Elizabeth J. Cummings

Celynda L. Brasher is a founding shareholder of the firm. She practices in the areas of education, litigation, and labor and employment law. Celynda represents numerous school districts throughout Missouri. She regularly advises boards of education and administrators on matters involving employee hiring, evaluation, remediation, and termination; student rights and discipline; special education; school finance; civil rights; contracts; the Missouri Open Meetings Act; church/state issues; and a...

“While it's not difficult to find an attorney, finding the “right” attorney with the right experience and track record isn't always easy. During my career, I have tried 140 jury trials to verdict and 40 bench trials to judgment. My cases have been consistently recognized by Missouri Lawyers Weekly in their listing of Top Defendant's Verdicts in the state. I've been selected by my peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America, and Best Lawyers has awarded me with the 201...

For the past 19 years, Mr. Harrison has devoted his practice exclusively to the representation of companies in the area of labor and employment law. Mr. Harrison’s practice includes counseling and advising clients on employment-related matters such as work related investigations, leave and attendance issues, and disciplinary and termination decisions. He has litigated labor and employment-related matters in federal and state courts throughout the United States, including individual and ...

Jim Layton joined the firm in 2017 after serving more than 22 years in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office—nearly all of those as the State’s principal civil appellate lawyer, Solicitor General. Jim practices in both appellate and trial courts, particularly in matters involving complex legal questions, including those arising under the U.S. and Missouri constitutions, Missouri school funding and other education statutes, discrimination laws, and Missouri tax laws. He repr...

Robert L. Ortbals Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Robert L., who practices law in St. Louis, Missouri, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Kari is a founding member of O'Leary, Shelton, Corrigan, Peterson, Dalton & Quillin LLC. Her practice includes all aspects of personal injury litigation, including: catastrophic injuries, many of which result in amputations; wrongful death claims; products claims; premises liability cases; auto and trucking accidents; all-terrain and side by side/utility-task vehicle accidents; forklift accidents; electrocution and power line cases; construction accidents; workplace accidents; and workers...

James C. Hetlage is an experienced employment attorney, litigator, and municipal attorney. He represents government and private-sector employers before state and federal administrative agencies, trial courts and appellate courts. Mr. Hetlage is experienced in resolving employment discrimination claims and other labor and employment disputes in court and through mediation and arbitration. He has addressed the impact of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter for employers, and has...

Leonard J. Frankel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law Mediation and Mediation. Leonard J., who practices law in Clayton, Missouri, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Leonard J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jonathan Marks , Family Law Attorney in the St. Louis area, received his Juris Doctorate in 1997 from the University of Missouri – Columbia. Jonathan is admitted to practice in the State of Missouri, the State of Illinois, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, the United States District Court for the Central Distr...

Melanie Gurley Keeney practices in the areas of education, higher education, labor and employment, and immigration law. Her experience in education law includes representing school districts and institutions of higher education regarding various personnel and student matters, including tenure, terminations, discrimination, First Amendment, discipline, special education, Title IX, sexual discrimination, § 1983 claims, Open Meetings law, OCR complaints and other issues. Melanie represents ...