Staff Report//June 27, 2022//
Meet our 2022 class of legal Icons.
This annual Missouri Lawyers Media celebration honors career achievement by recognizing lawyers for their exceptional and lengthy contributions to the profession and community — those who personify the ideals of what it means to be an attorney.
Clearly, we’ve succeeded for the fifth year in identifying Missouri’s legal icons. Read the profiles of the 31 attorneys featured on these pages, and you will agree. After all, to even be considered for this honor, nominees must be an integral part of their businesses and routinely have made a positive impact on their communities.
And they must have reached at least the age of 60. It’s not about age, per se. After all, six decades of living doesn’t ensure accolades. Six decades of consistent remarkable contribution, however, does ensure Icon status.
These men and women aspire to a higher call, leading the way for others. The journey of each may be different, but the destination is the same — measured, thoughtful success. They are paragons in the industry who recognize the need to participate and improve their communities, however they define them.
History will continue to catalog the achievements of those we honor through the ICON Awards. But it is their work so far that we highlight through this recognition.
They set a high standard of accomplishment.
Icons tend to do that.
So we thank them — for what they’ve done, what they do and what they will do.
— Liz Irwin, Group Publisher
David Appleby, Appleby Healy Attorneys at Law
Lee Baty, Baty Otto Coronado Scheer
Duane Benton, 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Ruth Binger, Danna McKitrick
Christopher “Kit” Bond, Former Republican U.S. Senator
Lynne Jaben Bratcher, Bratcher Gockel Law
Bert Braud, The Popham Law Firm
Lee Brumitt, Dysart Taylor Cotter McMonigle & Brumitt
Michael David, Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice
John E. Franke, Franke Schultz & Mullen
Michael Geigerman, US Arbitration & Mediation; St. Louis Mediation Project
Julianne Platz Hand, Kramer, Hand, Buchholz & Partney
Bill Hart, Husch Blackwell (retired)
John Hessel, Lewis Rice
Stephen L. Hill Jr., Dentons US
George Kapke, Kapke Willerth
Bruce Keplinger, Norris Keplinger Hicks & Welder
Michael Manners, Langdon & Emison
Claire McCaskill, Former Democratic U.S. Senator
Basil L. North Jr., Basil North & Associates
Craig O’Dear, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Robert S. Rosenthal, Brown & James
John A. Ruth, Newman, Comley & Ruth
R. Pete Smith, McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan
Ed Sterling, Gilmore Bell
Erwin “Erv” Switzer, Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale
Stephen L. Taylor, Burns, Taylor, Heckemeyer, Green & Edwards
Sarah Terrace, BJC HealthCare
Larry Tucker, Armstrong Teasdale
Charles Valier, Lashly & Baer
Michael T. White, Rouse Frets White Goss Gentile Rhodes