Lawyers

Corporate Law/M&A/Finance

Norm Fretwell, a banking-law whiz we covered a year ago here with Spencer Fane Britt & Browne, has had a distinguished career, and the firm has bolstered its business-law acumen with the addition of David Zimmerman, a longtime tax law and litigation specialist that formerly served at Polsinelli, P.C.  Zimmerman is not just a lawyer; he’s a certified public accountant who also holds a degree in business administration from Washburn University.

Bruce Baty, of what is now the global law firm Dentons, co-heads its legacy insurance regulatory practice as a member of the firm’s insurance practice group. He’s a veteran of three decades of legal practice, now focusing exclusively on the needs of insurance companies and reinsurance companies. Others in the business law group mentioned last year were Steve Rist, John Marvin, Michael Van Dyke, Bruce Davison and Bob Fisher.

James Eiszner of Shook, Hardy & Bacon is an accomplished defender of antitrust claims, and heads the firm’s antitrust practice. But he also counsels clients in corporate compliance and governance, privacy, marketing, computer law, distribution, food labeling, and trade secrets. Jay Simpson, meanwhile, chairs the firm’s tax practice group, where his caseload involves tax planning related to corporate acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, reorganizations and restructurings.

At Husch Blackwell, Bill Kircher is a partner who brings more than 30 years of experience in intellectual property matters—which is impressive, since the term “intellectual property” as we know it today didn’t gain popular usage until David Letterman and NBC had their domestic difficulties in 1993. In both the U.S. and abroad, Kircher has dealt with litigation, licensing, application drafting, prosecution and counseling of IP cases. On the banking and finance side, the firm relies on Chris Rockers, a master of all matters financial, from accounts receivable and inventory financing, to start-up funding, mergers and acquisitions and more. Last year, we also included James Ash, Jason Reschly, Steve Carman and Gary Gilson in this corner. 

In the jungle that is banking law, Stinson Morrison Hecker, may have the loudest roar. Supplying part of that are Mike Lochmann, who has nearly three decades of experience and serves banks and holding companies in mergers and acquisitions, regulatory affairs, securities law, and financial transactions across the nation. He works with Mark Hargrave, co-chairman of the banking and financial services division, who has a broad background in payment systems, secured lending and regulatory compliance—Hargrave is also a national-level speaker and an author of several books on those subjects. The firm’s Timothy Feathers and David Wharton provide a double dose of expertise in cases of trademark, intellectual and patent litigation.  Those talents are in addition to previously recognized business-law experts like Bob Monroe, John Granda, Craig Evans and James Allen.

Lathrop & Gage sports a deep roster of business and commercial-law talent, including Al Martin, who has a reputation as a national authority on matters of taxation, health care, and employee benefits—skills he’s put to work on behalf of more than 300 privately-held companies as general counsel. Carl Struby brings securities expertise to public companies; his work with issuers stands at an aggregate $4 billion, and counting, and he also provides guidance on Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Doug Dalgleish is a longtime veteran of courtrooms, whether in jury trials or appellate settings across the nation, with widely varying sources of action that range from shareholder derivatives, to breach of supply in the utility sector and class actions over fiber-optic rights of way, to name but a few. Steven Graham,
longtime manager of the financial institutions department, is well-versed in financing of transactions, real-estate deals, start-up company and other new-business formations, as well as construction and development finance. And partner Gerald Kraai, who chairs the intellectual property division’s prosecution  and transactions unit, manages the IP needs of companies with extensive patent, trademark, and copyright portfolios. All of them serve to complement Lyle Pishny, Mark Bluhm, Joe Medved and Tom Stahl, who were cited here previously.

Herb Kohn, a legend not just within the halls of Bryan Cave, deals with corporate, business and banking law; his fingerprints are all over major cases involving acquisitions, financial transactions, banking and public finance, and his work outside the office puts him firmly in the ranks of civic leaders. Gregory Johnson specializes in corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, securities and general business law, offering counsel to corporate boards of directors and senior management in cases dealing with corporate governance, disclosure and compensation. Partner Mark Stingley has the backs of financial institutions in litigation, cases of insolvency and in resolving bankruptcy issues. Others recognized last year were Tom Van Dyke, Robert Barnes and James Pryde.

Since 2006, Joe Hiersteiner has been managing director at Seigfreid Bingham in Kansas City, formerly known as Seigfreid Bingham Levy Selzer & Gee. His 30-plus years in general business law has included mergers and acquisitions, tax-exempt entities, distribution, publishing, licensing and, notably health care: As general counsel, he represented Health Midwest in its $1.1 billion sale to HCA a decade ago.

 Jonathan Margolies specializes in financial services and commercial law as well as corporate bankruptcy for McDowell, Rice, Smith & Buchanan. In more than 25 years of practice, he’s represented banks, insurance companies, pension plans and middle-market businesses in both state and federal courts, and in bankruptcy courts nationwide. His firm’s chairman, Pete Smith, was recognized here last year, as well.

Richard Hayse, of Topeka-based Morris, Laing, Evans, Brock & Kennedy, has 44 years of experience in business organizations, real estate transactions, banking, bankruptcy, and estate planning. A former editor of the Washburn Law Journal, he has represented companies in a broad range of business sectors, from manufacturing and distribution to retailers, banks, and many others.

Before he was a lawyer, Michael Yakimo, Jr. held a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from MU, so he knows the technical side of patent, trademark and copyright law. He works in litigation, patent and trademark applications and searches, licensing and client counseling for the Leawood firm of Erickson Kernell Derusseau & Kleypas.

Tom Mullinix, of the Shawnee-based Evans & Mullinix law firm, has been representing clients in bankruptcy and complex financial and commercial transactions for more than 40 years, and at a high level: His peers have voted him onto the list of Best Lawyers in America for more than 25 years.

Justice King is an expert in bankruptcy law for Fisher Patterson Sayler & Smith in Topeka, where he’s also managing partner. He has tried cases involving business and commercial litigation, tort litigation and bankruptcy—he lectures frequently at bankruptcy seminars—and has a considerable background in real-estate law.

Webb Gilmore, chairman emeritus at Gilmore & Bell, began practicing law 40 years ago, and has specialized in tax-exempt bond financing for state and local governments, and numerous public and private institutions, such as hospitals, colleges and universities. He’s also a member of the highly exclusive Missouri Academy of Squires, which recognizes 100 highly accomplished figures in public and private endeavors.

John Collins, originally schooled as a chemist, earned his law degree more than 40 years ago, and went to work for Hovey Williams. As part of the Overland Park firm’s patent prosecution practice, Collins counsels clients in all areas of intellectual property, including patent prosecution, trade secrets, and licensing.

Ed Marquette is a Harvard Law grad with a national-level practice in intellectual property, technology and trade law for Kutak Rock’s Kansas City office. He works with executives and boards of directors to set offensive and defensive IP strategies and address compliance issues at the state and federal levels.

Lucky DeFries, of Topeka-based Coffman, DeFries & Nothern, has been practicing law for more than 35 years, both in private practice and in the public sector. A former staff attorney for the state Department of Revenue, DeFries is highly regarded for his expertise in tax issues, as well as administrative and corporate law.

Because not all firms noted in 2012 have attorneys recognized in these practice areas this year, we note the previous inclusion of Foulston Siefkin’s William Trenkle, who deals in agri-business and multi-state retail operations, and Polsi-nelli PC figures Jim Polsinelli, Frank Ross, Larry Swain, Bob Fitzgerald, Kevin Sweeney, Jeb Bayer, William Mahood, Trip Frizell and Maribeth McMahon.

Employment/Labor Law 

Foulston Siefkin, based in Wichita but with a significant presence in Overland Park, packs a strong labor-law punch with specialists like Wendall Cowan, James Rankin and Vaughn Burkholder. Cowan’s wheelhouse is litigation and employment law, and he brings more than 30 years of experience to those tasks, in both litigation and consultation. Rankin is steeped in employee benefits law as applied to public and private companies or governmental and tax exempt organizations, with a particular emphasis on pension, profit sharing, tax-sheltered annuity and health and life-insurance plans. Burkholder, nationally recognized as an authority on employment law, specializes in a wide range of cases, from ADA and FMLA disputes to harassment and discrimination claims, and wrongful termination or retaliation lawsuits, among others. Last year, the firm’s Jeff Hurt and Wyatt Wright were recognized in this space.

Jack Yates has retired as a partner at Husch Blackwell, but retains not only his duties there on an of counsel basis, but his reputation among his peers in employment law. Like John Phillips and Mark Welker, both noted here last year, Yates helps counsel the firm’s clients in labor matters, including cases that require litigation. 

Karen Glickstein of Polsinelli is an employment and human-resources specialist who has defended all manner of discrimination and harassment claims, whether those lawsuits originated from claims based on race, gender, disability, religion, national origin, or age. Others from the firm mentioned last year were Terry Kilroy and William Robbins.

Paul Donnelly has managed litigation for individual plaintiffs as well as multi-party and class-action cases at Stinson Morrison Hecker, working as lead counsel in federal and state trials throughout the Midwest, with a focus on federal employment litigation. 

Jeffrey Place of Littler Mendelson specializes in issues involving organized labor and labor-relations counseling-including collective bargaining talks, labor arbitrations and other mediation work for clients like utilities, construction companies, food processors, distributors and state and local governments. The firm continues to assert its place in the employment law field, recently bringing on Don Prophete, cited here last year for his work at Ogletree Deakins. He bolsters a lineup we met a year ago in Denise Drake, Dan Boatright and Jeannie DeVeney. 

At McAnany Van Cleave & Phillips, Cliff Stubbs serves as defense counsel on worker’s compensation claims involving employers, insurance carriers and third-party administrators, both in litigation and offering guidance for crafting employment policies and injury management practices, and educating employers and supervisors. Ingram’s recognized Fred Greenbaum and John Jurcyk in this line of work last year.

With 33 years of legal experience to his credit, Joseph Colantuono specializes in employment and business litigation for Colantuono Bjerg Guinn in Leawood. His business litigation background encompasses and Title VII discrimination cases involving claims of discrimination based on color, religion, sex or national origin, disabilities and age-discrimination lawsuits, and actions brought under the Family and Medical Leave Act, or wage/hour and non-compete disputes. 

Fisher Patterson Sayler & Smith boasts a team of employment law specialists that includes David Cooper, David Baker, Steven Pigg and Michael Seck. Cooper, a 17-year veteran with the Topeka firm, concentrates on litigation of governmental liability, civil and constitutional rights, and employment cases, as well as open-records law and civil rights litigation. Baker defends governmental entities, officials and employees in civil rights and state tort claims, and serves as managing partner for the firm, from its Overland Park office. Pigg’s expertise comes in defense of constitutional and civil-rights claims against law enforcement officers, public officials and governmental entities, but his background includes defense of private industries, as well. And Seck’s varied caseloads have involved construction and employment law, civil rights, among others, in state and federal courts.

At Sildon Law Group–The Center for Business Strategies, founder Myron Sildon deals in many aspects of business law, from taxation issues to business succession, real-estate transactions, estate planning and structuring of qualified plans and corporations. He’s highly regarded for his expertise in employee benefits law.

Also noted last year in these practice areas were Kimberly Jones, now with Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris, Timothy Davis and Robert Janowitz of Constangy Brooks & Smith; the Kansas City office founder of what is now Dentons U.S., Mark Johnson; the managing partner at Fisher & Phillips, Brian Finucane; Mark Ferguson of Gates, Shields  & Ferguson;  Ross Hollander of Topeka-based Joseph & Hollander; a trio of Lathrop & Gage’s best in Jack Rowe, Rosalee McNamara and David Vogel; Anthony Byergo and Michael Matula in the Kansas City office of Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak Stewart; Bill Martucci, Lori Schultz and Carrie McAtee of Shook, Hardy & Bacon; and Spencer Fane Britt & Browne’s quartet of Michael Delaney, Nick Badgerow, David Wing and Sue Willman.

Real Estate/Development

G. Edgar James—more colloquially, Eddie—is vice-chair of the construction, energy and real estate litigation practice group for Polsinelli. He knows infrastructure, having worked on such cases involving highways, bridges, airports and wastewater facilities, to name a few, hailing from such sectors as life sciences, health care, hospitality, and educational and religious institutions. Timothy Sear has handled complex business litigation, emphasizing land use litigation and bankruptcy litigation, for more than two decades, while Matthew Hale, a former civil and structural engineer, works with clients who are architects, engineers, contractors, sub-contractors and other design professional firms. John Petersen, the real-estate division chair for the firm, has extensive experience throughout the Midwest with public-private partnerships that rely on tax credits, employment incentives and special-obligation bond financing.

Their work complements the talents of Dan Flanigan, Stanley Woodworth, Lonnie Shalton, Robert Adams, Bob Fitzgerald, Lisa Haines, Greg Musil, Michael Shteamer, Irwin Blond and Chase Simmons, all noted here last year.

At Shook, Hardy & Bacon, partner Scott McCandless represents all comers in real estate—buyers or sellers, lenders or borrowers, landlords or tenants—whether they are individuals, closely-held businesses, or large public or private corporations. Realty financing, leasing, zoning and other aspects of real-estate law fall into his domain.

Lathrop & Gage’s deep well of qualified real-estate counsel goes well beyond last year’s notables of Jerry Riffel, Pete Heaven, Harry Wigner Jr. and Scott Beeler. Also playing key roles in construction law is Jennifer Hannah, who represents clients in complex litigation disputes before juries and appeals courts—from general business dealings to partnership disputes and shareholder litigation, or fraud claims and employment-related cases, among others. 

David Raymond isn’t just a partner at Husch Blackwell; he’s a licensed professional engineer and commercial trial lawyer. Raymond concentrates on construction and real-estate disputes, with a client base of owners, architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. Stephen Adams is a multifaceted lawyer versed not only in real estate and development, but in health law and commercial transactions. Among his body of work are projects to develop new hospitals and health-care facilities and assisting hospital compliance planning. Former managing partner David Fenley and John Crossley were previously recognized here.

Patricia Jensen, of White Goss Bowers March Schulte & Weisenfels, draws on her experience as a former assistant city attorney for Kansas City (12 years there) to advise clients on matters that involve zoning, platting, planning, land use and economic incentives. That insider’s perspective helps them navigate urban renewal issues, tax abatement developments and a wide range of economic incentives at the city and state level. Her work complements that of Mike White, Jim Bowers and Aaron March, noted here last year.

Brown & Ruprecht co-founder Steven Ruprecht, nationally recognized as an authority on construction law, has gone to bat for more than 100 clients in federal and state courtrooms, as well as arbitration hearings. He deals in construction contract disputes, non-payment claims, and employee and labor issues, and has written and lectured on contract law, performance and payment bonds, indemnity agreements and related subjects.

With nearly 20 years of legal practice behind him, John Hutton of Topeka-based Henson, Hutton, Mudrick & Gragson specializes in commercial and construction law, real-estate and contract law, and zoning and land-use issues, in addition to handling civil litigation, banking matters and other corporate and business law.

Through boom and, more recently, bust in the construction sector, Brad Finkeldei of Lawrence-based Stevens & Brand has assisted clients with dealings in construction and development, including banks, businesses, governmental entities and contractors. He approaches those tasks with a well-rounded education that includes a degree in chemical engineering, with a minor in economics.

Two key players in construction law team up to form the nameplate at Warden Grier—Jim Warden and Mike Grier. Warden is a veteran of more than 30 years, working both trial and arbitration settings in cases of professional liability, construction, insurance and re-
insurance coverage, and commercial and catastrophic personal injury and property damage cases nationwide. Grier, the firm’s managing partner, is likewise experienced in courtrooms and arbitration settings dealing with real estate and development issues, professional liability, construction, insurance and reinsurance coverage or business and commercial cases.

Lawyers from other firms cited here last year for excellence in this field were Steve Sparks of Bryan Cave; Mark Anderson of Lawrence-based Barber Emerson; Dentons’ managing partner John Snyder; a strong block of professionals from Lewis, Rice & Fingersh in Bill Carr, Pete DiGiovanni, Charles Miller and Mark Eisemann; Stinson Morrison Hecker’s David Frantzé, Todd LaSala and Kate Hauber; and Spencer Thomson of Thomson Walker.

Trial/Litigation 

Intended or not, Shook, Hardy & Bacon has sent a message about the role that successful defense litigators play in the firm with the selection of John Murphy to a fourth term as the firm’s chairman. He has successfully defended product liability cases against some of America’s best-known companies, setting a tone for the firm and legal eagles like Robert Adams, Stanley Sexton and Patrick Lujin. Adams, Missouri Lawyers Weekly’s 2006 “Missouri Lawyer of the Year,” has tried cases before more than 40 juries, specializing in product liability, intellectual property, insurance coverage and torts. Sexton is a partner who handles cases of complex litigation dealing with scientific, technical and medical issues, while Lujin, a former in-house patent counsel for Microsoft, specializes in all areas of patent law—with an emphasis, naturally, in computer software cases. They com-plement litigators like Harvey Kaplan, Joe Rebein, Bill Sampson, Eugene Balloun, Gene Voigts, Todd Ruskamp and Trent Webb, all noted here last year.

Polsinelli P.C. deals with much more than litigation, but that area is foundational to the firm’s success. From CEO Russ Welsh on down, there are experienced litigators like those we saw last year: Larry Ward, Roy Bash, Jack Kilroy, Jr., Cathy Dean, Thomas Kokoruda, Anthony Rupp and Dan Boulware. The firm also boasts Russell Jones Jr., chairman of the commercial litigation practice group, and Jennifer Gille Bacon is a senior partner. Jones, a veteran of 30 years of practice, deals with telecommunications, software and technology clients, local and state governments, banks and financial services, utilities, not-for-profit groups and manufacturers. Bacon’s work in business litigation and antitrust law has been a part of trial teams that obtained the largest business trial verdict ever upheld in Missouri—$70 million—and the largest settlement, over $400 million.

John Shaw of Berkowitz Oliver Williams Shaw & Eisenbrandt specializes in commercial, product liability and securities cases, both in trial and appellate court, and has a client base of product manufacturers and securities broker dealers alike. His work includes dispute resolution and representation before regulatory boards in the financial-services sector. Six members of the firm made it into this space a year ago: James Eisenbrandt, Larry Berkowitz, David Oliver, Jeffrey Morris, Thomas Schult and Kurt Williams.

Stinson Morrison Hecker calls on Sean Colligan for an experienced take in matters of litigation involving banking, mergers and acquisitions and regulatory affairs. Colligan has defended class-action consumer and securities lawsuits, managed arbitrations in financial-services settings, and handled securities-fraud cases for plaintiffs and defendants alike. As recognized last year, managing partner Mark Hinderks, John Aisenbrey, David Everson and Matthew Verschelden bring similar business-litigation competencies to the firm. 

When a company’s fate is on the line with complex cases, partner Bob Thompson is among the best go-to guys at Bryan Cave, where he’s been involved in major antitrust and class-action cases at both the state and federal level, and until last year was the firm’s managing partner. Larry Frazen and Robert Hoffman are two other key figures in litigation; Frazen now serves as the firms managing partner and unravels the complexities of bankruptcy proceedings across the country, representing debtors, creditors, and other interested parties, while Hoffman works on behalf of defendants and plaintiffs in class action lawsuits, multi-district litigation and other key cases largely involving financial institutions, retailers, manufacturers and clients in professional services. Like Craig O’Dear, Irv Belzer and William Perry Brandt, all cited here last year, they are key figures in the firm’s litigation group.

Husch Blackwell’s Jeff Simon answers the call of business litigation, addressing a wide range of business disputes, including breach of contract or warranty, intellectual property claims, partnership and shareholder disagreements, product liability cases, software licensing, or matters involving real estate, health care and regulatory matters—for starters. William Lynch—more informally known as Spike—is a veteran of nearly 40 years in the field, and has tried more than 70 cases before juries, often in class action, multi-party litigation, breach of fiduciary duties, breach of contract and other business torts. He also chairs the business litigation department. Larry McMullen is another 40-year veteran now serving as Of Counsel to the firm by bringing a rich history of defending professional liability cases in the fields of medicine, law and engineering. In that same space last year, we noted Jim Griffin.

Karl Zobrist probably made more headlines with his off-duty work on Kansas City’s Board of Police Commissioners, but he’s a key figure in the energy practice at Dentons, where his expertise is brought to bear on cases involving both the energy and telecommunications industries, including regulatory cases and class-action litigation. He works at the firm with previously recognized talents like Curtis Woods and Jerome Wolf. Stephen Hill and Patrick McInerney—now with Dentons—were recognized in this space last year.

Tom Sterchi and Scott Kreamer are top-level litigators for Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, whose co-namesake, John Cowden, was noted here last year.  Sterchi, a founding member, has a winning record in defending makers of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, vehicles appliances and consumer products in both state and federal courts. Kreamer’s areas of concentration are commercial and construction law, and he serves clients in financial services and insurance sectors, as well as product liability and tort litigation. 

A triumvirate of class-action and mass tort acumen is at work for the firm of Davis, Bethune & Jones: Namesakes Grant Davis, Scott Bethune and Tom Jones, all dealing with product liability and related casework. Davis also deals in cases of personal injury and medical negligence; Bethune in professional negligence, premises liability, lead-paint litigation and cases involving automobile and tractor-trailer litigation; and Jones, with a long history of handling lawsuits stemming from rail crossing accidents, specializes not only in railroad litigation and personal injury cases, but instances of professional negligence and potential class-action claims.

Nearly half a century of legal experience has made Deacy and Deacy’s Spencer Brown an experienced litigator in what’s known as bet-the-company cases, where the very existence of a corporation hangs in the legal balance. His other practice areas include commercial litigation, energy law, legal malpractice law and personal-injury litigation.

Floyd Finch formed a practice on his own after 30 years with the firm that has morphed into Husch Blackwell, and his work at the Floyd Finch Law Offices takes this Harvard Law grad into cases of antitrust litigation, accounting and legal malpractice, business and commercial litigation, intellectual property disputes, white-collar criminal defense and more.

Jim Foland, of Foland, Wickens, Eisfelder, Roper & Hofer, began his law career 40 years ago, and since then has served as lead counsel in more than 150 jury trials. Those cases have given him a broad expertise in personal injury or product liability lawsuits, medical and legal malpractice claims, employment discrimination, or insurance and contractual disputes. 

Scott Nehrbass of Foulston Siefkin represents clients in a wide range of business and tort litigation matters, whether in state, federal or appeals courts. Last year, he was deemed Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year in the Kansas City market by Best Lawyers in America, which collaborates with Ingram’s to produce Best Lawyers in Kansas City each year.

In addition to serving as managing partner of Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds & Palmer in Topeka for 20 years, Arthur Palmer has built a solid track record of success in employment law, real estate and business litigation, and he’s as likely to be found in a mediation or arbitration setting as in a courtroom. He’s also a former assistant attorney general in Kansas.

Ken McClain, of Independence-based Humphrey, Farrington & McClain, is well-known for his—and his firm’s—successes in securing large judgments for clients, including multimillion-dollar settlements stemming from workplace claims of “popcorn lung disease” caused by diacetyl vapors from microwave popcorn. With clients nationwide, he focuses on personal injury, asbestos and toxic tort cases.

Diane Nygaard’s dexterity with issues involving securities law has paid off handsomely for clients of Kenner Schmitt Nygaard; she was co-lead counsel the Kinder Morgan case that yielded a $200 million settlement in 2010, but she’s also had key roles in other mega-million outcomes. Working on behalf of pension plans, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and individuals in class actions, she holds her opponents accountable for C-suite fraud and other willful improprieties.

From labor law to immigration cases, in court or before regulatory bodies, Carl Gallagher brings a diverse set of skills to McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, working with clients to avoid litigation and representing them when it becomes necessary. The firm turns to Greg Goheen for cases of complex civil litigation. An award-winning student of antitrust law even in law school, Goheen specializes in commercial and business litigation, including employment cases, real estate law, education, civil rights, and constitutional law.

Few firms evoke the kind of respect accorded to Bartimus, Frickleton, Robertson and Gorny. Founding partner Jim Bartimus, a former medical school student, has won major awards dating back to his work with the Hyatt collapse settlement; Jim Frickleton and Steve Gorny helped obtain the seventh-largest trial verdict in the nation, and Gorny has to his credit the largest non-punitive, wrongful death verdict in Missouri history and the largest verdict ever in Cass County.

Last year in this vital practice specialty, we introduced you to a pair of skilled litigators from Wyrsch, Hobbs, Mirakian in Jim Hobbs and Jim Wyrsch;  Armstrong Teasdale managing partner Larry Tucker; Foulston Seifkin’s James Oliver; a strong quartet of litigators from Rouse Hendricks German May in Randall Hendricks, Kirk May, Charles German and Bill Beil; and Thomas Bath of Bath & Edmonds.

And finally, a category not represented this year is environmental law, which last year yielded highly regarded lawyers as W.C. Blanton of Husch Blackwell; the Shook, Hardy & Bacon team of David Erickson, Thomas Grever, Terry Satterlee and Mark Anstoetter; Spencer Fane Britt & Browne’s James Price, Michael Hockley and Baerbel Schiller; David Tripp, Sarah Toevs Sullivan and Stacy Stotts of Stinson Morrison Hecker; Bill Beck, Bill Ford and Thomas Ryan of Lathrop & Gage.