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 Prairie 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.
Wm. Scott Hesse
Wm. Scott Hesse has been practicing law since 1984. During his career, has represented clients in numerous landmark cases which have changed the landscape of Kansas law, including premises liability, the Kansas Tort Claims Act, the Kansas Judicial Review Act, school finance and Eleventh Amendment jurisprudence. He has nearly seventy reported opinions in the United States & Kansas appellate courts.
He is licensed to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Ninth, Tenth and District of Columbia Circuits. He is also licensed to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, the Kansas Supreme Court and all other courts in Kansas. Scott Hesse is a 1984 graduate of the Washburn University School of Law and Kansas State University in 1981.
As an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Kansas, Scott Hesse was honored as a National Association of Attorneys General Supreme Court Fellow during the 2002 Supreme Court of the United States term. He has been certified by the Federation of Associated Regulatory Boards (FARB) and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA).
Scott Hesse is active in his community. He annually gives his time to the Washburn University School of Law Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP). A Paul Harris Fellow, Scott Hesse has served as President of the Topeka South Rotary. The Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership asked him to be a member of Class IX where he has remained active as a KARL Alumni. He is also active in his profession having served on the Topeka Bar Association Ethics Committee and the Kansas Bar Association Government Lawyers section as a past Chair.
In addition to being an attorney, Scott Hesse has been licensed as a Real Estate Broker since 1978. Scott assists his wife Anne in their family real estate business. Finally, Scott manages the 350 acre Hesse family farm in rural Shawnee County where he lives with his wife and three children.
Specialties Litigation. Administrative Law. Appellate law.
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 thoroughly trained in consumer collections and boast an average of over five years experience.