Biographies

Bill E. Newman

Drafted in January, 1967 into the United States Army, Infantry, Bill earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, an Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, and a Presidential Unit Citation for Valor. After being seriously wounded in the Republic of Vietnam, Bill was honorably discharged in 1972, with the rank of Captain. He then started a career in private security consultation and management and soon became the assistant director of security for a major international hotel and restaurant chain. In addition to his Jurist Doctorate, Bill earned a Degree from The University of The South, School of Theology, a Bachelor degree  in Criminal Justice and a Masters degree is in Criminal Justice Administration.

He has been an attorney, licensed to practice in the State of Kansas, the Federal District Court of Kansas, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Colorado, since December, 1985, when he graduated from Washburn Law School, Topeka, Kansas. More recently, he has attained a license to practice law before the Prarie Band, Potawatomi and Sac & Fox Indian tribal Courts.

While working for the State of Kansas, Department of Administration, from 1986 through 1995, Bill defended the State Department of Purchasing and other agencies in Contract, Civil Rights and Labor Law matters. He also headed the litigation department of the State Self Insurance Fund, supervising seven contract defense attorneys, statewide. During his time as attorney in office for the Secretary of Administration, Bill was often called upon to help write and present new legislation to House and Senate Committees.

While an associate at the law firm of Fisher, Patterson, Sayler and Smith,(FPS&S) from 1995 to February 2001, Bill was assigned to represent municipalities and corporations throughout the state in Contract, Civil Rights, Labor Law and Workers Compensation cases. It was at the FPS&S firm that Bill first established a strong consumer collection practice.

Bill became a stockholder in Bibler, & Newman, P.A. in February, 2001. Since that time, he has practiced exclusively in the area of creditor rights protection, retail and Government collection, insurance subrogation, probate reimbursement of Medicaid benefits and civil prosecution and collection of worthless checks.

A frequent and well respected author and lecturer, Bill is a member of the Saturday Night Literary Club, the Topeka Bar Association, the Kansas Bar Association, the Topeka Collection Attorney Association, and was twice President of the Kansas Collection Attorney Association, where he is an ongoing member. He is a member of the Kansas City Metro Area, Creditor Rights and Asset Protection Society, a life member of Phi Delta Phi, a Life member of the Disabled American Veteran’s Association and a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Natasha Riffel - Kuhlmann

Natasha Riffel - Kuhlmann graduated, Magna Cum Laude from Washburn University, with an undergraduate degree in Political Science. She graduated from Washburn Law School, with honors, in May, 1999. During her last year and for one year following graduation, she counseled and taught law students taking classes in trial procedures (Mock Trial). She joined Newman, Reynolds & Riffel, P.A. (then, Bibler Legal Services) in April, 2000. Since that time she has managed our Wichita office and provided Collection, Insurance Subrogation and other litigation services to our clients in that area and in the southern half of the state.

Lucas L. Thompson earned both his Bachelor of Arts degree and his Juris Doctor degree from Washburn University, in Topeka, KS.

Lucas graduated, Cum Laude, in 2005, with a degree in Mass Media (emphasis in electronic media) and a minor in Criminal Justice. In 2005, while pursuing his Bachelor’s degree, he worked as a legislative assistant to then Kansas Speaker of the House, Doug Mays. Lucas also worked in broadcast media production for both KSNT-Channel 27 and KTWU-Channel 11.

Lucas earned his Juris Doctor degree in 2008. While in law school, he was awarded "Best Paper" in Local Government Law, and in May, 2008, Lucas earned the coveted Irvine E. Ungerman award for top legal intern in the Washburn Law Clinic. While working in the clinic, Lucas spent numerous hours both reviewing cases and documents, and representing clients in Shawnee County District Court.

Lucas is currently a member of the Kansas Bar Association, Topeka Bar Association, Kansas Creditor’s Rights and Asset Protection Society, and the Kansas Credit Attorney Association. He practices Creditor’s Rights Law (private and municipal collection law, subrogation, and probate) primarily in Northeast and North-Central Kansas.

 Support Staff:

The Law Firm of Newman, Reynolds & Riffel, P.A. employs twenty-two full time and contract staff. The present table of operations includes three full time Attorneys, three full time legal assistants, six claim managers and eight persons in our skip trace and telephone call center. Each of these persons are throughly trained in consumer collections and boast an average of over five years experience.