The economy may return to health and resemble the one preceding the 2008-09 recession, but don’t be fooled, Association of Corporate Counsel’s Susan Hackett says. For big business, corporate counsels and the law firms that serve them, there will be ...

Tagged with: Association of Corporate Counsel Lathrop & Gage Susan Hackett

The managing partner of Spencer Fane Britt & Browne’s St. Louis office has stepped down to tend to a burgeoning bankruptcy practice. Partner Nick Franke took on the managing partner duties about a year ago, when the practice wasn’t as ...

Tagged with: Bankruptcy Brent Baldwin Lathrop & Gage Michael Saunders Nick Franke Spencer Fane Britt & Browne Thor Hearne

A lawsuit against Shell Oil Co. is being revived, and the federal judge who cussed at the plaintiff's attorney in court will not be hearing it. A panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday overturned Kansas City-based Senior District Judge Dean Whipple's dismissal of the lawsuit, ordered him to remove himself from the case and called for the case to be reassigned. A tussle over 58 documents culminated in a December 2006 discovery hearing at which Whipple sprinkled six epithets.Click here to continue reading and view an excerpt from the hearing.

Tagged with: Bobby Shepherd cussing judge Dean Whipple Lathrop & Gage Michael Melloy Shell Oil Co.

Amid concerns that an escalating workload is hindering public defenders’ ability to represent clients, the Missouri Senate took a big step toward sending legislation altering the system to the House. Sen. Jack Goodman’s legislation features a number of components, including ...

Tagged with: caseload Jack Goodman Lathrop & Gage Missouri Senate public defender Public Defender Commission

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee seemed amenable to legislation prompting convicted felons to serve 85 percent of their sentences, even as a defense lawyers’ organization and a civil liberties group expressed concerns about the bill’s impact. Sen. Kurt ...

Tagged with: American Civil Liberties Union felons John Coffman Kurt Schaefer Lathrop & Gage Senate Judiciary Committee

Thor Hearne is now heading up the St. Louis office of Lathrop & Gage. Hearne, known for his work as national legal election counsel for President George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign, takes over from Brent Baldwin. Baldwin exited for ...

Tagged with: Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice Blumenfeld Kaplan & Sandweiss Brent Baldwin George W. Bush Jack Walsh Lathrop & Gage Patrick Sanders St. Louis Thor Hearne

Though it’s been open for about three months, a new immigration court in Kansas City won’t get its first judge until March. But once veteran Jackson County Circuit Judge John O’Malley joins the U.S. Immigration Court, relief should start to ...

Tagged with: immigration court Jackson County Circuit Court John O'Malley Kansas City Lathrop & Gage Rekha-Sharma Crawford U.S. Immigration Court