Hearsay/In Memoriam

Hearsay

The New Mexico Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission has appointed

retiredNew Mexico Supreme Court Justice

Edward L. Chávez as vice chair. Justice Chávez served on the New Mexico Supreme Court for 15 years until his retirement in 2018. He was chief justice from 2007-2010. While serving on the court, he wrote more than 200 opinions and served as the court’s representative on or liaison to numerous boards and commissions. He served as second vice president to the national Conference of Chief Justices and helped organize and launch a Judge’s Science School at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Since his retirement, Justice Chávez has chaired the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Task Force and the N.M. Supreme Court Ad Hoc Committee to Review Pretrial Release and Detention Procedures. He co-chaired the N.M. First Redistricting Task Force and currently chairs the New Mexico Sentencing Commission. Justice Chávez earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Eastern New Mexico University and graduated from the UNM School of Law. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, he was a practicing attorney who served as president of the Legal Aid Society of Albuquerque (now known as New Mexico Legal Aid). NMJPEC was established by the Supreme Court of New Mexico in 1997 as a volunteer, nonpartisan commission to improve the performance of New Mexico’s judges and provide useful, credible information to voters on judges standing for retention in general elections. Under state law, judges standing for retention must receive 57 percent voter approval to remain on the bench. The New Mexico Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission is comprised of 15 individuals – seven lawyers and eight non-lawyers – who are appointed by the Supreme Court to staggered terms. Members are selected from nominations made by the governor, chief justice of the supreme court, speaker of the house, senate president pro tempore, house minority leader, senate minority leader and president of the State Bar. For more information about the New Mexico Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission, visit www.nmjpec.org.

Atler Law Firm, P.C. is pleased to announce that Tim Atler (left) and Jazmine Johnston (right) have been recognized by Southwest Super Lawyers for their experience and skill in appellate practice. Atler is a 2006 graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law and chairs the New Mexico Supreme Court’s Appellate Rules Committee. Johnstone is a 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law and serves on the Board of Directors of the State Bar’s Appellate Practice Section. Atler and Johnstone focus their practices on civil and administrative appeals and on other litigation matters involving complex legal questions.

www.sbnm.org

Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC is pleased to announce the opening of a new office in Albuquerque. JSH welcomes attorneys Raul P. Sedillo (left) and Fernando C. Palomares (right) to its New Mexico office. Sedillo and Palomares have spent their entire legal careers in the Albuquerque area and both have strong roots in New Mexico. Sedillo is a fourth-generation attorney who will lead the firm’s New Mexico office. Sedillo brings almost 20 years of litigation defense experience to his practice, focused primarily in the areas of trucking and transportation, products liability and personal injury defense. He defends clients against a variety of litigation claims, including employment, general liability, civil rights and bad faith insurance litigation. Born and raised in Belen, he completed his undergraduate studies at New Mexico State University and earned his law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law. Palomares defends clients in the transportation, manufacturing and professional services industries in litigation including professional liability, product liability, and wrongful death claims. Raised in Anthony, N.M., Palomares earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and his law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law. Prior to law school, Fernando worked as an accountant for a CPA agency and a corporation engaged in development, investments, and asset management. In both positions, he gained valuable experience that he now uses to help his corporate clients.

Albuquerque attorney David C. Serna was recently selected for inclusion in the 2021 Southwest Super Lawyers list in the areas of criminal law, white collar defense, and DWI defense. Serna has been selected by Super Lawyers for 15 consecutive years, and is rated in the Top 25 Lawyers by Super Lawyers. Serna was also recently selected by The National Association of Distinguished Counsel The Nation’s Top One Percent for the 7th consecutive year.

Publisher Chambers & Partners recognized Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in its annual Chambers USA Guide as a top New Mexico litigation: general commercial practice. Chambers recognizes Eric. R. Burris, chair of the firm’s litigation department, with a ranking in the litigation: general commercial category. Burris has more than 30 years of experience in complex civil litigation, primarily as defense counsel in matters that include commercial litigation issues, economic torts, intellectual property, employment and labor issues, complex/mass torts, products liability and other personal injury disputes. Chambers & Partners has a staff of more than 100 full-time researchers who develop rankings of lawyers and practices based on written submissions provided by law firms, telephone interviews with clients and lawyers, and other resources. Inclusion in the guide is based solely on the research team’s findings.