St. Louis Area
Armstrong Teasdale LLP announces the addition of F. Scott Galt, Sara Finan Melly, Anna T. Selby and B. Scott Eidson to its partnership effective January 1, 2013. Mr. Galt, a member of the firm’s International practice group, handles international corporate compliance issues and global transactions for foreign and domestic companies in a wide variety of industries. He also acts as national counsel for a number of large regional clients managing   high-dollar commercial litigation matters. Admitted to practice in Illinois and Missouri, he received his J.D. from Washington University School of Law; M.A. from Johns Hopkins University and B.A. from the University of Virginia. He is a member of The Missouri Bar, the Illinois State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Ms. Melly, a litigator in the firm’s Financial Services group, concentrates her practice on representing clients in matters involving debtor and creditor rights, lender liability, financial distress, restructuring and reorganization.  She also represents clients in commercial and insurance litigation matters. Ms. Melly is admitted to practice in Illinois, Missouri and before the U.S. District Courts in the Eastern District of Missouri and Southern District of Illinois. She received her J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law, cum laude, and B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Arkansas. She is a member of The Missouri Bar, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the Female Bankruptcy Attorneys for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Professional Women’s Alliance.  Ms. Selby, a member of the firm’s Litigation practice group, advises and defends health care providers in high profile matters involving complex medical malpractice allegations and multi-million dollar claims. She also handles cases involving alleged HIPAA violations. Admitted to practice in Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and the District of Columbia, she received her J.D. and Health Law Certificate from Saint Louis University School of Law and B.S., cum laude, from the University of Evansville. She is a member of The Missouri Bar, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the Tennessee Bar Association and The District of Columbia Bar. She was also nominated to the Theodore McMillian American Inn of Court. Mr. Eidson is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation practice group and focuses on complex intellectual property matters pending in state, federal and appellate courts throughout the United States. He is admitted to practice in Missouri and Florida and before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Courts of Appeals, Federal and Eighth Circuits; U.S. Districts Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri,  Southern District of Illinois, District of Colorado, Western District of Wisconsin and  Eastern District of Texas. Mr. Eidson received his J.D. from Washington University School of Law and M.B.A in finance; M.H.A.; B.A., with honors; and B.S., with honors, from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He is a member of The Missouri Bar, The Florida Bar, the American Bar Association and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to welcome a group of five attorneys from The Lowenbaum Partnership to the firm’s St. Louis office. The move cements Ogletree Deakins as the dominant labor and employment law firm in St. Louis and deepens the value the firm delivers to clients in the market and across Missouri. Joining Ogletree Deakins as shareholders are Bob Stewart, Stan Schroeder, and Bill Lawson; Charlie Morgan serves as of counsel, and Nathan Harris as an associate. Their collective experience expands the office’s capabilities in complex and growing areas of significance to employers including traditional labor relations, employee benefits, and employment litigation. With this move, Ogletree Deakins becomes the largest management-side labor and employment practice in St. Louis and, when combined with its Kansas City office, the largest labor and employment practice in Missouri. Mr. Stewart is a veteran labor and employment attorney with more than 30 years of practice in the St. Louis market. He has tried more than 50 employment cases to verdict, and also has extensive traditional labor experience, including handling more than 200 labor arbitrations, negotiating more than 100 labor agreements, and managing dozens of union campaigns. Mr. Schroeder, an employee benefits attorney practicing for more than 30 years, has extensive experience in ERISA litigation and claims resolution, employee benefit plan design, and consulting with employers on all types of employee benefit, ERISA, and executive compensation issues. Also a Certified Public Accountant, Schroeder handles a broad range of issues including fiduciary and service provider claims litigation, multi-employer pension plan issues, 401k plan discrimination and compliance matters, COBRA, and healthcare reform issues.   Mr. Lawson focuses his practice on labor arbitration, and litigating employment discrimination claims under Title VII, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the assorted state counterparts to these federal laws. He also advises clients on employment-related matters such as personnel policies, human resource issues, employment contracts, restrictive covenants, severance agreements, and employee handbooks. He has litigated numerous employment litigation claims and has tried more than 50 labor arbitrations during his career. Mr. Morgan joins Ogletree Deakins as of counsel. His practice focuses on the Fair Labor Standards Act, Occupational Safety and Health, Family Medical Leave Act, employer discrimination litigation, and human resource counseling, and he also has substantial experience with employee benefits and ERISA. Early in his career, Morgan spent several years as an investigator with the Department of Labor and an attorney at the Solicitor’s office in Kansas City. Stewart, Schroeder, Lawson and the others expressed they are excited to be able to provide their clients with the unsurpassed personalized and efficient service that a firm of Ogletree Deakins’ size and reach can deliver. This move reunites Stewart, Schroeder, Lawson and Morgan with Burt Garland, a shareholder in the St. Louis office who joined Ogletree Deakins more than four years ago.

Polster, Lieder, Woodruff & Lucchesi, L.C. is pleased to announce that Harley Blosser has joined the firm as an of counsel attorney. Mr. Blosser concentrates his practice on patent, trademark and other intellectual property matters for companies, universities and other non-profits with an emphasis in the life sciences. Mr. Blosser has served as Chairman of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis’ Intellectual Property Law Section and President of the Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts.

Kansas City Area
Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP is pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2013, Scott Gootee from the Kansas City office will become a partner. Mr. Gootee, a member of the firm's Corporate Finance Division, advises clients regarding a wide array of corporate transactional matters. He represents publicly- and privately-held companies with respect to mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, capital formation and other transactions. During his time at the firm, Gootee has represented clients with respect to public offerings ranging in size from $75 million to $4 billion, as well as with respect to a number of large merger and acquisition transactions. He recently was involved in public offerings of approximately $1 billion of debt and equity securities by EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR) and H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB). He also counsels publicly-held companies with respect to periodic reporting and securities law compliance. He has been named a Rising Star in multiple editions of Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers for securities & corporate finance. He received his J.D. from the University of Kansas in 2005 and a bachelor's degree in accounting and business administration from KU in 2002.

The law firm of Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris LLC is pleased to announce the addition of Walter M. Brown as a member of its growing employment and business litigation practice. Mr. Brown is leaving his former firm of Gaddy Geiger & Brown where he was one of the three named partners. He is an accomplished trial lawyer and his employment law expertise has been repeatedly recognized by his peers. He brings additional depth to SBH’s team with his expertise in business litigation and the full range of human resources and employment issues.

Mid-Missouri Area
National law firm Polsinelli Shughart continues to expand its Public Policy practice depth in Missouri with the addition of long-time political and legal advisor Richard M. AuBuchon. The attorney most recently served as chief legal advisor and governmental lobbyist to the Missouri Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. Mr. AuBuchon has built a unique body of work experience, both in government service and in the courtroom. Prior to working for the Missouri Chamber, he served as Chief of Staff & General Counsel for Lt. Governor Peter D. Kinder, the only Republican elected to statewide office in 2008. He also has worked for the Environmental Protection Division of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, performed as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Counsel for the Missouri Office of Administration and served on the senior staff of former Governor Matt Blunt. As an attorney, Mr. AuBuchon practiced law throughout the western United States as an associate for a Wyoming-based firm, representing various interests in environmental defense litigation with a focus on land use, water and endangered species. He appeared before U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal in California, Arizona, Oregon and Montana. Mr. AuBuchon noted that this year Missouri lawmakers will grapple with many of the same difficult issues – the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, insurance exchanges, economic development and tort reform – they’ve struggled with over the past four years. He says his strong business connections and his experience as a business advocate will provide an extra leg of credibility with clients. He earned his law degree with honors from the University of Tulsa’s College of Law in 2001. He received his B.A. degree in Political Science in 1998 from Westminster College in Fulton, MO. 

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