Arizona Bankruptcy Attorney Blog

It is with an extremely heavy heart that I write this on behalf of Joseph's staff and myself. As many of you may already know, and for those of you who may not have read or heard, Joseph C. McDaniel passed away unexpectedly last week.

Joseph cared deeply about the profession of law and his chosen niche, bankruptcy. He devoted his career to becoming the absolute best at what he did. He became a Certified Specialist in bankruptcy, was AV rated by his peers and led the Bankruptcy Section of the Bar. His bankruptcy blogs reflected his amazing bankruptcy knowledge. He had a zest and a passion for sharing his knowledge with other attorneys especially those new to the practice of law. Many a lunchtime he would block out time to sit down with others and talk about what he loved most....bankruptcy law.

He lived his life with passion and enthusiasm, which was the way he did everything - always learning, then studying and then sharing what he knew. He became a prodigious blogger and savvy web marketer - rising to number one for the most competitive bankruptcy phrases in Phoenix. Joseph was always willing to support and encourage, he worked and strived for the best, and kept pushing for even better. Being good was fine, but Joseph wasn't good, he simply was the best.

He had a charm about him that people admired and a laugh that put a smile on your face. The joyful laugh at hearing something profound...the sparkle and glee of excitement about birthing and nurturing a new thought or idea...that was the essence of the man that I knew and so admired.

I want others to know what a special man Joseph was. His legacy, I believe, is to make each and every one of us care as much as he did, live our lives to the fullest, as he did, love life which he did, and teach and share with others. I can only try to do what Joseph did and will do my best to encourage the best in others. He always had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. His light burned bright and that flame lit the way for others.

High ethical standards... the bar was set high. The staff and I will meet and exceed those client expectations. Joseph set the standards and would have expected us to carry that legacy forward. That spark, the enthusiasm, that charm and zest for life has been handed over to us...to pass on to others.

The only regret is there wasn't enough time. His life was cut short too soon. We can only try to do what Joseph did and we will do our best to teach and to encourage the best in others. The world is better for his having lived. We are better for having known him. Though his life may have ended too soon, it was a life complete in so many ways.

Rest in peace Joseph, your work is done and your torch will be carried on.

Jean Rice

So there's a satellite, and it's falling.

That's not news.

I was a little surprised when NASA said they couldn't tell me where it would land.

I figured I didn't want to be there.

And now it's landed.

Somewhere.

Do you think that if the satellite landed on your office, your cash flow would continue unabated?

I've talked a lot about why it's better to be lucky than smart; obviously, if you can swing both, great. But if you have to chose, go for lucky every day of the week!

Because after Skylab falls on your corner grocery store, you won't be selling nearly as much for a year or two.

And your insurance company will say, in all probability, "We're terribly sorry. If it had been a brontosaurus that sat on your store, you'd be covered for that. Or if a nuclear meltdown had happened in your refrigerator, you'd be covered for that. Or if the store had been ransacked by werewolves, you'd be covered. But hit from above by space debris? No coverage. Sorry."

Then you get to litigate with the insurance company, but litigation takes a lot of time, and the insurance company has your premiums with which to pay a lawyer to fight you to prevent payment to you.

And if it looks like you're going to win, the insurance company may well decide that the money looks good in their pocket until you hit the courthouse steps.

Good business for them, I suppose.

And more bankruptcy cases for me, I know.

So look over your insurance policy from time to time. And see if there are a lot of stories on Google and Facebook about that company not paying claims.

There might be a reason that your premiums are so low!