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Recent Articles from Nicholas Phillips
Family of grandmother killed in drag-race wreck settles for $1.325M
Family members of Kathleen Koutroubis, the 73-year-old grandmother killed in 2016 by a drag-racing wreck in Frontenac, have settled with two defendants in their wrongful-death lawsuit. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company paid the deceased woman’s sons, James and John Koutroubis, a total of $1.25 million. That figure represents the policy limit of $250,000 for […]
USIC settles claims for $10.1M against rival, former employees
Attorneys from the Kansas City-based law firm German May reached a $10.1 million settlement on behalf of USIC, an Indianapolis company that specializes in locating underground utilities. The settlement brings to a close a lawsuit USIC filed against a competitor staffed by former employees whom USIC alleged had stolen trade secrets. According to German May […]
St. Louis County defender requests waitlist to ease caseloads
St. Louis County District Defender Stephen Reynolds has put forth a partial solution to what he calls “excessive and untenable” caseloads shouldered by the attorneys in his office: a waitlist for indigent defendants. In a motion filed Oct. 28, Reynolds argued that “a de facto waitlist” system already has emerged because assistant public defenders in […]
Gay officer wins $20M sex-discrimination suit against St. Louis County
After a five-day trial, a St. Louis County Police Department sergeant won a nearly $20 million jury verdict on claims of sex/gender discrimination and retaliation under the Missouri Human Rights Act. Keith Wildhaber, who is gay and a 25-year veteran of the force, claimed that despite strong performance reviews he was passed over for multiple […]
Appeals panel: Filing of garnishment papers not unauthorized practice of law
The Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District on Oct. 22 said a St. Louis County collection agency’s filing of garnishment documents did not constitute the unauthorized practice of law. Three plaintiffs — Velma L. Mitchell, Tanisha L. Winston and Kayla Sanders — had alleged the contrary in a complaint filed in May 2018 against the […]
Lathrop Gage to combine with Minneapolis firm Gray Plant Mooty
The leadership of the Kansas City firm Lathrop Gage and the Minneapolis firm Gray Plant Mooty voted Oct. 30 to combine as Lathrop GPM LLP, effective Jan. 1, 2020. The combined firm will consist of nearly 400 attorneys in 14 offices nationwide and earn a projected gross revenue of approximately $210 million. Such a revenue […]
Cases before Missouri Supreme Court test claims for out-of-state workers
Does the Missouri Human Rights Act protect an employee from discrimination by a Missouri company if he or she lives and works outside of the state? It is a question of first impression for the Missouri Supreme Court that animated two separate oral arguments held Oct. 23. The first case involved Dobbs Tire & Auto, […]
Missouri prison nurses sue contractor for unpaid activity
Three Missouri correctional nurses have filed a class-action complaint in federal court against Corizon Health, the main health care provider in the state’s prisons, on claims of unpaid pre- and post-shift activity. If the court certifies a nationwide class of Corizon nurses, the three plaintiffs may be joined by thousands more, according to their attorney, […]
John D. Cooney, 36
Location: St. Louis Practice Area(s): Civil defense, insurance law, premises liability, products liability Law School: University of Missouri Some of John D. Cooney’s earliest memories involve visiting the downtown St. Louis law office of his father, John F. Cooney, and then accompanying him to a Cardinals baseball game. Fast-forward several decades: The younger John is […]
Sara Hofeditz Christensen, 35
Location: Kansas City Practice Area(s): Criminal defense Law School: University of Missouri-Kansas City A lawyer who knows Sara Hofeditz Christensen said “she might be the busiest person on Earth.” Christensen, a former assistant public defender, is now in private practice at The Hastings Law Firm, where she manages a full caseload of serious felony offenses, […]
Corey M. Casey, 39
Location: Kansas City Practice Area(s): Intellectual property, Hatch-Waxman litigation Law School: University of Missouri-Kansas City One of the things that makes Corey Casey a superb litigation strategist and planner for drug manufacturers is that he’s a registered pharmacist. While earning his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, he completed an externship [&hel[...]
Tricia Campbell, 37
Location: Kansas City Practice Area(s): Mass torts, products liability, catastrophic personal injury Law School: University of Missouri-Kansas City Tricia Campbell has been at Langdon & Emison for only two years, but she is already a powerhouse. Formerly a partner at The Potts Law Firm in Westwood, Kansas, Campbell now manages the mass-tort dockets for her […]
Latest Opinion Digests
- Criminal Law: Child Abuse-Sufficiency Of Evidence-Closing Argument
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- Probate : Revocable Trust – Amendment – Reformation
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- Appellate Practice : Jurisdiction – Final Judgment
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- Criminal Law : Post-Conviction Relief – Guilty Plea – Sentence Advice
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