Magnolia Landowners Clinic

Speakers

2009 Magnolia Landowner's Conference

Click Links Below:

	Scott H. James - Attorney of Law with Scanes, Routh & James LLP and Landowner Scott H. James is a founding partner of Scanes, Routh & James, LLP, in Waco, Texas. His legal practice is focused primarily on representing landowners in eminent domain/condemnation matters, as well as real estate litigation, business litigation, and oil and gas law. As a native East Texan, Mr. James understands the importance that land ownership plays for many families and has personal experience in negotiating with, and litigating against, pipeline and power line companies. He has also tried a wide variety of civil cases and has successfully represented clients in complex litigation matters. Mr. James was the highest ranking student in his commencement class at Baylor Law School and also has an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas, where he graduated magna cum laude. Mr. James has been selected as a Texas Super Lawyer “Rising Star” for the last three years. He has also recently been named a Fellow in the Texas Bar Foundation and the McLennan County Young Lawyer of the Year.
	Topic: Litigating terms and values for easements and condemnations.
	David P. Simpson - President and Chief Executive Officer of Avinger Timber LLC David P. Simpson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Avinger Timber LLC, Simpson Capital LLC, Avinger, Texas. Prior to his current employment he was employed by Republic Group Incorporated (formerly NYSE: RGC) as Manager of Mill Operations (1998 – 2000) and Executive Vice President-Paperboard (2000). He served as a director from 1994 to 1998 and in 2000. His father, Phil Simpson, was a founder, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Republic. Republic was sold in November 2000. Mr. Simpson served as Mayor of the City of Avinger, Texas from 1993 to 1998. Mr. Simpson is a 1983 graduate of Vanderbilt University with a BA degree in philosophy. He was graduated from Trinity Ministerial Academy of Montville, New Jersey in 1988. He and his wife, Susan, are residents of Longview, Texas and have seven children.
	Topic: Personal and professional experiences with timberlands, easement terms and values; and selecting attorneys and appraisers.
	Robert Harris - Landowner and Retired Orthodontist Dr. Robert Harris was engaged in the practice of Orthodontics in the Dallas area from 1965 through 1990, and was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at Baylor University during the same period. Upon retirement he and his wife Myra moved to Tyler Texas, where he now resides. In 1972 Robert and Myra purchased a 250-acre tree farm without minerals near Caddo Lake, Texas where he has engaged in multiple-use forestry and adhered to best management practices, and recognized as a Forrest Steward. Since purchase, Robert’s tree farm now has four gas wells and three pipelines placed on it by the mineral Lessor. Robert’s education in negotiating partial taking and severance damage releases for gas wells and pipe lines is derived from on the job training and personal experiences, some good and some bad but all well documented and rich in lessons.
	Topic: Personal experiences with timberlands and negotiating easements; the do’s and the don’ts.
	Teddy Reynolds - President of Reynolds Forestry & Real Estate PLLC and Certified General Appraiser Teddy Reynolds, RF, CG, ACF is the President of Reynolds Forestry Consulting & Real Estate providing specialized forestry services in the southeastern United States. Teddy is a practicing Certified General Appraiser and registered forester in AR, TX, LA, OK, MS and AL. Teddy has developed a specialty in timberland litigation appraising and as an expert witness. Teddy is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers, Society of American Foresters, Association of Consulting Foresters of America and multiple state associations. Teddy lived his informative years in southern Africa and received his Bachelor of Science in Forestry in the United States at the University of Arkansas at Monticello in 1988; and worked for Weyerhaeuser Company followed by founding Reynolds Forestry in 1993 (www.reynoldsforestry.com). For the past ten years Teddy has hosted Timber Talk radio show (www.timbertalk.com); and has been awarded “communicator of the year” by Arkansas Forestry Association and the Arkansas Society of American Foresters and “forester of the year” by Ouachita Society of American Foresters and the Arkansas Timber Producers Association. Teddy serves on the board of governors at Southern Arkansas University Foundation and is a McNeil City Councilman. Teddy lives on his personal tree farm in McNeil, Arkansas and in his spare time enjoys forestry, hunting, dog blood trailing, fishing, scuba diving, writing, traveling and rehabilitating native wildlife.
	Topic: Appraising easement and condemnation values and remainder impact values in partial takings.
	Dr. Robert A. Tufts - Attorney and Associate Professor at Auburn University Dr. Robert A. Tufts is an attorney and Associate Professor. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in forestry from Louisiana State University, his Ph.D. in forestry from Virginia Tech, his J.D. from Jones School of Law, Faulkner University and his LL.M. (taxation) from the University of Alabama. He teaches estate planning, property law, taxation of timber, environmental law, surveying, forest roads, and low-volume road design courses at Auburn University. His current research focuses on tax and property issues affecting forest land owners.
	Topic: Estate Planning, Landowner Liability and Timber Taxation.