Spencer Fane attorney Julia Vander Weele was recently named to Missouri Lawyers Media (MLM)’s 2024 Top Managing Partners list for her role as firm Office Managing Partner (OMP) for Kansas City. She was also spotlighted in a Women Led Law Firms special feature.
MLM’s Top Managing Partners recognizes some of the state’s top legal leaders, including those like Julia who “run key offices within sprawling legal operations.” This is her second consecutive year on the list.
Julia was then profiled as part of the publication’s 2024 Missouri Women Led Law Firms piece. MLM highlighted her OMP duties and her previous roles on the Spencer Fane Executive and Women ADVOCATE connect group committees.
“One of the central pillars within the firm is humble confidence, which is something I not only intentionally embody, but I also feel is pivotal to increasing successful outcomes within my office, especially among women,” Julia shared. “Know that your achievements and progress are so deserving of confidence, but simultaneously recognize the numerous diverse perspectives and changing approaches which create and unlock value. Be willing to listen and evolve accordingly. Without a humble approach to confidence, your creativity, ingenuity, and, in turn, success can be stifled.”
At Spencer Fane, Julia not only serves as Kansas City OMP but also maintains a full-time legal practice that helps employers and other benefit plan sponsors attract and retain talent to help their businesses thrive. This work includes managing issues related to the tax code, successfully navigating labor laws pertaining to competitive tax-favored benefit packages that shield leadership from personal liability, and advising clients on employee benefit regulations such as health care reform and ERISA.
Read Julia’s 2024 Top Managing Partners profile here and her Women Led Law Firms profile here.