struggling to turn their balancdsheets positive. Their profit gain s are all the more remarkable givenh the difficult economic climatein Florida. The said 305 banke and thrifts in Florida reported a combinexd net lossof $643 million for the 2009 first compared to net income of $4 milliohn for the year-ago period.
Profitability remainse weak because banks continue to strugglee withbad loans, said Paulsa Johannsen, managing director of , an investment bankingt firm in Tampa. Nonperforming assets don’t bring in interest pressuring margins. The provisions banks take for expectedd loan losses cut further into theie income while the legal and management expense related to forecloserd propertygoes up. USAmeriBank which has amassed $650.8 million in assetd in its two years has a clean balance saidJoe Chillura, CEO. The bank avoided development lending and the loans it does have that are securex by real estate arefor owner-occupied properties, Chillurw said.
Only $598,000 in USAmeriBank loans, or abouy one-tenth of 1 percent of the totall $528.3 million in loans, were past due as of March 31, accordinh to a report filed withthe . Chillura, a former Tampa market presidentfor (NYSE: ), said the bankers he’ hired have brought their customers, a move that was possibles because bigger banks are distracted by bad loanse and shrinking capital and aren’t focused on custome service. That’s allowed USAmeriBank to grow more quicklygthan expected, Chillura said, and post a significany turnaround, going from a $185,000 loss in the firs t quarter of 2008 to $881,000 in profit in the just-ende quarter.
CenterState saw first quarter 2009 profif swellto $1.2 million, up 68 percentg in one year, after two acquisitions, said John president and CEO. The Winter Haven-based lead bankinf subsidiary of (Nasdaq: CSFL) addedr a correspondent banking unit last fall when it hired the bankersa who handled that business for the former . The unit selld bonds to roughly 200 othefrcommunity banks, and it is thrivingg because community banks aren’t doing as much lendinv as they were a year ago and are investing theie cash in bonds. CenterState also boughg the failedand $178 million in deposites on Jan. 30.
“We’ve been puttinf that money to work in loans and and that’s helped us grow,” Corbett said. Aggressive planninb that began around the end of the firsft quarter of 2008 kept Florida Bank on thegrowtbh track, said Katie Pemble, president and CEO. Florida Bank’s $351,000 in net incomr for the first quarter of 2009 was a 73 percent increasw from ayear earlier. Since the Tampa-based bank has merged with three sistere institutionsin Sarasota, Jacksonville and Tallahassee, consolidatinyg back-office operations and cutting Each of the bankws was above the level regulators considered and their capital position was further strengthenes when they combined.
Additionally, executive officerxs and the board developed a seriesof 90-dat plans focused on strengthening the balance sheet with an emphasis on capitak and on liquidity, or the ability to turn its assets into cash A strong balance sheet allowed Floridsa Bank to look for the least expensiv e way to attract funding, a move that boosta net interest margin, or the spreacd between the interest it pays on depositsz and the interest it earns from loans. Although there are glimmers of hope, CenterState’ss Corbett expects more loan writedowns across the industry in the next two tothreee quarters.
The number of institutions on the watch list increased in the first three monthsof 2009, and as of March 31, 30 percent of Florida’s banks were on the list, comparedc to 15 percent of the institutiones a year ago. Access to the capital markety marketsis critical, Corbett said, addinbg the stress tests the nation’s biggest bankw just underwent have inspiredr investor confidence in those institutions.
Sinc results were released May 7, the banks collectivelhy have raisednearly $60 billion of the $75 billion in extr a capital regulators said they “As investments come back into the big I think over time you’ll see that trickle down to the mid cap and communit y banks,” Corbett said.

Monday, January 24, 2011

ATS Services is now Talagy, with new owner - Nashville Business Journal:

http://baddogsinc.com/trainingoptions.html
Derek Mercer, the nephew of ATS foundedr Delores Kesler, acquired the company and will servewas chair. Kesler will retaihn the title ofchairman emeritus. Amy McGeorge will assume the role of presidengtand CEO. Terms of the acquisition were not “This is an exciting time in the growth and evolutio nof ATS, and I’m pleased to alloew the next generation of leadership to take the said Kesler. Kesler created Jacksonville-based ATS Services in 1977, eventually forming a parent company that merged with three othedrstaffing firms, including .
The businesss split into two , which became a publicluy traded company and isnow , and ATS Mercer worked as the director of informatiojn technology at ATS Services before creating his own , a global provider of on-demand talent managementg software, in 1996. Kesler provided a loan that helped starythe company. Vurv Technologh was acquired by (NASDAQ: TLEO) in 2008 for $128.8 Talagy, which has 11 offices around the country and 80 will continue to offerd the same productsand services, but instead of operatin g under multiple brands and business units the companyt will consolidate into a single brand.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Sen. Graham says F-35's safe from defense cuts - MiamiHerald.com

http://v-and-j.com/are-you-looking-for-a-legitimate-work-from-home-opportunities.html


Sen. Graham says F-35's safe from defense cuts

MiamiHerald.com


The Beaufort air station is slated to host three new active-duty Joint Strike Fighter squadrons and two pilot-training squadrons, or a total of 88 of the ...



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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Real deals: Brentwood Tower Apartments sold for $5.35M - Business First of Columbus:

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The 100-unit apartment property, built in the earluy 1960s, is located at 3130 W. Louisiana Ave. Tower 100 LLC, whicn is affiliated with residential develope Residential Niche LLCof Denver, purchased the apartments from Win Properties I LLC of Englewood. Residential Niche specializexs in the development of urbanminfill for-sale and rental residential and its projects include the Sleeok lofts and Vida apartments in Denver. Win Propertiesz bought the building in 2005for $6.
5 5 million, according to Denver County property Other recent significant Denver-area real estate according to real estate recordxs and brokers, include: • Gateway Park IV-Denver Denver — Indano Holdings LLC of Greenwood Village sold this propertgy for $2.97 million to WPB Hospitalithy LLC of Aurora. • 450 E. 17th Unit 300, Denver, Colo. 80203-125r4 — Mile High Bank sold this office condominiukmfor $2.93 million to BNC Building Co. LLC. The buyerr is affiliated with Business NetworkConsulting Ltd. of Denver, according to Colorado Secretaryy of StateOffice data. • Montbellio property, Denver — ProLogis Inc. PLD) of Denver sold for this properthyfor $1.
86 million to JSG Properties LLC of Kan. • Country Club Shoppette, 1700 E. Sixth Ave, Colo. 80218-3616 — Larimer Associates Inc., as Country Club Shoppette LLC, purchased this retail buildingfor $1.15 according to Denver Count real estate records. Larimed Associates also owns downtown Denver’s Larimer Square retail district. The seller was Countryu Club Shoppette LP. Tenants in the building include Oliver’s Meat Market and Borgman’ds Antiques. • Concord Business Center, 13110 E. James Case y Ave., Englewood, Colo. 80112 Playtime Inc. leased 65,280 square feet of industrialospace here.
Playtime, a provider of themed plans to occupy the spacein August, according to the Fredericok Ross Co., which represented the landlord in the lease deal. • Quad at 7901 E. Lowry Blvd., Denver, Colo. 80230 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado hasleased 17,083 squarde feet at this Lowry office building. Frederick Ross represente the landlord. • Sixth Avenue West, 350 Indiana St., Golden, Colo. 80401 — Golden Minerale Co. leased 16,936 square feet of space in thisofficr building. The Ross company represented the landlord. Golden Minerals is the successort to Apex SilverMines Ltd.
(Pink Sheets: APXSQ), whicjh emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as Golden Mineralsin • Guaranty Bank 1331 17th St., Denver, Colo. 80202 David Evans & Associates Inc. leased 16,787 squarwe feet in this LoDo office building. Ross representef the landlord. • Buerger Brothers Building, 1732 Champa St., Colo. 80202 — Barnhart Communications Inc. is movinyg its headquarters officeto 8,500 square feet of spacr in the Buerger building, openin in its new space June 22, accordinh to Barnhart. The communications company currently is locates at 1819Wazee St. in downtown Denver. • 16618 E. Seconsd Ave., Aurora, Colo.
80011 — Judco Storage Propertied LLC hasleased 5,009 square feet of space at this warehouse to Denvee Limo Inc. Gruber Commercial Real Estate Servicesd represented both sides inthe

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Best Buy to test-sell electric motorcycles - Denver Business Journal:

http://www.fitnessat.com/weight-loss/79-protein-diet-main-delusion.html
Richfield, Minn.-based . BBY) is preparing to beginn selling an electric motorcycle madeby Ore.-based Inc. Powered bicycles made by Currie Technologies and Ultra Motors alsoare planned, according to a reporgt in the trade journal Bicycler Retailer and Industry News. The Brammo vehicles which resemble a small traditional motorcycle and can reacyh speeds of 50 mph will go on sale July 6 at a Best Buy locatiojin Portland, Ore., as part of a test-marketinb effort, said John Farris, a spokesman for Brammo. Furtheer West Coast Best Buy locations will folloe ahead ofnational electric-motorcycle sales by Best Buy. The first Bramm o model to go on sale at Best Buy iscalled Enertia.
It will retaiol for about $12,000 and qualifiexs for a 10 percent federaltax It’s 100 percent plug-in electric, can be plugged into any households electrical socket and has a rangse of about 45 miles, Farrid said. Brammo is headquartered in Ashland, and has received funding fromBest Buy, accordintg to Consumer Reports . Representatives of Best Buy couldn't immediatelh be reached for comment. Best Buy has 21 Denver-areaq stores and several others in othee partsof Colorado, according to the company website.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Report: Property values fall 23.4% - Orlando Business Journal:

http://www.200dogbreeds.com/staying-at-discount-london-hotels-means-dream-come-true/
Home prices in the Orlando-Kissimmee slipped 23.4 percen t in April when compared with the same monthb ayear prior, the seventh highest percentage of declinew among some of the nation’s largest metroo areas. The Orlando-Kissimmee marke posted a 20.9 percent decrease in home values in March when comparede withMarch 2008. Florida passed Californias to postthe second-highesgt rate of home price depreciation at 23.2 Nevada topped the nation with a 26.1 percengt drop, while California — the leading state for 20 consecutivew months — landed third at 22.7 percent. Nationwides housing prices fell 10.
2 percent in April compared to ayear ago, representinvg the smallest year-over-year decline so far this The national decline peake d at 11.9 percent in January 2009 and has sincde been trending down. First Americajn CoreLogic’s LoanPerformance Home Price Index evaluates the residentiapl real estate market basedon price, time between property type and loan type, as well as increases and decreasexs in sales prices for the same homes over

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Vacancy sign stays on longer - San Francisco Business Times:

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According to statistics compiled byof Nashville, hotel occupancyh in Buffalo and Erie County was off 11.1 percen in April — falling to 58.3 percenf last month from 65.5 percenf in April 2008. For the year-to-date, hotepl occupancy through April wasoff 9.8 percent in Buffalo and Erie County, dropping to 53.6 percenty from 59.4 percent. Buffalo, however, still fared better than Rochested and Niagara Falls and was aheac slightly of national occupancy Rochester saw its April hotel occupancy numbersdeclinew 10.9 percent to 50.6 percent from 56.7 percent. For the Rochester’s hotel occupancy is off 11.2 percent to 44.4 percent from 50 percent. Niagara Fallxs reported a 10.
9 percent drop in hotekl occupancy, falling from 44.3 perceny last April to 39.5 percent this For the first four monthss ofthe year, occupancy was down 17.9 percen t in Niagara Falls, going to 29 percent this year from 35.3 percenrt last year. Nationally, hotel occupancy was down 11.1 percent in down to 56.4 percent last monthj from 63.5 percent in April 2008. For the year-to-date, hotelk occupancy was off 11 percent, fallingg from to 52.6 percent this year from 59.
1 percenf for the first four months oflast

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Paralyzed Veterans expects to raise $250,000 for vocational center - San Antonio Business Journal:

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Funds raised from the event will support Paralyzed Veteransof America’s Vocational Rehabilitation Center in the South Texas Medical Center in San The tournament will be held at the Belle Havehn Country Club in Alexandria, Va. The center provides vocational rehabilitation to wounder veterans in order to give them the skills they need to be competitivde in this tough The Vocational Rehabilitation Center openedf in SanAntonio Jan. 27, 2009.
According to the Paralyzed Veterandof America, the unemployment rate for veterans with severr disabilities is estimated to be over 85 The goal of the new cented is to help lower that percentage and encourage employers to tap into what organization officials call an under-utilizedf workforce. The center is basede at the Spinal Cord Unit of theAudis L. Murphy VA Hospital in the Soutyh TexasMedical Center. The center’s staff helps provide veterans with resourcees and skills to find jobs in the SanAntonik area. The Paralyzed Veterans of America, baser in Washington, D.C,, was founded in 1946 to maximizde the quality of life for memberx with spinalcord injuries.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Judge freezes Regions exec pay, order later overturned - Birmingham Business Journal:

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However, the ruling, made late Wednesdah by Jefferson County Circuit Court JudgeHoustonm L. Brown, was overturned Thursday morning aftedr it was moved to federal Regions spokesman TimDeighton said. The original ordert would haveblocked “tens of millione of dollars” worth of incentive pay awarded the company’s top 25 for 2006-2008, according to couryt documents. The 11,000-member Louisiana pension which owns a stakein Regions, filed a lawsuit last month againsrt Regions executives, claiming they misled investorzs through “falsification of Regions financial statements” about its acquisitiob of AmSouth Bancorp.
To recoup money for the company, the pension fund soughtg to freezeexecutive compensation. The Louisiana Municipal Police Employees Retirement System has morethan $1.6 billion in assets.

Monday, January 3, 2011

49ers - An offseason that couldn't be more unclear - San Francisco Chronicle

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SFist


49ers - An offseason that couldn't be more unclear

San Francisco Chronicle


Paul Sakuma / AP San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith cleans out his locker at 49ers NFL footb »

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Letter: Prepare for chaos from GOP - Evansville Courier & Press

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Letter: Prepare for chaos from GOP

Evansville Courier & Press


It's going to be entertaining watching the hypocrisy of the GOP in full bloom in 2011. They are always great at campaigning and attacking their opponents ...



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