FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
James E. Creamer, Esq.
Blanco Tackabery Combs & Matamoros, P.A.
Tel: (336) 293-9000
Fax: (336) 293-9030
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Winston-Salem, NC – James E. Creamer, Jr., a shareholder of the law firm of Blanco Tackabery Combs & Matamoros, P.A., along with E. Knox Proctor, V, an attorney with Ward and Smith, P.A., received the 2007 John Huske Anderson Award from the North Carolina Medical Society on Saturday, October 20, 2007 during the NCMS Annual Meeting in Charlotte. The award was in recognition of the attorneys' work in improving North Carolina's advanced directives laws. Outgoing NCMS president Darlyne Menscer, MD, of Charlotte presented the award.
"We are extremely honored to accept the award on behalf of the North Carolina Bar Association," Jim told the NCBA in a recent article. "Many members of the Elder Law, Estate Planning and Health Law sections worked very hard on this bill." In addition, Jim stated that the legislation was a great joint effort with the North Carolina Medical Society, NCMS members and staff having worked equally hard on this legislation as on the CLE/CME program sponsored in early October by both the NCBA and the NCMS.
According to the NCBA article, Proctor added that the original bill was co-sponsored in the senate by NCBA members Fletcher Hartsell and R.C. Soles, and the final bill was managed on the House floor by NCBA member Deborah Ross. Other NCBA members involved in the drafting highlighted in the article included Lynn Changler of Charlotte (Estate Planning), John Crill (Health Law) and Melanie Phelps (Health Law) of Raleigh, and Larry Rocamora (Estate Planning and Elder Law) of Durham. In addition, both Creamer and Proctor noted the efforts of Doug Heron, the Bar Association's lobbyist. Dr. Darlyne Menscer, of the NCMS, was also involved in the entire legislative process beginning with the first drafting efforts.
The advanced directives legislation, known as House Bill 634, was adopted by the General Assembly earlier this year and signed into law by Governor Easley on July 31. Its provisions became effective October 1. In addition to their work on the legislation, Jim and Knox also helped to obtain passage of the MOST form, or Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment.
"Getting the advance directives and MOST legislation through the legislature was no small feat," said Dr. Menscer in an NCMS release. "Due to the sensitivity of the subject matter, it was extremely difficult and challenging, and often downright frustrating. Yet Knox and Jim persevered, and North Carolina citizens now have a much better set of laws for dealing with tough medical decisions at the end of life."
Jim received his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law, and holds a Masters in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. He practices in the firm's Estate Planning & Administration Group in both the Winston-Salem and Lake Norman offices.
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About Blanco Tackabery Combs & Matamoros, P.A.
Blanco Tackabery Combs & Matamoros, P.A. is a professional legal corporation founded in 1973, with offices in Winston-Salem and Lake Norman. The firm's 22 attorneys provide a full range of legal services to individual and business clients in North Carolina, the Southeast, and other regions throughout the United States in the areas of affordable housing law; bankruptcy, insolvency & collections; business law; civil & criminal trials; commercial real estate & development; environmental law; estate planning & administration; family law; intellectual property; labor & employment law; and taxation.