Making News in Business, June 10

Published: 06/09/2021 3:46:25 PM

Hoose receives Lifetime Award of Merit

Northampton-based criminal defense attorney David Hoose received a Lifetime Award of Merit from Oswego State University in New York. Hoose is a 1974 alum of college.

In honor of Hoose, the college said he used high ethical standards and excellent courtroom work to zealously defend clients, particularly those charged with felony charges. Much of his work is focused on destitute customers. He founded and serves as President of Hampden County Lawyers for Justice, which oversees the provision of defense services in need to individuals indicted in five different Massachusetts county courts, along with two juvenile courts and one superior court (all in Hampden County).

There are 146 attorneys participating in this assigned attorney program. His legal expertise and service have received many recognitions, including 2014 Attorney of the Year from Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Massachusetts from the American Trial Lawyers Association, Darrow Award Presented by the Massachusetts Citizens Against the Death Penalty, David Burres Civil Liberties Award Awarded, among others, by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and Thurgood Marshall Award (twice) by the Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services. Perhaps most notably, he was selected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, which is limited to only 1% of all trial lawyers in a given state.

Hoose earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from SUNY Oswego and a doctorate in law from Syracuse University College of Law. He is admitted to the bar in 14 states and federal courts, including the US Supreme Court. He negotiated the first modern federal death penalty case in Massachusetts in 2000-2001 (United States v Kristen Gilbert), and he currently has five other cases that began as capital cases from West Virginia to Vermont to Boston.

VA opens one-stop service center on campus in Leeds

LEEDS – The Veterans Administration of Central Western Massachusetts has opened a centralized Customer Care Suite to help Veterans access a variety of services in a new location on the Leeds campus.

The suite is located in the basement of the Liberty Building next to the canteen. It houses the following services: agent cashiers, patient insurances, legal services for the Department of Veterans and Foreign Wars, enrollment, information sharing, offices for the consolidated payment account center, billing and patient representatives, patient services and My Healthevet.

There will also be a reception and waiting area in the new 2,800-square-foot space that has been renovated for $ 1.35 million.

Freedom CU collectible cash for the blackboard

SPRINGFIELD – Freedom Credit Union is raising funds at its 11 branches across the region for the benefit of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, which is leading the fight against food insecurity in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties. You will be accepting donations until Saturday, July 31st.

Since 1982 the Food Bank has been helping to provide the residents of the area with food. They receive products from donations and then deliver the food to the participating pantries, refreshment points and animal shelters throughout the region. Their work enables individuals, families, seniors, children, veterans, and people with disabilities to live healthy and meaningful lives.

Based on the donation income in the previous financial year, the Food Bank provided the equivalent of 12.3 million meals, a significant increase compared to previous years.

In June and July, Freedom Credit Union staff and members and the entire community are invited to make monetary donations to support this cause at each Freedom branch. Any funds raised during this time will go directly to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

Freedom Credit Union has offices in Hampshire Counties in Easthampton and Northampton.

Ortiz joins Country Bank

WARE – Samuel Ortiz has joined the commercial credit division of Country Bank, which has an office in Hampshire County in Belchertown.

West Springfield’s Ortiz has been in the commercial lending business for 40 years. He is a seasoned director of business development in western and central Massachusetts. He earned an associate degree in business administration from Springfield Technical Community College and has participated in various banking and finance programs throughout his career. Ortiz is also a certified internal auditor.

Prior to joining Country Bank, Ortiz worked for Common Capital where he was responsible for all aspects of the corporate lending business. He also owned his own consulting firm, providing small business loans to the Western Massachusetts Enterprise Fund in Greenfield as a consultant.