Sarah Thompson is an associate attorney in the St. Louis office where she represents clients in a wide range of civil litigation matters. Prior to joining the firm, Sarah worked at a St. Louis area insurance defense firm where she represented clints in a wide range of civil litigation matters and provided counsel regarding insurance […]
Paul Harper is counsel in the firm’s Jefferson City and Columbia offices, where he advises clients on litigation, administrative law, education law, regulatory compliance, and government relations. Drawing on more than 20 years of senior legal and leadership experience in Missouri state government, Paul helps clients navigate complex legal and regulatory challenges with practical, strategic, […]
Lauren Wood is a litigation attorney in the St. Louis office, focusing her practice on general commercial litigation. With more than twenty years of litigation experience, Lauren’s practice spans a broad range of civil matters, including commercial disputes, personal and business torts, and fiduciary litigation. Lauren has tried numerous cases to verdict and regularly represents […]
Evan Kennedy is Counsel in Jefferson City and Columbia where he advises clients on a wide range of matters to find effective and efficient solutions in government, regulatory and litigation matters. Prior to entering private practice, Evan served as General Counsel to Missouri Governor Michael L. Parson, advising on legislation, administrative actions, judicial appointments, and […]
Sidne Fonville is an associate attorney in Mid-Missouri assisting clients in administrative law, government affairs, regulatory and civil litigation matters. Sidne completed a dual JD and Master’s in Public Affairs degree program at the University of Missouri. Dedicated to supporting the academic community at the University, she served as a teaching assistant for both Civil […]
Ellen Bruntrager is an associate attorney in the St. Louis office and represents clients in a wide range of civil litigation matters, including employment discrimination and wage and hour disputes. Prior to joining the firm, Ellen worked as an associate in a St. Louis area law firm and represented individuals in civil rights litigation. Additionally, […]
Heidi Eckert represents clients in all aspects of employment, labor, and civil rights disputes. Heidi is an active litigator who has defended claims in state and federal courts as well as before governmental agencies. She has also arbitrated and mediated numerous matters to successful resolution on behalf of her clients. Her litigation experience includes assisting […]
Jim Ferrick is a seasoned litigator who represents clients in high stakes litigation throughout the country. He works to understand your business and how your goals drive strategy. Mr. Ferrick is experienced in handling all phases of litigation, from the temporary restraining order/injunction phase through trial and appeal. He has tried numerous cases to verdict, including in both bench and jury trials. He has argued before the Missouri and Illinois Appellate Courts and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Ferrick has brought and/or defended claims of virtually every type in the commercial and employment law contexts, including having handled claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, unfair competition (including in relation to trade secrets and restrictive covenants), commercial torts, violation of wage payment obligations, discrimination and retaliation, defamation, and many others. He also has substantial experience in products liability litigation.
Mr. Ferrick is at the forefront of counseling and litigation involving restrictive covenants and trade secrets in both the employment and sale-of-business contexts. He has represented clients across multiple industries and in various forums, including state and federal courts throughout the country as well as in arbitrations before FINRA and the AAA. He has particular expertise in disputes and counseling related to financial advisor transitions. In his day-to-day role counseling clients on risk management and other issues, Mr. Ferrick frequently drafts non-solicitation, non-compete and non-disclosure agreements.
Mr. Ferrick’s securities litigation experience involves defending brokerage firms in class actions and arbitrations alleging state and federal securities law violations, unsuitability and fraud in courts and tribunals throughout the country. In addition, he has represented broker-dealers, registered representatives, and investment advisors in matters involving non-solicitation agreements, trade secrets, and breach of loyalty or fiduciary duty throughout the country. Jim regularly appears on clients’ behalf in the FINRA arbitration forum as well as state and federal court. Mr. Ferrick also provides pre-employment counseling to effectively avoid litigation.
Mr. Ferrick has litigated trust and estate disputes on behalf of both beneficiaries and fiduciaries. He has handed a variety of different cases including disputes over trust distributions, will contests, fiduciary duty claims, and cases involving a promise to make a gift and the Deadman’s Act.
Mr. Ferrick has handled class actions throughout the country involving wireless telephone service, the securities industry, consumer products, insurance coverage and tax issues. He has handled all stages of class action defense, including class certification, dispositive motions, expert discovery, and settlement administration.
Julie Chambers is an associate attorney in the St Louis office and represents clients in civil litigation.
Julie joined the law firm after serving as Lead Counsel for ReubenLaw LLC, providing legal counsel related to regulatory matters, employment contracts, family law litigation, and landlord-tenant disputes while supervising legal staff and managing a volume of 350+ traffic and criminal cases for clients in Missouri and Illinois.
Julie previously served as a judicial law clerk for The Honorable Mary Barzee Flores in Florida’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court.
Julie attended the University of Missouri School of Law where she served as the Note and Comment Editor for the Journal of Dispute Resolution and the President of the Women’s Law Association.
Andrew is an experienced trial attorney who focuses his practice on complex commercial and employment disputes, as well as emerging issues related to digital assets. He has successfully tried cases to resolution in federal and state court, in arbitration, and before administrative bodies.
Prior to joining the firm, Andrew founded the first practice group dedicated exclusively to digital assets and blockchain technology in the Midwest and has represented businesses, developers, and investors across the country in matters related to digital assets and decentralized protocols.
Andrew is an Adjunct Professor at the Washington University School of Law where he teaches Trial Practice and Procedure.
Andrew is an active member and Past President of the St. Louis Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and The Theodore McMillian American Inn of Court.
Representative Matters
As lead counsel, Andrew successfully obtained a jury verdict in a business dispute where the opposing party was found to have fraudulently induced Andrew’s client into a business deal and later tried to retain the profits from the venture. The jury returned verdicts in favor of Andrew’s client on all counts – both on the claims submitted by the client, as well as defendant’s counterclaims. As part of the judgment, the court awarded the client its attorney’s fees.
As lead counsel for the founder of a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol, Andrew obtained the dismissal of a putative class action complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York alleging the founder and co-defendants were members of a general partnership operating an illegal lottery in violation of New York state law. The lawsuit and dismissal were covered in the Wall Street Journal.
Andrew successfully obtained a jury verdict on competing claims for declaratory judgment between former business partners where the client was alleged to have improperly revoked the membership interest of the former partner and breached their fiduciary duties. Andrew drafted the special interrogatories that were submitted to the jury. The jury’s answers to the special interrogatories resulted in the court entering judgment in favor of the client, which included its attorney’s fees.
As lead counsel, Andrew successfully arbitrated a claim between two law firms where a dispute had arisen related to their business relationship. Andrew argued the case before a three-member arbitration panel. The case ultimately settled on confidential terms.
Andrew successfully obtained summary judgment for a local college where plaintiffs alleged that the college failed to protect them against stalking and sexual harassment by a fellow student under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The case was appealed and summary judgment in favor of the client was affirmed by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Pearson v. Logan Univ., 937 F.3d 1119 (8th Cir. 2019).
In a case of first impression, Andrew obtained the reversal of an adverse summary judgment ruling for a client that asserted it was a third-party beneficiary to a contract and entitled to payment for its services. The Court of Appeals found that the client materially changed its position in justifiable reliance on the contract entitling it to payment for its services and reserved the trial court’s summary judgment ruling. Hilliker Corp. v. Watson Prop., LLC, 667 S.W.3d 117 (Mo. Ct. App. 2022).
Andrew successfully defended the State of Missouri when a political action committee and one of its founders brought action against the Missouri Ethics Commission and several of its members, seeking to enjoin a state enforcement proceeding. The federal district court abstained from hearing the case and the decision was affirmed by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Geier v. Missouri Ethics Comm’n, 715 F.3d 674 (8th Cir. 2013).
Andrew obtained summary judgment where the client was alleged to have subjected the plaintiff, a laborer, to a hostile work environment and racial discrimination under Title VII when he was removed from a construction project. The client moved for summary judgment on the grounds that plaintiff failed to establish a prima facie case for disparate treatment and because there was a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for his removal. Furthermore, the client was not plaintiff’s employer as it did not control the terms and conditions of plaintiff’s employment. The district court agreed and granted summary judgment in favor of the client.
Andrew favorably resolved alleged False Claims Act (FCA) violations against a testing laboratory. After meeting with the United States Attorney’s Office and Missouri Medicaid Audit & Compliance, the client’s license was restated and the FCA violations were resolved pre-suit.