A busy summer quickly has turned into a busy fall. Old cases out and new cases in; old projects closed and new projects opened. Our law practice, like your business plant, office and industry, rapidly moves forward. As I write this, the last five (5) days have brought remarkable, if not cataclysmic, changes in our financial and insurance markets. We only can conclude that experienced legal counsel has never been in more demand than in these uncertain times.

Regardless of the economic climate, people, our human capital, our employees, are the core of your business (and our’s) and are the focus of this issue. Stephanie Rigsby, our Firm Administrator and a leader in our local SHRM organization, discusses Human Capital Management scores and their relationship to financial performance in our first article. Nathanial Kuratomi, one of our litigation attorneys, covers a new rule relating to protections (as in equipment) for our valuable asset. This 2008 rule is necessary reading for your business to remain OSHA compliant. Christa Dotson, on our Workers Compensation team, reviews a new procedural rule also effective this year. This rule has addressed coverage disputes among carriers now that the West Virginia Workers Compensation market has been opened, and you will be well-served by reading Christa’s concise comments.

Congratulations also are in order for many of our attorneys selected to recent “Best Lawyers” and “Super Lawyers” publications. We are very appreciative of our attorneys’ efforts on behalf of our clients, and are thankful for the trust you have placed in us.

Have a great fall season.