Names of three ex-Stolar attorneys appear, disappear on Spencer Fane website

It almost was official.

The names of three former partners at the dissolving St. Louis firm The Stolar Partnership appeared on the attorney listings of Spencer Fane Britt & Browne’s website briefly today.

The names vanished after a Missouri Lawyers Weekly reporter left voice messages inquiring about them for Spencer Fane Chairman Patrick Whalen and K. Edward Holderle III, one of the former Stolar partners.

Holderle, Leonard Pranschke, and Ravi Sundara, who all have nonprofit practices, were heading to Spencer Fane, two partners at Stolar said last week. Holderle was listed with the title of partner on Spencer Fane’s website this morning, and Pranschke and Sundara were listed as of counsel.

Spencer Fane spokeswoman Jennifer Collet declined to comment last week in the absence of Whalen, who was on vacation. Tom Osterholt Jr., managing partner of Spencer Fane’s St. Louis office, also declined to comment.

The planned exodus of nine partners, including the three headed to Spencer, prompted a vote to dissolve Stolar by late spring, Thomas Venker Jr., a member of Stolar’s leadership committee, and Stolar partner Dale Hermeling said last week.

Five of the partners joined Lewis, Rice & Fingersh. Another was headed to an in-house position, Venker said.