Missouri Lawyers Media honors 18 attorneys at 2025 In-House Counsel Awards

Staff Report//November 14, 2025//

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Members of the 2025 class of In-House Counsel honorees gather for a group photo at Claton Plaza Hotel. (Photo by T. L. Witt)

Dan Cohn and Sven Fickeler speak at a ceremony — Husch Blackwell Partner Dan Cohn (left) and BUNZL Senior Corporate Attorney Sven Fickeler talk before the award ceremony. (Photo by T. L. Witt)

Jo Ann Buettner and her mother Mary Ann Let look at the November issue of Missouri Lawyers Weekly — Jo Ann Buettner and her mother Mary Ann Lett look for her son Dan Lett, the 2025 In-House Counsel Lifetime Achievement honoree, in the November issue of Missouri Lawyers Weekly. (Photo by T. L. Witt)

Husch Blackwell Office Managing partner Bob Tomaso of St. Louis talks about the role of in-house counsel prior to the award ceremony. (Photo by T. L. Witt)

Missouri Lawyers Media honored 18 attorneys from across Missouri on Nov. 13, presenting them with 2025 In-House Counsel Awards during a breakfast event at the Clayton Plaza Hotel in St. Louis.

More than 150 people attended the event, which recognized attorneys from a broad range of sectors such as public and private businesses and healthcare.

“The individuals we honored … represent the epitome of exceptional work in the field of law that require a broad base and a depth of knowledge,” said Missouri Lawyers Media advertising director and assistant publisher Johnny Aguirre. “Whether it’s a small, private company with a single in- house counsel or staff, or a large public company with multiple lawyers, the legal issues presented require quick, effective solutions. They do that and more.”

In addition to the 17 in-house award honorees, Missouri Lawyers Media also presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Dan Lett of Bunzl Distribution.

Lett has served as executive vice president at general counsel at Bunzl for nearly 28 years and served as acquisition team lead for Bunzl North America from 2005 to 2024. He began his career in private practice at Peper Martin (later Husch Blackwell) before joining Bunzl in 1998 as general counsel.

Lett was unable to attend the event, but his daughter, Sarah, accepted the award on his behalf.

“If I can offer one piece of advice, particularly to the younger attorneys, it is to encourage you to take the time and effort to nurture relationships. The ability to build and maintain relationships has been a cornerstone of my personal and professional life. Whether in everyday life, in the world of business or the legal profession, relationships provide a foundation upon which trust, opportunity, growth and fulfillment are built,” Lett said in video shared at the event. “Those relationships also allow us to have fun and create a lot of learning along the way. In the end, no matter whether it’s life, law or business, people are people. You can take a genuine interest in them and treat them with respect and dignity. Together, you can make just about anything happen.”

Honorees included:

Health Care Organization:

Sara Reid, BJC

Nonprofit or Government Organization:

Rhonda Graack, Delta Dental of Missouri

Christina Moore, Saint Louis University

Kevin Rose, Lutheran Senior Services (EverTrue)

Private Company with annual revenues up to/over $500M:

Jennifer Barth, MEM Mutual Insurance Company

Larry Beilenson, Rawlings Sporting Goods Company

Christine Carney, Copeland

Bryna Edwards, Central Bank