SARATOGA SPRINGS — Continuum Wealth Advisors, an SEC-registered investment advisor with offices in Saratoga Springs, has announced the addition of James T. Cox, CFP®, ChFC®, BFA™ to the firm’s wealth management team.

James has been working in the financial industry for more than 12 years and is excited to bring his skillset to a fast-growing firm. As a Certified Financial Planner™, he provides clarity to his clients’ financial lives.

“I am excited to join one of the premier boutique financial planning firms in the Capital District. I am impressed with the passion, knowledge, and experience that Tim, David, and Jen use to serve their clients. I believe my experience and focus on financial planning will be a strong fit with this firm that will help propel us forward,” Cox said about the move.

“We are very excited to welcome James to Continuum Wealth Advisors. With James joining our team, we will be able to expand the scope of our services and help more families in the Capital District,” said Tim Smith, who founded Continuum Wealth Advisors in 2010.

CORINTH — The Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) recently announced the election of Sue Commanda, Chief Executive Officer of Hudson River Community Credit Union (HRCCU), as the newest member of its Board of Directors. Commanda will serve as a Board Observer in 2023 before officially joining the WPO Board of Directors once existing board members reach their respective term limits.

Commanda is the CEO and Chief Information Security Officer of Hudson River Community Credit Union, a not-for-profit financial cooperative headquartered in Corinth with more than $350 million in assets.

As the WPO’s governing body, the Board of Directors guides the organization toward a sustainable future led by sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, while ensuring the organization is equipped with the necessary resources to advance its mission.

ALBANY — George de Piro, the former chief brewing officer at Druthers Brewing Company, has filed a lawsuit against the company, according to a petition filed in the New York State Supreme Court in Albany.

De Piro is a shareholder of all four Druthers locations, according to the petition. The petition states that de Piro is aiming to examine the company’s books and records in order to determine “the financial condition of the entities.”

Druthers has locations in Saratoga Springs, Albany, Schenectady, and Clifton Park. de Piro owns 13 to 15% shares of each Druthers location, according to the petition.

The petition states that “a dispute arose” between de Piro and other members of the company in March 2021.

The petition claims de Piro has made requests for various records in recent months and has not received them, claiming that Druthers “have provided incomplete responses focusing on the breakdown of the relationship and failing to turn over necessary documents.”

The petition states that de Piro is seeking information regarding “potential self-dealing,” in the selection of construction contracts, the use of company-owned apartments and vehicles, and “no-show jobs.” de Piro also alleges the Druthers Board of Directors has not held annual meetings “for in some cases well over a decade.”

De Piro sent a demand letter to Druthers on Nov. 25, 2022, asking to inspect corporate documents. The petition states that Druthers’ CEO Chris Martell told de Piro’s lawyers on Dec. 15 via email he would “respond comprehensively” by the second week of January.

According to the filed petition, de Piro has not yet received the documents. de Piro also requested that the company purchase his shares, citing “other disputes,” which was refused, according to the petition.

Neither Martell or de Piro returned requests for comment for this report.

De Piro is represented by Matthew W. Lizotte and Donald J. Feerick, Jr. of Feerick Nugent MacCartney, PLLC in Nyack. de Piro is asking the court to permit he and his attorneys to receive and inspect the requested documents, that a referee be appointed to supervise “the provision of access and disclosure by Respondents,” and awarding costs and fees associated with the prosecution.

I have a confession to make: in the past I’ve “self-diagnosed” a medical issue by searching Google before going to the doctor.

Inevitably when I went to the doctor I was shocked to learn that my self-diagnosis was not correct, for reasons that were very obvious to the doctor upon hearing the entire context of my situation but that were overlooked during my research.

Go figure, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this.

So it goes with legal problems as well.  

It’s very common that a potential new client will come in to meet with me having done their own research.  This is great; in fact, we prefer to work with engaged clients who do research before reaching out to or hiring a lawyer.

Where this becomes less beneficial, however, is when the person says something to the effect of: “well, I read online that this person in Florida won _____ million dollars for the exact same thing.”  Or, “my friend/spouse/sibling told me that based upon their research I should expect to get _______ outcome.”

It’s human nature to wonder about the future, and about the potential outcomes of a problematic situation.  Legal matters are very stress inducing, so it’s no surprise that they would be ripe for this sort of thinking.  These days this inevitably leads most people to online research and/or discussions with friends.  

The beauty of the internet is that essentially all of the information in the world is available to everyone.  One of the downsides, however, is that all of the information in the world is available to everyone.  Much of it without context, which leads most of us to form conclusions based upon surface level information.  For better or worse, however, in the legal profession context matters.  A lot.

When a person comes to a lawyer with a legal problem, the lawyer will typically approach the situation using the framework below (this is what’s taught in most law schools): 

1. What are the relevant facts of this situation? (Note: what the client thinks are relevant and what the lawyer thinks are relevant are not always the same). 

2. What legal issues do these facts raise?

3. What is the relevant law(s) applicable to these facts and issues?

4. How does that law apply generally?

5. What facts make this case similar or different from the general application of the law?

6. What intangibles impact the potential outcome based upon the general application of the law?  These include (but certainly aren’t limited to):

    a. Location of the matter;

    b. Witnesses;

    c. Credibility of parties;

    d. Potential public interest;

    e. Etc. 

#’s 5& 6 are critical, because in our experience online searches and discussions with friends/family often overlook both the details that make cases unique, as well as the intangibles that can have a substantial impact on the outcome.   An easy example of intangible “a”: someone who suffers a broken leg in a car accident in Kings County, NY will very likely have a different outcome than someone who suffers the same injury in Saratoga/Warren/Washington or other upstate New York counties.  In that context, location matters. 

I thought of this just this week, when I read an article about a settlement in the case involving the family of Kobe Bryant, who settled multiple claims against Los Angeles County for close to Thirty Million Dollars.  The facts of the claim were fairly straightforward and included allegations that deputies who arrived on scene took unauthorized photos and shared them.  

Of course the case was anything but usual, and involved a) a public figure and case of massive public interest; b) in a jurisdiction that has a history of substantial jury verdicts and settlements; and c) what appeared to be significant credibility issues on the defense side.  So, while a reasonable person could see that settlement and think, “my case should be worth that much or close to it,” this would more likely than not be incorrect for the reasons I mentioned.

The point is, if you find yourself with a legal (or medical, accounting, engineering, plumbing, etc.) problem it absolutely makes sense to do your own homework and educate yourself about the process.  Be cautious, however, about reaching conclusions about how things might go based solely on articles online or conversations with friends, keeping in mind that what you read often lacks the relevant context, which can make all the difference.

GLENS FALLS — Advokate, LLC has announced the appointment of Cam J. Cardinale as Director of Strategy and Operations.

Mr. Cardinale has been employed at Advokate since 2021, beginning as Marketing & Operations Associate and moving up to Marketing & Operations Director, and is now the lead on the Advokate team, overseeing internal operations and strategy as well as taking a supervisory role over the marketing and design that Advokate performs for clients.

“Cam is my right-hand man,” said Kate Austin-Avon, Founder and CEO of Advokate, which she established in 2010. “He’s shown time and time again that he’s creative, capable and driven, and I feel extremely fortunate to have him stepping into this role at Advokate. It means good things for the community as well as our business.”

Mr. Cardinale said, “It has been so gratifying to work with the nonprofits we support, like Southern Adirondack Independent Living (SAIL), World Awareness Children Museum (WACM), Charles R. Wood Theater, WAIT House, Tri-County United Way, and so many more.” He adds, “And this month we’ve launched rebrands for The Lawn Care Company and Bitchin’ Donuts (formerly Birch Bark Eatery), which has been so fun. This summer we’re going to be promoting festivals in Lake George and there is so much more to look forward to. I’m very proud to be leading our team and am excited about our future.”

CLIFTON PARK — Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s have announced plans for a new destination retail store in Clifton Park. 

The outdoor retailer’s fourth location in New York, the new 70,000-square-foot store will serve outdoorsmen and women in greater Albany and the Adirondacks region.

“The Adirondacks have played a huge role in our nation’s sporting heritage and our country’s world-leading history of conservation. We are honored to open our newest Bass Pro Shops in Clifton Park,” said Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops. “This location will not only pay tribute to the region’s past, but will proudly outfit the sportsmen, women and families who continue to enjoy the Adirondacks today. For that, we are humbled, excited and deep down proud.”

Like all Bass Pro Shops locations, the new store will feature a completely unique custom design. Envisioned as a tribute to the great sporting heritage of the region and a celebration of the sportsmen and women of New York, the store will build on the signature qualities that define the Bass Pro Shops shopping experience.

The store also will showcase industry-leading boat brands including Tracker, Nitro, Ranger, Sun Tracker, Regency and Tahoe. In addition, the new location will display a wide assortment of new Tracker Off Road ATVs and side-by-side vehicles.

The retail destination will offer equipment and clothing for all outdoor adventures, including hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, and other related outdoor gear. 

In addition to providing customers with the outdoor products they love, a team of talented artists and craftsmen will design the store’s localized imagery to reinforce its immersive outdoor theme. 

Bass Pro Shops is expected to employ more than 115 “Outfitters” at its new Clifton Park location. The new retail location is expected to open in 2024.