See individual biographies for licensure details
Practice: White Collar Defense and Investigations
Justin Adams assists companies and individuals in corporate, health care, and employment transactions and disputes, often serving an integral role as outside general counsel to help his clients avoid potential legal exposure and successfully resolve litigation efficiently and effectively when necessary. Justin also represents individuals in criminal and civil investigations.
Alexander Baker represents clients in complex commercial litigation and white-collar criminal and regulatory matters, quickly and decisively addressing potential risks and penalties to create the most favorable solutions amid high-stakes disputes in and out of the courtroom.
Brent Baker advises global companies, board committees, executives, and registered entities in complex criminal and civil investigations and litigation related to public and private securities regulation and compliance, employing previous experience as senior special counsel for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to form robust defense strategies and curate a track record of success. He vigorously represents clients navigating all stages of securities disputes, from responding to regulatory and criminal subpoenas to preparing clients for investigative testimony to defending SEC Wells Notices of projected charges.
Brian Bear focuses his practice as a litigator and trial attorney on representing both private and public entities in complex litigation, public finance, and intellectual property. Leaning on years of robust experience, Brian aggressively advocates for his clients to help them achieve their legal and business goals.
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.
Melinda Bowen loves collaborating with clients to address complex issues at the most difficult times of life, including in both criminal and civil matters.
Andrew Brought counsels manufacturers, industrial clients, and businesses with complex environmental (EPA) and workplace safety (OSHA) challenges. A dependable and responsive advocate, he offers pragmatic and business-focused solutions to help his clients achieve their goals.
Catherine Weiss Butto represents corporations and individuals in a broad array of civil matters. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and employment counseling and disputes.
Christine Chasse is a dual licensed registered nurse and attorney. She maintains a practice at the intersection of cybersecurity and health care, advising clients on emerging legal risks while providing pragmatic, business-forward guidance. She supports a range of clients – from health systems to technology providers – with confidence and composure as she navigates complex regulatory frameworks, responds to high-stakes incidents, and structures effective litigation strategies. Christine’s clients benefit from her nuanced understanding of both the legal landscape and the day-to-day realities of working within a health care organization as a frontline registered nurse for more than a decade prior to law school.
Nathan Crane is a distinguished criminal defense attorney who represents individuals and companies accused of criminal activity across the U.S. With a proven track record, Nathan has successfully defended clients in both state and federal courts, handling a wide range of offenses.
Alexis Denny helps clients navigate complex litigation and mitigate regulatory and administrative risks, achieving outcomes aligned with their unique business goals and objectives. Her practice focuses on the health care sector, where she brings a fresh perspective and stability-oriented approach to current matters challenging health care entities large and small.
Michael Devorkin focuses his practice on complex business litigation and white-collar criminal defense, representing clients in high-stakes civil, criminal, and regulatory matters across industries as he builds a strong track record of beneficial legal resolutions. He brings decades of trial and appellate experience to his work, including a notable list of recoveries and precedent-setting outcomes.
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.
John Dorman leans on more than three decades of extensive municipal law experience to provide clients with creative solutions to resolve complex issues in a favorable manner.
Jacob Esparza assists clients through all phases of complex litigation involving the insurance, construction, energy, and transportation industries, utilizing traditional, and alternative dispute resolution methods to achieve legal outcomes that reduce liability while also aligning with business objectives and goals.
Chase Fann is an experienced, diverse litigator and a practical problem solver. His practice focuses on the representation of individuals and businesses in a wide range of civil and criminal litigation matters, including commercial contract disputes between businesses, customers, lenders, and tenants; partnership and intra-corporate investigations and separations; post-acquisition contractual disputes; employment claims; trade secret and non-competition advising and litigation; entertainment matters; and state and white-collar criminal defense. Chase has represented clients ranging from professional and amateur athletes, musicians, business executives, public officials, and publicly traded companies to entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits. He leverages his breadth of experience to develop tailored solutions for complex, high-profile, and day-to-day matters with precision and confidence.
Jonathan Farmer obtains the best possible results for clients through zealous advocacy and creative, thoughtful solutions, allowing them to navigate potentially damaging situations through risk mitigation, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. He concentrates his practice in the areas of criminal defense and government investigations, personal injury, wrongful death, and civil litigation.
Maureen Foster is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution group, representing clients in commercial, employment, and real estate litigation matters. She strives to proactively meet her client’s needs throughout the entire litigation process, using a wide range of dispute resolution methods to achieve optimal outcomes.
Colin Goodman defends clients in the health care industry against medical malpractice lawsuits and actions involving peer review. He provides thoughtful and focused advocacy and has successfully defended clients at each stage of the litigation process. Additionally, he advises and represents health care entities and providers regarding compliance with Federal and state law, licensing issues, billing, contract negotiations, and business disputes. He also assists in navigating the unique intricacies of False Claims Act litigation.
Leslie Greathouse helps businesses accused of violating laws maneuver the labyrinth of complex litigation by representing them in state and federal courts and in arbitration and mediation proceedings. Whether she is advising clients on risk avoidance, counseling them on an insurance matter, addressing their business needs within current legal and regulatory constructs, or using her skills as a trained mediator, Leslie is at her best when she is helping a client resolve a problem or challenge facing their business.
Stacy Harper counsels organizations in the health care space on regulatory compliance, health care reimbursement, and data privacy and cybersecurity issues. Stacy’s unique background as a certified professional coder and compliance officer provides her with first-hand knowledge of the legal and practical requirements faced by health care organizations.
Donald G. Heeman represents clients in business litigation and professional licensing matters, obtaining verdicts and judgments through both trial and motion practice in state, federal, and appellate courts. Don routinely represents defendants in nationwide class actions involving various state and federal claims, including antitrust claims and claims brought under ERISA.
Sam Jackson provides proactive legal counsel to business management leaders in human resources counseling, employment litigation, and traditional labor law, identifying risks, and equipping clients with the tools necessary to minimize the time and resources spent on costly litigation. He practices in the areas of labor and employment and education law, focusing on a variety of legal issues including employment of licensed and classified employees, employee contracts, employee and student discipline, employee and student rights, special education and disability accommodation, First Amendment issues, sexual harassment and civil rights matters, desegregation, tort liability, school finance and taxation, and school construction.
Paul Jacobson guides clients through their environmental and workplace safety challenges involving EPA, OSHA, state environmental and workplace safety agencies, and private parties.
Brittainy Joyner provides strong and detailed advocacy for her clients, managing complex litigation matters with a focus on commercial and business disputes, employment litigation, data privacy, and financial services. She has extensive experience representing clients in both federal and state courts, navigating all phases of litigation, including advocating and defending in depositions, mediations, arbitrations, and settlement negotiations.
Aurora Kammerer provides legal services to clients ranging from large health systems and hospitals to specialty providers and solo physician practices. Her approach to collaborative client service centers on understanding the challenges providers face related to ongoing changes in health care access, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, health information technology, and government fraud investigations. She also regularly facilitates advisement for clients on any type of legal matter a health care operation faces, including litigation and real estate, environmental, and financial matters.
Sarah Kanoy Hobbs represents individuals and businesses in complex commercial litigation and high-stakes white collar defense, employing thoughtful strategies and fierce advocacy to achieve favorable outcomes at all stages of a dispute.
Kirstin Kanski maintains a comprehensive banking and financial services practice in which she provides strategic legal advice to financial institutions on a variety of bank regulatory matters, including enterprise risk management, corporate governance, charters and activities, data privacy, consumer compliance, payment systems, digital assets, third-party risk, regulatory applications, mergers and acquisitions, exams, enforcement actions, and remediation. She has significant experience in the design and implementation of enterprise compliance, risk, data privacy, ethics, and investigation programs.
Paul Kruse assists individuals, small businesses and large companies with their trademarks and associated legal issues, helping to protect the value of their brands and the goodwill symbolized thereby in a proactive manner. In today’s competitive environment where the quality and price playing fields are increasingly level, trademarks are often the only way consumers differentiate one company from another. Consequently, trademarks play a critical role in driving new and repeat business. He helps clients of all kinds protect their trademarks with high-quality, creative, and comprehensive services, including trademark clearance, registration, and policing — all at a predictable cost.
Bryant Lamer is a trial attorney for financial services and banking class actions, consumer class actions, business disputes, consumer fraud litigation, consumer fraud receiverships, and government and corporate investigations, including embezzlement and company asset recovery. Bryant also counsels clients regarding local, state, and federal regulatory compliance in a variety of industries including, but not limited to, shipping and logistics, manufacturing, mining, automobile leasing and sales, and cannabis.
Arnold Lee helps individuals and entities navigate complex matters through litigation and alternative dispute resolution, providing sound representation in state and federal courts and thoughtful guidance in mediation and arbitration. He skillfully employs comprehensive, client-centered strategies backed by decades of diverse experience and a full-service approach to casework, from intake to resolution.
Andy Lester has a civil litigation and appellate practice in both state and federal court. His fields of emphasis include complex business, civil rights, commercial, constitutional, and state and local government law.
Drawing from more than 35 years of experience as a commercial trial attorney, Rich Love helps businesses, financial institutions, and professionals favorably resolve complex disputes. Rich’s experience as a commercial trial attorney, and formerly as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the white collar criminal division, has given him unparalleled experience in effective business risk mitigation. If a case must be tried to a jury or arbitration panel, Rich knows what to do from the start. Indeed, whether advocating before juries, judges, or arbitration panels, Rich develops practical strategies focused on achieving successful resolution.
Jessica Lujan represents clients in corporate governance disputes, commercial landlord-tenant disputes, employment discrimination defense, breach of contract actions, breach of fiduciary duty matters, and other business torts. With a passion for resolving complex legal issues and a devotion to personalized service, she works to find the most efficient and cost-effective route to victory in any legal dispute with open and responsive communication at every turn.
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.
Pat McInerney is a partner in the Spencer Fane White Collar and Government Investigations practice. He brings over two decades of experience as a trial lawyer, having first-chaired many high profile and complex cases in federal and state courts.
Pete Mirakian focuses his practice on corporate governance, securities, mergers and acquisitions, and tax law.
Dan Nelson leans on his vast experience in business law, prosecution, and case management to provide clients with creative and efficient counsel focusing on complex, high-stakes litigation matters. Dan helps provide his clients with pathways to successful resolutions through preventive measures and the full spectrum of dispute resolution methods.
Karen D. Olson is an experienced regulatory, compliance, and litigation attorney that uses her significant government and private practice experience to represent her clients. She served as deputy attorney general for the State of Minnesota for more than a decade, where she represented the attorney general, governor, legislature, and state agencies and boards on complex and high-profile legal matters.
Caleb Phillips draws on over 10 years of litigation and counseling experience to help businesses and individuals navigate complex legal issues and disputes. His practice focuses on securities litigation and compliance, employment law, and white-collar defense. Above all, Caleb prioritizes providing communicative and comprehensive client service so his clients can focus on their goals and business objectives.
Sandy is a member of the firm’s e-discovery and Data Management Practice. She focuses her practice in e-discovery, assisting with complex and often voluminous reviews concentrating on efficiency and accuracy. She has experience with higher level review, including privilege review and logging, identifying, and executing redactions for confidential client information, general privacy protections, and HIPAA protected health data, as well as production preparation. She works closely with litigation teams in identifying documents to prepare for depositions, motions, trials, and appeals.
Emily Reed represents clients in complex litigation and high-stakes white collar investigations and defense, quickly identifying legal strategies that avoid serious penalties and minimize ongoing risk. As a full-service litigator, she has experience managing all aspects of a case, including pre-dispute investigations and resolutions, litigation in state and federal courts, and post-trial motions and appeals.
Peter Riggs is an experienced litigator and regulatory attorney that advises clients across the financial services industry in litigation, government and internal investigations, and bankruptcy and creditors’ rights matters.
Yana Rusovski’s practice focuses on the legal needs of clients in the real estate, finance, and government sectors, with particular emphasis on regulatory compliance, preventative counseling, and defending against enforcement actions. She regularly helps clients identify and manage fair housing and fair lending risks and specializes in developing carefully tailored strategies to resolve disputes in ways that safeguard business goals, reputations, and relationships.
Blake’s practice focuses on securities, corporate governance, restrictive covenants, and intellectual property. In those areas, he represents founders and executives, early-stage or established companies, registered investment advisors, private funds, trustees, and lenders.
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.
Eric Steinle is a partner on the firm’s Corporate and Business Transactions team. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financing, securities offerings, and corporate governance.
Bailee Curtis Upchurch represents clients in financial services and complex business and commercial litigation. Her practice includes defending lenders and financial institutions against claims arising under federal and state consumer protection statutes, including the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Truth in Lending Act, and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. She also represents clients in connection with contract disputes and business torts, such as interference with business and contractual relations.
Richard Van Wagoner’s practice focuses on criminal defense – primarily white collar, First Amendment and civil liberties law, and commercial litigation.
Stephen Wadsworth represents clients in diverse commercial litigation matters. He has extensive experience in securities litigation and arbitration, shareholder derivative litigation, and class actions, and has served as a fierce advocate for individuals, business entities, and public institutions in complex cases across the country.
Rob Warzel is a labor and employment attorney who helps employers navigate high-stakes workplace issues with clarity, practicality, and composure. He partners with medium and large employers to solve problems before they disrupt operations and to defend organizations when disputes arise.
Amanda Wilwert counsels a broad range of health care providers through complex and evolving state and federal regulatory landscapes by providing sound advice on health care business transactions, state license and certification requirements, Medicaid and Medicare participation, and reimbursement rules. She regularly appears before federal and state regulatory agencies, including state licensing boards, state survey agencies, the Departmental Appeals Board, and the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals.
Hailey Winn helps clients develop strategies which minimize risk and maximize value while meeting their specific needs and objectives. Whether through litigation or alternative dispute resolution, she works collaboratively with colleagues to assess optimal legal pathways and proactively respond in clients’ best interests. She understands that each client’s priorities are different and helps them to craft solutions that best align with their needs.
Charles Yarbrough brings the advocacy skills and trial experience his clients need to ensure their rights are adequately represented. From negotiations to the courtroom, Charles represents individuals and companies in a variety of matters including criminal investigations and civil suits.
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.