MoveMakers & NewsMakers May 9, 2019

May 9, 2019 - See who is making news and moving where in the weekly Missouri Bar update "MoveMakers & NewsMakers."

Kansas City Area

Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP is very pleased to announce that their associates, Rochelle Falk and Alice Haseltine, were recognized on May 3 as members of the inaugural graduating class of the American College of Trust & Estate Counsel ("ACTEC") Heart of America Fellows Institute. This inaugural institute, created by fellows of ACTEC, was held over the last six months in three cities and included over 45 hours of CLE taught by trusts and estates experts from all over the country.

Cordell & Cordell recently hired associate Igers Vangjeli in its Independence office.

Vangjeli earned his J.D. and his LL.M. in U.S. legal studies from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Prior to joining Cordell & Cordell, he practiced family law. He is a member of The Missouri Bar, the Kansas Bar Association, and the Johnson County Bar Association.

Vangjeli chose to pursue a career in family law because it gives him a chance to help families through a difficult time. "I’m drawn to family law because of the opportunity to make a difference for people that is in the best interest of their family," he said.

Cordell & Cordell, an international domestic litigation firm that focuses on representing men in family law cases, has more than 250 attorneys working in more than 100 offices across the United States and United Kingdom.

St. Louis Area

Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC, a Kansas City-based law firm, has added Laura K. Beasley to the its Belleville, Illinois office.

Beasley, who joined the firm as a member, practices in the areas of civil litigation defense, general liability, class action/mass torts, insurance coverage, personal injury, and product liability. She brings to the firm clients in the medical device and other manufacturing sectors.

"We have looked at lateral candidates for the firm's Belleville office since our merger with St. Louis-based Williams Venker & Sanders last year," said James Scott Kreamer, managing partner of the firm. "Laura really stood out to us, and we are thrilled to have her join our growing team of talented trial lawyers."

Beasley is a board member of both the St. Clair County Bar Association and the State and Local Defense Organizations (SLDO) section of the Defense Research Institute. She is also second vice president of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, a hearing officer for the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, and a member of the Illinois Supreme Court's Committee on Character and Fitness for the Fifth Judicial District. Beasley is a past president of both the St. Clair County Bar Association and East St. Louis Bar Association, serving as the first woman president of the latter.

In addition to her strong commitment to the legal community, Beasley is active in her community, serving as a board member for both Knorer House and the Belleville Cultural Enrichment Organization, treasurer of The Heritage Society, and co-chair of the St. Clair County Bar Association's 5K Law Day Run.

"I am excited to join Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice," said Beasley. "Originally drawn to the firm for its similar practice, larger footprint, and lawyer reputations, I am looking forward to helping grow the firm's Illinois presence, specifically, in Madison and St. Clair Counties, as well as taking advantage of the firm's support and development opportunities."

Beasley earned her J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law at Carbondale, and her B.S. in environmental geography and geology from Austin Peay University in Tennessee.

Prior to law school, Beasley was a licensed environmental specialist in Tennessee, working on several environmentally sensitive sites such as Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) and Superfund sites throughout the state. After law school, she served several years as an Assistant St. Clair County State's Attorney where she developed extensive trial skills.Beasley was a named partner in the Illinois firm Joley, Oliver & Beasley, PC for nearly ten years before joining Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice. She is licensed to practice in Illinois and Missouri.

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