Three Danna McKitrick Attorneys Make 2010 Missouri Super Lawyers List

ONLY 5 PERCENT OF LAWYERS IN MISSOURI ARE INCLUDED

St. Louis, MO – Dec. 15, 2010 – Attorneys Joseph R. Soraghan, Thomas G. Glick, and Sophya Q. Raza have been named by Super Lawyers magazine as three of the top attorneys in Missouri for 2010.

Soraghan’s primary practice areas include business law, securities and corporate finance and alternative dispute resolution. Only 5 percent of the lawyers in the state were selected for inclusion in Missouri Super Lawyers.

“I am surprised and proud to be mentioned in the same publication as so many of the lawyers whom I admire,” he said.

Glick’s primary practice areas include probate, trust and fiduciary litigation, probate administration, estate planning and trusts, elder law, special education, and real estate.

“I am honored and humbled by being included in the 2010 Missouri Super Lawyers. It’s a particular honor this year as I’m serving as the president of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis,” he said.

Raza’s primary practice areas include family law, probate, as well as trust and fiduciary litigation.

“Missouri Super Lawyers selection of me as being among the top Missouri Lawyers took me completely by surprise. I was very pleased to see that Thomson Reuters Legal researchers use peer review, good-standing, as well as disciplinary checks of the lawyers it includes in the publication. It’s quite an honor for the three of us to be recognized,” Raza said.

The selection for inclusion in the list is made by the research team at Super Lawyers, which is a service of the Thomson Reuters Legal division based in Eagan, MN. Each year, the research team undertakes a rigorous, multi-phase selection process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent evaluation of candidates by the attorney-led research staff, a peer review of candidates by practice area, and good-standing and disciplinary checks.

Thomson Reuters Legal publishes Super Lawyers® magazines across the country. In addition to the magazines, the organization publishes newspaper inserts and special sections devoted to Super Lawyers. In 2010, Super Lawyers will reach more than 15 million readers. Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. It can be found online at www.superlawyers.com where lawyers can be searched by practice area and location.

Attorney Chris Vanderbeek Joins Danna McKitrick

LITIGATION DEPARTMENT ADDS ANOTHER WORKERS’ COMPENSATION, INSURANCE CLAIMS LAWYER TO TEAM

St. Louis, MO – Nov. 24, 2010 – Danna McKitrick, P.C. today announced that Chris Vanderbeek has joined the firm as a member of the litigation department to protect the interests of businesses and their insurers for whom Danna McKitrick are regional counsel.

Vanderbeek has several years of experience in analyzing liability and damages in the context of insurance and malpractice defense, as well as litigating real estate matters.

“We’re excited to have Chris join our team. He’s focused and committed to the challenges of insurance defense and to helping employers pursue the best possible outcomes against workers’ compensation and related claims, which is where he’ll spend most of his time,” said Brian Weinstock, a principal with Danna McKitrick.

Previously, Vanderbeek was an attorney with another St. Louis-based insurance defense firm and while in law school, he clerked with a Columbia, Mo. firm for two years.

“I had heard only good things about the firm and being here at Danna McKitrick has reinforced that perception—it’s been overwhelmingly positive. I was looking for a good place to do the work that I enjoy,” Vanderbeek said.

Vanderbeek is a 2009 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law where he was on the Dean’s List, served as managing editor of the Journal of Dispute Resolution, and received the John E. Burruss Memorial Prize for Outstanding Contribution. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Vanderbeek is admitted to practice law in Missouri, Illinois, and the eastern and western District Courts of Missouri. He is a member of The Missouri Bar, Illinois State Bar Association and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.

Read “People in Business”… St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Emily Kiser Promoted to Associate at Danna McKitrick

FIRM’S BANKRUPTCY AND REAL ESTATE LITIGATION DEPARTMENTS CONTINUE GROWTH TREND

St. Louis, MO – Nov. 8, 2010 – Emily E. Kiser brings her proven strengths to Danna McKitrick, P.C., in her new position as an associate in the litigation department focusing in two areas: Bankruptcy and Real Estate Litigation.

She helps both creditors and debtors through bankruptcy reorganization in court or through informal workout processes that help clients avoid the costs associated with litigation. As creditor counsel, Kiser works with lenders to get the highest returns from troubled loans and maximize the value of their collateral. As debtor counsel, she helps businesses and individuals through the maze of bankruptcy proceedings.

As a member of the firm’s growing title litigation team, Kiser represents title insurers, their insureds, lenders, and contractors or developers to resolve disputes over land title and use. Some of this work is related to foreclosure actions, bankruptcy and collection.

“In the past year-and-a-half as a law clerk, we’ve witnessed Emily’s enthusiasm for the practice of law and there’s no question she is very bright and highly effective. She fits in perfectly and we’re glad to have her begin her law career here where our clients can benefits from Emily’s great work and service ethic.” said Tom DeWoskin, principal, Danna McKitrick.

Prior to joining Danna McKitrick as a law clerk in 2009, Kiser served as a congressional intern in the U.S. House of Representatives with U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd (D-North Florida).

“I was attracted to Danna McKitrick because it has a good reputation among St. Louis area law firms. Once I started here, the camaraderie was excellent and the culture in the office seems to be the sort of place where I can grow in my career with plenty of successful role-models to follow,” Kiser said.

Kiser’s undergraduate degrees are a B.A., magna cum laude, in political science, and a B.S cum laude in public relations, from the University of Florida in 2007. She recently obtained her J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in Missouri and before the U.S. District Court, Eastern Missouri. She is a member of the Missouri Bar and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, Young Lawyers Division.

Read “People in Business”… St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Read “Newsmakers”… Missouri Lawyers Media

St. Louis Firemen’s Retirement System Sues City Over “Illegal” Ordinances

As issued by Fireman’s Retirement System of St. Louis:

St. Louis, MO – October 6, 2010 – The Firemen’s Retirement System of St. Louis and its trustees sued the city of St. Louis today for improperly enacting ordinances concerning the crediting of sick leave benefits contending they would be harmful to city firefighters’ pensions. The lawsuit was filed by FRS in the St. Louis City Circuit Court by Dan Tobben, of Danna McKitrick, P.C. A declaratory judgment, an injunction and other relief has been requested.

In the lawsuit, FRS contends that the changes contained in the recent ordinances are invalid because they contradict the state law. FRS is subject to city ordinances, however the ordinances must comply with, and be consistent with, the state’s enabling legislation. The suit contends the recently passed ordinances concerning sick leave are not in compliance.

One ordinance passed by the Board of Aldermen and then signed into law by Mayor Slay on September 20, 2010 repeals the existing provisions of Chapter 4.18.386 concerning the crediting of sick leave. Another ordinance, passed the same day, renames sick leave as medical leave and does not permit it being accrued or used for pension purposes.

The Civil Service Commission of the City of St. Louis previously challenged this same sick leave ordinance. That case went all the way to the Missouri Supreme Court, which upheld the ordinance unanimously in 2003, and ruled in favor of FRS.

Vicky Grass, Executive Director of FRS, contends that the City of St. Louis is unfairly singling out the city’s firefighters in its attempts to fix the city’s unbalanced budget.

The City of St. Louis has targeted the city firefighters’ benefits as a way to cut its budget shortfall. Surely, the Mayor does not believe that the firefighters or their pensions are bankrupting the city. The men and women of the fire department are among the hardest working employees in the city and to balance the budget on the backs of firefighters, retirees and their families is not only unfair, it is wrong.

Dan Tobben, attorney for FRS, indicated that state law and city ordinance both guarantee that firefighters be credited with their unused sick leave upon retirement and that accumulated sick leave can be used to vest employees in the retirement system.

State law prohibits caps or limits on accumulated sick leave for current firefighters, which is exactly what the city is attempting to do. The City of St. Louis is clearly violating the law here, and the reasons for their position are hard to understand. At hearings on these bills before a Committee of the Board of Aldermen, there seemed to be resentment related to recent firefighter residency issues, which are completely unrelated to the present situation.

Grass also suggests that the city, through the passage of the offending ordinances, may have ulterior motives.

The City of St. Louis may have passed ordinances that they know full well will be struck down. Perhaps the city may use this lawsuit as an excuse to lay off a significant number of firefighters to try to balance its budget. If the city had not become involved with a number of expensive, failed projects, such as Ballpark Village, the Bottleworks project and the almost empty Crown Candy development, perhaps it wouldn’t be taking these actions against firefighters that may jeopardize the safety of the city’s residents, institutions and businesses.

Tobben has filed suit and prevailed in the Missouri Supreme Court against the City of St. Louis on three separate occasions on behalf of FRS, and has successfully sued on its behalf in several other cases. Most recently, in 2007, the Supreme Court entered a ruling that resulted in the city being ordered to pay more than $49,000,000 to FRS, because of the city’s underfunding of the system.

About FRS: Established on July 26, 1944 in accordance with Ordinance #43009, the Firemen’s Retirement System of St. Louis was created to provide a program of security for the welfare of St. Louis City Fire Fighters and their families. On January 1, 1960, the System was revised through enabling legislation by the Missouri Legislature and then by the Board of Aldermen of the City of St. Louis to further ensures the continued security for all active fire fighters, retirees and their families. The Firemen’s Retirement System of St. Louis provides retirement, disability, death and survivor benefits to nearly 2000 active and retired participants and their beneficiaries.

FRS supports its membership by maintaining a pension plan that will attract and retain firefighters. It seeks to maximize investment returns by following a prudent investment policy.

About Danna McKitrick P.C.: Located in Clayton, Mo., Danna McKitrick, P.C. delivers legal representation to local and national businesses, insurers, government-related entities, and individuals. The firm is a member of MSI Global Alliance – an international association of more than 250 independent law and accounting firms in 100 countries.

Attorney Kara D. Helmuth Joins Danna McKitrick, P.C.

BRINGS DIVERSE LITIGATION EXPERIENCE TO CLAYTON FIRM

St. Louis, MO – July 28, 2010 – A diverse litigation practice including insurance defense practice drew Kara D. Helmuth to the Clayton-based law firm Danna McKitrick, P.C. Helmuth practices primarily in insurance defense for many industries, including transportation, manufacturing and hospitality sectors.

Representing both claimants and insureds, her responsibilities include a wide range of situations including personal injury and products liability, such as scaffolding failures and barbecue grill fires. She also handles breach of contract cases. Her broad background includes defending claims regarding complex situations such as vicarious liability, negligence, construction defects and subrogation.

“I was attracted to Danna McKitrick for two primary reasons. The firm offers diversity in a wide range of insurance defense practice areas and can handle any issue a client may have, whether it’s transactional or litigation. And, Danna McKitrick provides a positive work environment that emphasizes excellence in our work product while allowing for a life outside of work. I saw they treat their people well,” Helmuth said.

Helmuth graduated magna cum laude from Saint Louis University School of Law and briefly worked for another St. Louis law firm before joining Danna McKitrick. At law school, she interned with the Saint Louis University Law Clinic where she argued before the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Missouri. She also interned with the deputy trial director if the Missouri State Public Defender’s office, where she participated in capital murder trials.

“We are pleased that we are able to attract attorneys of Kara’s caliber. Originally from northern Illinois, she has spent eight years in St. Louis and wants to stay in the area. Kara’s intelligence, enthusiasm and experience expand our capability to serve our rapidly growing insurance defense practice.” said John F. Cooney, a principal at Danna McKitrick.

About Danna McKitrick: Located in Clayton, Mo., Danna McKitrick, P.C. delivers legal representation to businesses (emerging to national), insurers, government-related entities, and individuals throughout the Midwest. To supplement its local resources, the firm is a member of MSI Global Alliance – an international association of over 250 independent law and accounting firms in 100 countries. www.dannamckitrick.com

Read “Newsmakers”… Missouri Lawyers Media
Read “Business News”… Suburban Journals
Read “People on the Move”… St. Louis Business Journal

Thomas Glick Elected President of The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Danna McKitrick, P.C. proud of Tom Glick and his election as BAMSL’s newest president as of May 1, 2010.

Thomas G. Glick from Clayton and principal at Danna McKitrick, P.C was elected as president of The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) for 2010-2011 at the Annual Meeting held April 13, 2010 at BAMSL headquarters.  He will formally assume the office on May 1, 2010.

Read the official release… The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Read “Business in Focus” on May 28, 2010… The Ladue News
Read “Were You There When…” on May 28, 2010… The Ladue News
Read “People in Business” on May 10, 2010… The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Read “Business News”… Suburban Journals
Read “Newsmakers”… Missouri Lawyers Media

Read “Message from the President”… BAMSL

James Heffner Appointed to Cardinal Glennon Impact Board

GROUP RAISES AWARENESS AND FUNDS FOR CARDINAL GLENNON CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER

St. Louis, MO, March 2, 2010- James Heffner, an attorney with Clayton-based Danna McKitrick, P.C., has been selected to the Impact Board of Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center.

Heffner is a member of the firm’s transactional practice group, concentrating on banking and finance, corporate, and real estate law.

“I wanted to get involved with Cardinal Glennon because it is a great organization and its activities directly benefit the Children’s Medical Center,” Heffner said.

The IMPACT Board is a group of young professionals who volunteer to promote community awareness and raise funds for the overall betterment of Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. The spirit created through the special events/social functions fosters a commitment to civic responsibility and provides opportunity for personal growth.

Heffner is a 2005 graduate of St. Louis University Law School and a 2002 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia. Prior to joining Danna McKitrick, he served as a judicial law clerk for former St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Calvin.

About Danna McKitrick: Located in Clayton, Mo., Danna McKitrick, P.C. delivers legal representation to businesses (emerging to national), insurers, government-related entities, and individuals throughout the Midwest. To supplement its local resources, the firm is a member of MSI Global Alliance – an international association of over 250 independent law and accounting firms in 100 countries.  The firm can be viewed on the web at www.dannamckitrick.com.

Ruth Binger Named “Top Lawyer” by St. Louis Small Business Monthly

St. Louis, MO, February 3, 2010 - Ruth Binger, a principal of Clayton-based law firm Danna McKitrick, P.C. has been named as a “Top Small Business Lawyer” in this month’s edition of St. Louis Small Business Monthly.

The recognition is for attorneys who play an active and necessary role in many facets of entrepreneurs’ businesses. It recognizes attorneys who have proven their dedication to the success of small businesses in St. Louis, according to the magazine. All the Top Small Business Lawyer recipients are selected by the magazine’s readers.

Binger said she provides small businesses with advice to help them achieve their goals.

“I know how difficult it is to navigate competing business priorities and grow a small business at the same time. It is my job to give wise legal counsel so my clients grow and prosper,” Binger said.

She also provides her clients with advice on intellectual property law, employment and labor law, as well as aspects of corporate law regarding structure and governance of businesses, contracts, licensure, franchise, confidentiality, distribution consulting and joint venture agreements. Binger is a member of the Commercial Panel of Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association and is qualified as a neutral third party to resolve disputes between businesses. She also is active in the community helping not-for-profit organizations.

Download Binger Top Lawyer media release (PDF)