MoveMakers & NewsMakers for Nov. 20, 2019

St. Louis | Kansas City | Other States

St. Louis Area

The Young Friends of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri have elected five new members to their board of directors. Joining the board are Mackenzie Allan, Luke Jackson, Thomas Mihalczo, Dr. Kara Moskowitz and Vannah Shaw.

Michael Cherba (Danna McKitrick, PC), president of the board says, “We are excited to welcome these new members to our board. The enthusiasm and professionalism they bring will help increase our support of Legal Services’ mission to provide access to justice and free legal representation to the marginalized and under-served in our community.”

Allan joins the board as the Washington University board representative on a two-year term. She is currently a J.D. candidate at Washington University School of Law and holds a B.A. in political science from California Polytechnic State University. She has completed internships with Danna McKitrick, PC in St. Louis and with the Superior Court of California in San Luis Obispo.

Jackson is an associate in litigation practice at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. He is a 2018 graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law and also holds a B.S. in criminal justice administration from Columbia College. He has served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves since 2012. During his time in law school, he also worked with the civil litigation clinic and served as a faculty fellow researcher.

Mihalczo is a lawyer with Bollwerk & Tatlow, LLC. He is a 2017 graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law and holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He previously served with the Federal Public Defenders Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, and as a research fellow for Prof. John Ammann at Saint Louis University. He currently also serves as board secretary for MindsEye Radio, which serves people with vision loss.

Dr. Kara Moskowitz is an assistant professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Department of History. She is 2014 Ph.D. graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and also holds a M.A. in history from Emory University and a B.A. in history from Grinnell College in Iowa. She has authored four publications on the subject of African decolonization and is a volunteer tutor at the International Institute of St. Louis.

Vannah Shaw is a legal clerk with St. Louis County Pretrial Release. She is a 2013 graduate of Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and also holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri in Columbia. She is currently also a volunteer lawyer with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and served 2014-2017 as an assistant circuit attorney with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office.

Kansas City Area

Kansas firm Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC is pleased to announce the opening of its first Missouri office in downtown Kansas City at 926 Cherry Street. With this expansion across the state line, the firm also adds lawyers Christopher McHugh and Andrew (Drew) Goodwin. 

McHugh, who practiced in the firm's offices from 2000 to 2009, is warmly welcomed back. He represents companies of all sizes in high-stakes litigation across Kansas and Missouri, with emphasis in the construction and transportation industries. Most recently, McHugh was a partner at Seigfreid Bingham PC, where he served as team leader for the firm’s civil and criminal departments—overseeing all jury trials, bench trials and administrative appeals.

Joining McHugh in the firm’s Kansas City office is Goodwin, a seasoned litigator who represents individuals and businesses in the transportation, financial, utility and manufacturing industries. Goodwin also provides general business counsel to small business clients, particularly in the areas of risk management and insurance coverage.

“Our vision for the firm is a footprint from Wichita to Kansas City with strong civil, criminal and family law practice groups in each location,” said Chris Joseph, managing member of the firm. “Since opening our Overland Park office in 2016, we have been waiting for the right opportunity to move into Kansas City, Missouri. Chris and Drew are the perfect fit. They are sharp advisors and tenacious advocates for clients in a variety of industries.”

Current Joseph, Hollander & Craft attorneys Christine Rosengreen (family law) and Casey Meek (criminal defense) will join McHugh and Goodwin in the Kansas City office.

As the firm grows, its legal services expand, too.

“With Chris and Drew in our downtown Kansas City office, we are perfectly poised to extend our services to the medical marijuana industry,” Joseph continued. “They both serve industry clients applying for medical marijuana licenses in Missouri and represent some of the state’s biggest names in medical marijuana.”

“The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is expected to issue more than 300 Missouri licenses for cultivation, manufacturing, and dispensaries,” McHugh added. “We are actively involved with businesses going through the licensing process right now and are fully prepared for future issues that may arise, whether they involve administrative panels or courtroom litigation.”   

“The state of Kansas has considered legalizing medical marijuana for a number of years, and that conversation continues in Topeka today,” Joseph said. “If medical marijuana is legalized in Kansas, we will be able to leverage our experience in Missouri to support businesses going through the Kansas licensing process.” 

Other States

Joshua N. Corman has joined the firm of Shea Moskovitz & McGhee in Memphis, Tennessee. He brings a wealth of criminal trial experience including legal expertise in cases involving violent crimes, traffic and drug offenses, DUIs, domestic violence, burglary and more. Corman’s experience as a prosecutor has given him a rare understanding of how the system works, how cases are handled by the government, and the unique intricacies of the criminal justice system.

Corman earned his B.A. in Government from Georgetown University and went on to obtain his J.D. from the University of Missouri. During law school, he served as an editor of the Missouri Environmental Law & Policy Review.

Corman is a former assistant attorney general for the State of Missouri. During his tenure there, he handled felony criminal appeals and argued cases before each district of the Courts of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Missouri. He also served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Missouri.

Before Corman began his career as a criminal defense attorney, he was an assistant district attorney for the Shelby County District Attorney's Office. He spent several years working in the Special Prosecution Unit and the Special Victims Unit (SVU).

In his new role, he will be serving clients who have been charged with a crime, working to ensure they understand their legal rights and helping them navigate the complexities of the criminal justice system.

Corman is licensed to practice law in both Tennessee and Missouri. In addition, he is a member of the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys.