Congratulations to the following McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan lawyers who have been selected to the 2019 Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars® Lists in their primary practice area. The announcement will appear in the 2019 Super Lawyers® Magazine for Missouri & Kansas, published November 13, 2019.

Super Lawyers® List:
Thomas R. Buchanan – Business Litigation
Susan Saper Galamba – Family Law
Michael J. Gorman – Business Litigation
Robert D. Maher – Creditor Debtor Rights
Jonathan A. Margolies – Bankruptcy Business
Tiffany A. McFarland – Family Law
Kristie Remster Orme – Business Litigation,
Colby L. Rieke – Family Law
R. Pete Smith – Business Litigation
Greg T. Spies – Business Litigation
Louis J. Wade – Civil Litigation Defense

Rising Stars® List:
Patrick C. Guinness – Construction Litigation

McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan lawyers are versatile and tenacious advocates. They focus on efficiently solving business and financial issues through skillful negotiation and litigation, and getting the best results for their clients.

McDowell Rice has long been known for its expertise in commercial transactions, litigation and dispute resolution, construction and architectural/engineer law, bankruptcy and financial restructuring, banking and financial services, high-net-worth dissolutions of marriage, and complex matters related to family law.

Known in the legal community for their independent and entrepreneurial spirit, the firm’s attorneys have a long-standing reputation as one of the select go-to firms for businesses in difficult times. McDowell Rice attorneys practice nationwide and regularly appear in state and federal jurisdictions throughout the country.

In the first of four articles to be appearing in the Johnson County Bar Association’s monthly publication, The Bar Letter, Rebecca Martin and Mike Martin discuss the importance of well-being and share wellness advice to better balance a law practice. Click on the link to the first article appearing in the 2019 October publication of The Bar Letter: http://digital.breesepub.com/publication/?i=624193.

Should you require assistance with tax matters, whether in tax law, taxpayer representation, business planning and transactions, estate planning and probate, or otherwise, please contact one of the Chairs of the Firm’s Tax Law Group:

Ronald S. Bronstein

Rebecca Martin

In the second of four articles to appear in the Johnson County Bar Association’s monthly publication, The Bar Letter Rebecca Martin and Mike Martin discuss the importance of Cultivating Resilience to better balance a law practice. Click on link to the second article appearing in the 2019 November publication of The Bar Letter: http://digital.breesepub.com/publication/?i=634231&p=&pn=#%22{%22issue_id%22:634231,%22page%22:0}%22

Ms. Martin Co-Chairs the Tax Law practice group, and is a member of the Family Law & Divorce, and Wills, Trusts, & Estate Planning practice groups.

In the third of four articles appearing in the January 2020 Johnson County Bar Association’s monthly publication, The Bar Letter, Rebecca Martin and Mike Martin discuss the importance of well-being and share wellness advice to better balance a law practice. Click on the following link to access the article, “Mindful Communication and Civility”: http://digital.breesepub.com/publication/?i=642847&ver=html5&p=17#{%22page%22:16,%22issue_id%22:642847,%22publication_id%22:%2253730%22}

McDowell Rice congratulates Rebecca Martin on her nomination to become a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.  Selection as a Fellow is recognition of a lawyer whose career has demonstrated outstanding dedication to the highest principles of the legal profession and to the welfare of society.  Membership is limited to one percent of the lawyers admitted to practice in the United States and its territories and to a limited number of lawyers in international jurisdictions.

Congratulations to Hugh L. Marshall for obtaining the termination of an irrevocable testamentary trust, allowing him to procure nearly nine hundred thousand dollars for a client who was otherwise locked into receiving a mere fraction of that amount over his lifetime. The obstacles were considerable. There was a judgment over six decades old that interpreted the trust very unfavorably to the client, and literally scores of contingent beneficiaries opposed to the client’s attack on that judgment as void. After three years of litigation, negotiation and persuasion, Mr. Marshall was able to obtain a new judgment – this time terminating the trust entirely to give his client a large lump sum free and clear.

McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan congratulates Greg Spies on being selected as a fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America for top construction lawyers.  The Construction Lawyers Society of America is an invitation-only, selective and limited membership international association of the world’s best construction lawyers. The composition of the CLSA is aggressively diverse, with recognition of deserving, experienced and highly qualified lawyers across all practices relating to the construction industry.  Membership is limited to 1,200 practicing Fellows from the United States and internationally. The CLSA’s selection process is a combination of Fellow input, internal research, nominations by Fellows, attorney opinions, evaluation of client selection of counsel, limited input from active and retired judges, and reviews of acknowledgement and recognition by other peer reviewing sources and associations.

McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan congratulates Mike Griffin, Jonathan Margolies, and Pete Smith for once again being named to the 2019 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the following practice areas:

 -Michael E. Griffin:  Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)

 -Jonathan A. Margolies:  Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy

 -R. Pete Smith:  Litigation – Bankruptcy

Rebecca Martin, former Executive Director of KALAP, the Kansas Lawyers Assistance Program, will participate as a panelist at the Johnson Country Bar Association’s CLE seminar, entitled “Attorney Wellness” on May 1, 2019.  Ms. Martin is also the Co-Chair of McDowell Rice’s Tax Law Practice Group.   Please click on the link below for registration information for the “Attorney Wellness” CLE seminar.

 Registration form - Wellness CLE May 1.pdf

At its 2018 Annual Meeting, McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan, PC, announced the re-election of Kristie Remster Orme as President, and the re-election of R. Pete Smith as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Also re-elected were Thomas R. Buchanan and Greg T. Spies, and Charles W. Smiley was newly elected to serve on the Board of Directors.

It was also announced at the firm’s annual meeting that Donald G. Scott will continue to serve as the firm’s General Counsel in 2018 with Mr. Buchanan and Ms. Orme each serving as Associate General Counsel.  Mr. Smiley will continue to serve as the firm’s Secretary, and Ronald S. Bronstein will continue to serve as the firm’s Vice President/Treasurer/Assistant Secretary.

Additionally, McDowell Rice is pleased to announce that Michael J. Kelly and David A. Jack were elected as Shareholders at the 2018 Annual Meeting.

McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan proudly congratulates its Chairman, the “Legendary Pete Smith”, for being recognized as a Kansas City Legend in Ingram’s 45th Anniversary January 2019 edition of the magazine. 

Click on “Kansas City Legends” link below to read full article.

https://ingrams.com/article/cliff-illig-co-founder-of-cerner-to-retire/kansas-city-legends/

McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan is pleased to announce that Tiffany McFarland has been named the 2019 President of the Family & The Law Section of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.  Ms. McFarland will also serve as a Member of the Board of Directors during 2019.