Spencer Fane LLP is pleased to welcome Jack Coatar to its St. Louis office as counsel in its Governmental Affairs and Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice groups.
“We are delighted to welcome Jack to our team,” said Frank Neuner, St. Louis managing partner. “He has an outstanding reputation in the St. Louis legal and business communities. Our clients will certainly benefit from Jack’s skills, and we’re thrilled to have him on board.”
In addition to practicing at Spencer Fane, Coatar serves as 7th Ward Aldermen in the City of St. Louis. He was elected in April 2015 and is currently the youngest member of the Board of Aldermen. He represents Downtown, Soulard, Lafayette Square, McKinley Heights, LaSalle Park and Fox Park neighborhoods as part of this role. Coatar serves on a number of key aldermanic committees, including the Public Safety Committee and the Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee.
Prior to Spencer Fane, Coatar gained valuable litigation and trial experience as a prosecutor in the Circuit Attorney’s Office in the City of St. Louis. Coatar is also a political campaign veteran, having worked on numerous state and local campaigns throughout Missouri. Most recently, Coatar was the Voter Protection Coordinator for U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill’s 2012 re-election campaign. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of the St. Louis City Democratic Central Committee. Coatar began his political campaign career as a staff member on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and then as a member of Mayor Francis G. Slay’s 2009 re-election campaign.
Outside of his professional and civic commitments, Coatar dedicates much of his time to enhancing his community. He is an active member of his neighborhood association, the Soulard Restoration Group, and previously served as an officer of the Soulard Special Business District.
Coatar earned his law degree from St. Louis University School of Law in 2012. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from St. Louis University in 2008.