I got to sleep on this and saw some toher issues I had with the code (I forgot to declare one of my lists).   The line that bombs out is:

That's this line here:    if((obj.Name == myLead.Company) {

They way this code works, is when I import leads and if certian criteria are met on a matching lead, opporutnity or custom object, then the l.status is changed on insert.   I'm not sure where I'm off and have run out of ideas about where I messed up on formatting.   Thanks for reading - code to follow:

trigger StandOffPeriod2 on Lead (before Insert, before update) {

    List<Opportunity> opptList = new List<Opportunity>();
    List<Opportunity> tmpList = new List<Opportunity>();
    List<Lead> leadList = new List<Lead>();
    List<Lead> tmpleadList = new List<Lead>();
    List<Do_Not_Call__c> tmpDNCList = new List<Do_Not_Call__c>();
    Set<String> tmpSet = new Set<String>();
    Set<String> tmpPhoneSet = new Set<String>();
    Set<String> tmpPartyIdSet = new Set<String>();
    Map<Id, Lead> unConvertedLeadsToUpdate = new Map<Id,lead>();
    Date myDate = Date.Today().addDays(-90);
    for(Lead lead : Trigger.new){
        tmpSet.add(lead.Company_Phone__c);
        tmpPhoneSet.add(lead.Phone);
        tmpPartyIdSet.add(lead.Company);
        //tmpleadList.add(lead);

    }    
    
    System.debug('tmpPhoneset = ' + tmpPhoneset);
    System.debug('tmpPartyIdset = ' + tmpPartyIdSet);
    
    //pull a list of all opportunities that match the company_phone__c field
    //tmpList = [select id, Lead_Phone_Number_ALL__c, Lead_Status_All__c, Lead_Call_Date_ALL__c,Lead_Company_Phone__c from Opportunity where Lead_Company_Phone__c in :tmpSet];
    tmpList  = [select id, Lead_Phone_Number_ALL__c, Lead_Status_All__c, Lead_Call_Date_ALL__c,Account.Name  from Opportunity where Account.name in :tmpPartyIdSet OR Lead_Phone_Number_ALL__c in:tmpPhoneSet];
    //System.debug('tmpList2 information = ' + tmpList2.size());
    
    //pull a list of all existing leads that match the company_phone__c field
    //tmpLeadList = [select id, Call_Date_All__c, Company_Phone__c from Lead where Company_Phone__c in:tmpSet];
    tmpLeadList = [select id, Call_Date_All__c, Company_Phone__c,Party_ID_ALL__c,Company,Phone from Lead where isConverted=FALSE AND (Phone in:tmpPhoneSet OR Company in:tmpPartyIdSet)];
    
    //pull a list of matching Do Not Call records
    tmpDNCList = [select id, Name from Do_Not_Call__c where Name in:tmpPartyIdSet];
    
    //Build a map with all retrieved lead objects

    System.debug('The tmpList is currently ' + tmpList.size());      
    
        
        for(Lead myLead : Trigger.new){
            if(myLead.status == 'Open' && Trigger.new.size() > 1){
                //Check the lead Dates and set the status if necessary

                System.debug('Lead to look at...Here is the date -=> ' + myLead.Call_Date_All__c);
                System.debug('Comparing to myDate -=> ' + myDate);
                
                //Checking the Do Not Call obj
                Boolean DNCCheck = false ;
                if(tmpDNCList.size()>0){
                    for(Do_Not_Call obj :  tmpDNCList) {
                        if((obj.Name == myLead.Company){
                                System.debug('Matching Do Not Call Record Found - setting status to pending');
                                myLead.Status = 'Pending';
                                DNCCheck = true;
                                break;
                                                    

                            }
                        }
                    }
              
              if(DNCCheck){
                    System.debug('######################################## Do Not Call Object has set the status #####################');
                    continue;
                }
                
                //Checking the opportunity
                Boolean opptCheck = false;
                if(tmpList.size()>0){
                
                    for(Opportunity o : tmpList){
                        if((o.Account.Name == myLead.Company) || (o.Lead_Phone_Number_ALL__c==myLead.Phone)){
                            if(o.Lead_Call_Date_All__c == null){
                                System.debug('NULL Date found on the Opportunity...setting status to Open');
                                myLead.Status = 'Open';
                                opptCheck = true;
                                System.debug('Here is the oppt id = ' + o.id);
                                break;
                                                    
                            }else if (o.Lead_Call_Date_All__c <= myDate){
                                System.debug('Earlier date found on the Opportunity...setting status to Open');
                                myLead.Status = 'Open';
                                opptCheck = true;
                                System.debug('Here is the oppt id = ' + o.id);
                                break;
                                
                            }else if(o.Lead_Call_Date_All__c > myDate){
                                System.debug('Later date found on the Opportunity...setting status to Pending');
                                myLead.Status = 'Pending';
                                opptCheck = true;
                                System.debug('Here is the oppt id = ' + o.id);
                                break;
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
                if(opptCheck){
                    System.debug('######################################## Opportunity has set the status #####################');
                    continue;
                }
                
                 Boolean leadCheck = false;                
                if(tmpLeadList.size()>0 && myLead.id == null){

                    for(Lead l : tmpLeadList){
                       if((l.Company == myLead.Company) || (l.Phone == myLead.Phone)){
                           if(l.Call_Date_All__c == null){
                                System.debug('NULL Date found on the LEAD MATCH...setting status to Open');
                                myLead.Status = 'Open';
                                l.status='Open';
                                Boolean addLead = true;
                                if(!unconvertedLeadsToUpdate.containsKey(l.Id)){                                
                                    unConvertedLeadsToUpdate.put(l.id, l);
                                }
                                leadCheck = true;
                                System.debug('Here is the LEAD id = ' + l.id);
                                //break;
                                                    
                            }else if (l.Call_Date_All__c <= myDate){
                                System.debug('Earlier date found on the LEAD MATCH...setting status to Open');
                                myLead.Status = 'Open';
                                l.status='Open';
                                Boolean addLead = true;
                                if(!unconvertedLeadsToUpdate.containsKey(l.Id)){                                
                                    unConvertedLeadsToUpdate.put(l.id, l);
                                }
                                leadCheck = true;
                                System.debug('Here is the LEAD id = ' + l.id);
                                //break;
                                
                            }else if(l.Call_Date_All__c > myDate){
                                System.debug('Later date found on the LEAD MATCH...setting status to Pending');
                                myLead.Status = 'Pending';
                                l.status='Pending';
                                Boolean addLead = true;
                                if(!unconvertedLeadsToUpdate.containsKey(l.Id)){                                
                                    unConvertedLeadsToUpdate.put(l.id, l);
                                }
                                leadCheck = true;
                                System.debug('Here is the LEAD id = ' + l.id);
                                //break;
                            }
                       
                       }
                        
                    }
                }
                
                if(leadCheck){
                    System.debug('######################################## Existing Lead has set the status #####################');
                    continue;
                }
                
                if(myLead.Call_Date_All__c == null){
                    System.debug('NULL Date found...setting status to Open');
                    myLead.Status = 'Open';
                    //leadList.add(myLead);                    
                }else if (myLead.Call_Date_All__c <= myDate){
                    System.debug('Earlier date found...setting status to Open');
                    myLead.Status = 'Open';
                    //leadList.add(myLead);
                }else if(myLead.Call_Date_All__c > myDate){
                    System.debug('Later date found...setting status to Pending');
                    myLead.Status = 'Pending';
                    //leadList.add(myLead);
                }
            }
        }
        if(unConvertedLeadsToUpdate.size() > 0){
        List<Lead> updateME = new List<Lead>();
        updateME = unConvertedLeadsToUpdate.values();
        System.debug('unConvertedLeadsToUpdate SIZE = ' + unConvertedLeadsToUpdate.size());
        //    update updateMe;
        }
}