Joseph F. Yeckel

Mark A. Prost is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Mark A., who practices law in St. Louis, Missouri, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mark A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

John Simmons founded the firm in 1999 with seven employees and a focus on asbestos litigation. Under his leadership, the firm has expanded to more than 250 employees, including more than 80 attorneys, spread between five offices in Alton, St. Louis, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. John has overseen some of the biggest verdicts and settlements in the history of asbestos litigation. The firm’s first trial involved a roofer and former Shell Oil employee diagnosed with mesothelioma...

Penney Rector is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Education Law. Penney, who practices law in St. Louis, Missouri, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Penney is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Robert F. Epperson Jr., a founding member of Dowd Bennett LLP, handles complex commercial litigation, internal investigations and appeals. Representing domestic and multinational corporations, as well as high net worth individuals, Robert focuses on civil litigation and appeals in an array of industries such as agriculture, real estate, financial services and insurance. He also conducts internal investigations and counsels clients in connection with investigations undertaken by the U.S. Depar...

Kate L. Nash practices primarily in the areas of higher education, education, non-profit, litigation, labor and employment law. Kate works primarily with educational institutions, including public and private colleges and universities, community colleges, public school districts and charter schools. She regularly advises these institutions, as well as private employers, on all manner of employment issues including Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, the FMLA and related state laws. She advises inst...

Jennifer R. Piper attended the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned a B.A. in political science, she then went on to receive her law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law. As an attorney, Jennifer has been distinguished by Missouri Lawyers Weekly as a Rising Star, Up and Coming Lawyer by Missouri Lawyers Weekly for 2009; a Rising Star, Up and Coming Lawyer for 2010-2015 by Missouri Super Lawyers; she has been named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2017-2025 in the pr...

Patricia D. Gray is a partner at Muhm & Reilly, LLC. She received a B.S.N. degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1963 and a J.D. from Washington University in 1981. She is admitted to practice in Missouri and the U.S. Tax Court, and is a member of the Missouri Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Bar Association of Metropolitan Saint Louis and the Women Lawyer’s Association. Ms. Gray is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a former Adjunc...

Benjamin W. Powell is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Benjamin W., who practices law in Edwardsville, Illinois, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Benjamin W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Michael F. Harris received his law degree ( cum laude ) from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1983 and his undergraduate degree ( cum laude ) from Arizona State University in 1980. While in law school, Mike served as Assistant Managing Editor of the Saint Louis University Law Journal and was selected for the Order of the Woolsack. Mike is a Certified Public Accountant. Mike has been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America and Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyers. In addition to labo...

Trevor A. Sondag is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Trevor A., who practices law in Belleville, Illinois, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Trevor A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.