Professionals

Vincent Aiello helps business owners solve legal problems to secure revenue flow and reduce business risks. As a lawyer and business owner he has firsthand experience handling complex commercial litigation and transactional matters for his clients. His client base spans a broad spectrum of businesses including household-name consumer brands, banks, construction companies, and family ventures. As legal counsel he advises personal family foundations on managing and protecting their wealth. While each of his clients may take on a unique shape or size, they all face complex legal and business challenges, which is precisely where Vincent has focused his commercial legal practice.

Carlos Alferez collaborates with REITs, lenders, and investment firms on a variety of commercial real estate, commercial lending, and other corporate and business matters, creating tailored strategies that evolve with clients’ objectives.

Joe Bednar, a registered lobbyist, applies the experience he gained as a member of management in the public and private sectors to assist clients in governmental relations matters. His communication skills and experience in developing government strategies were developed by providing advice to corporate executives and key government officials early in his career. This background provides a unique perspective when analyzing the impact of federal, state and local laws, and regulations on businesses.

Johnny Beech has more than 30 years of experience as a litigator focusing on contracts, financial services matters, and trust issues.

Michelle Berger combines her legal and engineering experience to provide clients with effective solutions to help keep complex construction and development projects on schedule and on budget.

John Bloomer handles complex real estate, lending and commercial transactions for clients of all sizes. He has extensive experience in negotiating, structuring, financing, and closing real estate deals. In addition, John has a strong background defending clients real estate-related litigation matters.

David Brown is a highly skilled commercial real estate transactional attorney, specializing in complex transactions such as commercial leasing, purchase and sale agreements, construction contracts, communication site agreements, and loan agreements. He adeptly identifies potential risks and negotiates intricate document processes to achieve the most favorable outcomes for his clients. David represents a diverse portfolio of clients, including industry leaders in software, technology, biotech, medical, professional services, and retail sectors.

M. Edward (Ed) Burdzinski’s legal career spans more than three decades and includes 12 years as general counsel of a community bank, providing him with practical industry experience that informs his approach to client service.

Jonathan R. Burns helps both individuals and businesses with structuring transactions and arranging their personal financial affairs to minimize, defer, or eliminate taxes. He concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, probate, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, and taxation.

Timothy P. Burr represents buyers, sellers, developers, investors, lenders, and business owners in a wide variety of real estate, financing, and commercial transactions, developing strategic plans based on a meticulous evaluation of risks and advantages. Well versed in alternative dispute resolution, he also represents clients as a mediator, arbitrator, and mediation advocate.

Keith Call is a full-service litigator who helps corporate and individual clients with all of their litigation needs so they can stay focused on their core business and personal interests. His expertise lies in handling complex commercial litigation and the defense of professional liability matters.

Michael Carlston likes helping clients solve or avoid problems and does so in a number of different settings by utilizing his significant litigation experience and is presently somewhat focused  on assisting developers, lenders,  investors, businesses, and governmental entities in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including negotiating and implementing  terms of commercial real estate and other complex transactions, preparing loan documents, and with commercial litigation where necessary.

Jose serves as a full-service litigator representing public, private, and corporate clients in all their litigation and land use permitting needs. Jose specializes in various forms of litigation related to real estate, focusing on land use actions, condemnation issues, and easement disputes. He also assists clients in navigating through land use and zoning permitting procedures established by different municipalities and agencies.

Glen Civitts effectively provides a full and complete understanding of all aspects of transactions to help clients achieve their business goals and objectives through sophisticated asset acquisitions, purchasing, financing, or disposition of virtually any type of commercial real estate. He is a corporate attorney specializing in real estate and commercial finance and has an emphasis on health care properties and facilities.

Focusing his practice in health care, real estate, and corporate law, Chad Cook is a transactional attorney providing knowledgeable and straightforward counsel to clients based on their individual needs and business goals.

Matthew Cox represents financial institutions and other lenders in efforts to protect their collateral and loan rights in federal and state courts, including bankruptcy courts. Matt focuses on defending these lenders and other clients against avoidance, preference, and fraudulent transfer claims made by trustees and receivers. He also assists creditors in obtaining relief from the bankruptcy automatic stay and in prosecuting objections to confirmation.

Quentin Cumings regularly counsels residential and commercial developers, builders, owners, and investors to help them navigate complex transactions that result in efficient and beneficial deals for all key stakeholders. This includes an intentional focus on keeping projects on schedule and within budget. Whether engaged for ongoing strategic counsel or specific opportunities, he has the ability to handle the purchase, sale, development, construction, and exchange of land and properties.

Brad Cytron is a real estate attorney, helping both public and private entities in the acquisition, development, and disposition of office, retail, multi-family, hotel, and industrial properties. He also represents clients in condominium development, land acquisition and assemblage, subdivision development, zoning and land use planning, tax-deferred exchanges, tenancy in common transactions, commercial leasing, and other real estate and business matters.

With over 20 years of experience as a litigator, Shannon Davies focuses on complex litigation. She helps clients successfully resolve disputes that others may deem difficult to quantify, challenging to explain, or too complicated to tackle. She is adept at uncovering every facet of a case, developing a detailed tactical plan, and crafting a story that will achieve results.

Kris Dekker assists banks, financial institutions, and other lenders of varying sizes close their transactions efficiently. He understands that timely execution is critical to a lender’s ability to compete in its marketplace.

Carl Desenberg is a tax attorney who has spent over 25 years advising clients on transactional tax matters.

Brian P. DeVoss represents private developers, institutional investors, including real estate investment trusts (REITs), entrepreneurs, and family offices in the acquisition and disposition of multiple classes of commercial real estate and private operating companies with successful, risk-mitigating strategies cultivated over nearly two decades of experience.

Jamie Dickinson is a full-service litigator who represents public, private, and corporate clients with all of their litigation needs.

Doug Driggs, a leader in real estate and corporate law, assists local, regional, and national clients with transactional and business needs. His practice includes real estate acquisition, disposition, financing, development, and leasing of master planned communities and office, industrial, multifamily, and retail properties as well as entity formation and structuring.

Tom Driggs advises clients in the areas of water transactions and regulation, real estate and corporate transactions, and related government relations issues in Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. His clients include farmers, ranchers, dairies, hotel casinos, power companies, mining and industrial companies, golf course owners, real estate developers, individual homeowners, and a multinational resource-efficient agricultural producer working to grow blueberries in the Nevada desert.

Abena Echternach helps clients successfully resolve transactions matters when reputation and operational continuity are threatened, achieving successful resolutions that minimize legal and financial exposure.

Gene Eckel advocated for clients across the country before mediators, arbitration panels, judges, and juries to find successful resolutions to complex litigation matters, helping them to navigate potentially damaging exposure to both operations and reputation.

Jerry Ehrlich counsels individual and business clients in the areas of corporate and business transactions, federal income taxation, trusts and estates as well as real estate acquisition, sale, and finance. With a diverse background in many transactional law matters, he prides himself in taking a holistic approach to clients’ problems and identifying key business and legal issues.

Preston Enoch represents clients in complex commercial and business litigation, defending and prosecuting lawsuits involving claims for defamation, tortious interference, breach of contract, fraud, deceptive trade practices, negligent misrepresentation, unfair competition, and misappropriation of confidential information and trade secrets in state and federal courts across the country.

Rob Epstein concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, financial services, corporate, and environmental law. He helps clients resolve their business issues, achieve their goals and plan for the future.

Sarah B. Fandrey represents and advises private equity (PE) firms; real estate investment trusts (REITS); multi-family housing operators; and shopping center, office, warehouse, hotel, multi-family, and single-family housing developers; in addition, she represents and advises railway companies, lenders, trusts, families, restaurants, tenants, joint ventures, non-profits, and investors across the country. Her representation spans corporate transactions, acquisitions, dispositions, development, construction, leasing, and financing, where she proactively mitigates risk and efficiently solves issues that arise in the context of business transactions.

Elizabeth Fast is a partner at Spencer Fane in the Banking and Financial Services group. For more than 20 years, she has been counseling banks, holding companies and other financial institutions on legal, regulatory, and compliance matters.

Andy Federhar is a litigator, focusing his practice on complex litigation involving real estate, pharmaceuticals, government, telecommunications, procurement, and insurance bad faith. An active member of Arizona’s legal community, Andy chaired the committee that created the complex litigation rules for state court, served as the chair of the lawyer delegates to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, and served on the committee that established Arizona’s commercial court rules.

Marilyn Fine quickly and skillfully advises clients on a full range of real estate transactions and litigation as well as corporate law matters, commercial litigation, and banking law. Her real estate clientele includes buyers and sellers, lenders, title insurers, escrow agencies, developers, landlords, and tenants.

Justin Garcia provides valuable counsel on all legal aspects of sophisticated real estate transactions and financings, developing and implementing creative solutions that allow projects to remain on schedule and within budget to the benefit of all key stakeholders.

Peg Donahue Hall has spent her legal career working hand in glove with clients to counsel them in assessing risk and efficiently resolving thorny business and legal issues – whether by negotiation, litigation, or other dispute resolution mechanisms.  Peg’s work spans a broad base of industries.  She has represented companies offering products and services in the life sciences, telecommunications and technology, real estate, insurance, automotive, hospitality, and finance and banking sectors.

Wendy Harring’s practice emphasizes real estate and real estate finance. She represents lenders, developers and investors in the purchase, sale, and financing of properties ranging from vacant land to commercial, industrial, and residential projects and regularly assists clients with all other aspects of their real estate work. She has extensive experience with workouts involving non-performing loans and assets, foreclosures, receiverships, mechanics’ lien claims, commercial leasing, construction, and asset management contracts and related matters.

Bill Hayward is a corporate attorney who, for more than four decades, has counseled an array of clients with their business and legal transactions, including real estate, corporate finance, lending, and mergers and acquisitions. He represents clients in a wide variety of industries ranging from startup businesses to well-established corporations.

Pete Heaven is a partner in the firm’s Real Estate group who helps residential and commercial real estate developers understand the legalese of government in land use by drawing upon his experience as City Attorney of the City of Merriam, Kansas for 18 years.

Laura Heinrich represents special districts and other local governments across Colorado.

Ed Herman helps clients purchase and sell improved and unimproved real property, as well as existing businesses. In addition, Ed assists his clients in addressing the day-to-day transactional issues that arise during the operation of their businesses. Ed currently represents numerous child care franchisees who have purchased and constructed new facilities in Texas.

Rick Herold has more than 30 years of experience as a litigator and trial attorney, excelling in efficiently resolving complex commercial disputes across a range of industries including financial services, health care, real estate, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, and securities. He is known for his creative, constructive, and practical approach to problem-solving for banks, shareholders, employers and property owners, often resulting in expedited proceedings to appoint a receiver, enjoin misconduct, address real property or shareholder rights, or recover confidential information or trade secrets removed from the workplace.

Dick Hertel’s helps clients identify and manage the risks and opportunities presented in their real estate transactions. He focuses on commercial real estate transactions and development incentives on behalf of sellers, buyers, landlords, tenants, borrowers, lenders, developers, and governmental bodies.

Al Hiller has practiced commercial real estate law in Texas for over 40 years. Al represents residential lot developers, office / service center and mini-storage operators, multi-family developers, and operators and developers of housing for homeless veterans.

Jacob Hollars is an appellate and trial lawyer specializing in real estate, land use, special district, and commercial matters in Colorado and across the nation.

Tara is a full-service litigation attorney who focuses primarily on banking and financial services litigation, commercial litigation, real estate litigation, and bankruptcy litigation. She represents a variety of clients, including state and nationally chartered banks, non-bank lenders, loan servicers, and debt collectors.

Andrew Hua assists clients on a wide range of transactional matters with a focus on real estate, finance, banking, and business law. In his diverse practice, he develops and maintains timely, multidisciplinary solutions for optimal outcomes that align with clients’ varied interests.

Whether negotiating a venture capital financing or e-commerce agreement or overseeing regulatory compliance for an investment advisor or investment company, James Jacobson works closely with his clients to further their business goals.

Matthew James represents diverse clientele as a business litigator with over two decades of experience, focusing on all stages of construction and real estate matters throughout California with the goal of mitigating risk and maximizing resources for successful resolutions.

Tom Jerry is a business attorney principally focused on real estate issues and the day-to-day legal needs of business entities and their owners.

Jack King helps businesses ranging from small startup entities to large public companies with responsive and collaborative client service on all corporate and business transactional matters, allowing them to establish and maintain successful operations. He concentrates his practice on business and corporate law, health care law, real estate law, and entrepreneurial and emerging business law.

John Klevorn is a transactional attorney, assisting clients in effectively structuring and executing a wide range of corporate and business transactions, and providing responsive, day-to-day legal services that lead to successful operations.

During his 30-plus years practicing law, Ken Kramer has helped many clients develop and implement strategies to lower their real estate taxes. Property tax minimization is just one of the many ways Ken provides strategic and effective strategies to support clients’ business goals.

As a highly-experienced Denver real estate attorney, James L. Kurtz-Phelan offers clients solutions that contribute to their growth and success. His thorough knowledge of real estate and his 40-plus years of experience guides his clients through the most complex real estate transactions.

Derek Larsen-Chaney helps clients to close real estate deals in an efficient manner while prioritizing the avoidance of any unnecessary or potentially costly delays during and after the transaction. His strong background in real estate is beneficial to his work on property transactions, which he can analyze from a business and legal perspective while understanding the concerns and challenges for stakeholders involved.

Justin Leck provides counsel on transactional matters to a wide variety of clients, including privately-held companies, municipalities, and non-profits. He focuses his practice on corporate law and real estate, including transfers and leases of real property, mergers and acquisitions, and providing general advice and services to privately held companies.

Drawing on his four decades of legal experience, Charlie Leder represents commercial, multifamily, and residential developers in their efforts to develop, entitle, structure, and finance real estate projects. His experience includes working closely with companies and individuals in the acquisition and disposition of real property, the creation of common interest communities, financing of multifamily projects, leasing of commercial properties, and resolving complicated title problems.

Jessica Lee is a member of the Real Estate group in the firm’s Plano office. She assists clients on a diverse range of transactional matters, with a focus on real estate, finance, and business law.

Steve Ling provides collaborative legal counsel to developers, builders, corporations, small businesses, lenders, and investors, helping those clients to efficiently close sophisticated real estate and commercial transactions beneficial to all stakeholders involved in the deal. He regularly drafts and negotiates purchase agreements, leases, and general business contracts, while utilizing his business background to provide strong advocacy for his clients’ interests. Steve also helps builders and developers obtain zoning and land use approvals.

Jim Loranger helps businesses with mergers and acquisitions, financing of development projects using tax credit incentive programs, corporate governance, planning, and other business transactions.

Larry R. Martinez is a litigator, defending and counseling businesses in a wide range of matters including employment, real estate, property tax, insurance, construction defects, environmental and toxic torts, and general business issues related to the operation of complex facilities and organizations.

Macy Matthews is a member of the firm’s Corporate and Business Transactions group in the Plano office. She assists clients in all aspects of their business needs, and has experience advising clients on a diverse range of transactional matters, including forming and structuring business entities, asset purchase agreements, corporate governance, and commercial real estate transactions.

Lisa Mayers is a local government attorney who handles municipal, special district, and real estate related matters. She provides general counsel to public entities, including advising on municipal bond financings.

Sam J. “Mac” McAllester III represents banks, financial institutions, and other lenders in the negotiation and structure of credit facilities secured by all forms of collateral and prepares all necessary loan documentation to facilitate smooth and efficient transactions. For more than four decades, Mac has represented his clients in the enforcement and collection of loans and realization against all types of collateral, including through workouts, restructures, bankruptcies, repossessions, and foreclosures. Mac says his goal is to fully protect the interest of his clients in the event of default and to completely recover his clients’ money.

Karen McCay’s practice focuses on the legal needs of the multi-family housing industry, with a particular emphasis on operational issues, regulatory compliance, and fair housing.

Kirby focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on consumer finance, real estate, and corporate disputes. He has experience representing financial institutions and corporate clients in all phases of litigation and dispute resolution, including consumer class action defense, intellectual property disputes, derivative shareholder actions, dissolutions, and contractual disputes.

Gil McNeish has focused the majority of his 37-year law practice in the areas of land use, zoning, and environmental matters, serving clients from both the public and private sectors.

Brandon R. Meredith helps individuals and companies across a spectrum of industries create comprehensive estate plans, navigate complex litigation, and find creative solutions to contract disputes. He concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, landlord / tenant, and estate planning and administration.

Dick Mersman focuses on maximizing the value of his clients’ real estate assets through development, acquisition, financing (conventional, tax exempt, and public incentives), leasing, and ultimately disposition.

Marissa Milazzo is a transactional attorney, focusing primarily on real estate transactions and corporate matters. Marissa represents individuals, companies, developers, and homebuilders through all aspects of their commercial real estate transactions.

Jaime Millán provides domestic and international businesses of all sizes responsive day-to-day legal advice on all aspects of corporate law, allowing clients to maintain successful operations and realize growth and expansion opportunities.

H. Michael Miller helps his institutional lender clients provide financing for real estate development. He has had a hand in the development of many commercial, retail, and multi-family projects in the Denver area, as well as other cities throughout the country.

Amy maintains a strong commercial real estate practice representing developers, investors, lenders, and borrowers in all types of real estate transactions, including the acquisition, development, sale, exchange, financing, and leasing of office, retail, multifamily, hotel, and industrial properties. She regularly counsels clients on issues related to zoning, finance, land development, appurtenant rights, and the subdivision of property.

William Morfey counsels business leaders through a broad range of commercial litigation, trial, and arbitration matters. These matters include contract disputes, business torts, construction litigation, and securities arbitration.  He constantly strives to obtain practical solutions to his clients’ legal issues while remaining a tenacious advocate, and he has handled a number of complex business litigation cases involving issues ranging from partnership disputes and recovery of fraudulently transferred assets, to piercing the corporate veil and real estate fraud.

A distinguished member of Nevada’s legal community and second-generation lawyer in the state, John Mowbray concentrates his practice on commercial litigation as well as real estate and ethics and professional responsibility.

Mike Nichols is a member of the Real Estate group. His practice focuses on real estate development and leasing, mergers and acquisitions, general business, and commercial financing.

Rodney Nichols is a partner in the firm’s Banking and Financial Services group and assists lenders with structuring, documenting, and enforcing complex commercial and real estate loans of all types. With more than 25 years of experience, Rodney is able to help lenders and businesses alike navigate the intricate nature of commercial and real estate financing, including debt restructuring, workouts, and reorganizations both inside and outside of bankruptcy.

Robin L. Nolan’s practice focuses on the representation of individuals and businesses in their commercial real estate and business needs, as well as representing religious organizations to help them in carrying out their missions. She dedicates herself to understanding her clients’ needs and then planning, designing, and implementing strategies to address those needs. Her clients rely on her legal knowledge and analytic skills in all aspects of their commercial real estate and business needs so they can achieve their desired goals, as well as advising clients in the non-profit sector to carry out their religious and charitable missions.

Namrita Notani is dedicated to helping individuals, families, and businesses plan for the future – protecting assets, managing wealth transfers, and guiding clients through complex real estate and business transactions. She brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to her practice thanks to her diverse background as both a former dentist and an immigrant from India. Her journey from healthcare to law reflects her passion for serving her community and helping individuals, families, and businesses navigate complex legal and financial challenges.

Matt O’Connor counsels individuals, companies, developers, builders, property owners, and financial institutions on all aspects of real estate transactions, accounting for all stakeholders in an effort to maximize efficiency and value for clients in the process.

David S. O’Leary specializes in the areas of special district and local government law, residential, and commercial real estate development. Throughout his legal career he has represented special districts, local governments, and taxpayers throughout Colorado to plan and finance successful new developments. David advises real estate developers, property owners, and homeowners in development and infrastructure financing mechanisms including the formation of Title 32 special districts and other municipal financing vehicles.

Suzanne assists clients with all aspects of commercial and real estate transactions, from initial document drafting to litigation when necessary. With a focus on strategic, timely solutions for both routine and sophisticated matters, she applies detailed knowledge at each stage of the process to achieve resolutions that meet specific client objectives.

Businesses face issues that do not exist within the rigid legal silos present in most law firms. Rather, those issues are almost certain to require a collaborative approach across two or more legal disciplines. But the current law firm model and rate structure restrict and make financially infeasible the ability to deliver that approach effectively to business clients. Recognizing this systemic inefficiency, Nate Orr created a model where he serves as fractional general counsel for his clients, managing their legal matters across all the firm’s practice areas.

Stephen Pahl’s practice concentrates in the areas of real property transactions and litigation, employment matters representing exclusively management, commercial litigation, and financial institutions law. A business owner with personal experience managing apartment buildings, banks, restaurants, and hotels, Stephen truly understands and shares the entrepreneurial spirit of his clients.

Mike Patterson helps businesses navigate corporate, compliance, and securities matters. He has extensive experience in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, equity and debt offerings, foreign direct investment, distribution, agency and licensing matters, and market entry strategies. He efficiently resolves legal matters by identifying key issues, focusing resources, and executing on a plan.

John Peckler helps clients navigate complex development projects and real estate transactions. He works with individuals, businesses, and developers on all aspects of land use and real estate law.

Raciel Perez assists regional and national real estate developers, homebuilders, owners, and investors through the intricate aspects of commercial real estate transactions to complete efficient and cost-effective deals that help clients avoid unnecessary delays. This includes a proactive approach to navigating an increasingly complex regulatory environment and the potential transactional issues that come with developing major commercial projects, including master planned communities, multifamily, commercial, office, and retail projects.

Andrea P. Perry combines industry insights with responsive, considerate client service to help lending and financial institutions of all types navigate the complex regulatory landscape to achieve efficient, cost-effective transactions. She concentrates her practice in the areas of real estate, commercial lending, general corporate, and tax-exempt organizations. Andrea currently serves as co-practice group leader for the Banking and Financial Services Group.

Josh Podolsky regularly represents buyers, sellers, investors, developers, property managers, general contractors, and financial institutions in real estate matters and has a strong capability to handle title insurance-related matters throughout Florida. He also advises both lenders and borrowers on various types of financing mechanisms available to efficiently and effectively construct and finalize complex transactions. He regularly acts as local counsel to lenders and borrowers throughout Florida and issues legal opinions pertaining to loan transactions.

Robb Preston is a seasoned real estate attorney that enjoys helping clients by providing creative, economical and practical solutions to complex real estate problems, with an emphasis on transactions that leverage economic development incentives. His collegiality, experience, and versatility allow him to assist clients in closing thorny transactions and developing valuable relationships with both public and private stakeholders.  By developing lasting relationships with clients, Robb is able to deliver specialized value through personalized strategies and candid counsel.

Hunter Quinn provides valuable counsel on all legal aspects of sophisticated real estate transactions and financings, developing and implementing creative solutions that allow projects to remain on schedule and within budget to the benefit of all key stakeholders. His experience includes conducting due diligence, drafting contracts, and managing all aspects of real estate with a focus on aligning strategies with his clients’ business goals and objectives.

Chris Raybeck regularly represents banks and other financial institutions in transactional and regulatory matters and regularly represents real estate developers and other parties involved in commercial real estate transactions.

Neil Rosenstein works with clients on estate planning, estate and trust administration, real estate, drafting of contracts, and tax and business planning.

Jeremy Rucker leads businesses through the evolving and complex landscape of data privacy, security, and incident response. Jeremy regularly counsels clients in all industries on the emerging federal, state, and international data laws and regulations, including the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA); the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (CPRA); the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA); the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA); the Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA); the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA); and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Alexandra’s practice encompasses data privacy, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, real estate, corporate, and business law. She provides strategic legal counsel to corporations, nonprofits, management companies, developers, contractors, and other professionals, helping them navigate complex evolving legal and regulatory landscapes.

Paul Sander is an accomplished attorney who helps private, public, and corporate clients with all of their business transaction needs. He focuses his practice on real estate, finance, and business law, representing real estate developers, financial institutions, governmental entities, restaurateurs, investment groups, and many other businesses in a wide range of industries.

Brett Sayers counsels businesses and individuals on a variety of matters related to corporate and real estate transactions, developing strategic solutions at all stages of the business life cycle. Combining a vigilant and proactive approach to complex transactional matters, he helps clients navigate the acquisition and sale of real property, commercial and residential leasing transactions, real estate financing, and real estate development.

Dick Scarritt practices with the firm’s real estate, business and finance, and environmental groups, and previously served as chair of the firm’s real estate law group.

David Schatz leads the firm’s Construction group and assists contractors, owners, and design professionals with all phases of the construction process. David drafts and negotiates contracts, advises clients on day-to-day business ventures, tries lawsuits, and is involved in arbitrations.

Baerbel Schiller, a partner in the Kansas City and St. Louis offices, practices with the firm’s environmental group. Before joining Spencer Fane, Baerbel worked for the Environmental Protection Agency for 15 years in various management positions. At the EPA, Baerbel negotiated and litigated environmental cases arising under Superfund and RCRA and developed national EPA policies on regulating compliance, hazardous waste cleanups, Superfund and RCRA enforcement, and the reuse of contaminated sites.

Scot is a partner in the firm’s Banking and Financial Services group. He has over 30 years of experience in advising banks, lenders, and borrowers regarding commercial loans as well as navigating complex regulatory issues his bank and lender clients face in today’s economy. Scot helps his clients stay focused on getting the transaction closed so they can move forward to realize their goals.

Mike Seitz is an experienced trial lawyer who helps clients navigate complex civil litigation and appellate matters throughout the country. He has handled cases with claims exceeding several billion dollars in potential liability and has experience in many areas affecting business clients, including ownership disputes, copyright and trade secret litigation, professional malpractice, fraud and unfair competition, racketeering, the False Claims Act, real estate disputes, and employment litigation.

Ben Shantz is a trial attorney and counselor who helps his clients by fighting for their interests both in and out of court so they can focus on growing their businesses. Ben has a reputation for providing practical legal advice that enables clients to make real-time, critical business decisions. He uses his experience in the courtroom to help clients prevent litigation in the first place and best position them when disputes do arise by drafting a wide range of contracts to better protect their interests on the front-end.

Sarahann Shapiro enjoys her practice focusing on all aspects of commercial real estate, including both the transactional and litigation sides. She frequently assists clients in buying, selling, leasing, financing, and developing properties, as well as helping clients with litigation related to commercial real estate, including commercial evictions, breach of lease, construction issues, title issues, and tax appeals. Sarahann tells clients that law is her profession but commercial real estate is her industry.

Melissa Sherman helps businesses in an array of industries resolve their legal issues successfully and efficiently. Her practice focuses on business litigation, eminent domain, and outside general counsel services. During her more than 15 years in law, she has gained extensive trial and appellate experience while effectively arguing her clients’ cases in state and federal courts. Whether presenting a case to a jury or facing opposing counsel at the negotiation table, Melissa is a passionate and powerful advocate for her clients.

Evan Singleton assists clients with negotiating and drafting documents for real estate projects from the ground up, including purchase and sale contracts, easements, title review, restrictive covenants, declarations and maintenance agreements, leases, financing documents, and construction contracts. He has represented purchasers and sellers of real estate, with specific experience in navigating complex environmental matters related to the transaction and subsequent development of property.

Henry Sivils focuses his practice on managing all aspects of transactions for individuals, companies, developers, builders, property owners, and financial institutions. He collaborates with an accomplished team of attorneys that help clients navigate all legal matters to keep projects and deals of all sizes on schedule and within budget. He also provides counsel on development incentives, tax credit financing, and opportunity zones.

Tom Slover strategically counsels all sizes of commercial real estate developers, owners, and other corporate clients in a broad range of transactions.  He has extensive experience managing transactions for owners and developers of medical and healthcare facilities, including senior living facilities, surgery centers, and medical outpatient buildings.

Jason is a trial lawyer who represents clients from individuals to Fortune 500 companies in business matters and litigation throughout the country. Jason has defended class action cases for clients such as retailers, banks, and universities. His litigation practice has encompassed complex contract and tort claims in health care, retail, construction, banking, manufacturing, higher education, and other industries.

Ginger Sotelo assists financial institutions and factoring companies to structure their operations and transactions in a manner that enables them to run efficiently, overcome challenges, and succeed in their endeavors.

Robyn Nordin Stowell brings nationally recognized and extensive experience in the private club, golf, and resort industries.

Jack F. Stringham II helps both financial institutions and borrowers in commercial loan financings, facilitating efficient and structurally sound transactions that benefit his clients’ goals and objectives. He concentrates his practice in commercial loan transactions, real estate, banking regulation, venture capital, private financings, and general business matters for corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships.

Allison Tanner assists clients in connection with acquiring, selling or merging businesses or assets, as well as financial and real estate transactions. She strategizes with clients to organize and coordinate all the details involved in large corporate or real estate transactions, and assists clients in developing solutions to their transactional issues. She advises business owners and assists them through consultation, education, and interaction on all matters related to growing, selling, and buying businesses.

Adam Veltri assists clients with complex matters involving real estate and oil and gas acquisitions, divestitures, financings, development, and operations.

Kelly Vos is a partner in the firm’s Real Estate practice group. She advises clients in a variety of complex real estate matters, including acquisitions and dispositions, commercial leasing, real estate-based lending, foreclosures and workouts, tax-deferred exchanges, and zoning and land use.

Connor Walsh handles all phases of real estate transactions for individuals, companies, developers, builders, property owners, and financial institutions in his private practice, incorporating a collaborative approach to all related legal matters that helps clients keep projects and deals of all sizes on schedule and within budget.

Richard Walters is a partner in the Spencer Fane Real Estate group.

David Waters helps a diverse network of clients in the governmental, business, health care, and hospitality industries successfully handle the full range of legal needs related to successful real estate transactions, ensuring projects stay on time and on budget. His broad experience includes development, transactional, contractual, planning and zoning, legislative and administrative, health care, and licensing projects.

John Leonard Watson leverages his in-depth commercial trial and litigation knowledge to understand clients’ needs and goals and serves as a formidable advocate on their behalf. With his exceptional trial skills, John has successfully represented clients in state and federal courts, helping them plead their cases before juries and judges in dozens of trials to verdict. During his 46 years practicing law, he has also fought for his clients’ interests before numerous federal, state, and local administrative and regulatory agencies and shepherded them through alternative dispute resolution forums including arbitration and mediation.

Jalaine Wheeler is of counsel in the firm’s Real Estate group. She focuses her real estate practice in the areas of commercial and tax credit financed real estate development, including Historic Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, as well as other development finance incentives such as tax-exempt bonds, tax increment financing, and HUD insured loans. Jalaine has represented developers, investors, borrowers, and lenders in structuring and closing complex real estate transactions.

Kate Whitby focuses her practice on environmental law, the environmental aspects of real estate transactions, and complex environmental litigation and dispute resolution.

Matthew Wine is an Of Counsel in the firm’s Real Estate group. Matthew focuses his practice on commercial and residential real estate development as well as tax credit incentive financing related to commercial and affordable housing developments, state and federal regulatory counseling, financial services, and general construction and development matters.

As a member of both the Environmental and Energy Law and the Real Estate groups at Spencer Fane, Shelby assists clients seeking to buy, sell, manage, finance, and redevelop environmentally impaired properties. Shelby regularly helps clients manage, investigate, and remediate CERCLA (Superfund) sites and contaminated properties in state run voluntary cleanup programs. He has also negotiated environmental use controls, restrictive covenants, and other agreements associated with managing long-term environmental liability at contaminated sites.

Brian Zavislak assists clients in handling the intricacies and complexities involved in commercial real estate development.

Nicole Zaworska represents private and public domestic and international companies, as well as individuals, in a broad range of business and transactional matters, including corporate governance and organizational issues, mergers and acquisitions, and taxation. Her experience also includes a strong background in real estate financing, deal structure, and associated litigation.

Based in the firm’s Kansas City office, Dave is a partner with the corporate practice group. Honored with his selection to Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, Dave brings a wealth of knowledge to the firm, including experience in taxation, corporate, estates and trust, non-profit organizations, and real estate.