See individual biographies for licensure details
Practice: Hospitality
Heidi Bassett is a powerful litigator and unwavering advocate for clients at all stages of complex business and real estate disputes. She has provided representation in more than 200 appeals within an impressive track record of successful courtroom outcomes, also serving as a dedicated advisor to clients in day-to-day operations and long-term strategizing.
Hannah Becker is a nationally recognized attorney for alcohol beverage regulatory and transactional matters. She guides clients through all legal and commercial aspects of the food and beverage industry, combining creative and strategic instincts with an energetic, detail-oriented approach to licensure and permitting, labeling, advertising, trade practices, product classification, importation and distribution agreements, Tied-House and cross-tier issues, and alcohol franchise laws. She is also recognized for her strong grasp of how emerging technologies and new regulated product categories impact alcohol sales and related compliance matters.
With nearly 20 years of experience in representing creditors from coast to coast, Mark Bogdanowicz helps his clients navigate the costs and uncertainty of doing business with companies and individuals faced with financial distress.
A seasoned corporate attorney with deep experience, Barry Cassell represents private equity funds, public and private corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and individual clients in a wide range of transactional and governance matters, providing strategic counsel that benefits operations and takes advantage of growth and sale opportunities. His practice spans mergers and acquisitions, debt financings, formation of joint ventures and business entities, executive employment and severance arrangements, securities law compliance, and general corporate and commercial matters.
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.
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.
Sherry Dreisewerd combines creativity with sound legal judgment to close complex financial transactions, representing lenders, banks, borrowers, buyers, and sellers in connection with originating and selling real estate loans and commercial and industrial loans. Her commercial finance experience encompasses a wide variety of notable and impactful transactions, including secured, unsecured, syndicated, maritime, acquisition, and equipment financing transactions.
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.
Valerie Haber guides businesses operating within or adjacent to the alcohol beverage industry through development, licensing, and promotional activities, as well as alcohol delivery, storage, fulfillment, and related services.
Larry Haut is a seasoned transactional attorney known for his practical, creative approach to advising clients in all facets of their business, from initial set-up through operations and ultimate exits. He is equally proficient from both sides of the table, having long represented buyers and sellers, institutions, and entrepreneurs in a myriad of capital market opportunities. From years of experience comes his practical approach, bringing a solutions-oriented mindset and a “can-do” attitude in every engagement. He advises clients across a wide range of industries within corporate, real estate, and hospitality landscapes.
Jason Kathman represents clients in bankruptcy proceedings and litigation, helping them win favorable outcomes so they can concentrate on running their businesses. He works with clients in a wide variety of industries, with a focus in hospitality, manufacturing, restaurant, and oil and gas industries.
Elizabeth Man-Wai Li is a corporate and transactional attorney who advises clients across the business lifecycle, with a focus on venture-backed and growth-stage companies, mergers and acquisitions, and general business matters. She counsels companies and investors on financings, investments, and other strategic transactions.
Jim Lodoen helps businesses and entrepreneurs prepare for and resolve financial challenges whether arising from changing market conditions, excess leverage, operational issues, or unanticipated events. His 35 years of experience dealing with all aspects of financial distress informs his counsel to clients as they consider alternatives to preserve and maximize value, return to profitability, and to restructure the business enterprise. Jim also helps secured lenders, subordinated lenders, private equity firms, and portfolio companies with the structuring and restructuring of indebtedness and the monetizing of assets.
Alexis is a transactional and regulatory attorney who advises industry members across the alcohol beverage, cannabis, and food industries.
Creighton McMurray focuses his practice on public utility regulation and administrative law.
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.
Andy Peskoe focuses his practice on the representation of private and public emerging growth companies and venture capital and private equity funds in domestic and international transactions, providing comprehensive guidance on efficient and beneficial deal structuring. He advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, technology transfer and licensing matters, and complex financing transactions, including leveraged buyouts and growth equity investments.
Eric Peterson works in the commercial bankruptcy and receivership fields, including litigation related to commercial financial distress. He represents investors, financial institutions, business owners, debtor’s, creditor committees, receivers, bankruptcy trustees and other fiduciaries, and large and small companies in maximizing the value of business assets, achieving operational turnarounds, and going concern sales, among other things. He lead the effort to create the Missouri Commercial Receivership Act and is a founder and president of the national Commercial Receivers Association. Eric has also served as co-chair of the Missouri Bankruptcy Debtor and Creditor Rights Committee of the Missouri Bar and chair of the Subcommittee on Commercial Receivership. He is a co-author of the Manual and Practitioners Guidebook for the Missouri Commercial Receivership Act, which is published by the Missouri Bar.
Megan Rockwell guides clients through opportunities to start, grow, and sell their businesses with a specific focus on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising transactions, and general corporate matters. She represents founders, issuers, and investors across a range of industries, including hospitality, technology, financial services, and consumer products, providing practical and strategic counsel throughout all stages of a company’s life cycle.
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.
Robin Silverman’s practice focuses on a broad range of intellectual property counseling with a particular emphasis on the media, entertainment, merchandising, hospitality, and digital sectors. She provides strategic advice and legal representation in matters involving intellectual property disputes, theft of ideas, licensing, and unfair competition, and manages international trademark portfolios for a variety of clients.
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.
Jason Smith represents individuals and corporate clients in a wide variety of commercial, contract, business, tort, and civil litigation matters in state and federal courts, including matters before the Nevada Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He takes pride in establishing trust and rapport through a detailed approach to outlining and understanding clients’ needs and expectations, resulting in secure, long-lasting relationships.
Robyn Nordin Stowell brings nationally recognized and extensive experience in the private club, golf, and resort industries.
Lauren Voke advises individual and corporate clients on compliance, licensing, and large-scale transactions in highly regulated markets with a focus on the alcohol beverage system, where she brings a foundational understanding of all three tiers, tied-house issues, trade practice compliance, and alcohol licensing. Her tailored strategies have yielded a track record of optimal, effective solutions for a wide range of clients, from small startups to global organizations. She regularly aids corporations with national recognition, strengthening their brands through compliant marketing and expansion, but also enjoys the production, labeling, and marketing of new and innovative alcohol beverage products for new organizations.
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.