Cantey Hanger LLP

Preparation is the key to effective advocacy. When Partner Mollee Westfall began interviewing witnesses in a client’s upcoming federal trial involving an allegation of offensive touching in the workplace, many inconsistencies emerged, as well as information about a previous unfounded investigation. After requesting potentially exculpatory evidence that the witnesses described, the case was dismissed! A great result and a just one. Thank you, Mollee, for all you do.

Our lawyers conduct independent investigations in critical and crisis situations for businesses, non-profits, public and private schools, and religious institutions. Our confidential investigations of allegations have included sexual harassment or abuse, trade secret misappropriation, fraud, regulatory non-compliance, discrimination and more. We have the right team and will curate outside professionals to help with your particular situation. Scott Fredricks, Laura Hallmon, Kate Hancock, Maddie Royal, Brian Newby, Joshua Ross, Mollee Westfall, Greg Westfall

Today, during Employee Appreciation Day, we acknowledge and are grateful for the hard work, dedication and positive impact each of our employees contributes to our efforts for clients and community. The commitment to excellence, attention to detail, and ability to collaborate as a team make us the firm that we are. Whether it's drafting critical legal documents, supporting clients through complex matters, or ensuring that our operations run smoothly, your efforts do not go unnoticed. Thank you for making Cantey Hanger a great place to work. #employeeappreciationday #ittakesateam #dfwlaw #dfwlawfirm

“??????????????, ???? ???????????? ?????? ?? ???????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????????????????? (??????????’?? ????????). ???? ???????? ???? ?????????????? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ??????. ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ????????????. ?????? ?????? ????????.” The practice of Family Law has issues that pull at the heart. A message similar to the one above to Partners Lyndsay Newell or Tawanna Lynn Cesare warm the heart. They provide a range of services to clients, including divorce, complex property settlements, pre-marital and post-marital agreements, child custody, visitation, child support, paternity, and modifications and enforcements. They are aggressive, but nuanced in their representation, whether it’s at trial, appeal, or alternatives such as settlement conferences, mediation and collaborative law. Their care, patience and honesty is heartfelt.

Decisions about the ways employees and senior management are compensated have a huge impact on a company’s bottom line and also can affect the perception of your brand. We cover every aspect of how pay and benefits are handled, bringing in attorneys from a span of practices, including labor and employment, tax, corporate, and, when necessary, litigation. Cantey Hanger Executive Compensation & Benefits Lawyers: Julie Bergkamp, Harry Bartel, and Laura Hallmon #dfwlawyer #dfwlawfirm #dfwlaw #ittakesateam #compensation #benefits #fortworth #dallas #elliscounty #austin

Our litigators represent an impressive array of clients in the public and private sectors.?We explore with clients the appropriate use of out-of-court solutions through negotiation and alternative dispute resolution. But, when litigation is the only solution, our experienced attorneys guide clients in actions before state and federal courts, administrative law judges, and arbitrators. ? Cantey Hanger?Commercial Litigation?Lawyers: Michael Ackerman, Robert Aldrich, Mary Hazlewood Barkley, Tiereney Bowman, Derek Carson, Ralph Duggins, Scott Fredricks, Laura Hallmon, Kate Hancock, Jeff Kinsel, Sean Looney, Steve Madsen, Brian Newby, Philip Vickers, Jermaine Watson, J.D., M.B.A., Mollee Westfall and Greg Westfall

UPDATE: Development in the Corporate Transparency Act—Now Back in Effect By Preston Polk February 24, 2025 If you’ve been keeping up with the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), then you are well aware of the on-again, off-again nature of developments surrounding the reporting requirements. Since the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s (FinCEN) rules implementing the CTA took effect January 1, 2024, there have been several legal challenges to the constitutionality of the CTA. Last week, the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued an order in Smith, et al. v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, et al., granting the defendant’s motion to stay a nationwide injunction. This followed a January 23, 2025, order from the Supreme Court granting the defendant’s motion to stay a nationwide injunction in Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. Bondi (formerly, Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. McHenry and Texas Top Cop Shop v. Garland). With each of the nationwide injunctions stayed, FinCEN’s regulations implementing the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirements are once again back in effect. What does this mean for your business? Well, if you haven’t already, it is time to begin preparing to file the BOI reports for your companies. FinCEN has provided companies with 30 days from February 19, 2025 to comply with the BOI reporting requirements in light of these developments. For a majority of reporting companies, the new deadline to file an initial, updated and/or corrected BOI report is March 21, 2025. However, FinCEN noted in its February 19th notice that it will “assess its options to further modify deadlines, while prioritizing reporting for those entities that pose the most significant national security risks.” Further, FinCEN intends to “initiate a process this year to revise the BOI reporting rule to reduce burden for lower-risk entities, including many U.S. small businesses.” While the March 21, 2025 filing deadline and the BOI reporting rules are subject to change, we encourage you to comply with the March 21st deadline to avoid penalties. If you or your company needs assistance navigating CTA compliance and BOI reporting, Cantey Hanger LLP and its attorneys are ready to help. For a more in-depth review of the CTA and BOI reporting requirements, see Cantey Hanger’s article linked here or contact Preston Polk. — Preston R. Polk is an attorney in Cantey Hanger’s Business Transactions practice group, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, banking, real estate and other business transactions. Contact: [email protected] or 817-877-2814. This article is for information purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice or substitute for consulting an attorney. We recommend that you discuss your particular situation with your attorney when you need legal advice. The information contained herein is subject to change and may not reflect the most current legal development.

A year ago, Partner Greg Westfall joined us...and his wife Mollee Westfall, also a Partner, in our white-collar crime practice area. After 30 years as a successful boutique firm attorney, Greg says he was ready to disengage from the administrative side of a law practice.?“I just wanted to practice law and not worry about running a law firm.” ? A year later? ? "Short story, I never have been busier," he says, “and it feels great to be free of the ‘law business’ side of the practice. “My practice has also become very interesting.?I am still doing complex criminal litigation, but now have a stable of civil cases that have a criminal law angle – basically potential criminal cases that went into the civil system.?There is a good demand for this. Thirty years in criminal defense is good training for this.” Greg says he has found his home. "Cantey Hanger has been a fantastic place to work." #HappyAnniversary #ItTakesATeam #DFWLawyer #DFWLawFirm #CriminalLitigation #WhiteCollarCriminalDefense #CivilLitigation

Managing Partner Brian Newby chaired the board of Visit Fort Worth during 2024 and chairs the 2025 board of the Fort Worth Chamber. He was asked what he would tell those who ask about expectations of contributing and receiving from?volunteering. “Everyone should have at least two?volunteer?interests.?One for your head and one for your heart. ? For your head, find a professional organization that will help you advance in your chosen profession.?A great example for us is the state and local bar associations. For your heart, find a?volunteer?opportunity to better your fellow man.?Whether it’s saving souls, saving whales, caring for the elderly, feeding the hungry or curing cancer, find a way to touch your heart.”

The International Fraud Group (IFG) — We freeze. We seize. We recover. — is a global network of highly skilled international lawyers and law firms that specialize in tracing and recovering stolen assets. Cantey Hanger, and notably Partner Ryan Valdez, are pleased to have been asked to be one of 55 members in 63 global jurisdictions. And not all are online meetings. Twice a year, members meet in person to discuss fraud with a global outlook and to understand the effectiveness other members bring to their clients. IFG was founded in 1997 for the purpose of recovering assets that have been stolen and spirited away, IFG has returned hundreds of millions of dollars to rightful owners. Our clients benefit from the expertise of IFG leadership, which consists of top attorneys, including former government prosecutors specializing in asset forfeiture and money laundering, as well as experts in wealth management.