John Michaelson-Attorney Bio

John P. Michaelson is a frequent lecturer at seminars and workshops on Business and Estate Planning, Asset Protection, Trust Administration, Probate, and Guardianships.  John is a member of several national legal forums dedicated to promoting the highest level of professionalism and expertise among Business and Estate Planning professionals. 

               

In 1996, John graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelors of Science in Business Finance.  Before receiving his Law Degree from the University of Utah in 2001, he worked for over two years as a securities broker for Fidelity Investments with trading experience in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and options.  While attending law school, John was a senior staff member of the Utah Law Review and co-founder of the Law Students for Children, an advocacy organization for abused, neglected and underprivileged children. He has continued his advocacy for the youth by being an active scouter in the Boy Scouts of America and by maintaining his pledge as an Eagle Scout to serve the community, both young and old. 

Following his admission to the Nevada Bar in 2001, John served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert J. Johnston, United States District Court for the District of Nevada. In 2002, John took a position as an associate for the prestigious law firm Piper Rudnick LLP, where he specialized in labor and employment litigation, primarily in federal court. 

Today, John is partner in the firm Michaelson & Associates, where during the last 5 years he has helped hundreds of families and businesses protect their assets and plan for the future.  John chaired the Elder Law Section of the Nevada State Bar from June 2007 to July 2008.  The law firm of Michaelson & Associates truly stands out as one committed to serving the needs of the community in a professional and caring way.  John and his wife Regina are the parents of four children.  

Why Do I Need a Healthcare Power of Attorney or Living Will?

At M&A, we find that many people who come to see us don't understand why it is necessary to have a Healthcare Power of Attorney and a Living Will. So, we're here to share a juicy legal tid-bit on why it is SO important to have these documents in place.

Healthcare Powers of Attorney allow you to name primary and alternative agents to make health care decisions for you when you are not able to make the decisions on your own. This document also sets forth important guidelines for your agent to follow in making healthcare decisions for you. 

Now, you may be thinking, "if I were in a situation where I was unable to make my own healthcare decisions, my family would be able agree on a course of action and would to take care of making those decisions for me." This may be the case for some of you. But, what if your family members did not agree on the best course of action? What if you were in a coma, with no hope of recovery, kept alive only by artificial life prolonging measures - but because of your family's indecision, you remained in a vegetative state indefinitely while they argued over the agonizing decision to remove life support? This situation is entirely possible. (see Terri Shaivo case) 

A Healthcare Power of Attorney and a Living Will can provide a directive to your Health Care Provider not to artificially sustain life when there is no hope of recovery. This is a ‘pull the plug’ directive so that you will not live on  for years in a vegetative state. Healthcare Providers also require a Living Will  when you are hospitalized. 

If you would like to take care of making these important decisions now so that your family doesn't have to agonize over them, contact us today to have us prepare your Healthcare Power of Attorney and Living Will! (702) 731-2333 or melissa@michaelsonlaw.com!

Need a Conference/Workshop Room? Use M&A's 'Bear Lake Room'

With our recent expansion at M&A, we gained a large conference/workshop room. As you must know, we do a lot of workshops ourselves, so it has come in very handy! But we would like to announce that we are opening up our 'Bear Lake Room' to anyone who might be in need of a large area to meet. Currently, we can seat 40 and that will probably be increased to 60 in the near future. The room has WiFi, a podium and a projector for presentations. Call/email us for more details about the room, price and availability. (702) 731-2333

One of Our Favorite Resources-Courtney Falk with Paychex

We are pleased to tell you about another One of Our Favorite Resources-Courtney Falk with Paychex. Courtney has been an HR Consultant for small businesses for over 8 years with Paychex, Inc., a leading national provider of payroll, benefits and human resources services.  She helps her small business clients write employee handbooks and job descriptions in compliance with all state and federal laws.  Courtney conducts management and employee training on 35 different topics from non-harassment to hiring practices to customer service.  She assists her clients with all aspects of employee relations and can help with those difficult conversations with challenging employees.  Courtney is backed by an entire team of experts – from payroll, tax compliance and benefits to OSHA, unemployment, and Cobra.  This allows small businesses to plug into the resources usually reserved for large businesses at a fraction of the cost of hiring an internal human resources specialist. Courtney is professional, warm, knowledgeable and genuinely cares about the success of your business.  We love having Courtney and Paychex as one of our personal resources at M&A. To find out more about how she can customize a plan to help your business, email her at cfalk@paychex.com. 

Estate Planning Workshops

Don't forget to sign up for one of our September Estate Planning Workshops. This is our first workshop to be held in our newly renovated 'Bear Lake Room' at our office. In addition to some wonderful information about how to get started with some basic estate planning, you will receive a $200 Gift Certificate toward your estate plan just for attending. Save your seat today! Contact Melissa at (702) 731-2333 or email her at melissa@michaelsonlaw.com

Click on Image to Enlarge

Our Favorite Things-Friends in the Desert

One of our favorite organizations in Las Vegas is Friends in the Desert.  'Friends' is a charitable organization, operated out of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church located in downtown Henderson, that serves hot meals to homeless and otherwise needy individuals six days a week.  Volunteers made up of various faith groups, other charitable organizations, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, students, families and individuals cook and serve meals to the guests at 'Friends'. Paul Michaelson, our senior attorney, is one of the founders of Friends in the Desert as well as the current President.
Those who participate in Friends in the Desert are always personally enriched by giving service to those in need. If you are interested in contributing to Friends in the Desert or scheduling a day/time to serve, contact Murial at (702) 565-8742.
http://www.friendsindesert.org/

One of Our Favorite Resources-Dr. Roger R. Elmer

We would like to introduce you to One of Our Favorite Resources-Dr. Roger R. Elmer. Dr. Elmer has been a  Chiropractor for the last 19 years, and has been practicing Spinal Correction for the last 14 years. He has made his reputation taking care of difficult cases-people who have been off work for 10 years, multiple failed back surgeries, intractable pain syndromes, neurological conditions, disc herniations  and scoliosis beyond 100 degree cobb angle.
Dr. Elmer is certified in the Pettibon System and is a Fellow in International Chiropractic Scoliosis Board. He is also a co-founder of ARC-3D Scoliosis System, Tornado Systems and the President of the North American Scoliosis Initiative. He is the inventor of the Tornado Chair and Co-Developer of the Tornado Suit. His Chiropractic friends call him the "Orthodontist of Chiropractic". We have known Dr. Elmer for many years both personally and professionally and have been impressed with his unique and gentle methods which help to correct major spinal problems on a long-term basis. (Not just a quick fix) Even if you don't need him, you probably know someone who does. If you or a loved one has back problems, he's your man! Contact Dr. Elmer at:

http://advancedspinalsolutions.com/
(702) 798-1112
3025 E. Desert Inn Rd #20
Las Vegas, Nevada 89121