Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Taylor Calcara developed his education and training for the legal profession with an emphasis in the general business and transactional practice areas. Since joining the firm in 2012, he has honed his skills by representing clients in various business transactions including business entity formation, asset purchases, corporate finance, and real estate transfers. He has employed many of his skills in business and corporate law for use in the energy and utility law practice area.
• Business Disputes
  Molly Bailly graduated from Washburn University with an Elementary Education degree. She taught fourth and fifth grades in the Seaman School District before deciding to trade her role as teacher for the role of student and attended Washburn University School of Law. During her time in law school, she worked a number of jobs including internships at the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) and the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) where she gained hands on experience with issues of interest to her. Molly’s focus on helping and educating others underlies her focus in estate planning and elder law, as well as real estate and business law. After graduating and being admitted to the Kansas Bar, Molly decided to “come home” and moved back to Great Bend where she is happy to put her life experience and legal skills to work in the community in which she grew up.
• Business Transactions
• Limited Liability Companies

Employment Law

• Workers Compensation
  The Kansas Workers Compensation Act is convoluted and difficult to navigate on your own. Workers Compensation law is unlike any other area of law or things you have heard on TV. It has a predictable nature for those who practice in the field regularly. This allows our attorneys to often times give a good evaluation of any claim. However, we are experienced in handling more than your run of the mill claim having been through the ringer to achieve the best results for clients. We believe in a collaborative process and giving you the personal attention you will not find with larger firms practicing in this area of law.
• Employment Discrimination
  The impact of ever changing laws and regulations have altered the landscape for businesses at every level. Laws like the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, etc., serve as pitfalls for the unwary. Do those things even apply to me? The answer is: it depends, and unfortunately there is no single litmus test which applies across the board. The involvement of the government in business at every level is not limited to wages, employment and discrimination issues. Environmental, safety and other compliance issues are becoming more and more problematic for businesses, big and small. For these and other reasons, more and more businesses seek the liability protections available through incorporation or formation of limited liability companies. However, even those require proper maintenance and management in order to preserve the protections afforded by the corporate shield. Every business, to some degree, involves selling something – whether it is goods or services, a business will only be successful if you offer something which others are willing to pay for. For most businesses though, there is no sale bigger or more daunting than the sale or purchase of a business. It takes more than a handshake and requires experience and the exercise of due diligence by both the buyer and seller to address the needs and interests of both.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
• Construction Litigation
• Real Estate Transactions
  Civil Litigation; Eminent Domain/Condemnation; Workers Compensation; Employment Law; Real Estate Transactions, Oil & Gas, and municipal law & zoning.
• Eminent Domain
• Land Use and Zoning

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Watkins Calcara concentrates its practice in the areas of insurance defense litigation, business, commercial, utility and banking law. In addition, the firm has extensive experience in the practice of probate, trust, labor, oil and gas, real estate, water and administrative law before the Kansas Corporation Commission and other state agencies. The firm also has special expertise in Medicaid planning. It defends product liability, personal injury, property loss, workers compensation, civil rights, employment law and other tort actions for many individuals, companies, cities and insurance carriers.
• Medicaid Planning
  Trusts, Estate & Probate Matters; Medicaid planning and application process; Corporate and Business Issues; Contracts; Water Law, Administrative Law; Appellate Practice;

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Earl Watkins now, “Of Counsel,” was in private practice from the time he left the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps in 1977 until November, 2001. Mr. Watkins was instrumental in building the law firm from two lawyers with two staff members to eight lawyers with ten staff members.  Mr. Watkins practiced primarily in the areas of utility law, estate planning, banking and commercial law.
• Wills
  In May, 2004 he was named President and Chief Executive Officer for Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, a position from which he retired January, 2012.  Although now he does not actively practice law for the private client sector he still lends his years of valuable experience to the firm.  His philosophy still prevails that the success of the firm is directly related to the firm’s unconditional dedication and commitment to providing quality professional service on a timely basis for a fair fee.  Since retiring, he continues to represent numerous churches and charities in the greater Kansas City metro area and he has also prepared over 600 Will and Trust packets pro bono as part of the firm’s desire to “give back” to the community.
• Trusts
  Parents with disabled children can insure a portion of their estate is set aside to be used for the benefit of a disabled child without causing their child to be ineligible for public benefits by using a special needs trust in their estate plan.
• Power of Attorney
  Most of his current practice is related to Wills, Trusts Probate and Powers of Attorney and dealing with the complexities of Medicaid planning and eligibility. He also focuses on transactional and business related matters such as and real estate contracts and exchanges under IRS Section 1031, regulatory compliance, water and agricultural law.
• Probate

Finance Law

• Foreclosure
• Tax Law