Forbes Custom Marketplace » Texas

John Pollock Financial

EMI Network — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:00:59 +0000

Total Financial Services Built on a Foundation of Tax Planning

Taxes touch everything. So does John Pollock’s advice.

Pollock is an entrepreneur-turned-full-service financial advisor, helping people invest, insure, and – central to everything – plan for taxes. He saves clients thousands of dollars, applying the tax code to serve their best interests.

He has an insurance license. He has a securities license. And he is a Certified Tax Coach. This designation means that, unlike a CPA – who, despite what people often think, isn’t a tax planner – Pollock looks ahead, at what you can and should do to reduce your taxes.

“Everything’s connected. Your taxes are connected to insurance, insurance is connected to financial services. The problem is that everyone’s taking advice in a silo,” Pollock says. “If you go to the insurance guy, he gives you insurance advice. If you go to the financial guy, he says invest in mutual funds. You go to the tax guy, he says something very specific to taxes, but it may hurt the other two areas.”

Since he works in all three areas and sees the entire financial picture, Pollock doesn’t have the narrow vested interest many other professionals have. “I start with tax planning,” he says. “Everybody needs tax planning. Nobody likes taxes.”

Pollock says he typically finds clients thousands of dollars in tax savings their CPAs missed. “Certified Tax Coaches use technical aspects of the tax code to put clients in a better situation going forward,” he says.

Unlike most people who open financial advisory practices, Pollock came from outside the business. His experience included working with major corporations to improve management of cash flow and accounts receivable. A little more than 10 years ago, after studying the financial services profession, he started his firm. “I think like the business people I’m advising,” he says. “I’m like them. I’m not an advisor trying to push product. I’m an advisor who’s trying to make their business better.”

Pollock’s guidelines for clients include three specifics he calls Financial Gravity®: Number one, get out of debt; number two, reduce your costs (which include fees, taxes and you); and number three, diversify, and diversify again, and diversify on top of that diversification.

“Tax planning and financial planning should be integrated,” he says. “And I can do it for you; let us show you how.”

800 N Watters Rd., Ste. 180 | Allen, TX 75013 | (972) 396-0449 info@johnpollockinc.com www.johnpollockfinancial.com | www.youtube.com/johnpollockinc

Utter Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

EMI Network — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:00:56 +0000

‘Financial Mom’ Is a Savvy Professional
Utter Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

Spend a few minutes talking with Gail Utter, MBA, CRPC® about her financial practice, and you’ll understand why so many of her clients think of her as their “Financial Mom.” The Managing Director of Investments for the Utter Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors is supportive and approachable, and she doesn’t hesitate to dispense “tough love” when she feels it’s warranted.

But behind Utter’s warm, caring manner lies a mind attuned to the financial industry. Her practice serves a varied clientele, including many retirees, pre-retirees and multigenerational clients.

“Every member of my team is solidly pro-client,” she says. “We love explaining financial concepts, strategies and recommendations, because we want our clients to be comfortable working with us. We love designing portfolios, and monitoring and fine-tuning them on a regular basis, to help clients’ income grow year after year.”

‘A Planner Before Planning Was Cool’
A big believer in the importance of investment planning, Utter says she was a planner “before planning was cool.” Twenty-plus years ago, as a young advisor just starting out, she would use an upside-down plate to create asset allocation circles for her clients. The process was cumbersome, but it worked.

“Then, as now, I felt it was important to look at the big picture first. What do you have? What do you need? How much are you going to be able to contribute to your 401(k) or IRA? How much do you expect to receive from Social Security? What kinds of family responsibilities do you have today and do you expect to have in the future? We need to answer these questions before we can put together a portfolio.”

Utter has seen many changes in her industry over the years, including the introduction of sophisticated investment planning software she and her peers now take for granted. But her goals for her clients have remained the same: to manage risk and build wealth using a variety of investments.

As for Utter herself, she has gained the kind of wisdom that comes with experience – for example, after experiencing a variety of markets, she recognizes that sometimes it makes sense to advise clients that investments that are new and popular may be too good to be true or may not be appropriate for their goals and objectives. Some clients don’t want to hear this, she says, but she persists in telling them anyway. “It can be tough love, but they know my intent is to look out for their best interests. And, ultimately, that’s what being a ‘Financial Mom’ is all about.”

2027 Texoma Parkway | Sherman, TX 75090 | 903-893-6227 | 800-876-8221 www.utterfinancial.wfadv.com

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.  CAR#1212-00737

United Capital Financial Advisers, LLC

EMI Network — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:00:39 +0000

Helping People Make Better Financial Decisions

With two different backgrounds, a successful husband and wife struggle to make money decisions. United Capital Financial Advisers (United Capital) helps both of them have a greater understanding and appreciation for the other’s financial perspective. For the first time in their lives, they now both play an active role in their family’s finances and have more productive, less-tense conversations.*

A busy energy executive can’t find the time to properly manage his 401(k), stock options, restricted stock and personal financial assets. Understanding time constraints and demands, United Capital assumes the role of the family’s personal CFO, holding quarterly family “board meetings” to ensure continual progress toward meaningful goals.*

Grandparents want to set up a college fund for their grandchild. Instead of just offering advice, United Capital goes the extra mile, framing a Disney stock certificate to help make learning about money and investing fun for the child.*

Money has never been so complicated. While politicians bicker over taxes and spending, and the economy sputters, people are seeking innovative ways to protect what’s theirs. United Capital Financial Advisers was founded to help people better understand their entire financial lives, not just their investments.

“Most of us were never taught how to think and communicate about money, which makes financial decision-making very challenging,” says Managing Director Brandon Moss, CFP®. “Our job is to help people make better, more informed decisions about their entire financial lives.”

With 40 offices nationwide, this pull-no-punches company is one of the fastest-growing independent financial advisory firms in America. As a privately held company, United Capital is not held hostage to shareholder demands or proprietary products. Clients come from a wide range of professional and financial backgrounds, but all have one thing in common—a need for straight talk and financial strategies that combine common sense with think-outside-the-box creativity.

Using a proprietary process called the Money Mind™ Exercise, United Capital helps clients understand how seemingly unrelated personal motivations affect financial decisions. The exercise is offered as a free app on United Capital’s website. It is also the basis for an insightful new book, The Money Code, by Joseph Duran, CEO of United Capital Financial Advisers.

“Our clients appreciate the fact we don’t sugarcoat things,” Moss says. “Everyone knows there will be tough choices and trade-offs. Clients simply want the truth and to know whether or not they are going to be ok.”

8411 Preston Road | Suite 610 | Dallas, Texas 75225 | 214-520-1200
www.unitedcpdallas.com | www.honestconversations.com
Twitter: @united_capital Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedCapitalFA

United Capital Financial Advisers, LLC (“United Capital”) provides advice and makes recommendations based on the specific needs and circumstances of each client. For clients with managed accounts, United Capital has discretionary authority over investment decisions. Investing involves risk and clients should carefully consider their own investment objectives and never rely on any single chart, graph or marketing piece to make decisions. The information contained in this advertisement is intended for information only, is not a recommendation to buy or sell any securities, and should not be considered investment advice. Please contact your financial adviser with questions about your specific needs and circumstances.
*The case studies noted are meant to provide a general representation of the services provided by United Capital and are not necessarily representative of the experience of all of United Capital’s clients. Successful outcomes are not guaranteed from the advice and investment management that United Capital provides.

Quest Capital Management, Inc.

EMI Network — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:00:38 +0000

Investors Search for Stability and  Predictability in Retirement Planning
Quest Capital Management, Inc. Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Today’s investors are navigating a treacherous retirement planning environment. Headlines are filled with ominous warnings of recessions, the runaway spending, the European debt crisis, and more…all with potential to derail retirement plans. “Market volatility has become the new normal. In light of the uncertainty, the demand for advisors who focus on preserving assets and generating retirement income is increasing,” explains Carl J. Kunhardt, a wealth advisor at Dallas-based Quest Capital Management, Inc.

While the challenges of the current economic environment are unprecedented, Quest’s team of Certified Financial Planner™ professionals are no strangers to booms and expansions, recessions and contractions. Kunhardt, Mary H. Durie, Chris S. Young, and Kalita Beck Blessing have helped clients navigate through crises such as the dot-com bubble as well as the 2008 financial crisis. “Our clients have assets and many investment options,” says Young. “Most of them continue working with us year after year and refer others to us because the value of our focus on risk mitigation has been time tested. The ultimate compliment occurs when we are asked to continue managing both second and third generational investments.”

Unusual in the industry, Quest’s collegial business model brings together the experience and expertise of an entire team of salaried professionals to work on each client’s behalf. Several planners have been recognized among D magazine’s Top Financial Planners and Top Wealth Managers in Dallas since 2003, as well as 2012 Five Star Wealth Managers by Texas Monthly. “Our staff is large enough to have a significant blend of backgrounds and training, like designations in Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®), Accredited Estate Planner™ (AEP), Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®), and Investment Management Consultant™,” explains Blessing. “We’re proud of our ‘deep bench’ of professionals, and clients enjoy the benefits of retaining all that talent on a fee basis.”

As Certified Financial Planner™ professionals, Quest’s staff are able to coordinate and integrate every aspect of a client’s financial life. “Our clients have complex issues,” says Durie. “We help them align all the variables in their personal finances and provide advice on a breadth of issues including major purchases or lifestyle decisions. We proactively tackle wide-ranging issues such as gaps in insurance coverage, unnecessary investment risk, unfavorable loan terms and other potential pitfalls.”

Central to Quest’s approach is the firm’s dedication to a high level of communication with their clients. “Communication is key. That applies not only to annual face-to-face reviews but especially when the economic news is less than stellar,” says Kunhardt. “Because we’re service-driven rather than product-driven, we’re always easily accessible to answer questions and concerns. You might even hear from us first in the event of a crisis. We are, after all, in the business of helping investors gain financial freedom.”

Quest Capital Management, Inc.
8117 Preston Road, Suite 700
Dallas, Texas 75225
214-691-6090 | 800-668-1283
www.questadvisor.com

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.,
Member FINRA/ SIPC
Quest Capital Management, Inc. is an Independent Registered Investment Advisor.

D Magazine: Compiled by the local magazine which surveyed Certified Financial Planner™ professionals in the DFW area and final list was reviewed by esteemed local financial planners. Five Star: Award selection for nominated wealth managers is based on satisfying the following criteria: Credentialed as an investment advisory representative, a FINRA-registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfilled their firm review based on internal firm standards, and accepting new clients. Other criteria considered are one and five-year client retention rate, non-institutional discretionary and/or nondiscretionary client assets administered, number of client households served and education and professional designations.

Creating & Managing Wealth, L.L.C.

EMI Network — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:00:29 +0000

Financial Strategies to Last a Lifetime

When a CEO was considering withdrawing funds from his retirement account to pay cash for a new home, he thought it was the fiscally responsible thing to do, but financial advisor Christina Winters Gears sounded the alarm. The founder of Texas-based Creating & Managing Wealth (CMW) also learned the man had no long-term care insurance. Additionally, his high tax bracket and other issues made him vulnerable to potential financial difficulties.

“I recommended that he finance a new home, because the mortgage would provide a much-needed tax write-off. This is not your grandfather’s economy, and liquid cash is a paramount factor,” she says. “I put him in multiple managed accounts and purchased a guaranteed income annuity to provide guaranteed income for life. He was so happy, he said he wished he had met me 10 years sooner.”

More than a wealth management consulting firm, CMW specializes in lifestyle management. From investments to insurance, trust and estate planning, legacy planning and more, CMW representatives help clients take steps to maintain their desired quality of life. Most clients are entrepreneurs, CEOs and school superintendents, who face unique financial challenges.

“Superintendents tend to move from city to city and to different states, where pension laws vary,” says Winters Gears. “The same can be true of CEOs, who often have to divest themselves of stocks and figure out very quickly what to do with the money to minimize tax consequences and create diversification.”

CMW representatives often assist clients in negotiating employment contracts to help ensure they obtain the most desirable benefits. Winters Gears began advising educators in 1980, and then spent nine years with a major insurance company before starting her own firm in 1990 to provide objective advice and personal attention to clients. With clients representing more than $250 million in assets and offices in Irving, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, CMW is licensed in 22 states.

A former host of Dallas radio station KRLD’s financial program Ms. Biz (www.msbizradio.com), Winters Gears is as passionate about serving the community as she is serving clients. She is on the board of Cancer Treatment Centers of America and is active with the Dallas Women’s Foundation, the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, the Irving Sister Cities Committee, and many other worthwhile organizations, for which she uses her talents in fund-raising.

“It is invigorating to be able to step into people’s lives and help guide them,” she says. “I am the navigator and you are the captain. Tell me where you want to go, and I will map out a course.”

Advisory Services and Securities Offered through Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc., Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. Creating & Managing Wealth, LLC and Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. are independently owned and each is responsible for its own business. Lincoln Investment Corporate Office: 218 Glenside Ave., Wyncote, PA 19095 (800) 242-1421 (12/12)

UBS Financial Services, Inc.

EMI Network — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:00:13 +0000

Clients’ Needs Are the Highest Priority
The Stephenson/Baun Wealth Management Group at  UBS Financial Services, Inc.

You might think that after 40 years’ combined experience in the financial services industry – and with some of the most respected credentials in their profession – Hugh L. Stephenson, CFA® and Cromwell S. Baun, CFA®, CFP®, CIMA® would feel they know all there is to know about wealth management.

But you would be wrong.

“We continue to be intense students of the market,” says Baun, Vice President-Investments with The Stephenson/Baun Wealth Management Group at UBS Financial Services. “We’re constantly doing research, constantly doing everything possible to keep up with the economic environment, tax rules and anything else with the potential to affect our clients’ financial well-being.”

Personal CFOs
The Stephenson/Baun Wealth Management Group has been working to help grow clients’ income and protect their assets through every bear market, crash and crisis since 1983, with a focus on multigenerational wealth planning. “We are extremely well equipped to help our clients navigate the most volatile and difficult times,” says Stephenson, Senior Vice President-Investments.

Wealth managers in the broadest sense, Stephenson and Baun work closely with clients to understand their goals and needs, address any concerns and implement personalized wealth strategies. “Many clients view us as their personal CFO,” Baun says. “They know they can count on us to help with every aspect of their financial life.”

Every client receives a personalized and comprehensive financial plan with financial goals that are both clearly defined and realistic. “We believe a properly executed financial plan can help clients maintain their lifestyle and protect their legacy,” Stephenson says. The partners often collaborate with clients’ CPAs and attorneys to ensure decisions are made correctly and executed properly.

Monthly briefings with each client allow them to keep up with what is happening in clients’ lives and what is keeping them up at night. “We’re deeply focused on our clients’ lives and on what’s on their minds, whether it’s politics; the economy; a life event like a marriage, birth or divorce; or anything else with the potential to affect their finances,” Baun says.

Ultimately, it all comes down to trust.

“Over the years, many clients have told us they continue to work with us – and to introduce their friends and business associates to us – because they know we will always act in their best interest,” says Stephenson. “Our clients are our highest and only priority – and they know it.”

100 Crescent Court, Suite 600 | Dallas, TX 75201 | 214-220-0400
3455 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1700 I Atlanta, GA 30326 I 404-760-3000
www.ubs.com/team/thestephensonbaunwmg

UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. ©2012 UBS Financial Services Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by the CFA Institute. CIMA® is a registered certification mark of the Investment Management Consultants Association, Inc. in the United States of America and worldwide.

America’s Retirement Income

EMI Network — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:00:07 +0000

The Insurance Suite and  America’s Retirement Income
Complete Coverage for Middle America’s Financial Needs

Brian and Tammy Neff and Kirk and Penny White have something in common. Both couples endured unexpected medical hardships that upended their finances and wiped out their retirement savings.

It took years, but both families got their lives and their finances back in order. Just as importantly, their experiences taught them the true value of first-class insurance and secure retirement planning, and instilled in them the desire to make these accessible to everyone. Which is exactly what they’ve done.

“We’re in the income protection business,” say the Neffs, founding partners of The Insurance Suite, and founders and CEOs of America’s Retirement Income. “Through two separate businesses, we serve our clients as full-service, trusted advisors. We offer a wide range of insurance solutions for protecting wealth and income, plus fee-based financial planning for building better retirements.”

Together, the firms take a holistic approach to financial security and prosperity, and it all starts with education. After all, the more clients know and understand about their financial situation, the more they are empowered to strengthen it. The group is in the process of trademarking a series of consumer-based educational materials, called “Stop Being Sold,” which cover life insurance, mutual funds, 401(k) plans and many other financial areas.

Solutions, Not Products
“Consumers are sold products every day, but that’s not what we do,” says Neff. “We are solution-based, not product-based. And since we are also fee-based and independent – not owned by a brokerage house – we work only in our clients’ best interests as fiduciaries, monitoring every part of their complete financial picture. We don’t stop looking for solutions until we’ve exhausted every avenue.”

The two couples enjoy the opportunity to work together, citing a similarity in backgrounds and family-oriented goals. “We’re old school,” say the Whites. “We believe in sitting down with clients and really servicing them. It gets to the point where our clients are almost part of the family. They like working with us as a team.”

Another benefit the group offers clients is a complimentary asset journal. This notebook-sized portfolio is used to hold all financial documents, policies, account and contact information, wills and trusts. “The journal is updated during each semi-annual review, giving clients peace of mind from knowing all current information is in one place,” says Kirk White.

“Economically speaking, Middle America needs assistance right now,” says Tammy Neff. “And we’re here to help. We’ve been there. We know what works. We have the solutions that help people protect what they have and build for the future.”

3928 Guston Hall Ct. | Plano, TX 75025 | 972-704-3230
www.AmericasRetirementIncome.com

Law Office of John R. Teakell

EMI Network — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:00:51 +0000

REAL LEGAL EXPERIENCE FOR WHITE COLLAR CASES

A former pro football player is accused of mortgage fraud. Millions of dollars are involved. The defendant could face years in prison if convicted. After thoroughly researching the facts, defense attorney John R. Teakell persuades the court to dismiss the charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud due to lack of evidence.

A former U.S. military procurement officer is investigated on suspicion of bribery involving a government contractor. Teakell helped convince the Department of Justice there is no case and the bribery investigation is brought to a close.

White collar crime comes in many forms – Medicare fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement, bribery and more. Often, the outcome of a case depends as much on interpretation of the law as on the evidence itself. In Texas, nobody understands how government prosecutors think, or knows how to challenge them effectively, better than Dallas-based criminal defense lawyer John R. Teakell. A former federal and state prosecutor and a former Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer, Teakell brings a perspective to cases that most criminal defense attorneys cannot.

“I know the steps that have to be taken prior to someone being formally charged, and the parameters that the prosecutors may allow in pushing for a conviction or a negotiated settlement,” he says.

From drug trafficking to identity theft, insurance fraud, bankruptcy fraud and more, Teakell has won acquittals, dismissals and closed investigations on behalf of countless clients who were investigated. Whether a high-profile client, an average person, or somewhere in between, Teakell can use his years of quality experience to help people in their time of need.

Teakell has been peer-voted a Texas Super Lawyer®in the field of white-collar criminal defense for eight consecutive years. He has also been ranked among the top 100 lawyers in Texas by the American Trial Lawyers Association from 2007-2012.

“A lot of people are investigated and charged unjustly,” Teakell says. “I take pride in getting the best result for my clients, whatever the circumstances might be.”

2911 Turtle Creek Blvd. | Suite 300 | Dallas, Texas 75219 | 214-523-9076
www.teakelllaw.com | www.txfederalcriminaldefense.com

The Berry Firm

EMI Network — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:00:46 +0000

THE BERRY FIRM PULLS OUT ALL THE
STOPS IN DEFENDING CATASTROPHIC
INJURY CLAIMS

Picture a junkyard dog at the end of a leash, straining to break free. Or a “big, hairy, mean, tattooed, clawed bear” getting ready to pounce. “That’s what we are,” says attorney D. Bowen “Bo” Berry, founder of The Berry Firm. “That’s what we do.”

Smart and tenacious, thorough and driven, The Berry Firm is a small legal practice that routinely takes on big cases. It is known for its eagerness to take cases to trial. “We defend Fortune 500 companies in catastrophic injury cases, many involving the energy, manufacturing and trucking industries,” Berry says. “We’re the ones who keep the money from going out.”

The Berry Firm is a formidable opponent in the courtroom – and plaintiffs’ lawyers know it. “We are an expert-intensive practice,” Berry says. “We take difficult technical concepts that are very complex and make them understandable to a jury in a way that maximizes our client’s defense and position.”

‘Anywhere, Anytime’
The Berry Firm knows where the courthouse is, and it knows what to do once it gets there. For example, it recently obtained a verdict that was “much less” than the eight-figure damages sought by plaintiffs after a businessman died in an accident involving an 18-wheeler. The firm’s client was a Fortune 500 company, and the driver whose actions allegedly caused the accident was a company employee.

Another recent case centered on an explosion at a gas processing station. The firm activated its emergency response system to dispatch a lawyer and an expert to the scene within 24 hours to ensure the evidence was properly preserved and to “do what needed to be done so non-legal-trained client representatives did nothing that could negatively impact the case,” Berry says.

The firm has an aggressive motion practice that is expert at persuading judges to reduce the scope of cases, and it is highly skilled at preserving an appellate record, necessary for an appeal.

The firm is often asked to take over cases shortly before trial. However, the firm gets its best results when engaged from the start. The firm has three offices in Texas and Oklahoma and is prolific in these two states. However, if the case warrants, The Berry Firm is often asked to defend cases all over the nation. The firm has attorneys licensed in Arkansas, Louisiana, New York and California and works on cases in other states under a pro hac vice arrangement.

‘Run, Don’t Walk’ to the Courthouse
“From the moment we accept a case, we are planning for our day in court before a jury,” Berry says. “Because our opponents know we will take a case to trial and pull out all the stops, they know they’ve got to be reasonable in settlement negotiations if they want to avoid trial. At The Berry Firm, we will run, not walk, to the courthouse.”

Adolphus Tower | 1412 Main Street, Suite 2300
Dallas, TX 75202 | 214.915.9800
224 E. Main Street | Oklahoma City, OK 73104
405.418.2083
1200 Smith Street, Suite 1600 | Houston, TX 77002
713.353.4716
www.berryfirm.com

The Dean Law Firm, PLLC

EMI Network — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:00:35 +0000

LEGAL STRATEGIES, SECOND CHANCES

The U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to trial by an impartial jury. Unfortunately, it does not guarantee fair results. Court rulings and verdicts do not always go as hoped, for any number of reasons—judicial error, attorney inexperience, personal prejudices or, simply, different interpretations of the law.

Since 1988, Managing Attorney Julia Dean of the Texas-based Dean Law Firm has helped companies and individuals get second chances when legal decisions go awry. Formerly an appellate attorney with a prestigious firm representing the nation’s largest insurance company, Dean decided to launch her own law firm in 2007 to provide the kind of personal attention her clients need during a very difficult time of their life or business.

“We try to create a different atmosphere from other law firms,” she says. “When clients come in, I want them to feel at home. They are sharing their hearts, their families, their business concerns and their finances with us. Our commitment is to provide excellent legal work in the context of a caring environment.”

The Dean Law Firm is often retained by other law firms to oversee complex civil appeals in state and federal courts. When possible, Dean prefers to become involved at the trial level, to help her lawyer-clients avoid potential pitfalls.

“During trial, lawyers are often focused on the moment, but I am thinking about the future,” she says. “If an error is made and there is not a proper objection, it cannot be changed later. It is important to be thinking about a possible appeal long before it is necessary.”

Dean has succeeded in helping clients resolve a wide range of legal challenges on appeal. For example:

• Persuading the Texas Supreme Court to reverse a $350 million jury award for punitive damages against a business after determining the business officers did not act with malice.
• Upholding a substantial judgment in favor of Dean’s client concerning the property division in a divorce decree.
• Obtaining mandamus requiring a lower court judge to change a ruling after the judge abused his discretion in a crucial motion by Dean’s client.

More than an appellate law firm, The Dean Law Firm also has many years of experience in estate planning, business succession planning, probate, estate administration, and elder law. Dean has been recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s, Texas’ and Houston’s top attorneys and by H-Texas Magazine as one of Houston’s top attorneys and top 100 professionals. Dean also received a Readers’ Choice Award from the Sugar Land Sun and a coveted Client Distinction award from Martindale-Hubbell®.

“I love working with people, to help them prevent problems or work through an existing problem to achieve better results,” she says.

1650 Hwy 6 South, Suite 170 | Sugar Land, TX 77478 | 281.277.3326
www.juliadeanlaw.com

Siebman, Burg, Phillips & Smith, LLP

EMI Network — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:00:12 +0000

East Texas’ Intellectual  Property Pioneers

Litigants and law firms facing high-stakes intellectual property (IP) cases in East Texas can count themselves lucky. There’s a lot of homegrown legal talent here in the Eastern District, currently the third most favored venue for patent law cases in the U.S. Much of this talent is concentrated in a single law firm: Siebman, Burg, Phillips & Smith, LLP.

Siebman, Burg, Phillips & Smith is a pioneer in many key respects. The firm’s attorneys, whose families helped settle this part of Texas, are intimately familiar with the area’s history, its culture, and its people. They’re also pioneers in their profession. Senior partner Clyde M. Siebman founded the Eastern District of Texas Bar Association in 1996 and, along with partner Michael C. Smith, served on the board of directors of the State Bar of Texas representing northeast Texas. Siebman and Smith have also served on the Eastern District’s Local Rules Advisory Committee. Partner Lawrence A. Phillips has served in the Texas state legislature since 2003.

Most notably, the firm’s attorneys helped pioneer East Texas’ ascendancy in the annals of IP law. Nearly 25 years ago, Siebman was counsel of record in East Texas’ very first landmark IP case. Today, the firm’s IP practice continues to flourish to meet increasing demand.

Where IP Law and East Texas Juries Intersect
The trial attorneys of Siebman, Burg, Phillips & Smith know their way around an East Texas courtroom, having appeared in more than 700 IP and business law cases before the U.S. District Court for Texas’ Eastern District. Siebman has been board certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1993. The firm’s attorneys routinely try cases to juries, demonstrating their proven ability as trial attorneys, not just litigators.

Siebman believes the firm is uniquely capable of parlaying its vast experience and East Texas sensibilities into courtroom success. “Our lawyers are part of the community; they understand it. They can help formulate themes and theories in a given case in a way that local judges and juries are likeliest to accept. Immersing our clients in the ways of East Texas, the firm quickly transforms them into the home team.”

Aggressive Representation, Big-Picture Strategies
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets – these matters lie at the heart of a company’s competitive strength and financial future. To effectively serve clients’ interests, Siebman says, IP lawyers must delve deep and go long, mapping out a larger game plan.
“We have no interest in simply advising clients what they can anticipate if they do x, y or z,” Siebman explains. “We start by asking what they want to accomplish. Then, we help develop a strategy – always in the boundaries of what is professional and ethical – that will maximize their chances of getting there.”

Principal Office Federal Courthouse Square | 300 North Travis Street | Sherman, TX 75090 903-870-0070 | clydesiebman@siebman.com | www.siebman.com

Howison & Arnott, LLP

EMI Network — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:00:07 +0000

START TO FINISH PATENT AND TRADEMARK LEGAL SERVICES FOR INVENTORS AND THEIR LAWYERS

The Next Great Idea is forming. Maybe it’s yours, maybe it’s your client’s. It will need legal protection. Consulting Howison & Arnott is also a great idea.

Howison & Arnott, LLP is a Dallas-based firm highly accomplished in the patents and trademarks subset of intellectual property law (IP). This is a boutique practice that zeroes in on the transactional aspects of IP. “We handle the entire patent acquisition process for our clients,” says partner John Arnott, “taking the initial inventor interview, preparing and filing the patent application, prosecuting the application in the Patent Office, and appealing if necessary. We can handle the entire matter: start to finish service. We also provide patent owners with technical services such as portfolio reviews and the new Post-Grant Review proceeding – that’s a brand new element in patent law.”

Experience and Understanding
The firm serves individual inventors and businesses, finding that the majority of its clients have been referred by their existing attorneys. There are solid reasons why other lawyers send their clients to Howison & Arnott for patent and trademark matters. One is the depth of experience. According to managing partner Greg Howison, he, Arnott and the rest of the six-attorney patent section have over 100 years of combined practice in patent law. That’s unusual; many firms with a patent prosecution section assign this work to lawyers or agents with only a year or two under their belts.

Another reason is that the practice focuses in this area, representing clients before the Patent and Trademark Office and leaving litigation to others. Clients return to their attorneys with favorable reports of Howison & Arnott’s work for them.

Supporting Other Practices
Still, Howison says, the firm often serves in a litigation support role for other practices. “We assist in many  areas because we’re in a unique position,” he says. “Not many professionals have our experience and technical knowledge, and we’ve established a complementary relationship with many firms. Our interests align with theirs.”

The practice works for clients all over the United States, and also assists lawyers in other countries whose clients are seeking U.S. rights. Howison & Arnott has represented clients in a wide range of industries, including electronics and telecommunications, semiconductors, medical devices, aerospace and computer science, to name a few.

“We know this business well. We’re very focused on what we do,” Arnott says. “We’re the guys you want working for you.”

Lincoln Centre | 5420 LBJ Freeway, Suite 660
Dallas, TX 75240-2318 | (972) 479-0462
info@dalpat.com | www.dalpat.com

McClure Law Group

EMI Network — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:00:07 +0000

SOPHISTICATED LEGAL REPRESENTATION PROTECTS FORTUNE AND FAMILY DIVORCE 5 PRE-MARITAL AGREEMENTS 5 CUSTODY

Getting to the next stage of your life after a divorce demands a practical, businesslike approach.

That reasoned advice can make the difference between simply surviving an emotionally charged life transition or successfully moving into the future. “During a divorce, even an amicable one, it’s vital to make rational, well-informed and thoughtful decisions about all financial issues including separation of debts, tax liabilities and assignment of benefits. This is especially true when significant assets are involved,” explains Kelly McClure, one of Texas’ go-to attorneys for high-net-worth families and celebrities.

Financial acumen, particularly in the area of tax law, places McClure and The McClure Law Group among the most formidable family law practices in Texas. Practicing exclusively in this specialty field for 25-plus years, McClure has been recognized as a Best Family Lawyer in Dallas by D magazine nine times and as a Texas Super Lawyer by Law & Politics 10 times. She is one of an elite group of attorneys to be Family Law Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Often called on to represent families involved in high-profile cases, McClure and her team – Greg Beane, Robert Epstein, Chris Meuse, Abby Gregory and Francesca Robertson – are perhaps more valued by clients for keeping their names out of the headlines. “Discretion is paramount, especially if you want to avoid embarrassing children or others, or if your career would be jeopardized. Difficult issues such as addictions, including increasingly prevalent sexual addictions, demand the utmost sensitivity,” says McClure, whose firm’s clientele includes athletes in every professional sport who depend on positive reputations to attract lucrative endorsements.

The McClure Group’s impressive record of achieving excellent outcomes during mediation and arbitration is made possible in part by its reputation in the courtroom. The attorneys are tenacious, meticulous and aggressive during discovery, and make use of the most sophisticated technology to prepare and present persuasive arguments before juries and the bench. “We won’t shy away from a trial when it is in the best interest of clients,” adds McClure. “We do whatever it takes to protect our clients’ fortunes and families without compromising our obligation to the highest standards of integrity.”

Highland Park/Dallas: 214-692-8200 • Collin County: 972-516-3850 by appt. only
www.mcclure-lawgroup.com

Whitney Bank

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:55 +0000

HOUSTON’S ECONOMY IS STRONG, AND
WHITNEY BANK IS A GROWING LEADER
IN THE REGIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY

In the past year, new commerce and economic opportunities have blossomed in many Texas cities, including the greater Houston region, which is seeing stronger growth than other parts of the country. Over the last year in particular, Whitney Bank in Houston has also continued to evolve, allowing the bank to provide the marketplace with financial products and services not often found under one roof.

The financial team in Houston offers a broad spectrum of specialty services including private banking and wealth management, energy banking, commercial lending, treasury management and international finance – just what businesses in Houston need to stay competitive and grow in today’s global marketplace.

“Now that Whitney Bank has become a part of Hancock Holding Company, customers are benefiting from the increased strength and stability of one of the largest financial institutions headquartered in the Gulf South,” says Carl J. Chaney, president and CEO of Hancock Holding Company (Nasdaq: HBHC), the parent company of Hancock Bank and Whitney Bank. “We are very optimistic about the continued economic development in Texas, and our expanding team of Houston-area professionals reflects the value we place on supporting these efforts.”

To date in 2012, Whitney Bank has added 15 senior banking professionals across numerous market sectors and expects that trend to continue as its business grows in tandem with economic expansion in Houston. The Bank selects a diverse group of outstanding and experienced professionals and places a strong emphasis on teamwork, employing a customer centric approach to meet each client’s unique financial needs and goals.

Strong capital, conservative practices, innovative processes and robust risk management have enabled Whitney Bank to serve the Gulf South for more than 100 years, and trust has been a core principle since the beginning. As Houston continues to outpace the nation in economic growth, Whitney Bank remains committed to providing outstanding financial services and professional expertise to businesses across the region, growing its presence and helping area businesses thrive.

“We are committed to serving the Houston business community and see more growth for both our clients and our bank in the region,” says Randy Gartz, Whitney Bank’s Houston Market President. “Our trusted Whitney bankers are ready to help your business with the products and services that can separate you from the competition.”

whitneybank.com
713-951-7100

Whitney Bank

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:55 +0000

HOUSTON’S ECONOMY IS STRONG, AND
WHITNEY BANK IS A GROWING LEADER
IN THE REGIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY

whitneybank.com
713-951-7100

Trigger Point Performance

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:50 +0000

POSITIONED TO CLAIM SIGNIFICANT SHARE IN SELF-CARE MARKET

In business, timing is everything. For biomechanical specialist and personal trainer Cassidy Phillips, flawless timing involved waiting for the rest of the world to catch up to his vision. Ten years ago, when he began his research for a drugless approach to relieve the pain of fibromyalgia, the debilitating syndrome was still considered controversial. Phillips was a “dreamer” whose groundbreaking research and prescient business sense had little support at the time.

Phillips was more than a dreamer. He was his own first research subject. After the successful athlete was told he would never be competitive again, he drew on his biomechanical background and began a methodical trial and error process of studying various therapies for fibromyalgia. One modality, deep tissue massage, was particularly effective, but its use was confined primarily to clinical settings. Recognizing the void in the homecare component of treatment, he developed and refined a product line called Trigger Point Performance Therapy that places the power of massage in the hands of the individual. Phillips developed a complementary educational platform focusing on empowering people to make lifestyle changes, increase sports performance and improve overall wellness.

Ten years after his diagnosis, Phillips is recognized worldwide as a motivational speaker and heads Trigger Point Performance, a multinational company recently ranked 66th in the Inc. 5000 “Top Consumer Products & Services” category. The company grew tremendously over the last two years, increasing revenue from $2.7 million in 2010 to nearly $10 million in 2012, all while remaining financially stable and debt free.

Phillips’ growth strategy was as out-of-the-box as his research. “Everything we did was on a bootstrap budget,” he says. “In 2002, I began marketing our products by personally going to the community I knew best, the obsessive-compulsive tri-athletes who constantly battle overuse injuries. During the 2004 Olympics we had six athletes using our products and by 2012 we couldn’t keep track of how many athletes were using them.”

Expansion continues to be strong for Trigger Point. Growth in the next three years is anticipated to double its current revenue. Product innovation remains a huge focus and is evident in the revolutionary Trigger Point Cold Roller™ that combines cold compression and self-massage into one device. Maintaining an exceptional educational platform is a large part of their growth strategy, partnering with companies such as the National Academy of Sports Medicine. However, maintaining a premium line of products for those interested in empowering their body to move more efficiently and fight getting older is going to be the primary motivator in reaching revenue goals. As Phillips says, “a healthy body is a healthy mind.”

“We are the right company with the right products at the right time,” says Phillips. “The new HealthCare is Self-Care and we are riding the wave of rising public demand for best-in-class self-help products.”

888-312-2557 toll free | 512-300-2804 outside U.S.
info@tptherapy.com | www.tptherapy.com

Trigger Point Performance

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:50 +0000

POSITIONED TO CLAIM SIGNIFICANT SHARE IN SELF-CARE MARKET

888-312-2557 toll free | 512-300-2804 outside U.S.
info@tptherapy.com | www.tptherapy.com

ebQuickstart

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:49 +0000

IT TAKES A VILLAGE OF
SPECIALIZED EXPERTS
ebQUICKSTART USES A TEAM APPROACH TO LEVERAGE SALES AND MARKETING SUCCESS

It can take years to develop a knowledgeable, effective, results-driven sales and marketing department.

Or it can take one phone call – to ebQuickstart, experts in lead generation, data management, sales, marketing and customer service for B2B technology companies.

ebQuickstart has never forgotten that sales and marketing are a team sport. The firm provides its customers with specialized professionals who work together to achieve the desired results.

“Our team concept really sets us apart,” says Timothy Edwards, President/CEO. “It’s what we call our ‘village mentality.’ When customers request a specific service, we provide them with a dedicated team of specialized, fractional resources that collectively deliver the service and the necessary management. The team works in the same office in Austin and communicates with one another in real time. Together they leverage industry best practices to achieve success criteria and provide immediate feedback. Our team concept assures quality and brand protection, without sacrificing time and energy from the customer’s own internal sales and marketing team.”

ebQuickstart can help with any aspect of the sales cycle, whether supplying a single stop-gap service or the complete efforts of an entire sales and marketing department. ebQuickstart is always ready to hit the ground running, adding momentum and insight, gaining results and achieving goals.

Making Customer Agreements More Agreeable
The firm’s customer agreements are also flexible, allowing for modification of the service or the size of the relationship with as little as 15 days’ notice. This eliminates the burden of weighted contracts or the losses that can occur internally when trying to fill a position.

“Our success and growth are inherently tied to our customers’ success and growth. If they are struggling or need to alter direction, we want to give them the flexibility within their contracts to downsize the relationship in order to weather the storm,” says Edwards. “However, we’re ranked 655 in this year’s Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies because, in part, our customers are not downsizing. They’re realizing revenue goals, growing our relationship and adding ebQuickstart services because they recognize we are a catalyst for their continued success.”

The Austin Business Journal recently named ebQuickstart as one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in Austin. For the past two years, the Austin American Statesman named it a Top Work Place. The firm’s long-term customers experience, on average, a $2 return on every $1 spent. To date, 12 of ebQuickstart’s customers have achieved a liquidity event.

“We’re extremely agile, always looking for the best way to work smarter,” says Edwards. “Our customers realize it can take them a year to create what we can roll out in a week. We love the challenge of working with over 50 different companies, leveraging our success across them all and then seeing that success create revenue and increased multiples for our customers.”

3000 S. I-35 | Suite 320 | Austin, TX 78704 | 512-637-5580 | www.ebquickstart.com

ebQuickstart

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:49 +0000

IT TAKES A VILLAGE OF
SPECIALIZED EXPERTS
ebQUICKSTART USES A TEAM APPROACH TO LEVERAGE SALES AND MARKETING SUCCESS

It can take years to develop a knowledgeable, effective, results-driven sales and marketing department.

Or it can take one phone call – to ebQuickstart, experts in lead generation, data management, sales, marketing and customer service for B2B technology companies.

ebQuickstart has never forgotten that sales and marketing are a team sport. The firm provides its customers with specialized professionals who work together to achieve the desired results.

3000 S. I-35 | Suite 320 | Austin, TX 78704 | 512-637-5580 | www.ebquickstart.com

Realty By Monica LLC

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:45 +0000

THE HOME OF RESIDENTIAL
REAL ESTATE EXCELLENCE
MONICA FOSTER MAKES HER MARK ON THE GREATER CLEAR LAKE AREA

There is no shortage of real estate agents in the Clear Lake Area south of Houston. But there are none quite like Monica Foster.

As a Broker Associate with RE/MAX Space Center and president of Realty By Monica LLC, Foster has the experience, education and marketing that get superior results, as evidenced by a client rating that is through the roof – an amazing 4.95 out of 5 from 140+ reviews. No mere real estate agent, Foster has seen her production increase by 800 percent over the last four years, despite the housing crisis, major NASA program cancellations and hurricane Ike. She was also the #12 RE/MAX Individual Agent for the Greater Houston Area and #24 in Texas for the second quarter of 2012.

Communication, fast response times, accessibility and unique marketing strategies are all part of the Realty By Monica advantage. “I maintain around-the-clock availability through email, text messaging, telephone and Internet resources,” says Foster. “I make it a priority to stay tech and marketing savvy, always going the extra mile for my clients.”

Technology Makes All the Difference
Foster has established her own professional custom websites, a custom, internally developed iPhone/iPad app, custom professional marketing brochures and various online lead-generation avenues. All of these have allowed Realty By Monica to establish its brand while promoting client properties in ways other agents cannot duplicate.

“It’s important for sellers to work with an agent who is experienced and certified in selling, staging and, especially, marketing homes,” says Foster. “Buyers also need a knowledgeable agent to represent them. Whether selling or buying, the key point for prospective clients is to do their due diligence, because all Realtors are not equal.”

Whether she’s helping distressed sellers get out from underneath their mortgage, guiding first-time buyers through the process, getting market value, or higher, for sellers, or helping buyers save money on their purchase, Foster gets satisfaction knowing she can give clients the best representation possible.

“This is quite possibly the largest and most complex financial transaction most people will ever make,” she says. “And that’s why I’m here – to do my best to make it as positive as possible and a lot less stressful.”

RE/MAX Space Center | 1150 Clear Lake City Boulevard #100 Houston, TX 77062 | 281-387-8805
www.RealtyByMonica.com | Monica@RealtyByMonica.com

Realty By Monica LLC

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:45 +0000

THE HOME OF RESIDENTIAL
REAL ESTATE EXCELLENCE
MONICA FOSTER MAKES HER MARK ON THE GREATER CLEAR LAKE AREA

There is no shortage of real estate agents in the Clear Lake Area south of Houston. But there are none quite like Monica Foster.

RE/MAX Space Center | 1150 Clear Lake City Boulevard #100 Houston, TX 77062 | 281-387-8805
www.RealtyByMonica.com | Monica@RealtyByMonica.com

The Monroe Vos Consulting Group

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:38 +0000

WORKING FOR THE CLIENT
AND NO ONE ELSE
THE MONROE VOS CONSULTING GROUP OFFERS AN INDEPENDENT ADVANTAGE

At first glance, The Monroe Vos Consulting Group might appear to be just another thriving, regional investment consulting firm. It holds on to its clients and has served them well, even during economic downturns – especially during the recent economic downturn.

But dig a little deeper and you’ll see this firm offers much more than that. What sets Monroe Vos apart is not so much what it does, but how it does it – as an independent, employee-owned, fee-based firm. All of this means a lot to Jamison Monroe, Chairman and CEO, and Timothy J. Vos, CIMA®, AIFA®, Vice Chairman. But it means even more to the people and institutions they work for.

Monroe Vos oversees more than $5 billion in client assets for primarily institutional clients including endowments, foundations, public and private corporate defined benefit plans, 401(k)/403(b) plans, insurance companies, health care companies, and Taft-Hartley.

The firm’s independence assures clients always get access to the most favorable strategies and products. “Others may charge based on a percentage of assets or sell proprietary products they have a stake in,” says Monroe. “But since we’re independent and fee-based, we have no conflicts of interest. We’re free to make the best decisions strictly on behalf of our clients. We make sure everything we do is completely transparent, always letting our clients know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. Likewise, we believe our clients deserve accountability, and we give it to them.”

The Difference Is Experience
Experience is definitely the firm’s strong suit. Monroe and Vos first met in 1985, went into business together in 1988 and established their current firm in 1994. Monroe has 40 years’ experience in the financial industry; Vos, 27. Together, their institutional investing insight and expertise are unmatched in the Houston area. The partners are joined by a long-standing team of experienced professionals who have a solid understanding of the business and a strong relationship with their clients.

“The unifying theme to everything we do here is that the client’s best interest always comes first,” says Vos. “We agreed to that when we started working together. We decided on the processes and practices we would want ourselves, and then we established those for our clients.”

“For instance, because of what we did in ’08, our clients didn’t lose much,” says Monroe. “And we didn’t lose a client. Most were back to even within 16 months. What matters to us is getting results and achieving client goals. That’s what we work for. That’s what we do. We appreciate the chance to protect and grow our clients’ assets, and our clients appreciate how hard we work for them.”

1001 McKinney Street | Suite 1200
Houston, TX 77002 | 713-227-0010
www.monroevos.com

Wortham Insurance & Risk Management

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:38 +0000

LARGEST TEXAS-BASED INSURANCE BROKERAGE IS LOOKING AHEAD TO ITS SECOND CENTURY OF SERVICE

Bob Hixon is in a reflective mood as the company he has led for the past six years – and served for nearly 40 – prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2015. He is confident the qualities that allowed it to grow and thrive during its first 100 years will serve it equally well for the next century.

“We’re still going to be here in another 100 years,” says Hixon, chairman of the executive board of Wortham Insurance & Risk Management. “We have built the right partnership business model to accomplish that necessary stability and continuity.”

The largest insurance brokerage headquartered in Texas, with over 500 insurance professionals, Wortham offers a wide spectrum of insurance and employee benefits solutions to Fortune 100 companies, public and privately held companies of all sizes, and high-net-worth individuals. The last few years have seen it take an increasingly consultative role in helping businesses to understand and comply with the Affordable Care Act and address escalating health care costs. The company’s ongoing investment in the latest data analysis technology enables it to handle and analyze large quantities of data and bring a comprehensive approach to insurance management decisions.

Wortham has special expertise in meeting the insurance needs of the energy industry, but it also serves health care companies, technology businesses, real estate firms, manufacturers and distributors, restaurants and retail establishments, construction firms, and professional services firms, among others. The company is headquartered in Houston, with offices in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio, and has seen significant growth throughout Texas and beyond over the past 10 to 15 years. It continues to consolidate many of its operational functions across the state for improved efficiency.

Over the years, Wortham has developed significant capabilities in servicing clients with global activities and in arranging insurance coverage and risk management services with international and local foreign carriers.

Consistent Professional Service
According to Hixon, Wortham’s private ownership is key to its remarkable 96 to 97 percent client retention rate, among the highest in the industry. As a privately held company, Wortham is focused totally on its clients, not on shareholders or share price, with the ability to take “a longer view of how we’re going to deliver professional services, without having to worry about what the end of a particular quarter is going to look like.”

But what really sets the company apart, Hixon says, is its “consistent – and consistently high – professional service. Clients especially appreciate the fact that there is very little turnover in the organization, which means they’re dealing with the same people today as three, four, five, even 10 to 15 years ago. In my experience, vigorous, comprehensive client service is the key to success in the world of insurance brokerage.”

2727 Allen Parkway | Houston, TX 77019 | 713-526-3366 | www.worthaminsurance.com

The Monroe Vos Consulting Group

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:38 +0000

WORKING FOR THE CLIENT
AND NO ONE ELSE
THE MONROE VOS CONSULTING GROUP OFFERS AN INDEPENDENT ADVANTAGE

1001 McKinney Street | Suite 1200
Houston, TX 77002 | 713-227-0010
www.monroevos.com

Wortham Insurance & Risk Management

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:38 +0000

LARGEST TEXAS-BASED INSURANCE BROKERAGE IS LOOKING AHEAD TO ITS SECOND CENTURY OF SERVICE

2727 Allen Parkway | Houston, TX 77019 | 713-526-3366 | www.worthaminsurance.com

University of Dallas

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:36 +0000

HANDS-ON, INNOVATIVE,
EXPERIENTIAL – HERE’S HOW TO
GET AHEAD IN BUSINESS
UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Hackers punch through the defenses, steal sensitive information and plant a major corporation on the front pages.

Unfortunately, this isn’t just news. It’s a growing threat. The College of Business at the University of Dallas says, Enough!

Through the Master of Science program in cybersecurity and information and technology management, instructors are arming a rising team of experts to fight back. This is one of seven such programs designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to meet all six NSTISSI/CNSS standards. The college also is designated as a Center of Academic Excellence by NSA and DHS for information assurance.

Experience Matters
“We say, ‘Experience matters,’ and we live that by providing our students hands-on learning,” says Mary Parker, senior assistant dean. “Experience matters in the faculty, too. Our instructors have real-world business experience.”

In addition to the cybersecurity degree, the Master of Science program offers a major in accounting. “It’s approved by the Texas State Board of Accounting and students who complete this program can apply the coursework toward the requirements to sit for the Texas CPA examination,” Scherer says.

A Master of Business Administration – either “early career” or “experienced professional” – is the other graduate degree track, and it closes with the “Capstone Experience,” where students work in the field to improve a strategic or operational issue in a client’s organization. An MS-MBA dual degree is also available.

Celebrating its 10th year in 2013, the college’s liberal arts undergraduate program smoothly meshes practice-based business courses into the rigorous Great Books curriculum. The result is a Bachelor of Arts – and a well-rounded educational experience that prepares students, whether they’re stepping into the workforce or they decide to pursue a graduate degree.

Students from 30 Countries
Almost all classes address international issues. The school has long offered distance learning and refined it as technology evolved. Today, students attend classes on the college grounds, online, or a combination of the two. The university’s online programs open the College of Business to students across the U.S. and anywhere in the world, including American military personnel stationed around the globe. Parker says UD is a military-friendly college, a designation for top schools for service members.

The college offers short international study tours where students explore commerce in another country. They can also study at the university’s campus near Rome, Italy.

“This is a great place for people starting out, and for working professionals who want to advance,” Scherer says.

1845 E. Northgate
Irving, TX 75062
972-721-5000
www.udallas.edu/cob

University of Dallas

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:36 +0000

HANDS-ON, INNOVATIVE,
EXPERIENTIAL – HERE’S HOW TO
GET AHEAD IN BUSINESS
UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Hackers punch through the defenses, steal sensitive information and plant a major corporation on the front pages.

Unfortunately, this isn’t just news. It’s a growing threat. The College of Business at the University of Dallas says, Enough!

The college offers short international study tours where students explore commerce in another country. They can also study at the university’s campus near Rome, Italy.

“This is a great place for people starting out, and for working professionals who want to advance,” Scherer says.

1845 E. Northgate
Irving, TX 75062
972-721-5000
www.udallas.edu/cob

Griffin Communications Group

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:24 +0000

Focused and passionate, this team is all in.

Helping to launch the world’s first commercial spaceliner, marketing cyber security drills for the workforce of tomorrow, driving social media strategy for a Fortune 500 company, unveiling the first global commercial spy plane, and branding the oil refining industry’s first master limited partnership all equate to “just another day at the office” for the team at Griffin Communications Group (Griffin).

Founded in 1997 by Gwen Griffin in Houston, Texas, the agency has evolved from a generalist public relations firm to a full-service strategic communications group focused on serving the aerospace, energy and technology industries. What sets Griffin apart from its competitors is the firm’s strong stakeholder commitment to the industries it serves and its strategic partnership approach to each client’s individual communications goals and needs.

“We recognize that our success turns on the success of our clients and the industries that we serve,” said Gwen Griffin, president and founder.

That might explain why some of the most respected names in aerospace, energy and technology trust their brands to Griffin. Clients that benefit from the firm’s “all-in” philosophy and holistic approach include industry leaders such as CVR Energy, Korn Ferry International’s Global Energy Practice, Virgin Galactic, Bodycote, Orbital Sciences Corporation and L3 Communications.

“Our clients consider us partners and offer us a vital consulting role at the decision-making table,” Griffin said. “They empower us to do our best work as true extensions of their team with no disparity in our collaborative efforts.”

The firm recruits and hires individuals with a proven track record in the areas of strategic communications and branding in the industries it serves. Another common denominator among the members of this dynamic team is an unapologetic passion for all things aerospace, energy and technology.

Griffin has ranked in the top 10 PR Firms by the Houston Business Journal since 2006 and received a number of Silver Anvil, Crystal and numerous other awards.

“What is most important to us is the ability to have impact and drive results for our clients,” Griffin said. “At the end of the day, a successful campaign and a happy client are worth a thousand awards.”

www.GriffinCG.com
3101 NASA Parkway • Suite L • Seabrook, Tx 77586 • 281.335.0200
Jeff Carr, Senior Vice President of Aerospace Communications – jeff@griffincg.com
Marti Boone, Senior Vice President of Energy & Technology – marti@griffincg.com

Griffin Communications Group

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:24 +0000

Focused and passionate, this team is all in.

“We recognize that our success turns on the success of our clients and the industries that we serve,” said Gwen Griffin, president and founder.

Griffin has ranked in the top 10 PR Firms by the Houston Business Journal since 2006 and received a number of Silver Anvil, Crystal and numerous other awards.

Sirius Solutions

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:17 +0000

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO THE MOST COMPLEX BUSINESS CHALLENGES
SIRIUS SOLUTIONS OFFERS INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

A group of private equity investors was trying to sell an international company to a larger, publicly held company. The investors had neither the staff nor the expertise to optimize the business processes and address the financial statements. They turned to Sirius Solutions to get the job done.

“We rapidly deployed our team of professionals to Brazil, the UK and Singapore. We were able to expedite the deliverables necessary to complete and compress the sale process,” says Bruce Dodd, Sirius’ chief development officer.

Challenges like this are routine for Sirius Solutions, an independent business consulting firm specializing in financial advisory, business operations, compliance and controls, legal and economic advisory, and technology. The company brings to bear a unique combination of industry experience and technical expertise to help clients find sustainable solutions to the most complex business challenges.

“We help companies operate under tight time constraints, operational demands and regulatory pressure,” says CEO Kristi Chickering.

Managing Change
“We help our clients address and manage change,” Dodd says. “The need for change may arise from forces within the industry, regulations, a merger, an acquisition, a divestiture or significant growth. Our clients need timely, effective solutions to the challenges presented by these changes.”

As a case in point, Dodd recalls a publicly traded, $2 billion oilfield services company that found itself in a quandary during the early days of Sarbanes-Oxley implementation. “Lacking clear direction on how to address the law’s complex regulations, the company turned to us for assistance.”

“Sirius provided expertise and excellent resources to implement a strategic, standardized compliance infrastructure,” says the company’s Director of Compliance. “They participated in weekly steering committee meetings with senior management and external auditors to ensure the project was tightly managed, on target and on budget. As a result, we were able to reduce our costs by 50 percent for two consecutive years.”

Another recent assignment involved helping a publicly held offshore transportation service company upgrade the quality and efficiency of its SEC filings. Sirius Solutions also provided an interim CFO to oversee the operations.

Whatever the challenge, clients benefit from the collective expertise and skill sets of Sirius’ talented and knowledgeable workforce, which includes former CIOs, CFOs, CAOs and risk management officers. These professionals, who average more than 15 years’ experience in their respective fields, typically establish peer-to-peer relationships with their counterparts at client organizations.

1233 West Loop South, Suite 1800
Houston, TX 77027 | 713-888-0488 | www.sirsol.com

Sirius Solutions

EMI Network — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:00:17 +0000

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO THE MOST COMPLEX BUSINESS CHALLENGES
SIRIUS SOLUTIONS OFFERS INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

“We help companies operate under tight time constraints, operational demands and regulatory pressure,” says CEO Kristi Chickering.

1233 West Loop South, Suite 1800
Houston, TX 77027 | 713-888-0488 | www.sirsol.com

Whitney Bank

EMI Network — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:00:55 +0000

HOUSTON’S ECONOMY IS STRONG, AND
WHITNEY BANK IS A GROWING LEADER
IN THE REGIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY

whitneybank.com
713-951-7100

Trigger Point Performance

EMI Network — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:00:50 +0000

POSITIONED TO CLAIM SIGNIFICANT SHARE IN SELF-CARE MARKET

888-312-2557 toll free | 512-300-2804 outside U.S.
info@tptherapy.com | www.tptherapy.com

ebQuickstart

EMI Network — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:00:49 +0000

IT TAKES A VILLAGE OF
SPECIALIZED EXPERTS
ebQUICKSTART USES A TEAM APPROACH TO LEVERAGE SALES AND MARKETING SUCCESS

It can take years to develop a knowledgeable, effective, results-driven sales and marketing department.

Or it can take one phone call – to ebQuickstart, experts in lead generation, data management, sales, marketing and customer service for B2B technology companies.

ebQuickstart has never forgotten that sales and marketing are a team sport. The firm provides its customers with specialized professionals who work together to achieve the desired results.

3000 S. I-35 | Suite 320 | Austin, TX 78704 | 512-637-5580 | www.ebquickstart.com

Realty By Monica LLC

EMI Network — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:00:45 +0000

THE HOME OF RESIDENTIAL
REAL ESTATE EXCELLENCE
MONICA FOSTER MAKES HER MARK ON THE GREATER CLEAR LAKE AREA

There is no shortage of real estate agents in the Clear Lake Area south of Houston. But there are none quite like Monica Foster.

RE/MAX Space Center | 1150 Clear Lake City Boulevard #100 Houston, TX 77062 | 281-387-8805
www.RealtyByMonica.com | Monica@RealtyByMonica.com

Wortham Insurance & Risk Management

EMI Network — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:00:38 +0000

LARGEST TEXAS-BASED INSURANCE BROKERAGE IS LOOKING AHEAD TO ITS SECOND CENTURY OF SERVICE

2727 Allen Parkway | Houston, TX 77019 | 713-526-3366 | www.worthaminsurance.com

The Monroe Vos Consulting Group

EMI Network — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:00:38 +0000

WORKING FOR THE CLIENT
AND NO ONE ELSE
THE MONROE VOS CONSULTING GROUP OFFERS AN INDEPENDENT ADVANTAGE

1001 McKinney Street | Suite 1200
Houston, TX 77002 | 713-227-0010
www.monroevos.com

University of Dallas

EMI Network — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:00:36 +0000

HANDS-ON, INNOVATIVE,
EXPERIENTIAL – HERE’S HOW TO
GET AHEAD IN BUSINESS
UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Hackers punch through the defenses, steal sensitive information and plant a major corporation on the front pages.

Unfortunately, this isn’t just news. It’s a growing threat. The College of Business at the University of Dallas says, Enough!

The college offers short international study tours where students explore commerce in another country. They can also study at the university’s campus near Rome, Italy.

“This is a great place for people starting out, and for working professionals who want to advance,” Scherer says.

1845 E. Northgate
Irving, TX 75062
972-721-5000
www.udallas.edu/cob

Griffin Communications Group

EMI Network — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:00:24 +0000

Focused and passionate, this team is all in.

“We recognize that our success turns on the success of our clients and the industries that we serve,” said Gwen Griffin, president and founder.

Griffin has ranked in the top 10 PR Firms by the Houston Business Journal since 2006 and received a number of Silver Anvil, Crystal and numerous other awards.

Sirius Solutions

EMI Network — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:00:17 +0000

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO THE MOST COMPLEX BUSINESS CHALLENGES
SIRIUS SOLUTIONS OFFERS INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

“We help companies operate under tight time constraints, operational demands and regulatory pressure,” says CEO Kristi Chickering.

1233 West Loop South, Suite 1800
Houston, TX 77027 | 713-888-0488 | www.sirsol.com

Rodgers Capital, Inc.

EMI Network — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 01:00:54 +0000

Outstanding Financial Guidance, Strong Client Relationships

Enough was enough. With over 30 years as a financial advisor, Gary R. Rodgers, CPA/PFS, CFP®, ChFC, CFS developed a vision. After years of being restricted as a financial advisor, Rodgers decided to hold his actions in highest regard for his clients’ best interests. The best way to truly make this happen was to become an independent advisor. The catalyst originated when Rodgers was exhausted by being bound to sell proprietary investment products. In December 2009, he launched Rodgers Capital, Inc. (RCI). The majority of Rodgers’ clients stayed loyal and made the move with him to RCI. “We are still continuing to add new clients at RCI who were previous clients.” After reviewing and having the luxury of selecting his own broker-dealer, Rodgers found the best fit for his vision was WFG Investments Inc. (WFG), member FINRA & SIPC, a subsidiary of Williams Financial Group. WFG is one of the nation’s 50 fastest growing independent broker-dealers. “They’re on the leading edge, like we are,” says Rodgers, who is President and Chairman of RCI.

Accomplished Professionals
Rodgers and the company’s six other professionals work strategically to protect and grow assets. Their work motto is “You Get the Whole Team.” Skilled in portfolio management, they seek to help clients work toward enjoying a steady income after retirement to help ease financial concerns. Rodgers says, “Our team has more than 80 years of experience in both the public and private sectors of the securities industry.”

The company specializes in planning and managing life events for clients, ranging from marriage, to educational planning, to saving for retirement, to receiving a payout, and changes that families face after deaths. Through life’s hurdles, RCI stands next to its clients and guides them through their financial decisions.

Good Value, Solid Values
Rodgers says that many clients have become like family. “They know we are an exceptional resource. They know we treat them fairly on fees. They know we’ll tell them if an investment isn’t right for them, because we care about their future.” Rodgers developed this approach earlier in his career, in his work on behalf of public and state employees, and these standards are solidly in place for his clients. Rodgers’ values and careful holistic decision making show in many ways, as well as always providing sound financial advice.

The company provides individual excellence awards for faculty, administrators and staff at institutions of higher education, including endowed scholarships for students and faculty; sponsors international symposiums to update students and educators on world events; and holds client appreciation meetings that include information on the economy and the investment world.

“At Rodgers Capital we pride ourselves in the three core values that drive us: Integrity, Independence, and Individual Investor Solutions,” Rodgers says. “The most important investment our clients make is their trust in us.”

Austin Office: 2500 West William Cannon Building 3, Suite 303 | Austin, Texas 78745 (512) 291-7570 | Toll-Free: (800) 628-3460
San Angelo Office: 2113 Mesquite Lane San Angelo, Texas 76904 | (325) 658-8388
info@rodgerscapitalinc.com | www.rodgerscapitalinc.com

Rodgers Capital, Inc. is a branch office of WFG Investments, Inc. (WFG). Securities offered through WFG Investments, Inc., member SIPC & FINRA. Registered Representative of WFG.

Self Directed IRA Services, Inc.

EMI Network — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 01:00:15 +0000

Giving Investors More Solutions to Build Wealth in Self-directed IRAs

In light of the uncertainty in the stock market, savvy investors are driven to find alternatives to traditional investments and their financial advisors are eagerly seeking custodians to hold their clients’ outside-the-box investments. Self-directed IRAs are becoming increasingly popular choices for select, experienced investors who want to take control of their financial future.

“Self-directed IRAs offer almost unlimited flexibility,” explains Kelli Click, president of Self Directed IRA Services, Inc., a leading custodian of alternative and traditional investments in self-directed IRAs.

“Investors and advisors are looking to alternative investments as a way to rebuild wealth in retirement portfolios. With a self-directed IRA, one can invest in assets not typically available through brokers and banks, including real estate, precious metals, private equity or debt, venture capital, start-up companies, promissory notes, mortgages, trust deeds and more. You don’t have to settle for ordinary investments like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs.”

Horizon Bank launched Self Directed IRA Services, Inc. in 2008 to meet the growing need for third-party custodial services. The company grew from $50M under administration to $320M in less than three years. With two offices in Austin and Waco, the company has 15 employees who serve individuals and their financial advisors, attorneys, accountants and other professionals throughout the U.S.

Self-directed IRAs are often opened by independent-minded individuals who either have IRA savings to transfer or have a 401(k) or other retirement plan to rollover when they leave their job or retire. Clients are using the IRA to seize opportunities to acquire residential or commercial property, buy private bank stock, provide venture capital funding to a start-up, finance the capital needs of an existing business, purchase precious metals, invest in oil, gas and alternative energy, or nearly any investment opportunity imaginable.

Among the different companies offering self-directed IRAs in the marketplace, one feature that sets Self Directed IRA Services, Inc. apart is that it’s regulated by federal and state banking authorities. “Opening a self-directed IRA directly with an IRA custodian provides distinct safeguards compared to working with an administrator or other middleman. As a regulated entity, we tend to be more conservative when it comes to the types of assets we’ll hold,” says Click. “With more self-directed IRA transactions coming under scrutiny of the IRS and the recent media attention focused on investment fraud in self directed IRAs, it’s important for investors to understand the risks involved before they invest.”

www.sdiraservices.com
866-928-9394 or 512-637-5739
info@SDIRAServices.com

Self Directed IRA Services, Inc. acts only as a passive IRA custodian and does not sell or promote investment products or provide tax, legal or investment advice.
Investment products: Not FDIC insured. No bank guarantee. May lose value.

Broadway Bank

EMI Network — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 01:00:09 +0000

Private Banking and Wealth Management at Broadway Bank
The personalized banking you deserve.

Private Banking and Wealth Management at Broadway Bank offer a unique, personal banking experience that truly delivers the individualized attention you deserve.

Private Banking – Banking Made Simple
As a Private Banking customer, you’ll have full access to our oncierge banking, customized lending, and business and wealth management solutions. At Broadway Bank one call connects you with your Private Banker, who is ready to assist you with your accounts, loans, investments and all your financial needs. This same banker quickly becomes your global trusted advisor and a conduit to an entire network of other professional advisors.

“If you’re looking for financial and life solutions, look to Private Banking and Wealth Management at Broadway Bank – you won’t be disappointed,” says Harvey Hartenstine, president of Broadway Bank’s Austin region. “We have seasoned professionals you can trust with the resources to be competitive and a business model designed to hold us accountable and ensure we are always putting our clients first.”

Wealth Management – Trusted Solutions to Build, Preserve and Transfer WealthWealth Management at Broadway Bank delivers consistent and individualized advice to its customers. “Our clients experience the difference we bring every day,” says Pamela K. Parish, CFP®, group executive vice president of Wealth Management. “Our priority is to provide the highest level of service while meeting the unique objectives of each client.”

In deciding where to invest clients’ money, the Wealth Management professionals not only take full advantage of research from major Wall Street firms and independent sources, they supplement this information with local research of their own. Industry-leading analytics software and sophisticated asset allocation models including style diversification contribute to the excellent outcomes.

A Business Model with a Competitive AdvantageAs an independent and family-owned organization, Broadway Bank employs a business model that helps our bankers utilize its considerable resources more efficiently to positively impact the client experience.

“Being family owned and operated makes us fully accountable and accessible,” says Howard Lutz, group executive vice president of Private Banking. “We’re a relationship bank with a ‘360 degree’ approach. Many of our relationships span several generations through all seasons of life. Our clients range from professionals who are growing successful businesses to high-net-worth individuals concerned about protecting their wealth and the family members of the next generation.”

Consistent Strength and StabilityBroadway Bank is consistently recognized for its stability, safety and strength by many national independent bank rating services. In fact, Bauer Financial recently awarded Broadway Bank a 5-star rating — the highest possible rating.

Broadway Bank continues to grow and has reached $2.6 billion in total assets and $2.3 billion in deposits. Even in these uncertain and challenging times, Broadway Bank maintains its strength and stability so our customers can feel confident Broadway Bank is, indeed, here for good.

LOAN PRODUCTION OFFICE now in austin at 2905 san gabriel, suite 309.
210.283.6500 | 800.531.7650 | broadwaybank.com

39 Neighborhood locations | Member FDIC
Investment products not FDIC insured. Not a Deposit. Not Insured by any Federal Government Agency. Not Bank Guaranteed. May Lose Value

South Texas Brain & Spine

EMI Network — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:55:23 +0000

Corpus Christi Home to  World-Class Center for Neurological Disorders

With the opening of South Texas Brain & Spine Center in Corpus Christi in 2008, some of the most sophisticated advances in the field of neurosurgery are now easily accessible to patients in the Coastal Bend of Texas. “We are able to treat diseases and injuries of the brain and spine previously considered inoperable, and most patients are returning home rapidly with little discomfort,” explains board-certified neurosurgeon Mathew T. Alexander, M.D.

Dr. Alexander began practicing in Corpus Christi in 2004 after completing his general surgery internship at the Medical College of Georgia (including nine years under renowned neurosurgeon Sanford J. Larson) and a neurosurgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He is the Chair of Surgery and Neurosurgery at all Spohn Health System hospitals. Dr. Alexander is joined by Langham Gleason, M.D. at South Texas Brain & Spine, a comprehensive adult neurosurgery practice and the only Level II Trauma adult neurosurgery center in the area.

South Texas Brain & Spine is a leader in minimally invasive spine surgery to remove tumors, place artificial discs, and treat spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and vertebral fractures. “Patients experience fuller and quicker recovery because the muscles around the spine are not pulled away as they would be during traditional surgery. For many who require spinal fusion to correct certain conditions such as broken vertebrae, spinal deformity, spinal weakness, spinal instability or chronic low back pain, their procedure may be able to be done on an outpatient basis, and often they are back to work in a week,” says Dr. Alexander, who uses stem cell therapy to encourage faster healing after spinal fusion.

Dr. Alexander and his team have introduced state-of-the-art treatments for tumors, anomalies and diseases that affect any part of the nervous system. For example, Dr. Alexander performed the first artificial joint replacement in the state. Christus Spohn Shoreline recently purchased a CyberKnife, a noninvasive, high-energy radiation treatment tool that precisely targets metastatic lesions without incisions. In addition, Spohn has installed a world-class Brainlab. The lab’s computer-assisted imaging technology allows Dr. Alexander to “see” the actual position of the surgical instruments and any changes in the location of tumor tissue while the patient is in the operating room, minimizing the need for repeat surgery.

South Texas Brain & Spine is also a leader in deep brain stimulation, a highly effective treatment for intractable symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, as well as peripheral nerve surgery like carpal tunnel surgery, the placement of pain pumps/stimulators to treat chronic pain, and kyphoplasty.

“This highly complex medical field is continually advancing,” says Dr. Alexander. “We’re committed to staying on the cutting edge.”

1227 3rd. St. | Corpus Christi, TX 78404 | 361-883-4323
302 E. Airline | Victoria, TX 77901 | 361-576-1411
http://southtexasbrainandspine.com

Athas Health-North American Spine

EMI Network — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:38:14 +0000

Minimally Invasive Care – From Inside the Spine

More than 1.2 million back surgeries are performed in the United States each year. About 450,000 fail – at a huge cost in lost workdays, lost wages . . . and pain.

Typically spine surgeons base the patient’s procedure off their MRI, which is a freeze frame snapshot of the problem – not necessarily giving the doctor all the needed information, says Vladimir Redko, M.D., an independent practitioner in Houston, Texas.

Traditional spine surgery often requires cutting through muscle and bone, then moving nerve tissue to reach the spot where the physician believes, based on an MRI, the trouble is. “Although the disc levels may look bad on a MRI,” Dr. Redko says, “it’s impossible to tell which ones cause the pain based off the MRI scan.”

Because of this, Dr. Redko uses an advanced minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) approach: North American Spine’s exclusive AccuraScope® Discectomy and Neural Decompression. In this procedure, Dr. Redko inserts a thin, steerable catheter, complete with an endoscopic camera and working ports for treatment devices, through a 3mm incision at the base of the spine.

“I can look at all of the lumbar spinal structures in high definition bilaterally,” he says. “This offers significant advantages of being able to diagnose and treat at the same time.”

Inside the spinal canal, Dr. Redko can see the injury causing disc disruption, bone spurs, ligament damage, and scarring that the body is actively trying to repair. He can then individualize treatment at each of these painful structures with different minimally invasive tools, or simultaneously guide one of his surgical colleagues to a specific area in need of an alternate MISS technique.

“Long-term, multicenter research, published by the Department of Neurosurgery at LSU Health Science Center, confirms that this method significantly reduces pain and increases quality of life for most patients, even those who have Failed Back Surgery Syndrome,” says Dr. Redko. “Its unique ability to both diagnose and treat more problem areas with more clarity and less invasion has made it an appealing MISS alternative as we strive to reduce the number of failed spine surgeries.”

Offered in multiple centers worldwide, the AccuraScope’s advanced approach requires intensive physician training and is becoming increasingly available in the United States.

Like all AccuraScope-trained physicians, Dr. Redko emphasizes evidence-based medicine and conservative algorithms for spine pain treatment. In all, North American Spine provides more than 40 diagnostic and therapeutic spine interventions, and tailors recommendations to each patient’s individual case.

Patients are encouraged to send their MRI or CT Scan report for a free evaluation.

Toll Free 888-327-7228
www.BeyondMinimallyInvasive.com
CURRENT LOCATIONS
Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | Hackensack, NJ

Athas Health-Migraine Treatment Centers of America

EMI Network — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:15:33 +0000

New Procedure Gives Chronic Migraines a Break

Migraines are maddening. Ask anyone who has had one. And a chronic migraine can be so frequent and severe that it keeps the person from working, or even venturing outside.

Chronic migraine treatment options historically have been extremely limited. Fortunately, advances in modern medicine are providing solutions for chronic migraines that did not exist just a few years ago.

“My typical patient has tried medications, but they don’t work. Has tried multiple injections of nerves of the head. Has tried Botox injections. Has tried hypnosis, biofeedback and relaxation techniques. Sometimes they’ve tried surgery – doesn’t work. Most have very severe daily headaches,” says Ioannis Skaribas, M.D., who practices independently at Migraine Treatment Centers of America in Houston, Texas.

Migraine Treatment Centers of America offers a long-term solution: the Omega™ migraine procedure. It is a surgical procedure involving neurostimulation, which uses gentle stimulation to confuse nerves, preventing pain signals from being transmitted to the brain. The technology has been used in pain management for more than 40 years.

Before recommending a treatment option, Dr. Skaribas’ first step is to interview the patient about his chronic headaches and treatment history. For those who are candidates, he explains the Omega procedure.

The second step is a 7-10 day test. Dr. Skaribas places thin leads with electrodes under the skin, using light anesthesia, and then asks the patient to live life normally. A majority of the chronic migraine patients have responded to neurostimulation, effectively switching off the pain.

Like the test phase, the permanent implant is minimally invasive. Dr. Skaribas places the leads under the skin on both sides and at the front and back of the head. He also implants a small battery that is programmed and charged wirelessly.

Research shows that using four leads instead of two (the traditional approach) significantly increases effectiveness. “So far, the procedure is very successful,” says Dr. Skaribas. And many insurance plans cover it.

According to Dr. Skaribas, Migraine Treatment Centers of America provides superb support and education for patients. “I have a very personalized practice,” he says. “We offer excellence in interventional pain management.”

Patients are encouraged to call for a free one-on-one consultation.

855-336-3876 | www.OmegaMigraineProcedure.com 

South Texas Brain & Spine

EMI Network — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 01:55:23 +0000

Corpus Christi Home to  World-Class Center for Neurological Disorders

“This highly complex medical field is continually advancing,” says Dr. Alexander. “We’re committed to staying on the cutting edge.”

1227 3rd. St. | Corpus Christi, TX 78404 | 361-883-4323
302 E. Airline | Victoria, TX 77901 | 361-576-1411
http://southtexasbrainandspine.com

Brookdale Senior Living

EMI Network — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:41:15 +0000

Brookdale Senior Living® is the leading provider of Retirement Living and Healthcare Solutions in Texas. Regardless of where you live in the Lone Star State, there is a Brookdale community near you. Our communities offer the services you or your loved one need and the options you want, including Independent Living, Personalized Assisted Living, Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care, Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing, Home Health, Hospice and more.

Southwest Securities, FSB

EMI Network — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 01:45:05 +0000

Trusted Advisor. Reliable Financial Resource.
Businesses Throughout Texas and New Mexico Count on Southwest Securities, FSB for All Their Banking Needs

Relationships or resources? Regional bank or national powerhouse? It’s a frequent dilemma for businesses seeking the right financial resource provider.

But there’s no need to choose, says Robert Chereck, Executive Chairman and President of Southwest Securities, FSB, one of the largest banks headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Southwest Securities, FSB offers the best of both.

As a subsidiary of NYSE-traded SWS Group, Inc., a 40-year-old financial services firm, Southwest Securities, FSB has access to the wide-ranging resources of a major financial services firm. Yet with regional presidents in markets throughout Texas and New Mexico, it also offers the hands-on personal service and streamlined loan approval process more typical of a smaller, regional institution.

“Our people know the local community and the key players; they understand what’s happening in the local economy,” Chereck says. “This enhances our ability to serve the commercial, SBA and real estate sectors that are our areas of lending expertise.”

Strong Capital Base
Thanks to SWS Group’s $100 million capital raise last fall, and ongoing funding in the form of deposits from SWS’s brokerage customer balances, the bank has a very strong capital base. “We are well positioned to continue making loans and to grow significantly,” Chereck says.

While Chereck takes pride in the bank’s wide array of sophisticated financial services, what really sets it apart, he says, is service. “We do a lot more than peddle financial services and products. Our customers look to us as a trusted resource and advisor.”

According to Chereck, the bank’s experienced professional bankers take the time to get to know and understand each customer and his or her business needs, and then to develop a financial plan spelling out the loans and other services needed to achieve success.

“If you’re going to help someone grow and expand their business, if you’re going to add value, you first have to understand their specific cash-flow needs, their sales and production processes, and everything else that makes their business unique,” Chereck says. “And that’s exactly what customers can expect at Southwest Securities, FSB.”

ViewPoint Bank

EMI Network — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 01:44:44 +0000

Putting Decision Makers in Front of Decision Makers
ViewPoint Bank’s Back-to-Basics Take on Commercial Lending

ViewPoint Bank President and CEO Kevin Hanigan is just as likely to be paying a sales call to a local business owner as he is to be found in his corner office overseeing the $3.5 billion asset bank. And the companies who do business with him know he’ll pick up the phone when they call.

The responsiveness of Kevin and his commercial lending team, combined with their experience and speed in making decisions, positions ViewPoint Bank as a strong contender in the highly competitive North Texas commercial lending market.

Here’s how the longtime commercial lender/CEO and his experienced business banking team at ViewPoint make the deals that support our local businesses and North Texas communities.

‘We’re not good-time Charlies.’
While the economy has had its ups and downs, Kevin insists there’s no good or bad time for making commercial loans: “Regardless of what’s happening in the economy, there are always good privately held businesses in our backyard. And we always want to finance them. We’re not ‘good-time Charlies.’

“We’re fortunate to be in North Texas where businesses are expanding. That helps employment; it helps housing; it helps the tax base of our cities.

“Plus, these businesses bring true core relationships to the bank. I want business owners to know we’re there to bank every-thing they’ve got. You got a kid who needs a car? We’ll make that loan. Nothing’s too small. That’s the cornerstone of relationship banking.”

‘Can that 28-year-old make that elephant dance?’
Kevin and his team believe in cutting through typical big-bank bureaucracy by putting people who can make lending decisions in front of the business owners.

“Say you want to buy a building and you go to one of the big banks,” he says. “You’ve got a 28-year-old saying, ‘I love the deal, but I can’t approve it. So let me bring this to the loan committee.’ Well, you’re wondering who’s on that committee and is that 28-year-old going to go back there and make that elephant dance? All too often that junior banker will get the deal approved, but it doesn’t look like the deal you signed. Had you known, you might not have gone down that path.

“That’s not going to happen when you talk to decision makers. Our philosophy is to put decision makers in front of decision makers. At ViewPoint Bank, you’ll often have the loan committee sitting right there with you.”

‘I really want to make your loan, but that’s a bad company to buy.’
With experience comes the skill of knowing when a deal isn’t a deal for a business. Kevin’s been a commercial lender for 31 years, and his commercial lending team members have from 19 to 31 years of experience. So they freely dole out advice on more than just financing—they truly know how to run a business.

Says Kevin, “I had to tell a business owner, ‘You don’t want to do this. I really want to make you this loan, but that’s a bad company to buy. This is not one you’ll want to bet the farm on.’ He appreciated that we were looking out for him.”

‘You need us after hours? Giddyup, we’re on our way.’
Bankers’ hours are a little different for the commercial lenders at ViewPoint Bank. “I’ve had people call me weekends, nights, at home,” says Kevin. “You need us after hours? Giddyup, we’re on our way.”

972-578-5000 • viewpointbank.com

Comerica Bank

EMI Network — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 01:21:47 +0000

Comerica Bank: Helping Texas Businesses Succeed Recent Acquisition Enhances Network of Largest Texas-Based U.S. Bank

With the completion of its Sterling Bancshares acquisition on July 28, 2011, Comerica Bank significantly boosted its Texas presence with a solid deposit base and a well-located banking center network. With offices and retail banking centers throughout its headquarters city of Dallas, as well as in Austin, Fort Worth, Houston, Kerrville and San Antonio, the largest U.S. bank headquartered in Texas continues a tradition of helping clients and businesses achieve their financial goals. As an innovative financial services partner, Comerica provides a wide range of solutions that support businesses at every stage of their growth.

“At Comerica, we have a strong focus on relationship banking, and on helping people and businesses to be successful. Every company has a vision, and our role is sharing in that vision and helping develop strategies to make it a reality,” says Pat Faubion, Texas market president.

To do this, Comerica offers clients everything they need to run a successful business or manage their personal affairs, including services, products, expertise and technology – along with a commitment to building strong, enduring relationships.

“Comerica has remained successful by staying close to our clients and delivering the exceptional service that has been our hallmark for more than 160 years,” says Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ralph W. Babb Jr.

Many of the bank’s relationship managers have been with the company for 20 years or more, and this longevity builds confidence among clients and provides a comforting level of consistency through all economic cycles, including the current one.

“Our clients appreciate getting to know and work with the same experienced people year after year, people who understand their business and financial needs,” explains Faubion. “We offer relationship banking in the truest sense.”

Comerica prides itself on its relationship-based, holistic approach to business banking, says Babb. “We make loans. We deliver superior banking products. We serve as trusted advisors who allow clients to be more successful, because we understand their business and personal goals and use that knowledge to help them refine their business strategy.”

Meeting Clients’ Personal Financial Goals
“We go beyond clients’ business needs to meet their personal financial goals as well,” says Faubion. Comerica offers wealth planning, private banking and trust services, as well as investments and insurance solutions to its clients.
“Our Wealth Management services have become increasingly important to our clientele. We manage the assets of business owners, individuals and families, and we do so with foresight, prudence and skill,” adds Faubion.

www.comerica.com

The Voss Law Firm

EMI Network — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:19:03 +0000

A VOICE for the VOICELESS

A commercial property owner receives a woefully inadequate settlement offer from his insurance company after the property is severely damaged by catastrophic weather.

Customers are charged excessive overdraft fees as a result of deceptive practices by their bank.

An elderly woman is swindled out of her life savings by a fraudulent gold-coin dealer. No case is too big, and no client too small, for The Voss Law Firm, which represented the plaintiffs in all three of the above cases. “People have more power than they may realize,” says Scott Hunziker, the law firm’s Head of Litigation and Lead Trial and Appellate Counsel. “But you have to have the right advocate, someone who understands the law, which is constantly evolving, and will fight for their clients’ rights.”

According to Hunziker, The Voss Law Firm has successfully done battle against the wealthiest insurance companies in the U.S. and abroad, representing everyone from individual homeowners to large condominium associations whose property has been damaged or destroyed by wind, hail, fire, flood or vandalism. Claims have ranged from $50,000 to $20 million. “We know how to turn the tables in favor of policyholders who have had their rights stripped away,” Hunziker says. The law firm has also recovered millions of dollars for consumers misled about the value of their investments, such as gold coins and other purchases. And it is currently pursuing class actions against banks that are “abusing the trust of their customers by charging excessive fees and overdraft charges that are not legitimately owed.”

The attorneys at the Voss Law Firm handle all their cases personally and will fight through trial and appeal. “We realize that no two cases are exactly the same,” Hunziker says, “and we pride ourselves in working closely with each client from the very beginning to understand the complexity and potential of each case. This helps us put the most money in the client’s pocket. Whatever the matter at hand, we will push it hard through the court system to enforce our clients’ rights and ensure they receive the recoveries they’re entitled to.”

The Voss Law Firm is based in The Woodlands, Texas, but serves an increasingly national clientele. Demand for its services continues to grow, as word of its success is spreading rapidly across the country. The firm may have succeeded beyond founder Bill Voss’ imagination, but it has never forsaken “the little guy,” Hunziker says. “We work together for people who don’t realize they have a voice. That’s what we do, and we do it well.”

26619 Interstate 45 South | The Woodlands, TX 77380 | 281-VICTORY (842-8679) | Toll Free: 866-276-6179 www.vosslawfirm.com | www.deniedclaim.com

Kennedy & Associates

EMI Network — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:34:07 +0000

EXCEPTIONAL ESTATE PLANNING EXPERTISE

Kennedy & Associates Offers Accessible Board-Certified Attorneys

In the current political and financial environment, where the nation’s top earners have already been targeted for additional taxation, it’s more important than ever for the wealthy to be proactive in their estate planning. Given the complexities involved, they should turn to seasoned veterans like Tom Kennedy and David Jackson for advice.

Kennedy practices full time in the area of estate planning, and he and Jackson are both board certified in estate planning and probate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a designation earned by about 1 percent of attorneys in Texas. Kennedy has taught graduate-level estate planning courses at Rice University and St. Thomas University, and Jackson currently teaches estate and gift taxation at the University of Houston-Downtown. Kennedy has been interviewed by Houston-area radio and television news programs on numerous occasions related to financial and estate planning issues.

“Perhaps the best thing we offer our clients is access,” says Kennedy. “When they hire us, they can be sure either David or myself will be working for them every step of the way.

We’re the ones with the credentials, experience and knowledge. They will not get passed off to junior attorneys, which is the case at a lot of firms.”

Through the end of 2012, each person can make tax-free lifetime gifts of up to $5 million. “There are very powerful techniques to leverage this ability to transfer wealth,” says Kennedy, “but much of this ability will be lost if the gift tax exemption is not extended.”

Asset protection and business-succession planning are often overlooked in estate planning. “In today’s litigious society, protecting assets from lawsuits is especially important,” says Kennedy. “Further, business owners need to carefully consider the future of their business and the consequence of leaving the business in the hands of a spouse or child. An alternate exit strategy may be in order.”

Despite the complexities involved, the attorneys pride themselves in their ability to explain the process to their clients. “I want our clients to fully understand what they are doing,” says Jackson. “I think we do a very good job of teaching them such that they understand the benefits of various planning techniques.”

The federal estate and gift tax does not affect everyone. The firm also represents clients whose net worth is below the current estate tax threshold. According to Jackson, “Everyone’s estate is important to us, because it is important to them. We are more than willing to assist clients with any size estate.”

“There are many difficult decisions to be made when planning an estate,” says Kennedy. “We consider it our duty to guide clients through each of them, step by step.”

5851 San Felipe Street, Suite 925 • Houston, TX 77057 713-783-7444 • www.houstonestateplanning.com

Alicia Trevino Uptown Century 21

EMI Network — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:22:16 +0000

Powerhouse Negotiator Leads Century 21’s Dallas Uptown Luxury Home Office

When the world’s largest residential real estate sales organization, Century 21, launched its Luxury Home division in Dallas’ prestigious Uptown community in 2009, it recruited Alicia Trevino to direct the new office. Among the nation’s leading real estate negotiators, Trevino is considered one of the industry’s “Top Guns.” Negotiating with major players such as HUD, Bank of America and Fannie Mae, she and her team have skillfully handled up to 700 transactions annually.

“Because we’ve seen it all, we are not easily daunted by seemingly impossible challenges,” says Trevino. “We’re also able to give frank advice based on our experience.”

Trevino cut her teeth in the industry 23 years ago, working for the commercial divisions of Trammel Crow, Prentiss Properties and Rosewood Corporation, and began honing her negotiating finesse. She previously served as assistant to the vice president of marketing for The Dallas Morning News, which is where she developed her  marketing savvy.

When she turned again to real estate, this time as a Realtor focusing on residential sales, Trevino joined Century 21 in 1989. In her first year, she was named the #1 agent in the state. After a move to Coldwell Banker, she immediately ranked among that company’s top 10 nationwide, a position she held for three consecutive years. In 2004 Trevino became an independent agent and by 2008 was placed among the Real Estate Top 200 by the National Association of Realtors.

Throughout her career, Trevino has demonstrated an uncanny ability to envision hidden possibilities and react rapidly to unforeseen changes. Her candid advice led a developer of a community of moderately priced homes in Rockwall-Heath to convert his plans to feature estates in the $1-2 million range. Trevino and her team set up an office there and sold every property within 12 months.

When the real estate market changed dramatically in 2008, Trevino adapted. Reorganizing her team and becoming an REO specialist agent, she negotiated transactions for the massive inventory held by the three Dallas-area HUD asset managers. As bank-held inventory dwindled, the prescient Trevino again reorganized the agents as short-sales specialists.

Sensing that the timing is right now for the luxury market, Trevino nimbly assembled a specialized team with the skills and experience to serve owners and buyers of high-end properties. Complementing Trevino’s flair for negotiating and marketing, the team includes creative webmasters, SEO experts, gifted photographers and talented stagers. “The efforts of my team and the international presence of Century 21 combine to give extraordinary properties exposure to discriminating homebuyers worldwide.”

CENTURY 21 Alicia Trevino Realtors Uptown
3300 Oak Lawn Ave., Suite 201 Dallas, TX 75219
214-876-4567
aliciatrevinouptown.com

CDI Corporation

EMI Network — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:13:19 +0000

Engineering and Technology Solutions, Worldwide

Providing quality service is one thing. Being flexible to change as the client grows, being attentive to what the client truly needs and really understanding the importance of client service excellence is what sets a company apart.

“We sincerely value our client relationships,” says Paulett Eberhart, president and CEO of CDI Corporation, a leading engineering and technology services firm. While CDI’s capabilities are world-class, instilling a client-centric, quality-focused culture is the goal of CDI’s new CEO.

Eberhart joined CDI in January 2011 and has taken steps to streamline the company’s mission with a greater focus on client service excellence in select industries. “We give our clients access to our breadth of services through one point of contact. We listen carefully, work efficiently and find creative solutions to client challenges while remaining cost-competitive. Satisfying the client by exceeding their expectations is our primary mission.”

In her first year leading the company, CDI Corporation’s revenues were up 14 percent, to over $1 billion. Clearly she is doing something right.

CDI’s services are called upon to help clients manage complex, multifaceted projects. For example, when a chemical or refining company needs to conduct major plant maintenance, install new equipment or deploy safety upgrades, it often faces inevitable lost production time, which has a domino effect on the company’s other operations.

To minimize this downtime, CDI partners with the client, far ahead of the planned shutdown, to more efficiently identify specific goals and determine the best way to proceed to minimize disruption and ensure employee safety.

“It’s not just a matter of doing it quickly and efficiently, but doing it in a safe manner,” says Eberhart. “Our professionals augment the client’s engineering capabilities to improve flexibility and reduce costs – saving the client millions, or even tens of millions, of dollars.”

Clients benefit from the wide range of technical skills and scientific discipline that makes up the CDI team. The company’s quality-focused, do-it-right environment has enabled CDI to attract the best talent for itself and its clients. The company’s project managers are skilled in leveraging U.S.-based engineering centers of excellence with offshore and nearshore design centers, enabling them to meet client engineering needs, regardless of geography.

For example, an American drilling and technology company wanted to compete in the Mexican offshore oil platform market. CDI provided engineering design services at the client’s facilities in Texas and Mexico, improving time-to-completion and ensuring project success, while at the same time saving the client millions of dollars.

CDI’s excellence is noted not only by clients, but also by Forbes, Engineering News-Record and InformationWeek. “Our vision is to be an integrated, market-leading engineering and technology services organization, and my personal commitment is making CDI a great place to work,” Eberhart says. “We are moving forward on both of these fronts. As our clients grow, so do the opportunities for our team.”

9800 Centre Parkway, Suite 300
Houston, TX 77036 | 832.369.5390
www.cdicorp.com
Australia / Canada / China / Mexico / United Kingdom / United States

Medical Research Consultants

EMI Network — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:01:17 +0000

Nationwide Support With ‘Down the Hall’ Access

Finding the right support partner skilled in the requirements and complexities of litigation or government and health care compliance can be difficult. It takes a special group of experts to overcome the challenges these industries pose.

That’s where Medical Research Consultants (MRC) comes in. MRC has talent – lots of it – with an organization filled with the industry’s most competent nurse clinicians, paralegals, records specialists, subject-matter experts and business professionals. They’re smart, they work hard and they care.

Starting as a small medical literature research and nurse analysis company when founded in 1983, MRC is now one of the largest and most respected mass tort litigation support firms in the business today — working as the preferred support provider for Fortune 500 companies, as well as companies of all sizes across the country, covering legal, insurance, pharmaceutical, health care and product safety issues.

“Our team includes a large number of nursing professionals, and I believe that has helped shape our culture,” says Gretchen Watson, MRC President and CEO. “We are motivated by a strong desire to help, to protect our clients’ interests, and to provide support … all with a caring spirit. We recruit and hire like-minded team members who are committed to upholding MRC’s values. This emotional driver, when combined with the ownership mentality and the determination of all employee owners for continued business excellence, makes MRC unique and an organization that consistently delivers.”

A Culture of Ownership and Integrity
Did we mention the employees also own the company? MRC is 100 percent employee-owned, and a nationally-certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE). The entire staff is invested in its success. “Everybody here is expected to think and act like an owner,” says Watson. “Our priorities include teaching ownership thinking and business principles, and enforcing business transparency and integrity in our actions. By holding ourselves and each other accountable, we achieve our business objectives and help our clients achieve theirs.”

DeEtte Harrington, MRC’s Vice President and CFO, adds, “Our employees collaborate to create efficiencies, which results in satisfied clients and, in turn, produces a rewarding work environment for employees and long-term success for our company.”

MRC has a proven track record of meeting the needs of exacting companies and is known for its experience, scalability, flexibility and for building enduring relationships. Despite the increasing practice of virtual or remote teams, many clients desire the convenience and immediacy of having their team members within the same building. MRC has designed a business model to support a multi-national reach with “down the hall” accessibility. Clients don’t hesitate to contact MRC in any moment to brainstorm and collaborate on strategies; they see MRC as a true partner, an extension of their own team, which is a point of great pride for MRC. In fact, the company recently won DuPont’s “Partnering for Efficiency – Meeting the Challenge” award for its continued contributions to the DuPont Legal Model.

According to Watson, “MRC employee-owners are relentlessly driven, accepting nothing but excellence, because we believe delivering excellence is our duty… to each other and to our clients.”

10114 West Sam Houston Pkwy South, Suite 200 Houston, TX 77099
713-314-3861  | www.mrchouston.com

CapStar Financial

EMI Network — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 22:01:14 +0000

CapStar Financial Helps Clients Win in Any Economy

The world is filled with risk, but the portfolio doesn’t have to be. CapStar Financial LLC is accomplished at reducing risk while getting respectable returns.

Suzette Blackburn, CapStar’s managing partner, says today’s markets are rife with high-frequency trading, and that daily up-and-down action reduces growth. Investors need more upward movement tomorrow just to get back to where they were yesterday. “The frequency of movement may be the cause of your eroding principal,” she says.

A buy-and-hold approach is subject to that sort of erosion. CapStar follows what Blackburn calls a “stay-rich strategy” with a mix of assets with and without risk, the latter including insurance and annuity instruments. “When you really understand those types of vehicles, those types of investment choices, you can use them for a risk-free return, or to grow assets safely, with very little risk.”

As for other types of investments, she likes consumables. But it’s not the gasoline, she says. The asset is the pipeline that carries the gas. Blackburn likes those things that generate income, dividends or interest. This strategy fits in today’s marketplace to preserve wealth.

CapStar does deep research, looking at every variable of clients’ expenditures – real costs of living, such as college, cars, weddings, clothing. “It’s like, ‘Somebody, please, do the math!’” she says. “We do the math.”

While people can find low-cost investment advice, Blackburn says there’s nothing wrong with paying for wealth management services that can help protect you from losing your shirt. And she tests prospective managers with the question, “How did you do for your clients in 2008?” CapStar Financial’s clients, she says, were all happy with investment performance in 2008. “We have to equate it to the real world,” she says. “We’re not using chips in Las Vegas. I’m using these dollars to buy bread at the grocery store.”

The firm is focusing, at least for now, on income. Blackburn suggests stabilizing – going for 4 to maybe 7 percent, not trying to hit it out of the park, because the growth model isn’t there now.

“You have to be nimble in your investment choices,” she says. “I think we all know intuitively there’s another 2008 out there, and it’s probably coming quick.”

1213 Ranch Road 620 South, Suite 201 | Austin, TX 78734
9600 Great Hills Trail, Suite 150W | Austin, TX 78759
512-215-9030 | www.capstarfinancial.com

Fee-based financial planning and investment advisory services are offered by PSP Financial Services LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor in the States of Arizona, Texas, Colorado and California. Insurance products and services are offered through “CapStar Financial, LLC.” PSP Financial Services LLC and “CapStar Financial, LLC” are not affiliated companies.

Automated Voice & Data Solutions

EMI Network — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 21:56:53 +0000

Making Cutting-Edge Communication  a Staple of Success

If anyone knows business communications technology, it’s Sharon Moon.

Moon began her career in the telephony industry in 1973. Always the forward-looking entrepreneur, she started her first business in 1980 and ultimately went on to establish Automated Voice & Data SolutionsTM (AVDSTM) in 1992. Her interest was in delivering value through integrated, state-of-the-art communication systems tailored to her clients’ needs.

Moon was equally interested in staying ahead of the technological curve. In the late 1990s, she made a bold shift to software-based systems—about a decade ahead of most of her competitors.

“There’s no sitting still in this industry,” Moon says. “We’re always looking toward the horizon and adopting new technologies early so we can empower our clients to take the competitive lead.”

Communication-Based Business Intelligence:

The New Frontier
Once again, AVDS is charting a new course for its industry—this time, in the realm of communication-based business intelligence, or the complete convergence of data, analytics, and phone and Web-based communications. According to Moon, this emerging trend is set to revolutionize the way businesses operate.

“We’re capturing data from the phone system and throughout the organization so clients can see, manage, and strategically apply real-time business intelligence,” Moon explains. “Using an open, software-based platform, we harness the power of our partnerships with Interactive Intelligence, AltiGen, IBM, Microsoft, and others to program a fully integrated, one-of-a-kind system.”

Ongoing Dialogue Keeps Clients, Systems Up to Speed
As a relationship-driven service  provider, AVDS actively engages clients on an ongoing basis, helping them rethink their business, reevaluate their current infrastructure and understand what leading-edge technologies can do for them now and in the future.

“We are fully invested in our clients’ goals, and we share in their successes and setbacks,” Moon says. “We’re always looking for new ways to separate them from the pack, educating them about the latest, most suitable options. Our mission is to arm them with the knowledge they need to advance to the next level.”

2011 Support Partner of the Year Interactive Intelligence / Fast Tech 50 Houston Business Journal / Customer Service Department of the Year Finalist / ABA
3100 Timmons Lane, Suite 510 • Houston, TX 77027
713-963-0900 • www.avds.com

Luna Data Solutions

EMI Network — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 21:53:01 +0000

Luna Data Solutions’ Extraordinary Customer Service Helps Employers Compete for Job Seekers in High Demand

The hiring pendulum has begun to swing back since its low point in 2009. More than two-thirds of surveyed companies report extensive or moderate hiring plans. “For businesses in the market for key personnel, especially executives and high-tech professionals, the job of finding and successfully recruiting top performers just got more competitive,” says Dana Jones, founder and CEO of Luna Data Solutions (LDS), one of the fastest growing full-spectrum recruiting firms in Austin, Texas.

Jones is no stranger to dealing with rapidly swinging employment markets. She began providing staff augmentation services in the robust economy of the early 2000s. At the height of the dot.com bubble collapse, Jones’ intuition told her the time was right to start her own company focusing on IT positions within the public sector. She founded LDS in 2000, incorporated in 2003, and became a State of Texas Department of Information Resources prime vendor. In late 2009, Jones expanded the company’s expertise to include private-sector recruiting, specializing in the placement of technical and executive management professionals nationwide.

LDS’ philosophy of quality over quantity earned the company regional and national recognition for its temporary-contract, contract-to-hire and direct-hire placements. “Our clients don’t have the time or resources to wade through resumes of marginal applicants,” explains Jones. “We send fewer resumes for their consideration than other recruiting firms might, but our candidates are more qualified technically and have been assessed to be a culture fit with our client’s organizational values. We know, because we’ve already talked to the managers and candidates face to face. Our approach requires us to have feet on the ground in markets nationwide, but it results in more successful placements, greater efficiency and cost savings.”

By 2011, a three-year sales growth of 155 percent placed the locally-owned and self-funded company on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private businesses in America. LDS also claimed a ranking among Austin Business Journal’s 50 fastest growing companies. It also made the first of two consecutive appearances on Austin Business Journal’s list of “Best Places to Work” – an acknowledgement that the LDS team is engaged and empowered to outperform competitors.

Along the way, LDS earned certifications as both a Texas Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) vendor and a Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) member. A local WBE with a national footprint, this company offers an important advantage to large organizations committed to supplier diversity.

“Luna’s level of customer service is far above the norm,” reports an HR manager of an interactive marketing firm. “Luna has been a tremendous help with our quick-turnaround recruiting needs.”

1408 West Koenig Lane, Unit D | Austin, TX 78756
512.828.7906 | www.lunadatasolutions.com

A&C Plastics

EMI Network — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 21:48:52 +0000

Service. It’s What We Deliver.

It comes in every color of the rainbow – and over a hundred more. It can be sliced as thin as .020 of an inch, or up to four inches. Best of all, it’s free. “At A&C Plastics, what we sell is service,” explains President Carolyn Faulk. “We throw in the plastic for free.”

It’s an unusual business philosophy – but it works.

Plastic from the Houston-based “distributors’ distributor” can be found everywhere from greenhouses to skylights, shopping malls to stadiums. It has shielded media representatives at major golf tournaments and hockey fans at Toyota Center in Houston, and gone up in space as a tiny but essential part of astronauts’ suits. It has withstood dancers’ feet on So You Think You Can Dance and been used in podiums for the Oscars and other awards shows.

The window that allows visitors to see into the engine room of the Battle Ship of Texas in Galveston? That’s A&C plastic, too.

In all, Faulk says, the company sells to some 15 industries, especially the sign, skylight, greenhouse, point-of-purchase and fabrication industries. A&C is the largest single plastics distributor in the U.S., with annual sales of over $23 million, 45 employees, and shipping locations in Houston, Chicago and Colorado Springs. The company recently enlarged its warehouse space to over 170,000 square feet in response to growing customer demand. Its inventory has been expanded as well.

Service Above Self
As much as Faulk enjoys spotting the company’s plastic on television or describing its wide and unusual variety of uses, what really sets A&C apart, she says, is its exemplary customer service.

“We believe in service above self,” Faulk says, “and we work hard to make every customer feel like they’re the only one we have. We do everything possible to make it quick and easy to buy from us, because we understand time is money.” All orders are shipped the day they are received; customers never have to wonder when their purchase will arrive, because they receive a follow-up email with a tracking number and delivery date.

“As I often tell my employees, if you have bad service at a restaurant you’re not going to go back, even if the meal was great,” Faulk says. “At A&C Plastics, we’re large enough to serve you, and small enough to know you.”

6135 Northdale | Houston, TX 77087 | 713.645.4915 | Toll free 800.231.4175
www.acplasticsinc.com

Sun Coast Resources, Inc.

EMI Network — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 21:43:12 +0000

America’s Go-to Company for High Quality Petroleum Products and Services

The seventh most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded was barreling towards Texas, and Sun Coast Resources was at the ready.

As it has time and again, in August 2007 the Houston-based petroleum marketer placed its emergency fueling assets and personnel in Hurricane Dean’s projected path to supply fuel to first responders, recovery and rescue agencies, and private-sector teams.

In fact, Sun Coast, which has a longstanding emergency fueling contract with the State of Texas, and priority emergency response service commitments with every other state along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Seaboard, has responded to nearly every hurricane event since 2004 with emergency response fueling before, during and after the storms. It has also delivered necessary fuel during ice storms, fires, floods and devastating tornadoes in the Midwest, Central and Northeast U.S.

“We have the expertise and experience to deliver under the most harrowing conditions,” says Kathy Lehne, the company’s founder, president and CEO.

Sun Coast Delivers
Calm or storm, Sun Coast takes pride in delivering the highest quality goods and services on time, every time to help customers run their businesses without worrying whether they will run out of fuel. It supplies fuel, high quality Chevron lubricants and other well-known brands, petroleum transportation, emergency response fueling, oil purification and filtration, and many other petroleum products and programs throughout its expanding 35-state marketing territory. In essence, Sun Coast Resources is a total solutions provider. Customers range from small retail convenience stores to major railroad transportation companies and airlines. “We have the human, physical and technological resources to improve our customers’ operations and eliminate the pain they often experience with other suppliers,” Lehne says.

Lehne started Sun Coast Resources 27 years ago, confident she could make a real difference in the wholesale petroleum marketing arena. Today Sun Coast is the largest woman-owned business in Texas – and one of the largest petroleum marketers in the nation – with over 12,000 active customers in nearly every fuel-consuming segment and more than 1,500 employees, including over 1,000 HAZMAT-certified drivers. Sun Coast’s revenues in 2012 are projected to exceed $2 billion. The company dominates the Southwest U.S. in wholesale petroleum sales and service, with one of the most extensive delivery fleets anywhere and unmatched marketing, operations, safety, IT, dispatch, finance, human resource, accounting and management personnel.

“We are proud of our reputation as the go-to company for high quality petroleum products and services, backed by an unconditional guarantee,” Lehne says. “We pay attention to the smallest details of every transaction, and we never close our doors. At Sun Coast Resources, we keep America running.”

800-677-FUEL (3835)
www.suncoastresources.com