Episode 45 - Next Lawyer Up with Ron Sykstus featuring Melissa Wetzel

Our newest Bond and Botes' law office, Bond, Botes & Wetzel, P.C., is now open in Mobile, Alabama! We are fortunate to have our former law partner,Melissa Wetzel, back with us. Even better, our prospective clients on the Gulf Coast will be very fortunate to have Melissa on their side!

I am reminded of my advancing age, unfortunately all too often, by my long term friends, Brad Botes and Greg Gunter. They have known me for a long time and my age came into clear focus, once again, while talking to Melissa on this podcast. Melissa reminded me that we both initially joined the Bond and Botes' team of lawyers in the early 1990's. Melissa started our Montgomery office and then moved south to start and run our Mobile office. We ended up closing our Mobile office after October 17, 2005 which is when the biggest change in over 100 years occurred in bankruptcy law. "Affectionately" referred to as "BAPCPA," the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005changed everything about consumer bankruptcy. In our estimation and experience, all this change did was to make bankruptcy more complicated and expensive for the average consumer. As an aside, it wasn't even necessary and the law was changed for different reasons entirely. That, however, is a topic for another time! Back to this episode of our podcast.

Melissa Wetzel is a smart, talented and compassionate lawyer. She is very knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of bankruptcy, to include the consumer chapters of seven and thirteen, and business bankruptcy under chapter eleven. As a longtime member of the Mobile bankruptcy bar, Melissa is highly regarded by bankruptcy trustees, judges and attorneys. She has served as Chair and Co-Chair of the Mobile Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section; served as Secretary & Newspaper Editor for the Alabama State Bar, Commercial and Bankruptcy Law Section; served as Treasurer, Vice Chair and Chair for the Alabama State Bar, Commercial and Bankruptcy Law Section; and served as both a Member and Chair on various local bankruptcy committees.

It was good to catch up with Melissa as I haven't talked to her in person for a number of years. For anyone down in Mobile who needs our help, Melissa's address is 1 St Louis Street, Suite 1002, in Mobile and her office phone number is (251) 216-0110.