Stephen J. Golder
sjg@jenkinsfenstermaker.com

Special Edition – October 2008

Dear Friends,

The past few months have been as financially tumultuous as any in recent memory. Many individuals and businesses have experienced the tightening of the credit markets and the fallout from the meltdown in our financial and banking sectors. Because of these challenging times, the members of the Business Services Section of Jenkins Fenstermaker bring you this special edition of our Vantage Points newsletter. As our Firm’s letterhead has stated for many years, we are attorneys and counsellors. In these difficult times, we view our ability to provide business counsel as a chief benefit we bring to our clients. Our mission in these coming weeks and months is to help the clients of Jenkins Fenstermaker survive and prosper during this economic downturn.

This special edition of our newsletter is geared to providing valuable and practical advice for small and large businesses alike. As new challenges call for new approaches, our lead article is not from one of our attorneys, but from a client and friend of the firm, David Beam. David Beam is an Action International business coach with some pearls of wisdom about how to not only survive, but thrive, in the challenging days ahead.

As credit markets have tightened, businesses find themselves in positions where customers need credit. Wes Agee, one of our members who practices in the business and transactional arena, provides valuable insight about how to protect your business when extending credit to a customer.

Our third article unfortunately deals with a topic that none of us like to think about, bankruptcy. In the days ahead, we all will have clients or customers who may be forced to file for bankruptcy. Arnold Janicker, one of our associates who practices in the area of bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, provides some new insight about the notion that when a person or business goes bankrupt, their creditors are left out in the cold.

Finally, with the meltdown in the banking sector, many people are concerned about their savings and business operating accounts. Wes Agee has summarized the basic provisions of the recent Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 as they relate to changes to the FDIC rules. Wes also provides some important internet websites that can answer questions about the protection the FDIC provides your personal and business accounts.

I will conclude with Dave Beam’s challenge to us all...“Look for the abundance of opportunities in this challenging season, and get ready for a great spring!”

Stephen J. Golder