Button Law Firm May 2019

MAY 2019

HOT-BUTTON ISSUES

4315 W. Lovers Lane, Suite A, Dallas, TX 75209 | 1900 W. Illinois Avenue, Suite 101, Midland, TX 79701 www.buttonlawfirm.com | 214-888-2216

LIKE LEARNING TO RIDE A BIKE

Pedaling On the Road to Success

Do you remember the day you learned to ride a bike? Picture your younger self, eager to learn, but also scared of falling. At some point, you probably did fall. I’ve been riding my bike since I was a kid, probably 3 or 4. I started with training wheels and, eventually, my parents took them off and taught me to ride. They knew I was probably going to crash at some point, so they made sure I had the right safety gear in place — helmet, knee pads, sturdy shoes — and taught me that when you fall, you get back up and try again. As I got older, I got into trail riding and BMX. I’d take my bike to parks with ramps and hills where I could practice jumps. For several years, basketball was my main activity, and biking was something I did for cross training. After college, I turned to mountain biking, and eventually, I got my first road bike. My sister’s classmate had a road bike that they weren’t using, and I bought it from them. I got a trainer and started riding it indoors when I couldn’t go for an outdoor ride. These days, I start my day with a ride or take it out for a spin after work. It’s a mental and physical escape. It clears my mind and helps me settle into my thoughts. When I’m out biking on the trails or road, and even at home on my trainer, I find my rhythm. The spinning of the wheels and the circular motion of my feet pedaling creates a beat. I’ve found that it provides a great opportunity for me to think. I can get into something of a meditative frame of mind, especially when I’m biking outside. Of course, on the hills, I’m completely focused on using every bit of strength I have left to get to the top. I’m consumed by the feeling of accomplishment when I get there. Biking is great for people both as a way to exercise and get to work. Our attorney Ashley recently got a Peloton, and she’s been killing it on that thing! I’ve rented beach cruisers on vacations before because there’s so much joy in a relaxed ride along the beach. Once you’ve learned to Throughout my life, I’ve carried that lesson with me in all my endeavors.

ride a bike, your body will always remember how it works. Of course, you don’t get on a bike the first time and master it; you’ll fall down, but part of the lesson is getting back up. The process teaches you a growth mindset, and it’s a lesson you can return to at any age. Biking has so many parallels to life: We fall down, and we get back up. We encounter grueling uphill climbs, but they’re followed by downhill cruises. In the process, we learn that we can do it, and that’s the road to success on any journey.

–Russell Button

P.S. Turn the page to learn more about our bike giveaway!

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SHARING OUR LOVE OF CYCLING

Through a Commitment to the Community

As Russell shared on the cover, riding a bike has been a fundamental part of his life — one that has served him not only as a form of fitness but also with many life lessons. Russell and our firm as a whole believe in the power of a bike as a mode for transportation, fitness, and fun. For a child who’s never experienced the joy of riding a bike, it can be a life- changing experience. That’s why this summer, we’re planning a bike giveaway for the youth in our community. We want to share our love of cycling with you so that more of us, and especially our young people, have the opportunity to enjoy the fun and many lessons that a bicycle brings.

Look for more details in the coming months! We can’t wait to share this giveaway with you!

3 TAKEAWAYS FROM ‘ESSENTIALISM’ BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW

I keep an idea journal, and recently, a book I read gave me so many ideas that I wanted to share them with you. At its core, “Essentialism” is about quality over quantity. The book focuses on the idea that less is not only more but also better. Here are three of the key concepts that I took away from “Essentialism.” This concept of “less is more” translates directly toward my business and managing my team. If I can put less overall responsibility on each person’s plate, including my own, and we do each of those tasks better, that’s going to be better for the team collectively. Everyone has unique gifts, and as “Essentialism” demonstrates, it’s better to maximize each person’s gift and allow them to focus on what they do best. TAKEAWAY NO. 2: CLARITY = SUCCESS If you can narrow down what you do in a day to an essential few tasks, that clarity will give you a streamlined, focused mindset, which increases your success. For our business, that translates into us limiting the cases we take on and being TAKEAWAY NO. 1: INSTEAD OF HIRING FOR A TITLE, HIRE FOR ABILITIES.

comfortable saying no if a case doesn’t fit the specialized areas we practice in. Our team cares so much that we often want to say yes to everything, but we provide better service to people when we are selective about the cases we take on and point those we can’t take in the direction of a referral partner who specializes in that area. By having the clarity and the discipline to take on the appropriate cases, we do better at what we say yes to. TAKEAWAY NO. 3: EMPOWER YOUR TEAM As business owners, when we narrow everyone’s responsibility, they become experts in their area, and each team member feels empowered to take ownership over their position. There’s something really cool that happens when someone realizes what they’re really good at and puts that to use every day. They’re not just an employee who punches in and out; they’re a passionate, empowered team player who gives their best to their position.

Have you read “Essentialism”? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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C H I L D S A F E T Y P R OG R A M THE BUTTON LAW FIRM' S DAYCARE SEMINAR RECAP

Cassie Limoges

Russell Button

Ashley Washington

Rena Piper

We are exci ted to announce the launch of The Button Law Firm's Chi ld Safety Program. We held our f i rst Daycare seminar through this program t i t led "Is Your Chi ld Safe At Daycare?" The part icipants ranged from parents, teachers, and caregivers.

The participants learned about the fol lowing topics:

"11 Things To Look For In A Daycare" Presented by Russell Button and Ashley Washington "Doing Your Research - Texas Minimum Standards, What Information Is Out There And How To Find It." Presented by Ashley Washington "5 Things To Do When A Child Is Injured At Daycare" Presented by Russell Button, "Recognizing When Your Child Is A Victim Of Abuse" Presented by Mrs. Cassie Limoges "Parent Perspective - What I Learned After My Child Was Injured At A Daycare" Presented by Rena Piper

I f you know anyone who would be interested in more informat ion of our Chi ld Safety Program, please di rect them to our websi te! Make sure to keep an eye out for future events. In the meant ime feel free to download our FREE guides.

11 Tips To Helps Parents Searching For A Safe Daycare

A Five-Step Guide For Parents

Dealing With A Daycare Injury

w w w . B u t t o n L a w F i r m . c o m / R e p o r t s

Teacher Appreciation Program www.buttonlawfirm.com/teachers | 214-888-2216 4315 West Lovers Lane, Suite A, Dallas, TX 75209 | 1900 West Illinois Avenue, Suite 101, Midland, TX 79701

Congratulations to our April 2019 Teacher of the Month

"I was born and raised in Fort. Worth Texas! From the age of 15-23, I lived in Arizona with my dad. When I was 23, I moved back to my home state of Texas and met my husband, Josh. I started school and 13 years later, I got my teaching degree and now, here I am. I was born with hearing issues and got my first set of hearing aides at the age of 5. MICHELLE OLER

By the age of 16, I was completely deaf in my left ear and profoundly deaf in my right ear. When I was a sophomore in high school, the decision was made for me to go to a deaf school. Although scary at first, I was able to learn a new language and made some lifelong friends. Having to overcome certain obstacles that comes with hearing impairment, helped to mold me and give the confidence to achieve my goal of teaching. I've gotten to where I am today with a lot of hard work! Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I was a teacher’s aide for a wonderful teacher for 10 years before I decided to obtain my degree and become a teacher. It was so much hard work going to school and working full time but with the love and support of my husband and family, I was able to achieve my lifelong dream of teaching children.

Harmony took a chance on making me their kindergarten teacher and I am so glad that they did! This is my 3rd year with HSI-Euless and what a blessing it has been. I LOVE Harmony! When you walk into Harmony, you will make no mistake about the goal of our school. When you walk the halls, you will see student work up all over the building and see that our kids are #1. We have some amazing teachers here on our campus and I feel so lucky and blessed to be a part of this! My students are my heart. I love them all so very much. I think back to the first day of school and how shy they were and into the students they have blossomed into today. I am so proud of who they are and how so very hard their little minds have worked this year. I am the luckiest teacher alive to be able to teach them every day. They are the best! My biggest accomplishment teaching is seeing the progress that my students make every single day. That “aha” moment they have when something finally clicks about what I have been teaching. That is the best feeling in the world. Being a teacher is the hardest job I have ever had but also the best! Everyday that I get up, I cannot wait to get to work to get started for the day. At 7:30 a.m., my students come busting through my door with big hugs and smiles. At the end of the year, I hate to watch my students move on to the next grade but I see how much they have grown and look forward to next group every fall!" We are so proud of you, Mrs. Oler! It was a pleasure meeting you! Check Out Her Video At : www.ButtonLawFirm.com/Oler Pictured below is Mrs. Oler and her students enjoying their pizza party, courtesy of The Button Law Firm

Published by The Newsletter Pro | www.TheNewsletterPro.com

NO NEGLIGENCE ALLOWED

How Our Attorneys Held an Unsafe Day Care Accountable

In 2015, 3-year-old Benjamin*, was injured on the playground at day care and broke his left arm. The employees put a wet rag on Benjamin’s arm and didn’t mention the injury to his mother. The next morning, it had changed colors, so Benjamin’s mom took him to the emergency room, where they found out his arm was broken. It was put in a cast, and they had follow-up visits to ensure it healed.

was understaffed that day, and Benjamin was neglected yet again and broke his other arm. This time, the day care filed an incident report but still failed to tell his mom. Apart from his time at day care, Benjamin had never broken a bone or had any injuries.

Benjamin’s mom had enough. She called us to seek closure and ensure the day care was made safe for future families.

HOW THE BUTTON LAW FIRM HELPED

We filed a lawsuit for Benjamin’s family and guided them through the process. When we took the facility to court, they could not provide checklists to show how many kids were with each teacher on the day of the injury. So we knew they were exceeding the teacher-child ratio set by law. The day care’s defense? “Kids will be kids.” We sent our demands and kept up the pressure. Soon after, the case resolved, and we paid off all of Benjamin’s medical bills and created a settlement annuity that he will receive later in life. The case created awareness of the systematic failures at this day care, and we believe our work will make it safer for future families. If you or someone you know has a child in day care, please get your free copy of our guide for parents, “A 5-Step Guide for Parents Dealing With a Day Care Injury.” You can download it along with our other free guides instantly at ButtonLawFirm.com/reports.

Following the incident, the day care went against company policy and State of Texas requirements by allowing Benjamin’s teacher to file a report after the fact, despite knowing she didn’t see what happened. The day care was cited by the state for failing to notify a parent that their child was injured and for not completing an incident report. Benjamin’s mom understandably assumed the explanation the day care gave was true — “Kids will be kids.”

Fast forward two years to the summer of 2017, when 5-year-old Benjamin was playing at the same day care with older kids. The facility

*Name has been changed to protect the child and his family.

B utton law firm H ighlight R eel

Thank you all for coming. We can’t wait to host our next event!

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4315 W. Lovers Lane, Suite A Dallas, Texas 75209 WE’VE MOVED!

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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Like Learning to Ride a Bike Sharing Our Love of Cycling Button Book Review: ‘Essentialism’ An Unsafe Day Care Is Held Accountable BLF Highlight Reel Neighborhood Spotlight

Neighborhood Spotlight: The Meat Shop BRINGING HIGH-QUALITY CUTS TO DFW

Follow Lover’s Lane going west, and you’ll find yourself at The Meat Shop. Started by Texan brothers Lowell and Storm Sands, this local butchery and eatery is the only place you can buy meat from Rosewood Ranch, which is prized for its high-quality, Texas-raised wagyu beef. You’ll also find house-made sauces and condiments, freshly made sandwiches, local beer and wine, and mouthwatering sides. It’s helpful to know a little background about Rosewood Ranch to fully appreciate the meat that comes from this Lone Star State treasure. Started by John Sands, Rosewood Ranch has been part of Texas legacy since the 1850s, and it remains committed to maintaining the land, following sustainable agriculture, and raising the highest quality livestock. Rosewood has had one ranch manager for the last 35 years, ensuring the quality and care of the animals has been maintained through the decades. You can taste the difference in the meat that comes from Rosewood, and thankfully, it’s available in a variety of cuts at The Meat Shop. From getting the perfect cut of wagyu beef, taking it home, and slapping it on the grill to sitting down with friends and enjoying a freshly made brisket-pastrami Reuben on marbled rye with a pint of local pilsner, The Meat Shop offers up some delicious options. You can imagine how excited everyone at The Button Law Firm was when, after moving to our new location in the Love Field neighborhood, we found ourselves just across the street from this local butcher and

eatery. It didn’t take long for us to take advantage of our proximity to The Meat Shop and try it out. The shop’s staff members are enthusiastic about what they have to offer, and they will happily help you find the best cut of steak and instruct you on how to cook it to perfection. We’re excited to feature them this month and share this Texas treasure with you. A big thanks goes to The Meat Shop for donating brisket and ribs to us at our open house as a gift for moving into the neighborhood. We appreciate that so much! You can find out more about The Meat Shop at MeatShopTX.com.