Wappapello Business Lawyers

Samantha D. Pennington has extensive work experience including handling a plethora of challenging estate planning and family law matters. Her education began with her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from the Chicago John Marshall Law School in 2009. She continued her legal education at John Marshall and, in 2010, earned a Legum Magistra (LL.M) in Tax Law, with an emphasis in estate planning. Prior to law school, Samantha spent three years working as a paralegal in employment discrimination and products liability. While in law school, Samantha earned several awards and recognitions including; being hand selected as an LL.M student to serve...

Paul Blake Ozbun maintains a general law practice, primarily focusing on estate planning, transactional drafting, real estate law, and business litigation. Paul is licensed in Missouri State Court and Missouri Federal Court for the Eastern District.

Paul received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 2015. Paul went on to obtain his law degree from St. Louis University in 2018, where he served as a student attorney in the civil advocacy clinic as well as the entrepreneurship and community development clinic. For his hard work and excellence in the SLU Legal Clinics, Paul was...

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from the Academy of Math and Science High School in 1990. I then served a term of enlistment in the United States Air Force as an Electronic Warfare Technician. Upon returning to the St. Louis Metropolitan area I completed my undergraduate studies and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Political Science, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Missouri St. Louis in 1998. I then attended St. Louis University School of Law, and graduated in 2001. During Law School, I was a member of the National Moot Court Team for St. Louis...

Mr. Norrick was raised in Eureka, Missouri,graduated from Eureka High School in 1975,attended Columbia College, Columbia, Missouri where he majored in history and government, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979. Mr. Norrick then attended and graduated from the University of Missouri - Columbia School of Law in 1982, the same year he was admitted to the Missouri Bar Association. While a law student Mr. Norrick was a member of the editorial staff of the Missouri Law Review in 1980-82. Mr. Norrick was a member of the Order of the Coif, which is restricted to...

Mary K. Walker practices primarily in the fields of agricultural law and civil litigation, including real estate and probate law. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law and is licensed in the state courts of Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee, in four United States District Courts and in the federal Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. She is also a returned Peace Corps volunteer, y habla español.

Wendell L. Hoskins II practices primarily in the fields of agricultural law and civil litigation, crop insurance claims law and criminal defense for crop insurance fraud. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law. He is licensed in the state courts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee, in eight federal district courts and in the federal Courts of Appeals for the Sixth and Eighth Circuits. His reported cases include Pelzer v. ARMtech (E.D. Ark. 2013); Fullerton v Fullerton (Mo. App. S.D. 2012); Hensley v. Shelter Mutual Insurance Company (Mo. App. S.D. 2007); and Morrison v....

David Mangan grew up in Festus, Missouri and attended Festus R-6 High School, during which he participated in the Missouri Scholar's Academy, Missouri Boys' State, and the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine. He graduated from Festus in 2000 with a college preparatory degree. David then attended St. Louis University, where he majored in political science with a minor in theology and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2004. While at St. Louis University, David was active in the pep band, played intramural sports, and worked at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. David...

Hello, my name is Joe Piatchek. I was born in Springfield, Missouri, where I attended elementary, middle school, and high school. In fact, I have lived here in Springfield my entire life, except for seven years spent in Columbia, Missouri: four years undergraduate and three more in law school at the University of Missouri – Columbia.

After graduating from Mizzou with my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I returned to Springfield to work at Lakeland Regional Hospital, where I worked with adolescents who were suffering from various forms of mental illness, abuse, and neglect. I also worked at The Burrell Center in...

My name is Summer Masterson-Goethals and I am a family law and divorce attorney in Springfield, Missouri. My firm serves all of Southwest Missouri and is committed to providing excellent legal service at an affordable price. I take a great interest in my clients and often provide assistance beyond your legal issues. This level of specialized attention from a family lawyer in Springfield, Missouri is unique.

No matter your family law issue, we are here to help. With over 20 years of legal experience, we have the background and work ethic to help you in any situation. I take pride in...

A Kansas City native, attorney John Kennyhertz previously served General Counsel for a Kansas City-based private equity firm, and now focuses his practice on business transactions and corporate law matters.

As an M&A lawyer, John has a unique set of skills and experience having represented parties on all sides of a transaction. In his former capacity as General Counsel, Mr. Kennyhertz was responsible for the oversight and management of the private equity firm’s non-real estate legal matters, as well as the risk management and compliance for each entity comprising the firm’s portfolio. Prior to this role, Mr....

Chip, a trial attorney, has settled, tried and consulted on numerous lawsuits throughout the country involving construction defect, personal injury, wage and hour, class action, insurance litigation, government relations, and government contracts. He obtained the 2nd highest Personal Injury Settlement in the State of Missouri for $15,500,000. He routinely represents clients in multi-million dollar cases throughout the country.

Wyatt Wright handles trucking and auto accident cases and other consumer related matters. Mr. Wright is licensed to practice law in eleven states (Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming) plus the District of Columbia. Mr. Wright has been named as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers Association and is a life member of both the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Mr. Wright also serves as a leader in providing legal services to pro bono programs, such as the American Bar Association’s Military...

St. Louis-based intellectual property attorney serving clients nationwide. I help clients protect and grow their brands, identify and enforce their intellectual property rights, and develop their trademark portfolios. My clients range from entrepreneurs and startups to large corporations, and everything in between. A company’s trademarks and copyrights are often among its most valuable assets. Given the business and competitive importance of intellectual property, effective portfolio development and management are critical to maximizing and protecting the value of a company's brands. I provide counsel on a wide variety of issues related to intellectual property, technology, and privacy law, offering practical business services...

I have represented hundred of parties, both plaintiffs and defendants, in lawsuits in state and federal courts. My favorite cases are class actions under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) targeting senders of annoying and illegal junk faxes, robocalls, and text messages. I have litigated more than 175 class action lawsuits and been appointed as Class Counsel multiple times. Class actions are great way to level the playing field between consumers and large corporations. Among my many other practice areas are contracts, collections, landlord tenant law, and foreign judgment registration. I am frequently hired by tenants who...

I helped form PEAK for the same reason I became an attorney, I like solving problems and I’m not afraid to take risks or think outside the proverbial “box.” I am very fortunate to be surrounded by other lawyers at PEAK who feel the same. If you are reading this, I hope it means we will be working together.

I graduated from UMKC law school with highest honors and was fortunate to be hired by Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in 2007, where I was promoted to Partner seven years later. As an attorney at Shook, I spent most...

Mr. Smith is a trial attorney and zealous civil litigator practicing primarily in the areas of employment and disability discrimination, whistleblower litigation, governmental liability, catastrophic personal injury and property damage, wrongful death, tractor-trailer crash litigation, insurance defense, and business and commercial litigation. He aggressively defends the rights of clients in high-stakes litigation and decisively leverages cutting-edge trial technology in the courtroom to maximize understanding and persuasion while minimizing complexity. Mr. Smith is equally adept as a litigator outside of the courtroom. He is a prolific writer and has had notable success with summary judgment motions, complex motion...

Rachna introduces herself as a lawyer, but still a nice person. She is dedicated to helping people access the tools the legal system has to offer in settling disputes and overcoming challenges. Rachna proudly offers her professional guidance and assistance to those needing a lawyer who is compassionate, flexible, and experienced.

Rachna has seen first hand how the legal system can help in difficult life situations. She has also seen how a lack of competent legal help can lead to undesirable results that no one deserves to face. Her background includes work with survivors of sexual violence, particularly in family court....

Joe Vanover is an experienced problem solver. He has worked inside and outside of government as an attorney for more than 20 years. Mr. Vanover has tackled complex and difficult challenges and achieved positive results. For the more than a decade, Mr. Vanover worked in the Platte County, Mo. courthouse. Other than the judges, there is hardly an attorney who has been in court more often than Mr. Vanover. Mr. Vanover is thorough and professional. He treats all parties fairly and respectfully.

David Marcus has spent nearly three decades representing entrepreneurs and business owners in complex cases involving everything from the breach of an asset purchase agreement, to the infringement of a patent and copyright, to an allegedly defective product, to the improper management of a brokerage account. After getting his start at a large law firm, Mr. Marcus went on to become a partner at a boutique litigation firm before founding his own firm about a decade into his practice. Mr. Marcus has tried numerous cases to jury verdict in state and federal courts, and also handled arbitrations administered...

Jason is a 2001 graduate of Washburn University School of Law. He focuses his practice areas on business and estate planning, as well as probate, trusts, real estate and fiduciary litigation. Jason appreciates the importance of developing good relationships with his clients through open communication to ensure his clients are well-informed.

Believing strongly in giving back to the communities in which he lives and works, Jason’s ongoing involvement – often in leadership roles – in numerous service and professional organizations not only allows him to give back to the community but provides him with practical, hands-on knowledge in how organizations operate....

Member of a national trial team that defended one of our nation's largest financial institutions in a $253 million dollar class action. Received national publicity while representing the wife of the Mayor of Kansas City, Gloria Squitiro, in the famous "Mammy-gate" lawsuit. First chaired approximately 75 jury trials in federal and state courts (has only lost one jury trial where he was the first chair in over 20 years); Admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Courts of Appeals for the 7th, 8th and 10th Circuits; U.S. District Court of Kansas;...

Michael Sudekum is a personal injury, workers compensation and business litigation attorney in St. Louis, Missouri. He represents victims of personal and economic injury in Missouri and Illinois. Together with his firm, Mandel & Mandel, LLP, Mike's efforts are directed at collecting just compensation for individuals, families and businesses. The vast majority of these cases are handled on a contingency fee basis.

Mike is a graduate of the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law and Saint Louis University. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, a member of the American...

Although not born in Saint Louis, I’ve lived here for forty years, and consider myself a Saint Louisan. I’m a graduate of Washington University–Olin School of Business, and Saint Louis University – School of Law. And in case you, too, are a Saint Louisan, I graduated from Parkway Central Senior High School.

Unlike most of my contemporaries, I did not go directly to law school upon graduating from college. I spent five years as an Engineer Planner at McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing), managing multimillion-dollar engineering development programs for the United States military and its allies. Complying with...