The Best Lawyers in America

Kurt Schaefer named to the Best Lawyers list for 2024

(August 17, 2023) — Today 89 Lathrop GPM attorneys were named to The Best Lawyers in America^© list, eight of whom were selected “Lawyer of the Year” in their practice area. Thirteen additional attorneys were chosen for the “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” for 2024.

For the prestigious “Lawyer of the Year” ranking, only one attorney receives the annual award per practice area in each Best Lawyers® market. Following are the Lathrop GPM recipients and the areas in which they are being recognized.

Lawyer of the Year 2024

Jefferson City, MO

• Jennifer S. Griffin (Administrative / Regulatory Law)

Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

• Robert E. Thackston (Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants)

Overland Park, KS

• James B. Betterman (Trusts and Estates)
• Harry E. Wigner, Jr. (Corporate Law)

Kansas City, MO

• William G. Beck (Litigation in Environmental)
• Peter F. Daniel (Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants)
• Jack D. Rowe (Labor Law in Management)

Minneapolis, MN

• William D. Klein (Tax Law)

Best Lawyers recognizes legal excellence. First published in 1983, The Best Lawyers in America^© list utilizes a national survey of lawyers created to capture the professional abilities from peers and colleagues. Lathrop GPM attorneys are chosen regularly for this highly respected and published ranking.

Following are the Lathrop GPM attorneys named to the overall Best Lawyers list for 2024 and the areas in which they are recognized:

Best Lawyers in America:

Boston, MA

• Giulio A. DeConti (Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice; Patent Law)
• James H. Velema (Patent Law)

Clayton, MO

• Robert D. Cantwell (Gaming Law)
• Scott H. Malin (Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law; Trusts and Estates)
• Jared M. Minkoff (Real Estate Law; Tax Law)
• Christopher T. Pierce (Real Estate Law)

Dallas, TX

• Robert Thackston (Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants)

Denver, CO

• Thomas A. Rodriguez (Litigation – Trusts and Estates)
• Alison E. Zinn (Elder Law; Trusts and Estates)

Jefferson City, MO

• Jennifer S. Griffin (Administrative / Regulatory Law; Commercial Litigation)
• Kurt U. Schaefer (Environmental Law)

Kansas City, MO

• Michael J. Abrams (Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Litigation – Insurance; Litigation – Real Estate; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Trade Secrets Law)
• Robyn L. Anderson (Commercial Litigation)
• William G. Beck (Commercial Litigation; Environmental Law; Insurance Law; Litigation – Environmental; Litigation – Insurance)
• Richard N. Bien (Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Litigation – Banking and Finance; Litigation – ERISA)
• Mark A. Bluhm (Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
• Jean Paul Bradshaw II (Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense – White-Collar; Government Relations Practice; Health Care Law; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants)
• Mara H. Cohara (Commercial Litigation)
• Peter F. Daniel (Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants)
• J.A. “Jay” Felton (Product Liability Litigation – Defendants)
• William F. Ford (Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental; Water Law)
• Brian C. Fries (Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Banking and Finance)
• David R. Frye (Commercial Litigation)
• Cameron Garrison (Litigation – Intellectual Property)
• Gretchen M. Gold (Trusts and Estates)
• Robert J. Haupt (Litigation – Bankruptcy; Litigation – Land Use and Zoning)
• Brian M. Holland (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy)
• Tedrick A. Housh III (Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• Larry B. Huebner (Land Use and Zoning Law; Real Estate Law)
• Gregory B. Kuhn (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
• Thomas J. McMahon (Tax Law)
• Rosalee M. McNamara (Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management)
• Stephen G. Mitchell (Real Estate Law)
• James L. Moeller (Litigation – Environmental)
• James Moloney (Banking and Finance Law)
• Bernard J. Rhodes (First Amendment Law; Litigation – First Amendment)
• Jerry D. Riffel (Gaming Law; Land Use and Zoning Law; Real Estate Law)
• Bridget B. Romero (Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• Nancy Schmidt Roush (Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; Trusts and Estates)
• Jack D. Rowe (Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• Thomas A. Ryan (Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental)
• R. Kent Sellers (Appellate Practice)
• Benjamin C. Struby (Litigation – Real Estate)
• Michel A. Thompson (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
• Kim K. Winter (Insurance Law)
• Brian N. Woolley (Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management)
• Rebecca S. Yocum (Employment Law – Individuals; Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment; Litigation – Real Estate)

Los Angeles, CA

• Nancy Sher Cohen (Insurance Law; Litigation – Insurance)

Minneapolis, MN

• Megan L. Anderson (Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• Jeffrey C. Anderson (Commercial Finance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
• Wade T. Anderson (Real Estate Law)
• Jesse A. Berg (Health Care Law; Litigation – Health Care)
• Jennifer Reedstrom Bishop (Nonprofit / Charities Law)
• John Brower (Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
• Ann B. Burns (Trusts and Estates)
• Barry F. Clegg (Tax Law)
• Michael R. Cohen (Litigation – Intellectual Property)
• Michael R. Cunningham (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation)
• Brian Dillon (Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Trusts and Estates)
• Liz Dillon (Franchise Law)
• Dean Eyler (Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Intellectual Property)
• John W. Fitzgerald (Franchise Law)
• Michael R. Gray (Franchise Law)
• Loren L. Hansen (Litigation – Intellectual Property)
• William D. Klein (Tax Law)
• Gaylen L. Knack (Franchise Law)
• James D. Lamm (Litigation – Trusts and Estates; Tax Law; Trusts and Estates)
• Charles K. Maier (Litigation – Banking and Finance)
• Mark S. Mathison (Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• John M. Nichols (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
• Ryan Palmer (Franchise Law)
• Marya P. Robben (Trusts and Estates)
• Virginia S. Schubert (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
• Matthew Shea (Trusts and Estates)
• Daniel R. Tenenbaum (Commercial Finance Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
• James A. Wahl (Franchise Law)

Overland Park, KS

• James B. Betterman (Litigation – Trusts and Estates; Tax Law; Trusts and Estates)
• Peter W. Brown (Trusts and Estates)
• Robert J. Lambrechts (Environmental Law)
• Lyle D. Pishny (Corporate Law; Tax Law; Trusts and Estates)
• Randal L. Schultz (Health Care Law)
• Curtis L. Tideman (Commercial Litigation; Education Law)
• Harry E. Wigner, Jr. (Corporate Law; Real Estate Law)

St. Cloud, MN

• Christopher W. Harmoning (Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Banking and Finance; Litigation – Real Estate)

Washington, D.C.

• Mark Kirsch (Franchise Law)
• Peter J. Klarfeld (Franchise Law)
• Michael L. Sturm (Franchise Law)
• Eric L. Yaffe (Franchise Law)
• Robert Zisk (Franchise Law)

The “Ones to Watch” list recognizes attorneys, who are earlier in their careers, for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. Following are the 13 Lathrop GPM attorneys being honored for their early career achievements and the practice areas in which they are recognized.

Ones to Watch:

Chicago, IL

• Matthew Walker (Environmental Law)

Dallas, TX

• Sam Garcia (Construction Law)

Denver, CO

• Casey C. Breese (Commercial Litigation; Real Estate Law)
• Alison J. Foster (Energy Law)
• Michael Knapp (Oil and Gas Law)
• Cynthia Teel (Environmental Law)

Kansas City, MO

• Elizabeth Haden (Banking and Finance Law)
• Grant A. Harse (Litigation – Environmental)
• Paul McKie Lewis (Real Estate Law)

Minneapolis, MN

• Eli Bensignor (Corporate Law)
• Dion Farganis (Commercial Litigation)
• James R. Thomson (Trusts and Estates)

Overland Park, KS

• Justin W. Whitney (Trusts and Estates)