FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Mac Minard, Executive Director 406 449-3578 (office) 406 439-2059 (cell)
July 17, 2009
moga@mt.net
LEGAL FIRST RESPONDER PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE
MOGA Executive Director Mac Minard announced today that a new and very important service is being i offered to MOGA Outfitter members. The Legal First Responder Program is a new membership benefit that is an optional add-on to your MOGA membership. The MOGA Board voted unanimously at the 2009 Spring Retreat to present this program to the membership as an optional add-on. The Legal First Responder Program is becoming a standard in the recreation/outdoor/guide industry and is something that is strongly encouraged and supported by the outdoor insurance industry. MOGA is partnering with Tracey Knutson of KNUTSON & ASSOCIATES in bringing this new membership benefit forward to MOGA members. This program is offered to the Outfitting industry in Montana exclusively through MOGA in partnership with KNUTSON & ASSOCIATES. What is a Legal First Responder Program? The Legal First Responder Program entitles MOGA Outfitter members to have KNUTSON & ASSOCIATES as a “go-to” source to assist them with any critical incident that occurs during their operating season (or which they get notified of any time during the year). Under this program KNUTSON & ASSOCIATES will help the Outfitter: • • • • • draft any press statements that might be necessary issue them a letter that says that counsel has been engaged so that any/all documents and discovery become attorney work product and thereby privileged from discovery requests assist with insurance notification assist them in building a critical evidence file - statements, photos, company documents, witness information, etc help statementize guides or other witnesses
Why do Outfitters need this service? No matter how careful you are in trying to minimize or mitigate foreseeable incidents related to your operation and to your clients, incidents can and do happen. As we all know, incidents can have catastrophic consequences for small (and not so small) businesses. This program places the most experienced legal professional in the field of recreation law in your corner with just a phone call. In the event your business suffers a significant incident the First Responder Program is there to give solid legal support during the immediate period following the incident. Once this initial response work is completed it will be up to the member and /or their insurance company (we can help negotiate this issue) to meet any additional law firm costs. This should get some consistency into incident response and create a prophylactic defense position for members in the event they do experience critical incidents. How do I sign up? All paid-up MOGA Outfitter members are eligible to enroll in the Legal First Responder Program. The annual cost for participation is $50. Registration and payment can be made through regular mail to the MOGA office or you may call in with a credit card. We will need only your company name, contact name, name of your insurance company and the payment before you are enrolled. Do not wait until you have an incident to register. Only those Outfitters who have registered and paid will receive this service. When you sign up and complete payment the MOGA office will • Issue an email letter to you as the Outfitter with a copy to KNUTSON & ASSOCIATES documenting your paid participation in the Legal First Responder Program, and • Keep you informed of when your annual payment will next be due to ensure you are not left unprotected.
For more information you can contact the MOGA office at 406 449-3578 or email us at moga@mt.net
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It is important for you to understand that this program is NOT intended to be legal advice, advertisement or referral from MOGA to its members. Participating in this program is purely voluntary on the part of the individual participants and does not establish any type of recommendations from MOGA to members on their own course of conduct nor does it establish any type of attorney client relationship between MOGA and participating members. This program is intended to provide, to the best of our knowledge, accurate and authoritative information in the event a member experiences a critical incident. MOGA does not nor can it, however, guarantee or warranty the accuracy of any of the advices members receive while participating in this program.