As a longstanding presence in the Texas legal field and participant in national legal events, Momentum Search Partners is proud to have joined more than 500 attorneys, policy makers, consultants, and real estate professionals at the 35th Annual Legal Seminar on AD Valorem Taxation.
Held August 24-26, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas, the seminar focused on the latest legal issue in ad valorem taxation, the influence of current economic trends, and the niceties of standard appraisal practices. On August 25, 2022, Momentum Search Partners founding member Jane Pollard J.D. was a panelist on a session entitled “Have Chronic Staff Shortages Become the New Normal?”
A CPA, attorney, and longtime legal recruiter, Jane has a unique perspective on the legal and economic influences that have affected the broader market. Jane has a unique perspective on legal hiring and the challenges facing large and small firms alike. In addition to serving as a board member and treasurer of the Board of Directors for the National Professional Association for Legal Search Consultants (NALSC), she has conducted nationwide searches for local, regional, national, and international firms. Jane shared her insights into the staffing struggles facing firms, including the fact that:
- Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. economy had enjoyed an unprecedented 126 months of economic growth and an unemployment rate of 3.5 percent
- 2021 saw 47 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs
- The Harvard Business Review found most resignations owed to retirement, relocation, and reshuffling
- As of 2022, job openings outnumbered the unemployed, leading to lasting job shortages
- Major employers have employed incentives such as educational programs, increased wages, higher starting pay, and improved benefits
- Legal firms should realize how factors beyond compensation entice potential employees
- While working from home is a draw for many employees, it poses certain legal and tax challenges
Jane was joined in the presentation by Shannon Hutcheson of Hutcheson Bowers LLLP and Kristy Parker of Ryan Law. She has more than two decades worth of experience in recruiting top legal talent in Texas.
The Annual Legal Seminar on Ad Valorem Taxation is a long-running and highly influential yearly conference that examines many issues surrounding real-estate taxation. In addition to persistent staff shortages, the 35th seminar discussed issues such as case law, office real estate, fiduciaries and liabilities, remote court proceedings, and the economics of the energy sector. Previous years have focused on topics such as appraisals, litigation, the taxability of leasehold improvements, exemptions, civility in the legal profession, and tax incentives.