MoveMakers & NewsMakers for June 23, 2021

Kansas City | Springfield | Other States
 

Kansas City

Counsel Kelvin Fisher has joined Sandberg Phoenix as a member of the business litigation practice group.

Fisher is an experienced litigator who has represented clients ranging from individuals to Fortune 500 companies. He has tried cases to verdict in both jury trials and bench trials. 

Fisher is licensed to practice in Kansas and Missouri and before the District Court for the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, the U.S. District Court of Kansas, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Fisher received his J.D. from the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law (2004) and his B.A. in psychology from the University of Missouri - Kansas City.

Littler has added William S. Robbins, Jr. as a shareholder in its Kansas City office. He was previously a shareholder at Polsinelli PC. 

“Recruiting top talent like Bill to the firm is a critical aspect of our growth strategy,” said Erin Webber, Littler’s managing director and president. “Having had the privilege of working with Bill early in my career, I witnessed firsthand his exceptional lawyering skills and know that he is committed to, and passionate about, delivering top-tier counsel to clients and helping them navigate the myriad regulations impacting the workplace. I am thrilled to once again be his colleague and look forward to having him part of the Littler team.”

With a career spanning more than two decades, Robbins represents companies in a variety of industries in investigations involving compliance with federal and state Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements, as well as in developing industry-specific workplace safety standards. He also defends employers in whistleblower cases alleging violations of OSHA, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act and the Federal Railroad Safety Act. With a deep background in labor management relations, Robbins provides counsel on matters relating to union certification, unfair labor practices, lawful union avoidance and labor contract negotiations. He regularly represents companies in labor arbitrations and before the National Labor Relations Board and the Kansas Public Employee Relations Board, as well as in federal, state and appellate courts.

“With an extensive background handling traditional labor and workplace safety matters, as well as his early work representing unions as a plaintiff’s attorney, Bill will be a significant asset to our team in Kansas City,” said Daniel B. Boatright, Littler’s Kansas City office managing shareholder. “His well-rounded perspective will help guide employers as they face a wide range of challenges, including questions related to safely reopening workplaces.”

“The opportunity to join the foremost labor and employment law firm, and to work alongside such a deeply talented team of legal practitioners, is an exciting next step in my career,” Robbins said. “In addition to drawing on Littler’s impressive global platform and proprietary technology solutions to serve my clients, I am delighted to see Erin Webber – who I had the pleasure of working with in the early days of her career – move into the managing director role and look forward to her leadership as she guides the firm’s growth in the years to come.”

Robbins received his J.D., with honors, from the Washburn University School of Law and his B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Springfield

Spencer Fane LLP is pleased to announce Charli Steed joined the tax, trusts and estates practice group as an associate in its Springfield office.

Steed’s practice involves helping her clients navigate tax laws so they can reach their business goals. She works with a wide range of clients, from managers of multimillion-dollar corporations to families looking to preserve their personal wealth, and has broad experience in estate and tax planning matters, including preparing trusts, wills, powers of attorney, nonjudicial settlement agreements, and other fiduciary litigation documents.

Additionally, Steed analyzes various tax-related issues pertaining to trusts, wills, IRAs, corporate inversions, and equity funds as well as reviewing and interpreting language in trust documents and wills to provide informed guidance to her clients. She most recently ran her own law office handling these same types of matters, giving her strong perspective on providing detailed, individualized legal service.

Steed also acts as an advisor to tax-exempt organizations on a variety of nonprofit corporate and tax-related issues under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. This includes issues related to organization, qualification, tax reporting, and general compliance.

“Spencer Fane thrives on the ability to provide the resources necessary to deliver an exceptionally high level of client service,” said Jason Smith, office managing partner for Spencer Fane in Springfield. “Our firm prioritizes adding experienced attorneys at all levels in practice areas that match with an identified need for our clients. Charli not only knows the community and region well but also brings a diverse skill set to our tax, trusts and estates practice group.”

After completing her undergraduate studies at Lyon College, Steed earned her J.D. and LLM in taxation from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

Other States

Associate Hopey A. Gardner recently joined the torts and litigation practice group of Plunkett Cooney.

Gardner works in the firm’s Indianapolis office and maintains a diverse practice that includes business law, insurance coverage and general litigation. Her expertise ranges from bankruptcy and construction defect matters to environmental liability and personal injury claims.

Admitted to practice in Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, Gardner received her law degree from Washington University School of Law in 2007. She also received her master’s degree from Hollins University in 1999 and her undergraduate degree from Central Missouri State University in 1998.

The members of Plunkett Cooney's torts and litigation practice group focus on the defense of all manners of civil litigation, including construction disputes, motor vehicle negligence, liquor liability, product liability, toxic torts and premises liability, including slip, trip and falls, as well as open and obvious dangers. Their clients include the policyholders of some of the world’s largest insurance providers and other businesses that become the target of litigation.