What’s on Our Minds

Nationally recognized attorney Geoffrey Fieger sought $55 million in damages against two companies and several of their employees who provided medical care at the Sedgwick County jail under an independent contractor arrangement. Inmate Terry Bruner died from a brain stem herniation caused by bacterial meningitis relating to his liver disease. Fieger brought the action, alleging our clients acted with deliberate indifference in denying or delaying medical care in violation of Bruner’s civil rights.  Klenda Austerman …

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The Klenda Austerman runners were at it again. For the sixth time, Klenda Austerman sponsored the Prairie Fire Marathon Race Series.   The Prairie Fire Marathon continues to be a popular event in Wichita, with this year’s event boasting a total of 2,200 participants from 24 states and over 280 communities. This year’s Spring race was particularly special as it was held on May 4th, which is known by Star Wars fans worldwide as National Star Wars …

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Strong, well-written non-compete contracts can strengthen your business relationships. Small businesses especially can face challenges when a business partner is unwilling to sign a non-compete.  Reluctance to sign a non-compete can result from a failure to understand what the purpose of the provision is, overly-complex or overly broad language, or a belief that signing it will put them out of business if the relationship goes poorly.  These problems can be avoided if a competent business …

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Last December the country was captivated by a devastating tale of a husband and his expecting wife from Texas.   Erick Muñoz found his wife Marlise lifeless in their home and rushed her to the hospital.  Once there, the doctors told Erick his wife had likely suffered a pulmonary embolism.  They also informed him Marlise was expecting a child, and was fourteen weeks pregnant.  Prior to that conversation with the hospital, Marlise’s pregnancy was unknown to …

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This week our firm celebrates an annual tradition as we host our festive Thanksgiving luncheon. We gather together each year for a pot luck meal of sorts, reserving time away from our busy schedules to reflect on and give thanks for our fortunes. It is this time that we are especially reminded of the many people who help us succeed and make our work life enjoyable throughout the year. With heartfelt sincerity we pass along …

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On September 14th 2013 Klenda Austerman LLC sponsored a great local event—The Wild Wind XC (Cross Country) Festival.  The purpose of the Wild Wind XC Festival is to “provide a first-rate cross country race for aspiring and established athletes, while at the same time introducing young children to the sport of running.”  The organizers detail they feel that “a friendly, festive, energetic environment forms the best backdrop to accomplish these goals.” We were on hand …

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Klenda Austerman partner Jeffrey D. Peier was recently elected Vice Chair of the Fort Hays State University Foundation for the 2013-14 fiscal year at the Foundation’s annual meeting held on August 24.  Jeff also serves as Chair of the Foundation’s Investment Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee.  Jeff holds two undergraduate degrees from Fort Hays State University [economics (B.A ‘80) and finance (B.S ‘80)].

This summer Americans learned that the National Security Agency over the past several years has collected data on citizen’s internet searches and telephone calls.  With the cooperation of numerous telecommunications companies, the NSA monitored millions of Americans and gathered information including call metadata and call logs.   Widespread debate ensued over privacy rights and the reasonableness of the NSA’s intrusion, if any, upon those rights. Though the NSA focused its information collection efforts on the …

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