MICKES O'TOOLE - Key Persons
Alicia N. Caton concentrates her practice in the areas of banking and finance, corporate transactions, real estate, and business law as an associate in the firm's Business and Corporate Group. Alicia has a special focus in working with community financial institutions, with an emphasis on document review and drafting, regulatory compliance, securities, foreclosures, lending transactions and workouts. She is also experienced in assisting businesses throughout the life-cycle of their companies, from corporate formation, governance, asset purchases, and employment disputes to mergers, acquisitions and dissolutions.
Alicia was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. After graduating from St. Joseph's Academy, she graduated magna cum laude from St. Louis University with a degree in business management. Alicia graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law, where she received awards for Academic Excellence in Securities Regulation and Labor Law and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Saint Louis University Public Law Review.
Outside of work Alicia enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, traveling, running, and cooking.
Anne R. Kerns practices in the areas of employment law, education law and general civil litigation, including appellate practice, with her primary focus on labor and employment. A large part of Anne's practice is working with her clients to take a proactive approach to reach practical and cost-effective solutions to workplace situations. At the core of Anne's employment practice is a philosophy that preventative advice and action are the most effective and efficient means to resolving workplace disputes. Responsiveness and innovative solutions are the hallmarks of Anne's practice.
Anne provides strategic guidance and advice to clients in a variety of employment contexts including investigating employee misconduct, coordinating employee discipline and termination decisions, advising clients on Americans with Disabilities Act and Family Medical Leave Act issues and drafting employee policies and handbooks. Anne also has experience working with clients to plan, implement and evaluate affirmative action plans. Anne conducts on-site training for company management, human resources personnel and employees on topics including Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion, the Family Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Anne has extensive litigation experience representing both public and private employers in discrimination claims and other employment-related personnel disputes in both state and federal courts and before administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Missouri Commission on Human Rights. Her representative experience includes issues related to discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, employee leave and wrongful termination claims. With her knowledge of both state and federal employment laws, combined with her vast experience, Anne vigorously advocates for the rights of her clients after defining her client's interests and planning a strategy for a successful outcome.
We is pleased to report that Anne Kerns has been selected by Missouri Lawyers Media as a 2021 Up & Coming ...
Brianna Lockridge-Williams focuses her practice on education and labor and employment law. She provides general counsel to school districts on a wide variety of day-to-day school operation matters - including general school administration, personnel and student issues, and complex contract disputes. Brianna also assists school districts and other employers in defending claims brought under Missouri state law and federal law, including the ADA, EEOC, FLSA, and MCHR.
Prior to joining Mickes O'Toole, Brianna provided general counsel to Missouri school districts on a variety of issues - including personnel and student matters, administrative matters, human resources matters, federal and state law compliance, contract matters, and bidding and construction matters.
Prior to her experience in education law, Brianna practiced as a commercial business litigator working on behalf of both Missouri and Illinois based companies in a variety of industries. Brianna has handled a wide variety of issues in federal and state court, including trade secret, non-compete, labor and employment, and property damage. This varied experience equipped Brianna with skills to adequately analyze issues and counsel clients effectively.
Brianna has always been passionate about education but her interest in education law was sparked when she served as a long-term substitute teacher for Dayton Public Schools - prior to going to law school - teaching 7th and 8th grade English and 5th grade Math and Science. Brianna received her Bachelor's Degree in English with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from The Ohio State University. In 2016, she moved to Saint Louis to attend Saint Louis University School of Law where she served as a faculty fellow for an education law profession, a teaching fellow for first year law students, and a legal, research, and writing teaching assistant for first year law students.
Outside of work, Brianna loves spending time with her husband, family, and friends; attending concerts and sporting events; trying new restaurants and recipes; exploring her interests in fashion and photography; and traveling.
David Morin practices in the areas of education law and labor and employment law. David's practice includes defending clients against charges of discrimination filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Missouri Commission on Human Rights. He has represented clients in state and federal courts in matters alleging violations of Title VII, the Missouri Human Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. David also has experience representing clients in cases involving non-compete and non-solicitation agreements.
David's practice also includes commercial and civil litigation. David has experience in all phases of litigation, including investigation, discovery, drafting and arguing motions, alternative dispute resolution, and preparing cases for trial.
Prior to joining Mickes O'Toole, David practiced at a boutique labor and employment law firm in St. Louis County.
Geri Lynn Arrindell focuses her practice in the area labor & employment law and general business litigation. Geri Lynn has represented state agencies as an Assistant Attorney General where she practiced before the Civil Service Commission and Police Merit Board. In private practice, she has served as litigation counsel to various entities which includes a sheriff's department and non-for-profit organizations. She has represented businesses in arbitrations, administrative proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board and the Illinois Labor Relations Board, as well as represented clients before federal regulatory agencies in response to alleged regulatory violations.
Geri Lynn has advised and counseled employers on a myriad of issues and she has defended employers and municipalities (i.e. schools and law enforcement) against employment discrimination claims based on race, sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, and pregnancy in both state and federal district courts. She has experience with administrative appeals and all phases of litigation in state and federal courts throughout the country. Geri Lynn also successfully guided numerous clients through the alternative dispute resolution process (i.e., mediation and arbitration), achieving excellent results for clients in a cost effective and expedient manner.
Geri Lynn is a graduate, magna cum laude, of Clark Atlanta University ('95) and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ('96), where she earned her bachelor and master degrees in Social Work, respectively. She is a licensed clinical social worker in Illinois and prior to her legal career, Geri Lynn served as Director of Program Services for the Community-Based Division of The Hope Institute for Children and Families in Springfield, Illinois. She developed the agency's community-based group homes for children with developmental delays and oversaw the division's daily operations, annual budget, drafted policies and procedures for client care and risk management, met with and organized parental and community stakeholder sessions and served on the agency's initial management and labor negotiation team. Geri Lynn then embarked upon a career in law, and she graduated with her law degree from the University of Illinois - College of Law ('06).
Heather Igoe practices in the areas of education law, labor and employment law, and litigation. Heather has significant experience defending and evaluating cases on behalf of school districts, local governmental entities, and businesses. She also provides general counsel advice to school districts on a variety of topics including employee misconduct, student discipline, employment discrimination and employee leave and benefits.
Heather has extensive litigation experience representing school districts and private companies in several areas of law including employment, personal injury and premises liability. She focuses her practice on assisting school districts and private employers across these practice areas. She has experience in all phases of litigation, including fact gathering, case analysis, taking and defending depositions, preparing and arguing motions, alternative dispute resolution, trial preparation and trial. Heather also has experience handling matters in appellate court and has been successful in securing rulings in favor of her clients on appeal.
Heather's practice also includes defending her clients against charges of discrimination filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, and the Illinois Department of Human Rights. She has also represented clients in investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights.
Jim Blase advises clients on all aspects of their estate planning, including wealth transfer planning, charitable planning and trust modifications and administration. Jim also represents and assists fiduciaries in the administration of complex estates and trusts. By virtue of Jim's extensive knowledge of the tax code and his more than forty years of practical experience, Jim has established himself as a leader in in the trust and estates field.
He is a frequent author and lecturer on a wide variety of estate planning subjects, and has authored over 70 articles and chapters for various professional publications, along with several books, including Optimum Estate Planning and Estate Planning for IRAs and 401Ks: A Handbook for Individuals, Advisors and Attorneys.
Jim has an A.V. Preeminent Peer Review Rating™ from Martindale-Hubbell® Law, which is the highest rating given for legal ability and ethics, and a perfect 5.0 out of 5.0 Martindale-Hubbell peer review score. Jim is also listed among America's Most Honored Lawyers - Top 1%.
Jasmine Yasar McCormick represents and advises private businesses and public entities in a wide variety of matters, including commercial disputes, civil rights issues, and employment matters (e.g. claims of discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblowing). Jasmine also has extensive experience enforcing and defending restrictive covenants, including non-compete, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure agreements.
Jennifer C. Hansen focuses her practice on education law and labor and employment matters. Jennifer advises clients on day-to-day matters related to the operation of school districts, including human resources issues personnel matters, compliance with state and federal law, unions, negotiations, and employee life-cycle events including hiring, on-boarding, professional development, discipline, and succession planning.
Prior to joining Mickes O'Toole, Jennifer worked as the chief human resources officer for two large school districts in the St. Louis area. Jennifer admires the student-focused servant leadership prevalent among school personnel and strives to provide consistent and thoughtful counsel for the clients she serves.
Prior to her experience in education law, Jennifer was a litigator at a large St. Louis firm and spent six years as a solo practitioner providing legal services to small and medium-sized businesses.
Mara J. Lahnar dedicates her practice to representing banks, credit unions and other financial institutions with a variety of issues affecting their day-to-day business.
Additional Achievements. Natalie has taught advanced school law courses in the graduate program at Maryville University and prior to practicing, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Clifford H. Ahrens in the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District.
Rebecca James practices in the areas of labor and employment and education law, which includes defending employers and school districts for claims brought under the ADA, EEOC, MCHR, FLSA, and the Missouri Sunshine Law. Rebecca proactively counsels businesses and school districts regarding employee concerns, benefits, and union negotiations. Rebecca drafts and assists in negotiations for complex contracts on behalf of employers and school districts.
Rebecca's practice also includes commercial and civil litigation. Rebecca has experience in motion drafting, discovery, legal research, and advocating on behalf of clients at hearings.
Prior to law school, Rebecca worked for many years in human resources and retail banking. During this time, she worked extensively in management, employee benefits, and creating and conducting organizational training.
Rebecca graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law where she earned a concentration in Employment Law. Rebecca received Academic Excellence Awards for both Alternative Dispute Resolution and E-Discovery. Rebecca served as the Editor-in-Chief of the ABA Journal for Labor and Employment Law and was the Vice-President of the Employment Law Association. Rebecca participated in Trial Advocacy and the Human Rights at Home Clinic, where she successfully represented a client who was released after over twenty years in prison.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Attorney With Mickes O'Toole, Wrote a Chapter Included in the 2020 Edition of Illinois Institute .
Steven D. Hall works on a variety of litigation matters, particularly in the area of commercial litigation, title insurance, banking, health care, civil rights, real estate, and construction. Steven has experience representing corporations and their officers, directors, and employees as well as individuals in commercial disputes, malpractice lawsuits, and civil enforcement actions. He also represents individuals and companies in complex litigation and class actions.
Steven has expertise in e-discovery matters and regularly advises clients on technological matters arising in the litigation discovery process, from receipt of a subpoena to the formulation of corporate data retention policies. Additionally, Steven has been previously included in Missouri and Kansas Rising Stars®, and he has been repeatedly included on Missouri Bar Association's "Wall of Fame" for his pro bono work.
Steven has a long history of providing counsel to court-appointed clients and working for pro bono clients and pro bono agencies, including the Volunteer Lawyers Project and the Federal Court Legal Advice Clinic. Prior to law school, Steven worked for various community advocacy agencies on projects concerning criminal justice issues, including efforts associated with The City Mission Society, The American Friends Service Committee, and Massachusetts Citizens Against the Death Penalty. During his graduate studies, Steven worked on issues related to health care at The Pope John Center for the Study of Medical Ethics and then as a mental health counselor.
Steven helps to resolve disputes for school districts confronting civil rights claims, construction disputes, and real estate issues. Steven recently led a successful effort to defend school districts in a class action lawsuit that challenged the schools' enforcement of the state's immunization protocols as well as a successful defense of an inverse condemnation action brought against a school district. Steven also regularly works to assist school districts in dispute that arise during construction projects, including the defending schools against claims brought by contractors and prosecuting claims against those contractors who fail to perform as the contracts require.
Steven Hall, an attorney with Mickes O'Toole, wrote a chapter included in the 2020 Edition of Illinois Institute ...
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Founding Member of the Law Firm
- Founding Partner of Mickes O'Toole, Key in Normandie Golf Club Revitalization Efforts
Thomas J. O'Toole, Jr. is a founding member of the law firm of Mickes O'Toole, LLC. He chairs the firm's Business and Corporate Group, while his practice focuses on real estate, specializing in zoning/land use, condemnation and real estate transactions. He received both his undergraduate degree (1979) and law degree (1985) from St. Louis University. Tom is a respected leader in the St. Louis legal and business community. For nearly 30 years, he has built a solid reputation for his deep understanding of client business, innovative thinking and thoughtful counsel. Tom has been rated as an AV Preeminent attorney based on the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™.
A native of St. Louis, O'Toole was elected the 63rd President of the United States Golf Association (USGA) on February 8, 2014 and has been involved with the USGA since 1988. He has served as a Rules Official at more than 140 USGA championships, including every US Open Championship since 1990. He also has been the official in charge for more than 130 USGA championship qualifying rounds. O'Toole has been "certified" as a Rules of Golf expert each year since 1990, and he has been a member of the Rules of Golf Committee since 2004. O'Toole has been a member of the USGA Executive Committee since 2008. He chaired the Championship Committee from 2010-2014, while serving as the Association's Secretary in 2010 and Vice President in 2011-2013.
Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golf champion of all-time, has agreed to join the effort to revitalize the Normandie ...
The Mickes O'Toole Real Estate Group, led by Thomas O'Toole, was included in the 2020 Expertise list of Best Real ...
Thomas L. Benson III has practiced law for more than 25 years with emphasis in mergers and acquisitions, general corporate matters and estate planning. Tom counsels clients regarding the formation of entities; private placements to raise capital when necessary; structure, negotiation and consummation of mergers; acquisitions, transactions and other strategic alliances. He also provides advice to individuals and closely-held entities regarding estate planning, business succession, shareholder issues and limited liability company matters.
For the second year in a row our managing partner, Vince Reese, was named a Top 100 POWER Attorney in Missouri for ...