New Mexico Legal Lowdown

What New Mexico Law Does for LGBTQ+ People, with Chris Papaleo

New Mexico was the third state in the country to add sexual orientation and gender identity to its Human Rights Act — and that was back in 2003. Chris Papaleo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-papaleo-61b988306] of Atkins & Walker Law joins host Feliz Rael [https://www.raelfirm.com/] to break down the legal landscape for LGBTQ+ New Mexicans in honor of Pride Month. Chris draws on his own journey — coming out in the early '90s, working as a paralegal for decades, and returning to law school in his mid-forties — to explain why these laws matter and why lawyers are still needed to enforce them. Together, Feliz and Chris walk through the New Mexico Human Rights Act, the state's hate crimes law, the ban on conversion therapy, the Reproductive and Gender Affirming Healthcare Freedom Act, and the 2025 Supreme Court order on preferred pronouns in courtrooms. Learn More and Connect ☑️ Chris Papaleo [https://www.atkinswalker.com/team] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-papaleo-61b988306] ☑️ Atkins & Walker Law [https://www.atkinswalker.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/atkins-walker-law] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/atkinswalkerlaw/] ☑️ Feliz Rael [https://www.raelfirm.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/feliz-rael-31637029/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/raellawoffice] ☑️ New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association [https://www.nmtla.org/] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-mexico-legal-lowdown/id1866976461] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0wuvoDk5TiHxirkMj0aevw?si=127b4ffee6044365] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/19661a29-b873-4a35-8082-18da2b0a9848] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@nmtriallawyers1813] Produced and Powered by LawPods [https://lawpods.com/]

How Lawsuits Trigger Real-World Change with Kathy Love

Lawsuits aren't just about money — they're one of the most powerful tools everyday people have to force corporations to change. Kathy Love [https://www.mcginnlaw.com/attorneys/kathy-love/] of McGinn, Montoya, Love, Curry & Sievers PA joins host Feliz Rael [https://www.raelfirm.com/] to discuss how her firm fights for "the little guys against the big guys" in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. Kathy explains what clients really want after experiencing a devastating loss and why corporations often need to feel real financial consequences before they'll act. She discusses a pacemaker kickback case and an NMSU case where one survivor's bravery resulted in mandatory campus training. Tune in to hear how lawsuits drive lasting change. Learn More and Connect ☑️ Kathy Love [https://www.mcginnlaw.com/attorneys/kathy-love/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-love-9b60a712] | X [https://x.com/kathyloveabq%C2%A0] ☑️ McGinn, Montoya, Love, Curry & Sievers PA [https://www.mcginnlaw.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mmlc/about/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/MMLClawfirm/] | X [https://twitter.com/MMLClawfirm/] ☑️ Feliz Rael [https://www.raelfirm.com/] ☑️ New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association [https://www.nmtla.org/] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-mexico-legal-lowdown/id1866976461] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0wuvoDk5TiHxirkMj0aevw?si=127b4ffee6044365] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/19661a29-b873-4a35-8082-18da2b0a9848] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@nmtriallawyers1813] Produced and Powered by LawPods [https://lawpods.com/]

When Insurance Companies Fail Their Own Clients, with Ben Davis

What happens when the company you've paid to protect you does the opposite? If it’s an insurance company, it could be operating in bad faith. Albuquerque trial lawyer Ben Davis [https://daviskelin.com/ben-davis/] has a significant practice protecting plaintiffs from an insurance company’s bad faith. He sits down with host Feliz Rael [https://www.raelfirm.com/] to unpack how bad faith law works, why fiduciary obligations make insurance companies different from ordinary corporations, and how he secured $52 million in a bad faith case against a doctor's insurer. As he explains, the jury wanted to send a message: An insurer should never do this to another policy-holder. Learn More and Connect ☑️ Ben Davis [https://daviskelin.com/ben-davis/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-davis-210a8046] ☑️ Davis Kelin [https://daviskelin.com/] on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-davis-kelin-law-firm] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/injury.law.firm] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/daviskelinlaw] ☑️ Feliz Rael [https://www.raelfirm.com/] ☑️ New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association [https://www.nmtla.org/] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-mexico-legal-lowdown/id1866976461] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0wuvoDk5TiHxirkMj0aevw?si=127b4ffee6044365] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/19661a29-b873-4a35-8082-18da2b0a9848] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@nmtriallawyers1813] Produced and Powered by LawPods [https://lawpods.com/]

Insurance, Healthcare, and Law: The State of Play in New Mexico, with Cid Lopez

Albuquerque-based med-mal lawyer Cid Lopez [https://www.cidlopezlaw.com/] breaks down the state of healthcare, insurance, and law in this conversation with host Feliz Rael [https://www.raelfirm.com/]. From dismantling the narrative that malpractice verdicts are driving doctors out of New Mexico to deconstructing the state’s caps on damages for hospitals to detailing private equity’s threat on rural healthcare, Cid offers part history lesson-part clarion call. Tune in for his suggested solutions. Spoiler: Caps on damages isn’t one. Reining in insurance premiums is. Learn More and Connect ☑️ Cid Lopez | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cid-lopez-17ba952/] ☑️ Law Office of Cid Lopez [https://www.cidlopezlaw.com/] ☑️ Feliz Rael [https://www.raelfirm.com/] ☑️ New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association [https://www.nmtla.org/] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-mexico-legal-lowdown/id1866976461] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0wuvoDk5TiHxirkMj0aevw?si=127b4ffee6044365] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/19661a29-b873-4a35-8082-18da2b0a9848] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@nmtriallawyers1813] Produced and Powered by LawPods [https://lawpods.com/]

Standing Up for Survivors of Corporate Greed in New Mexico, with Johana Bencomo

Driverless semis have been tested on New Mexico roads. For Johana Bencomo, the safety risks inherent in such vehicles are one reason why New Mexicans need New Mexico Safety Over Profit [https://www.nmsop.org/], a network of victims and survivors of profit-driven systems. In September, she took over as executive director. In this conversation with host Feliz Rael [https://www.raelfirm.com/], Johana explains that the group’s mission is to foster a community where people can advocate for policies that make New Mexicans safer. Johana also represents District 4 for the city of Las Cruces [https://lascruces.gov/government/city-council/district-4/], and she reflects on her experiences as an elected official. She urges anyone who feels that the political system is demoralizing to remember that most lawmakers are open to hearing constituents’ stories. “I think stories change hearts and minds more than data.” Learn More and Connect ☑️ Johana Bencomo | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johana-bencomo-66355330b] ☑️ New Mexico Safety Over Profit [https://www.nmsop.org/] on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564097348427] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/NMSafety1st/] | X [https://x.com/NMSafety1st] | Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/nmsafety1st.bsky.social] ☑️ Feliz Rael [https://www.raelfirm.com/] ☑️ New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association [https://www.nmtla.org/] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-mexico-legal-lowdown/id1866976461] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0wuvoDk5TiHxirkMj0aevw?si=127b4ffee6044365] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/19661a29-b873-4a35-8082-18da2b0a9848] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@nmtriallawyers1813] Produced and Powered by LawPods [https://lawpods.com/]