Episode 177 - Next Lawyer Up with Ron Sykstus featuring Heath Brooks
Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus
Release Date: 11/10/2025
Episode 181 - Next Lawyer Up with Ron Sykstus featuring Luke Carlson
Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus
is the managing partner of with offices located in California and Florida. Luke’s firm handles business law, real estate matters, and estate planning. In addition to these practice areas , Luke and his firm are subject matter experts in the field of HOA law. In fact, you can find Luke’s book, I enjoyed getting to know Luke and hearing his story on this episode of the podcast.
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Episode 180 - Next Lawyer Up with Ron Sykstus featuring Chris Weston
Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus
is the managing partner of the long-established and well-respected law firm of in Huntsville, Alabama. As you’ll hear on this episode of the podcast, Chris was a nomad of sorts growing up, moving every three years or so. Finally settled in North Alabama, Chris took another detour to attend , before returning back to Huntsville. As we discuss, Chris entered law school in 2008, just as the economy was starting to bottom out from the housing crisis. Chris is an example of how a strong work ethic, combined with talent, can have a great end...
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Episode 178 - Next Lawyer Up with Ron Sykstus featuring Retired U.S. Immigration Judge Richard (Rico) Bartolomei
Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus
Rico has been a very close friend of mine who I have known since we were young U.S. Army JAG First Lieutenants at Fort Bliss, Texas. Beyond that, Rico introduced me to my wife of 36 years, Patty, as we all lived in the same apartment complex on the west side of El Paso. As I always describe to people, Rico is the closest individual to being a “Renaissance man” that I have ever met. Everything that he does, he does great! His reputation at Fort Bliss was that of a fantastic lawyer whom everyone respected. On this episode of the podcast, we talk about the arc of...
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Episode 178 - Next Lawyer Up with Ron Sykstus featuring Madison County, AL Circuit Court Judge (Ret) Karen Hall
Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus
was the longest-serving judge in Madison County, Alabama history, when combined with her time on the bench as a District Court Judge followed by her long tenure as a Circuit Court judge, until her recent retirement. And when I say retired, I mean just retired as in this podcast was done on her first day off after working for a lifetime! Judge Hall was instrumental in starting and then continuing the long tradition of judges in Madison County who are smart, compassionate, and considerate of both lawyers and litigants in their courtrooms, which is just the type of judge...
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Episode 177 - Next Lawyer Up with Ron Sykstus featuring Heath Brooks
Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus
is a highly respected personal injury attorney with the Huntsville law firm of . You can also listen to previous podcast episodes with Heath’s law partners , and . In addition, this law firm sponsors the popular As you’ll hear, Heath has been working at this same law firm for almost two decades, following a fortuitous concert featuring the As a long-time musician, Heath and I also discussed Muscle Shoals and its place in American musical history. As an aside, here is a podcast with . In addition to his interest in...
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Episode 176 - Next Lawyer Up with Ron Sykstus featuring Jack Duncan
Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus
is an exceptional creditors rights lawyer who is highly respected throughout the state of Alabama. Jack is a partner at the large regional firm of As an aside, here is a previous podcast I did with . Jack started his education with an eye toward engineering, but with three impressive semesters of calculus under his belt he then veered to finance. Jack took full advantage of all of the educational opportunities that had to offer, to include an undergraduate degree in finance, a master’s degree in finance and then followed by a law degree. I have...
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Ronnie and Friends with Bill Seymour
Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus
Affectionately known as Bill Harvey or William Harvey, I have known Bill since we met as law school classmates at the age of 22. In fact, we became roommates for our 2L and 3L years. As you’ll hear, I like to take credit for introducing Bill to the most important person in his life, his long-time spouse Kathy, but Bill is somewhat reticent to give me credit! Bill stayed in the Chicago area after we graduated and has worked in the insurance field for the entirety of his career. As long as I have known Bill, nothing is more important to him than Kathy and his three...
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Episode 175 - Next Lawyer Up with Ron Sykstus featuring Tim Semelroth
Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus
As I learned on this episode of the podcast, is an Iowa boy through and through! We talked a lot about wrestling because, if you grow up in Iowa, wrestling is pretty much in your blood. Tim has an interesting career arc and an impressive pedigree. He runs one of the largest personal injury practices in the state of Iowa. Also, Tim and his wife grew up in Iowa. His wife had a thoughtful observation when Tim was deciding on where to practice law. She told him that if they did not live in Iowa, then they would spend all of their vacation time traveling back...
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Episode 174 - Next Lawyer Up with Ron Sykstus featuring Ralph Hornsby, Jr.
Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus
., is a highly respected attorney who has been practicing law in North Alabama for a long time. He comes from great stock and Ralph learned his craft, in large part, from his father, All of Ralph’s law firm information for Ralph focuses his law practice, as he has been doing since the beginning, on personal injury law. I enjoyed getting to know Ralph on this episode of the podcast.
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Episode 173 -Next Lawyer Up with Ron Sykstus featuring Brian White
Next Lawyer Up Podcast with Attorney Ron Sykstus
is a highly respected attorney located in Decatur, Alabama where he has been practicing law for many years. I have known Brian by reputation, but this is my first opportunity to get to speak with him. He works throughout North Alabama and concentrates his practice especially in the counties of Morgan, Lawrence, Limestone and Cullman. Brian focuses the majority of his law practice on the defense of major criminal offense allegations to include capital murder cases. His firm, , also practices in the areas of family law and estate planning. I enjoyed getting to know...
info_outlineHeath Brooks is a highly respected personal injury attorney with the Huntsville law firm of Timberlake, League and Brooks. You can also listen to previous podcast episodes with Heath’s law partners Michael Timberlake here, Will League here and William Messervy here. In addition, this law firm sponsors the popular LawCall show on WAAY/ABC 31 on Sunday nights at 10:30pm. As you’ll hear, Heath has been working at this same law firm for almost two decades, following a fortuitous concert featuring the Drive By Truckers. As a long-time musician, Heath and I also discussed Muscle Shoals and its place in American musical history. As an aside, here is a podcast with attorney Rick Hall whose father founded the Fame Music Studio in the Shoals. In addition to his interest in music, Heath also has a background in anthropology and archaeology, so much so that he got his degree in it and worked in the field for several years before going to law school. He also received a Master’s degree in Environmental Management at the same time he studied for his law degree. Heath is as he appears on LawCall – affable, approachable, funny and smart. It is no wonder that he has a lot of prospective clients seeking his representation! I enjoyed getting to know Heath’s history on this episode of the podcast.