Melissa K. Smith-Groff

Richard Elias is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Richard, 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 Richard is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Don M. Downing is a former Missouri Chief Deputy Attorney General and managing partner of the St. Louis office of one of the region's largest law firms. As Chief Deputy Attorney General - Missouri's top appointed legal officer - from 1993 to 1995, Mr. Downing was the lead lawyer in cases involving consumer protection, antitrust, environmental, securities and many other areas of law. He appeared before the Supreme Court of the United States four times, including one case he personally argued. ...

Timothy M. Cronin is a skilled trial attorney that focuses his practice on personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, and class action matters. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, majoring in economics. After graduating and while attending law school at night, Tim worked as a performance analyst at A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. He graduated magna cum laude from Saint Louis University School of Law with a certificate in civil li...

David F. Neiers is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. David F., who practices law in Clayton, Missouri, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Fred A. Ricks, Jr. has over twenty-five years of experience representing clients in all aspects of labor and employment matters throughout the United States. Fred’s employment law practice encompasses a full range of employment law matters including state and federal employment discrimination laws, wage and hour, wrongful discharge and employee benefit claims. His practice includes planning and consulting work designed to prevent labor and employment law claims against clients. Fred als...

Andrew Kasnetz is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Andrew, who practices law in Clayton, Missouri, has been recognized since 2015. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Andrew is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Adam D. Hirtz is a principal and the office litigation manager in the St. Louis, Missouri, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He prides himself on being a responsive, strategic and creative advocate and counselor for the firm’s clients. Adam has more than 25 years of experience as a trial attorney representing businesses in employment litigation in both state and federal courts throughout the country. He also acts as a mediator, including regularly mediating cases for the Equal Employment Opp...

As a Partner in the Asbestos Department, Paul supervises a team of attorneys and legal staff who handle mesothelioma cases filed throughout the United States. Paul and his team have represented hundreds of mesothelioma victims, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on their behalf. Managing the trial team is only part of Paul’s responsibilities. As an asbestos attorney, he personally handles all aspects of his clients’ cases, which can include inve...

Thomas J. O’Toole, Jr. is a founding member of the law firm of Mickes O’Toole, LLC. He chairs the firm’s Business and Corporate Group, while his practice focuses on real estate, specializing in zoning/land use, condemnation and real estate transactions. He received both his undergraduate degree (1979) and law degree (1985) from St. Louis University. Tom is a respected leader in the St. Louis legal and business community. For nearly 30 years, he has built a solid reputation f...

Kelly J.H. Murrie represents major corporations in complex product liability, commercial litigation and employment matters. She appears in state and federal courts, including challenging venues such as the City of St. Louis and Jackson County in Missouri, and Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois. Kelly also handles corporate internal investigations and white collar defense. Focusing primarily on high-exposure product liability lawsuits, Kelly represents manufacturers and suppliers in th...