Rising Stars attorneys, Midland wildfire donations among this week's business news
Amarillo Globe-News
5 min read
Brown & Fortunato announces 2 attorneys selected as Texas Rising Stars
Brown & Fortunato is pleased to announce Eric J. Matthews and Jonathan E. Sterling have been selected as 2024 Texas Rising Stars.
Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor, the company said in a news release.
Eric J. Matthews
Matthews is a member of B&F’s Corporate Group. His transactional practice includes mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and real estate. He advises at every phase of the business cycle, from formation to termination, and he has experience handling a variety of equity and asset transactions. Matthews is based in the Amarillo office and has been selected to the Rising Stars list in 2023 and 2024.
Jonathan E. Sterling
Sterling is a shareholder and a member of the firm’s Corporate Group. His practice focuses on business transactions in the energy, entertainment, financial services, logistics, real estate, and technology industries, with an emphasis on transactions in the healthcare space. He is based in the Dallas office and has been selected as a Super Lawyer Rising Star in Texas for 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Amarillo Area Foundation president and CEO, Clay Stribling, accepts Amarillo National Bank's $1 million donation and donation collection benefiting the Amarillo Area Foundation Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund to help wildfire victims, as announced Feb. 28 in the ANB tower main lobby.
In the wake of devastation caused by historic wildfires in the Texas Panhandle, Midland oil and gas companies are demonstrating their commitment to local communities and their love for West Texas, donating $200,000 in total to the Amarillo Area Foundation's Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund.
"West Texans have a deep connection to the land and a profound love of community and it comes as no surprise that Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Diamondback Energy, Permian Resources, and Pioneer Natural Resources have joined together and stepped forward as industry leaders in a time of crisis, offering support to those affected by the recent catastrophic wildfires," a news release states. "This contribution highlights the spirit of West Texans, who have always stood ready to lend a helping hand to their neighbors in need."
"The Amarillo Area Foundation’s Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund is being used to address the immediate needs of those impacted by the devastating wildfires in our region, said Clay Stribling, President and CEO of Amarillo Area Foundation. “We are focused on food, water, shelter, and clothing. We will also work closely with regional providers to address long-term needs like grief and trauma counseling, livestock and agriculture losses, first responder organizations and their readiness, and other needs that arise as we more closely identify the damage done to our communities."
The Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund, activated in response to the urgent needs of wildfire-affected communities, has already allocated over $1.3 million in grants to organizations providing direct relief. For more information or to donate, visit www.amarilloareafoundation.org.
Cavender's partners with WRCA for wildfire relief donations
Cavender’s Boot City is partnering with the Working Ranch Cowboys Association by accepting donations to help victims of the recent wildfires at all the chain’s 100 locations in 15 states and at https://www.cavenders.com/.
According to a news release, Cavender’s is accepting donations of $1, $5, $10, and $20 to support the Working Ranch Cowboys Association’s Foundation National Disaster Relief Fund. The WRCA’s Foundation Mission is to provide financial assistance to working ranch cowboys and their family members. All the collected donations will be given to the WRCA.
“Many of the ranchers affected from the February and March 2024 fires were also hit from the fires of 2017. Many have also had hardships with drought. This lifestyle can try you on a normal year even without natural disasters. The grass loss alone will take up to two years to come back and then these ranches need time to get fences back in working order before cattle can be restocked,” says Leman Wall WRCA Association Manager.
"Cavender’s is proud to support this initiative. We believe this lifestyle is core to who our customers are and there are many others in this country who would love to help where they can. This is a small way that we can help preserve and protect this important part of our heritage and culture," the release states.
For more information, visit cavenders.com and www.wrca.org .
BofA: Clients had record 23.4 billion digital interactions in 2023
CHARLOTTE, NC – As Bank of America continues to personalize digital banking, clients are more frequently connecting with their finances digitally. In 2023, Bank of America clients connected with their finances more than 23.4 billion times through a combination of digital logins and proactive alerts – an 11% increase year over year and all-time record, the bank noted in a news release.
"Clients received more than 10.6 billion proactive digital alerts in 2023 – an increase of 12% year-over-year – giving them real-time insight into their financial lives," the release states. Bank of America now has 57 million verified digital users, among which more than 35 million have opted to receive these alerts. The most common alerts last year involved account balances, deposit available balances, and virtual debit card usage.
“Our clients unlocked convenience 23 billion times last year through digital interactions,” said Nikki Katz, Head of Digital at Bank of America. “Individualized real-time alerts and proactive insights, along with our digital platform overall, help simplify the day-to-day management of finances. This allows our clients to more easily balance life and enjoy the moments that matter.”
In 2023, clients interacted 673 million times with Erica, a virtual financial assistant. Erica now has 18.5 million active users, and Merrill client interactions exceeded 10 million in 2023. Private Bank clients interacted with Erica a record 700,000 times in 2023, up 35% from the previous year.
CashPro Chat integrated Erica in 2023, with 43% of client inquiries now being answered in the app. CashPro clients also received 19.7 million alerts and insights in 2023. In addition, 21.5 million clients now use Zelle, to send and receive 1.24 billion payments worth $373 billion in 2023 – both record highs.
More information on how Bank of America clients are engaging with digital banking is available in the bank’s quarterly Trends in Digital fact sheet. Download the Bank of America app or visit bankofamerica.com.
