Growing up around my father’s law office, he never told me that I had to be a lawyer. Instead, he introduced me to a potpourri of bank presidents, big business executives, bookies, brain surgeons, car dealers, chiropractors, circus owners, doctors, dentists, farmers, Harlem Globetrotters, horse breeders, house wives, judges, machine shop owners, ministers, movie producers, oil and gas executives, orthodontists, petroleum engineers, plumbers, ranchers, restaurant owners, rocket scientists, salesmen, small business owners, video game developers, welders, winemakers, and zookeepers – just to name a few. But I soon understood the most important thing of all – they were people that just needed help.
For me, I realized that I enjoyed the variety of the challenges – “eating at the buffet” – since no two days were ever the same. And since I was really good at math and enjoyed puzzles, I decided to prepare myself for a such a career. I decided to become a lawyer.
After graduating from Jenks High School in 1980, I attended Oklahoma State University and majored in accounting. By testing out of Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus and attending summer school, I was able to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree in 3 years.
I then went onto the University of Tulsa where I received my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and worked as a graduate assistant in the Department of Quantitative Methods and Statistics. Professor Russell and I published an academic article using mathematical models to determine the optimal bus route for special needs children.
Next, I went to work for Arthur Young & Co, a Big 8 international accounting firm, as a Management Consultant in their Tulsa OK office. Besides Tulsa, my expertise sent me to Bartlesville OK (Phillips Petroleum Company), Bentonville AR (Walmart Inc.), Dallas TX (IBM), Memphis TN (IBM) and Nashville TN (IBM).
This led to an opportunity to join OTASCO, Inc. as a Financial Analyst. Now that I was traveling less, I was able to study and successfully pass the CPA examination in 1988 – the same year that Barry Sanders (an OSU running back) won the Heisman Trophy and gasoline was less than $1.00/gallon.
During my tenure at OTASCO, I downloaded the financial and demographic information on 320+ company stores so I could answer the question, “What make a really good OTASCO store?” The answer was harsh. My graph of the preliminary data looked like a double hump camel. My conclusion was that we had some really good stores, and some really bad stores, but very few “average” stores in between.
After much prayerful thought and consideration, I resigned from OTASCO in the summer of 1988, and started law school that fall. Unfortunately, OTASCO filed for bankruptcy that November.
After graduating from law school in 1991, I joined my father’s firm. I did take a brief sabbatical in 1992-1993 to work for the Office of the Governor for the State of Oklahoma. While serving as the Director of Planning & Management Analysis, I designed the very first PC network implemented in the Governor’s office. Our efforts also included the installation of Lotus Notes which was featured in a USA Today article in 1993.
As my father neared retirement, I decided to take my own advice and use a limited liability company. So, I started my own law firm and founded Morrel Law PLLC in August 2016.
So, how can I help you and your family today?
P.S. I love my job!
Reece B. Morrel, Jr.
JD MBA CPA CGMA AEP®
Morrel Law PLLC
Tulsa, Oklahoma
918-553-3333
http://www.MorrelLawPLLC.com