Alton Business Lawyers

Samantha D. Pennington has extensive work experience including handling a plethora of challenging estate planning and family law matters. Her education began with her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from the Chicago John Marshall Law School in 2009. She continued her legal education at John Marshall and, in 2010, earned a Legum Magistra (LL.M) in Tax Law, with an emphasis in estate planning. Prior to law school, Samantha spent three years working as a paralegal in employment discrimination and products liability. While in law school, Samantha earned several awards and recognitions including; being hand selected as an LL.M student to serve...

Hello, my name is Joe Piatchek. I was born in Springfield, Missouri, where I attended elementary, middle school, and high school. In fact, I have lived here in Springfield my entire life, except for seven years spent in Columbia, Missouri: four years undergraduate and three more in law school at the University of Missouri – Columbia.

After graduating from Mizzou with my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I returned to Springfield to work at Lakeland Regional Hospital, where I worked with adolescents who were suffering from various forms of mental illness, abuse, and neglect. I also worked at The Burrell Center in...

I have represented hundred of parties, both plaintiffs and defendants, in lawsuits in state and federal courts. My favorite cases are class actions under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) targeting senders of annoying and illegal junk faxes, robocalls, and text messages. I have litigated more than 175 class action lawsuits and been appointed as Class Counsel multiple times. Class actions are great way to level the playing field between consumers and large corporations. Among my many other practice areas are contracts, collections, landlord tenant law, and foreign judgment registration. I am frequently hired by tenants who...

A Kansas City native, attorney John Kennyhertz previously served General Counsel for a Kansas City-based private equity firm, and now focuses his practice on business transactions and corporate law matters.

As an M&A lawyer, John has a unique set of skills and experience having represented parties on all sides of a transaction. In his former capacity as General Counsel, Mr. Kennyhertz was responsible for the oversight and management of the private equity firm’s non-real estate legal matters, as well as the risk management and compliance for each entity comprising the firm’s portfolio. Prior to this role, Mr....

My name is Summer Masterson-Goethals and I am a family law and divorce attorney in Springfield, Missouri. My firm serves all of Southwest Missouri and is committed to providing excellent legal service at an affordable price. I take a great interest in my clients and often provide assistance beyond your legal issues. This level of specialized attention from a family lawyer in Springfield, Missouri is unique.

No matter your family law issue, we are here to help. With over 20 years of legal experience, we have the background and work ethic to help you in any situation. I take pride in...

I helped form PEAK for the same reason I became an attorney, I like solving problems and I’m not afraid to take risks or think outside the proverbial “box.” I am very fortunate to be surrounded by other lawyers at PEAK who feel the same. If you are reading this, I hope it means we will be working together.

I graduated from UMKC law school with highest honors and was fortunate to be hired by Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in 2007, where I was promoted to Partner seven years later. As an attorney at Shook, I spent most...

Chip, a trial attorney, has settled, tried and consulted on numerous lawsuits throughout the country involving construction defect, personal injury, wage and hour, class action, insurance litigation, government relations, and government contracts. He obtained the 2nd highest Personal Injury Settlement in the State of Missouri for $15,500,000. He routinely represents clients in multi-million dollar cases throughout the country.

Joe Vanover is an experienced problem solver. He has worked inside and outside of government as an attorney for more than 20 years. Mr. Vanover has tackled complex and difficult challenges and achieved positive results. For the more than a decade, Mr. Vanover worked in the Platte County, Mo. courthouse. Other than the judges, there is hardly an attorney who has been in court more often than Mr. Vanover. Mr. Vanover is thorough and professional. He treats all parties fairly and respectfully.

Wyatt Wright handles trucking and auto accident cases and other consumer related matters. Mr. Wright is licensed to practice law in eleven states (Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming) plus the District of Columbia. Mr. Wright has been named as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers Association and is a life member of both the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Mr. Wright also serves as a leader in providing legal services to pro bono programs, such as the American Bar Association’s Military...

Specialties: Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Workers Compensation, General Negligence, Business and Commercial Litigation, Fraud, Breach of Contract, Construction Law, Mechanic's Liens; Real Estate, Commercial Lease matters, Commercial Lease negotiation and enforcement, Stock Broker Negligence and Fraud /FINRA Arbitration Franchise and Trademark enforcement, Employee Non-compete and Trade Secret disputes, General Business Counsel.

Mr. Smith is a trial attorney and zealous civil litigator practicing primarily in the areas of employment and disability discrimination, whistleblower litigation, governmental liability, catastrophic personal injury and property damage, wrongful death, tractor-trailer crash litigation, insurance defense, and business and commercial litigation. He aggressively defends the rights of clients in high-stakes litigation and decisively leverages cutting-edge trial technology in the courtroom to maximize understanding and persuasion while minimizing complexity. Mr. Smith is equally adept as a litigator outside of the courtroom. He is a prolific writer and has had notable success with summary judgment motions, complex motion...

Michael Sudekum is a personal injury, workers compensation and business litigation attorney in St. Louis, Missouri. He represents victims of personal and economic injury in Missouri and Illinois. Together with his firm, Mandel & Mandel, LLP, Mike's efforts are directed at collecting just compensation for individuals, families and businesses. The vast majority of these cases are handled on a contingency fee basis.

Mike is a graduate of the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law and Saint Louis University. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, a member of the American...

I grew up in Southwest Missouri and went to college at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. From there, I went to the University of Missouri in Columbia for law school. I then returned home to southwest Missouri in 1999 to establish my legal career and haven't left since.

Throughout my career, I have worked in a wide variety of cases for a wide variety of clients. I have over 20 years of experience advising clients all over the Missouri Ozarks. My experiences have ultimately given me a genuinely unique perspective on how to best guide my clients when developing...

St. Louis-based intellectual property attorney serving clients nationwide. I help clients protect and grow their brands, identify and enforce their intellectual property rights, and develop their trademark portfolios. My clients range from entrepreneurs and startups to large corporations, and everything in between. A company’s trademarks and copyrights are often among its most valuable assets. Given the business and competitive importance of intellectual property, effective portfolio development and management are critical to maximizing and protecting the value of a company's brands. I provide counsel on a wide variety of issues related to intellectual property, technology, and privacy law, offering practical business services...

Born & raised in rural Missouri, Attorney Trenton Garza brings an unrelenting work ethic into the practice of law. Guided by down-home values sharpened by professional experience, he serves clients' unique needs and simplifies complicated law into easy explanation. Brought by family to the Texas Panhandle, Trenton attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas. At Baylor, he earned a reputation as an advocate, effecting anti-discrimination policy change and leading a statewide organization. He later represented a local community in school district decision-making, consulted community development groups, and was made a candidate for public office. Trenton trained under a historic Texas Trial Lawyer and...

Jason is a 2001 graduate of Washburn University School of Law. He focuses his practice areas on business and estate planning, as well as probate, trusts, real estate and fiduciary litigation. Jason appreciates the importance of developing good relationships with his clients through open communication to ensure his clients are well-informed.

Believing strongly in giving back to the communities in which he lives and works, Jason’s ongoing involvement – often in leadership roles – in numerous service and professional organizations not only allows him to give back to the community but provides him with practical, hands-on knowledge in how organizations operate....

Jalesia F. McQueen Gadberry (Jasha) is owner and attorney of the St. Louis-based law firm, McQueen Gadberry LLC. Her practice areas focus on general corporate law, immigration and international law. Jasha advises small to mid-sized companies, "start-up" entities, entrepreneurs, foreign entrepreneurs, entertainers, immigrants, nonimmigrants and employers of immigrants and nonimmigrants. Owning McQueen Gadberry LLC allows Jasha to bring high-quality service to clients while establishing unique relationships where she is able to provide full commitment and offer flexible arrangements. You are invited to contact Jasha. jalesia@mcqueengadberry.com or by phone 314-238-1368

Jon works closely with local, regional and national businesses on their comprehensive legal and risk management needs. He also represents his clients as an aggressive advocate after claims have been made. Jon has extensive experience representing both small and mid-size businesses, doctors, hospitals, dentists, oral surgeons, architects and engineers. Jon litigates a broad range of state and federal cases including medical and dental malpractice, wrongful death, design defect, fraud and misrepresentation. Prior to disputes, he works closely with his clients to manage risk. He has defended a broad spectrum of clients which includes prominent individuals, Fortune 500 companies, regional...

Mr. Henderson focuses his practice in the areas of personal injury, family law, criminal defense, and driving while intoxicated cases. He practices regularly in courts in St. Louis and the surrounding counties and also handles appeals.

My practice focuses on general business law, health care law, taxation, estate planning and real estate. I have experience in representing financial institutions in legal and compliance matters. I also advise clients on legal, tax and compliance issues on transactional matters such as mergers and acquisitions, licensing, restructurings, change of ownership issues and compliance with the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA and HITECH. In the area of real estate, I assist clients with the acquisition, sale, and leasing of residential and commercial real estate.

All aspects of business representation, inclusive of business formation, intra-company agreements (including shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, etc), agreements with employees and independent contractors, vendor agreements, third party agreements, leases, purchases and sales of business assets and business termination.

All aspects of estate planning, including wills, trusts, family limited partnerships and powers of attorney.

All aspects of entertainment law, inclusive of television, music and other media forms involving artist representation, production, licensing and merchandising.

All aspects of spirit production, branding, distribution and marketing.

Representation of injured parties in all types of personal injury and work related actions.

All aspects of business litigation.