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Hamer Law Group Successful in Appeal to Alabama Supreme Court
Chris Hamer and Rebecca Wright of Hamer Law Group were successful in their appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court in Alliance Investment Company, LLC v. Omni Construction Company, Inc., et. al, No. 1170504, 2019 WL 1219416 (Ala. March 15, 2019).
On August 28, 2017, the circuit court compelled the parties to arbitration under an agreement governed by the American Arbitration Association's Construction Industry Arbitration Rules. Thereafter, a dispute arose between the parties concerning whether the arbitration proceedings should be held in Alabama or Ohio. The AAA made an administrative determination that the arbitration would be held in Alabama. Omni and Kroger asked the AAA to reconsider its decision. The AAA informed the parties that the determination regarding the location of the arbitration would be subject to review by the arbitrator.
Before the case could proceed to an arbitrator, Omni and Kroger filed an "Emergency Motion to Clarify Order Compelling Arbitration", and requested that the circuit court order the parties to arbitrate in Ohio. On January 22, 2018, the circuit court entered an order, which purportedly amended its order compelling arbitration (147 days later), and required the arbitration proceedings to be held in Ohio. On appeal, Alliance argued that the motion to "clarify" was in substance an untimely Rule 59(e), Ala. R. Civ. P., motion seeking to amend the prior judgment compelling arbitration, and the circuit court lacked authority to order the parties to arbitrate in Ohio.
The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the location of the arbitration proceedings was an issue for the arbitrator to decide under Rule 9(a) of the AAA's CIA Rules, and, under the facts of this case, the circuit court lacked the authority to order that the arbitration proceedings be held in Ohio. The full opinion from the Alabama Supreme Court is available here.
Hamer Law Group Moves to Landmark Center
Hamer Law Group is excited to announce that we have moved in to our new office space on the 2nd Floor of the Landmark Center in downtown Birmingham. Please note that our physical and mailing address is 2100 First Avenue North, Suite 230, Birmingham, Alabama 35203.
Our clients may continue to use the Birmingham Parking Authority parking deck on 2nd Ave. N. (one-way), between Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N. (21st St. N.) and 20th St. N., located next to the City Federal Building. Please remember to bring your parking ticket in for validation.
Hamer Law Group is a probate administration and litigation focused law firm that regularly handles estate, trust, guardianship and conservatorship matters. We are passionate about helping clients in difficult and challenging situations, such as: the loss of a loved one, caring for an incapacitated relative, or disputes over family businesses and property. Centrally located in Birmingham, our attorneys have been privileged to work on probate matters and litigate cases in counties across Alabama.
Chris Hamer selected by Super Lawyers to 2018 Mid-South Rising Stars
Chris Hamer has been selected to the 2018 Mid-South Rising Stars list. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys.
The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. Super Lawyers Magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.
Hamer Law Group is a probate administration and litigation focused law firm that regularly handles estate, trust, guardianship and conservatorship matters. Chris Hamer regularly advises and represents clients on probate and estate matters, civil litigation, arbitration, business transactions, probate support for personal injury litigation, estate administration, estate and trust litigation, and taxation.
In accordance with the Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct, we are required to advise you that no representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
18 Best Birmingham Litigation Attorneys 2018 - Expertise.com
Hamer Law Group has been selected as one of the 18 Best Birmingham Litigation Attorneys for 2018 by the website Expertise.com. According to the article, Expertise.com looked at 72 attorneys in Birmingham and picked the Top 18, by scoring them on 25 variables across five categories, including reputation, credibility, experience, availability and professionalism. To read more about the methods Expertise.com uses to select experts Click Here.
Hamer Law Group is a probate and litigation focused law firm that regularly handles estate, trust, guardianship and conservatorship matters. We are passionate about helping clients in difficult and challenging situations, such as: the loss of a loved one, caring for an incapacitated relative, or disputes over family businesses and property. Centrally located in Birmingham, our attorneys have been privileged to work on probate matters and litigate cases in counties across Alabama. We work hard to help our clients navigate a variety legal issues, including: opening estates, probating wills, estate administration, will contests, estate and trust litigation, guardianships, conservatorships, summary distributions, estate claims, ancillary estates, probate support for litigation, quiet title actions, business transactions, construction disputes, and civil litigation.