ICON Honors 2024: David Frantze

Partner, Stinson, Kansas City

David Frantze may be a top-ranked real estate attorney with decades of experience in driving major Kansas City development, but at heart, he loves nothing more than earning points with his kids when he shows them his work.

“I go around the city pointing out buildings and telling my kids I was involved in getting them built,” he says. “And I point to the National Women’s Soccer League Stadium and Union Station and explain they are standing because of some work I did, and it’s pretty amazing to be able to talk about that.”

Since joining Stinson in 1981, Frantze has represented developers, property owners, tenants and end-user companies in complex real estate development projects.

One of Frantze’s favorite city views is of the iconic Union Station, renovated in 1999.

The 110-year-old station had fallen into such disrepair that the city considered tearing it down. But a group of individuals interested in preserving it formed a not-for-profit organization to raise money to save it.

“I worked with the group to acquire the property, and I’ll never forget the board meeting when they signed the documents to start the renovations,” he says. “This was in the summer of 1994, and we had to wear hard hats because pieces of the ceiling kept falling down.”

Frantze has been described by clients as “an exceptional mind when it comes to crafting complex public-private partnerships.”

His practice spans decades and hundreds of complex matters and has established him as an icon in Kansas City, his hometown and where he earned his JD from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Frantze is also devoted to scouting. He was an Eagle Scout in his youth and his sons were too. He attributes his leadership skills and success as an attorney to the lessons he learned from scouting and enjoys passing them along to the next generation.

“I serve on the board and every year I volunteer for 10 days at the local Scout camp,” he says. “Just being around young people keeps me young and encourages me to keep striving to make a difference.”