MoveMakers & NewsMakers for Sept. 1, 2021

Kansas City | Other States

Kansas City

Gov. Mike Parson appointed Mark J. Bredemeier to the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.

Bredemeier is a sole practitioner in Lee's Summit focusing on business, tort, and public law litigation. He has served his community as an elected officer of the Lee’s Summit R-7 Board of Education and as an elected and appointed member of numerous city charter commissions, redistricting committees, task forces, and community stakeholder strategic planning efforts.

Bredemeier graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in political science and communication from William Jewell College, and he received his J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.

Other States

Bone McAllester Norton PLLC, one of Nashville’s largest law firms and one known for its deep commitment to clients and the community, announced it will combine with Spencer Fane, a law firm with offices in 20 cities nationwide. The combination will become effective Oct. 1 and position the firms to expand both in terms of size and geography to meet the growing needs of their clients.

In addition to a cohesive business model, Bone McAllester Norton and Spencer Fane share a commitment to cultural values that center on humility, community, collaboration and an unwavering ambition to achieve success for their clients.

“The culture of our firm, our commitment to give back to the community, and our strong track record of retaining top legal talent, has fueled our success. We found those same values in Spencer Fane,” said Bone McAllester Norton President and CEO Charles Robert Bone. “After years of telling one national firm after another ‘no,’ we felt there was something decidedly different about Spencer Fane. Ultimately, being a part of their platform will enable us to expand and continue to attract first-rate attorneys, better serve current and future clients, and strengthen our commitment to the Nashville community.”

As both firms have realized significant growth in recent years, Spencer Fane and Bone McAllester Norton have a shared vision for expanding the reach of their practices to align with the simultaneous growth of their clients.

“As law firms contemplate combining businesses, it’s important to consider two critical factors –  whether the combination will drive more value to our clients and whether there is a strong cultural fit between the firms,” Spencer Fane Chair Patrick J. Whalen said. “In this case, the answer to both of those questions is an emphatic yes.”

“While our firms certainly share strengths in terms of legal practice, the excitement about our combination stems from a mutual realization that our firms are aligned culturally around a similar set of core values,” Whalen added. “Spencer Fane is also excited to join Bone McAllester given its exceptional reputation in the rapidly growing Nashville market, as well as its leadership and success building a law firm comprised of a team of incredibly talented and diverse attorneys with unique perspectives and experience.”

Recognized as a firm that takes immense pride in its commitment to community, Bone McAllester Norton and its lawyers lead numerous charitable organizations and causes throughout Nashville. For instance, the firm has hosted an annual MLK Fellowship Breakfast for 20 years, which brings hundreds of civic leaders together to kick off Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Nearly all of the firm’s lawyers serve in a leadership capacity for non-profit organizations throughout the community.

Members of the firm have also taken on several high-profile criminal justice cases, including being credited with the successful release of Cyntoia Brown Long. In addition, Bone McAllester is one of the region’s most diverse law firms, with a deep and longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts – an area both firms are dedicated to bolstering.

“When Bone McAllester Norton started 20 years ago, we saw an extraordinary opportunity in Nashville. By combining with Spencer Fane, I believe that opportunity is exponentially better, with more opportunity than ever before – for both firms and the clients we serve,” Bone said.