Best Lawyers in Missouri, United States for Litigation - Labor and Employment
Melanie A. Renken is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Melanie A. practices law in St. Louis, Missouri Best Lawyers has recognized Melanie A. Renken since 2027. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Melanie A. Renken is held by other lawyers.
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...
Melissa Pesce is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Melissa practices law in St. Louis, Missouri Best Lawyers has recognized Melissa Pesce since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Melissa Pesce is held by other lawyers.
Melody Rayl is a partner in the Kansas City office. Melody counsels and advocates for private and public-sector employers in all aspects of employment litigation and traditional labor law. Melody regularly advises and counsels her clients through difficult situations with an eye to preventing litigation before it occurs and provides training to supervisory and management level personnel on a variety of employment related topics. When litigation does occur, Melody works with employers in defen...
Burton D. Garland, Jr. is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Burton D. practices law in St. Louis, Missouri Best Lawyers has recognized Burton D. Garland, Jr. since 2018. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Burton D. Garland, Jr. is held by other lawyers.
Jim Holland is managing partner of the firm’s Kansas City office. He works as a business partner with his clients and focuses his advice on helping them navigate employment issues with as little disruption to their operations as possible. Jim counsels employers about how to avoid workplace issues before they become lawsuits. When lawsuits cannot be avoided, however, Jim has litigated cases in federal and state courts across the country. Jim works with his clients to obtain practical, bu...
Greg Ballew is a partner in the Kansas City office. Greg has successfully defended employers in state and federal court litigation throughout the United States, obtaining summary judgment, judgment and arbitration awards for employers in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Greg also regularly assists employers who have received charges of discrimination from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)...
Robert L. Ortbals Jr. is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Employment Law - Individuals and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Robert L. practices law in St. Louis, Missouri Best Lawyers has recognized Robert L. Ortbals Jr. since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Robert L. Ortbals Jr. is held by other lawyers.
Michael Matula is a shareholder in the firm’s Kansas City office. Mike concentrates his practice in the areas of employment litigation and counseling. He has represented employers in a wide variety of employment matters including discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wrongful discharge cases, non-competition/trade secrets disputes, and EEOC administrative proceedings. Mike, who has been given an AV Martindale-Hubbell rating, also has significant experience in commercial, tort, and...
Margaret A. Hesse primarily practices in the areas of education law, employment law, and litigation. She has represented school districts in employment matters, including Title VII, the Safe Schools Act, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Equal Pay Act. She has represented employers in labor matters before the United States Department of Labor/Wage and Hour Division, the Illinois Commission on Human Rights and the Illinois Educatio...
Jim has extensive experience in handling labor and employment law litigation in federal and state courts, and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Justice, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and several state agencies. He also regularly advises employers on all labor and human resource management issues in an effort to prevent or resolve employee issues before they escalate into legal disputes.Prior to his pr...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
