Kara Helmuth Accepted into National Association of Public Pension Attorneys

Danna McKitrick, P.C. has announced that Attorney Kara D. Helmuth has been selected for membership in the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys. NAPPA is a professional organization whose membership is limited to attorneys regularly acting on behalf of public pension plans and in their interest. Helmuth is one of only 15 attorneys in Missouri who are members of NAPPA; only six are in public practice. Three of these attorneys are members of Danna McKitrick: Helmuth, Dan Tobben and Cheryl Beebe-Snell.

A commercial and civil litigator, Helmuth practices primarily in the area of public pensions and legal malpractice. She litigates for the trustees of public pension funds or individual members. Her work includes advising and litigating for the trustees of several public pension funds in Missouri and Illinois. She is admitted to practice in Missouri and Illinois, and has argued before the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Missouri. Continue reading »

Three Danna McKitrick Attorneys Again Selected to Missouri Super Lawyers Lists

Attorneys Joseph R. Soraghan, Jeffrey R. Schmitt, and Sophya Qureshi Raza have been recognized as three of the top attorneys in the state of Missouri by their peers as Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers & Rising Stars 2012.

Super Lawyers named Joseph R. Soraghan to its list as one of the top attorneys in Missouri for the third year in a row. Only five percent of the lawyers in the state are honored by selection to the Super Lawyers list.

“I am very proud to be grouped again among so many lawyers I look up to, including two of my own partners. My thanks to Thompson Reuters and its Super Lawyers organization,” Soraghan said.

Soraghan’s primary practice areas include business law, securities, corporate finance, and alternative dispute resolution. He is a founding director and the secretary of the Missouri Venture Forum. In 2011, the St. Louis Small Business Monthly selected Soraghan as one of the “100 St. Louisans You Should Know.”

Missouri & Kansas Rising Stars selected Jeffrey R. Schmitt and Sophya Qureshi Raza for inclusion on its 2012 list. It is not the first time on the list for either attorney: Schmitt was selected in 2011 and Raza was selected in 2010. Rising Stars recognizes up to 2.5 percent of “the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state — those who are 40 years old or younger, or who have been practicing for 10 years or less,” according to Super Lawyers. Continue reading »

St. Louis Firefighters Pension Plan Sues City Over “Unconstitutional” Ordinances

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

FRS Seeks Restraining Order and Injunction

St. Louis, MO – June 12, 2012 – The Trustees of the Firemen’s Retirement System of St. Louis (FRS) have filed a six-count lawsuit today in St. Louis City Circuit Court, seeking a temporary restraining order, injunction and declaratory judgment against the City of St. Louis over the Firefighter pension issues. The lawsuit is intended to stop attempts by the City of St. Louis to change the structure of, or take control of, Firemen’s Retirement System and to discontinue the accrual of current benefits to firefighters in the City of St. Louis in violation of Missouri state statutes and the U.S. and Missouri Constitutions. It also seeks to prevent enforcement of a bill to be voted on Friday, where the rights and duties of Trustees to sue the for wrongdoing by the City would be stripped from the trustees.

The City of St. Louis, over the past year, has tried to either change or assume control of FRS. Legislation was introduced in a committee of the Missouri House that would have significantly changed the structure of the FRS in a legally proper manner, and saving the City millions of dollars per year. That effort was actively opposed by the St. Louis Mayor, whose staff testified against the legislation.

The TRO is requested by FRS to prevent the implementation of ordinances and to stop proposed ordinances (in the form of Aldermanic Board Bills) which together are referred to in the lawsuit as a “Scheme” to wrest control of FRS in a manner contrary to state law and to the Missouri and U.S. Constitutions.

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Brant M. Feltner Joins Bankruptcy Team at Danna McKitrick

Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Group Expands with Experienced Attorney

St. Louis, Mo. – June 4, 2012 – Danna McKitrick, P.C. has announced that Brant M. Feltner has joined the firm as a member of the bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice group. He represents business clients with matters related to out-of-court workouts, bankruptcies (on behalf of both creditors and debtors) and other general commercial litigation.

Feltner brings considerable experience in the area of creditors’ right, bankruptcy and commercial law to the expanding practice of the firm. He also has previous experience as a financial and budget analyst with a national manufacturer in St. Louis and as a budget analyst with a major nonprofit organization in Chicago.

“Brant’s previous business experience provides him with a much broader perspective and understanding of our clients’ issues, which enhances his value to them. He can see both the business and the legal aspects of the cases he works,” said A. Thomas DeWoskin, head of Danna McKitrick’s Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Right practice group.

Feltner “was looking for an opportunity to expand upon his previous bankruptcy and non-bankruptcy experience” when he decided to join Danna McKitrick.

“Danna McKitrick provides superior legal services to clients while maintaining an air of professionalism and collegiality among its attorneys,” said Feltner. “I’m glad that the firm recognizes the value that my business background adds to my legal abilities.

I also recognize the importance of the firm’s broad experience in representing all of the different types of clients there can be in the insolvency field. Having represented clients on all sides of the table, we can recognize the needs of all of the parties involved. This often enables us to resolve our clients’ issues more quickly and efficiently.”

Feltner earned his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2008. A graduate of Miami University with a B.A. in history, he was named to the Dean’s List and was a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Academic Honorary Society.

Admitted in Missouri, Illinois, and the U.S. District Courts, Eastern District of Missouri and Central and Southern Districts of Illinois, Feltner is a member of the American Bar Association, The Missouri Bar, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.

Feltner’s article, “Advance Rulings: Taxpayers Can Obtain Binding Advice from State Taxing Authorities,” was published in the Journal of Multistate Taxation and Incentives (January-May, 2008).

Feltner is a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois and a graduate of Leadership Belleville.

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Sophya Raza Appointed to Kids In The Middle Board

Sophya Qureshi Raza, family law attorney with Danna McKitrick, has joined the Board of Directors of Kids In the Middle (KITM). KITM is a nonprofit organization that helps children, parents and families transition to their new way of life during and after divorce through counseling, education and support.

Raza concentrates her practice in family law matters, including pre- and post-nuptial agreements, annulments, dissolution of marriage, valuation and division of assets, paternity disputes, child support and spousal support orders, modifications of prior prior judgments, and child custody disputes.  She also helps families with legal guardianships and conservatorships for the elderly and disabled.

Raza obtained her J.D. from Washington University School of Law and her B.A. from George Washington University. Raza is a graduate of the ABA Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute and earned her Mediation Certificate from Washington University School of Social Work.

Jeff Schmitt Appointed Head of Danna McKitrick’s Title Litigation Practice

Saint Louis, MO – February 3, 2012 – Jeffrey R. Schmitt, a principal at Danna McKitrick, P.C., has recently been appointed head of the firm’s title litigation practice. Schmitt will lead the practice in its representation of its clients including national title insurance underwriters and their insured, resolving title policy claims and disputes that preclude title transfer or cloud true ownership. Schmitt is an experienced commercial and general civil litigator whose practice includes financial and lending, construction, and real estate law as well as general legal counsel for small to mid-sized businesses.

“Jeff is an excellent litigator, and has extensive experience in real estate, construction and financial litigation,” said Ron Danna, senior principal and co-founder of the firm. “He’s a proven leader, and we believe he’s the one to lead the title litigation practice into its next phase, one committed to quality client service and continued growth.”

Supporting Schmitt and Danna McKitrick’s title litigation practice is litigator David A. Zobel, as well as transactional lawyers Michael J. McKitrick and James M. Heffner. With McKitrick’s 30 years of experience in real estate litigation and transactions, McKitrick and other members of the transactional team focus on areas that are tangential and necessary to support title litigation, such as creditors’ rights.

Schmitt earned his J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his B.A. (magna cum laude) from Saint Louis University. He is admitted in Missouri, Illinois, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.

Schmitt is past president of the Clayton Chamber of Commerce and executive committee member. After clerking for the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Missouri, he joined Danna McKitrick as a promising young law clerk and worked his way up to principal. He was recognized in 2010 by The Missouri Bar Young Lawyer’s Section as a “Young Lawyer You Should Know.”

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Margaret L. Wichmann Joins Danna McKitrick, P.C.

With the Addition of the Second Intellectual Property Attorney in Less Than Six Months, Practice Group Continues Its Growth

Saint Louis, MO – January 17, 2012 – Danna McKitrick, P.C. has announced that Attorney Margaret L. Wichmann has joined the firm as an associate. Wichmann represents business clients in matters related to business transactions, intellectual property, employment law, and real estate.

Wichmann will be an integral part of the firm’s expansion of their intellectual property, according to Ruth A. Binger, principal with Danna McKitrick and head of the firm’s transactional department.

“We’re pleased to successfully recruit a candidate with Maggie’s advanced degree in intellectual property. She’s a great addition to our growing IP practice,” said Binger. “Additionally, her skills and temperament also mesh well with our transactional team and further expand Danna McKitrick’s service to its business clientele.”

Wichmann is experienced in real estate, corporate, and financial transactions as well as litigation support for intellectual property and commercial litigation. She has also assisted business owners with estate planning matters.

“Danna McKitrick is exactly the type of firm I was looking to join,” stated Wichmann. “For me, the firm is ideal in terms of the size, the clients I work for, the resources available to associates, and the potential for professional growth through mentoring relationships. It is a great place to practice law.”

During law school, Wichmann worked in the Judicial Clerkship Clinic for Judge William D. Stiehl in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Before law school, she worked as a legal assistant for a criminal attorney.

Wichmann has the unique experience of working as an intern in Bangkok, Thailand, studying the anti-trafficking laws in Southeast Asia and assisting in multi-lateral negotiations for the Thailand Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. She also participated in the Summer Institute for Global Justice at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Wichmann earned her LL.M. in Intellectual Property and J.D. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Her credentials include: Dean’s List, Dagen-Legomsky Public Interest Fellowship, Cash-Nickerson Fellowship, Whitney R. Harris Wold Law Institute, Washington University Law Review Senior Editor and Staff Editor, Student Bar Association Faculty Appointments Committee, Environmental Moot Court Semi-Finalist, Women’s Law Caucus Executive Board Social Chair, International Humanitarian Law “Students as Teachers” Program Presenter, Negotiation Competition. She earned her B.A. in philosophy from Washington University.

Admitted in Missouri and the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, Wichmann is a member of the American Bar Association, The Missouri Bar, and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. She is the author of “Reaching Beyond Guantanamo: The Future of Counter-Terrorism Law in the United States,” 6 Cambridge Student Law Review 197 (2010).

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