DOUGLAS - Key Persons
Amanda grew up in Russellville, Arkansas where she graduated from Russellville High School. Amanda went to college at the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Amanda obtained her law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law. During law school, Amanda focused on civil litigation, acting as a student attorney under Arkansas law to represent clients in the school's Civil Litigation and Advocacy Clinic. While obtaining her law degree, she gained experience in various areas of law through legal work and externship opportunities. Since the completion of her legal education, Amanda has focused her attention primarily on the area of family law, but also practices in several other areas including civil litigation and criminal law.
Amanda currently lives in Springfield. She loves hiking and exploring parks all over the Ozarks. Amanda also enjoys singing and viewing the various musical theater opportunities that Springfield offers. She is an avid Arkansas Razorback and Kansas City Chiefs fan.
Brittnee Hill predominantly grew up in Bartlett, Kansas where she graduated from Labette County High School. She went to college at Missouri Southern State University, ultimately receiving a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice Administration and an associate degree in Law Enforcement. Afterwards, Brittnee obtained her law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law. During law School, Brittnee focused on domestic and criminal law. While obtaining her law degree, she worked in various areas of law clerking for a multi-state law firm. Since the completion of her legal education, Brittnee has focused her attention on the area of family law. Brittnee is a member of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association and the Missouri Bar Association.
Brittnee lives in Springfield with her husband, Jordyn, and their daughter. Brittnee and her family love exploring Springfield small businesses and the surrounding communities. They are avid Kansas State Wildcats and Kansas City Chief fans.
Craig was born in 1969 in St. Louis, Missouri and is a top-rated Springfield personal injury lawyer. He was educated in the Hazelwood School District and the University of Tulsa and has a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He graduated Cum Laude in 1991.
Craig attended the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law and received a Juris Doctorate degree in 1994. While at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, he was a member of the Journal of Dispute Resolution and published two case notes. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1994 and the Illinois Bar in 1995. Currently, he is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri as well as the Southern District of Illinois. He is also admitted before the Supreme Court of the United States of America and hopes to argue there one day.
After graduating from law school, Heidemann entered private practice as an associate with the St. Louis, Missouri firm of Coburn & Croft from 1994 to 1995. From April, 1995 to August, 1996 he worked at the Supreme Court of Missouri as law clerk to then Chief Justice John C. Holstein. Heidemann returned the practice of litigation in August, 1996 with the law firm of Douglas, Haun, & Heidemann, P.C. in Bolivar, Missouri. On January 1, 2001, Mr. Heidemann joined the firm as a shareholder.
Craig's commitment to public service is substantial. He currently serves as president of Legal Services of Southern Missouri, president of Springfield Victory Mission, president of the Missouri Chapter of the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership and also serves as a board member on many other non-profit boards including Real Encounter Outreach, Springfield Benchrest Rifle Club, and All About Weddings.
Craig is married to his wife of 20 years and has two girls ages 10 and 13. Craig's is an avid firearms enthusiast and competitive shooter, holding a federal firearms license. He is also an Eagle Scout, licensed multi-engine private pilot, nationally recognized photographer and speaker, adjunct professor at Southwest Baptist University, member of the United States Polo Association, and certified advanced open water SCUBA diver.
Dakota joined the Douglas, Haun & Heidemann, P.C. litigation team in 2023 after serving 4 years at the Greene County Prosecutor's Office as a Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and nearly two years in private practice; practicing primarily in the areas of criminal defense and domestic law.
His diverse experience includes prosecuting felony sexual assault, domestic assault, and child abuse cases as well as felony driving while intoxicated cases. Over the course of his career, Dakota has achieved successful outcomes through jury trials, bench trials, preliminary hearings, and bond hearings as well as dozens of contested hearings. He has served on the ‘State of Missouri Driving While Intoxicated Investigation and Prosecution Best Practices Committee,' serving with law enforcement, forensic criminalists, and prosecutors across the State as well as served on Greene County, Missouri's "High Risk Victim Task Force / Multi-disciplinary Team". Mr. Paris was selected to be an Adjunct Instructor at Missouri State University teaching Criminal Law and the Courts as well as an Adjunct Instructor at Drury University Law Enforcement Academy teaching Constitutional Law, Statutory Law, Peace Officer Liability, and Driving While Intoxicated Law.
After graduating from Willard High School, Dakota graduated magna cum laude with honors from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri with a B.S. in Business Management. He then went on to graduate cum laude from the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law with a J.D. and an emphasis in Advocacy. During law school, Dakota competed on the school's mock trial team, was an editor of the UMKC Law Review, the Chief Prosecutor of the law school's honor court, and received the Latshaw Award for excellence in criminal law studies. Dakota completed an internship with the Jackson County, Missouri Prosecutor's Office prior to clerking for a Kansas City civil litigation firm.
Dakota was selected and currently serves as a member of the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel, representing defendants charged in federal court with committing serious criminal offenses. Additionally, Dakota is occasionally appointed as a Special Public Defender, representing indigent defendants charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses in state court.
Honors and Awards: 2021 Community Partnership of the Ozarks ‘Champion in Prevention' for commitment to crime prevention in Southwest Missouri; Latshaw Award for Excellence in Criminal Law Studies
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Member of the Phi - Delta - Phi
Donald graduated in 1999 from Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. In 2005, Donald graduated from the University Of Arkansas School Of Law in Fayetteville, Arkansas (Cum Laude).
Donald has practiced law with Douglas, Haun & Heidemann, P.C. since 2005. In 2009 Donald became a partner at the law firm. Donald practices in several areas of law, including business law and business formation, human resources, appellate practice, estate planning, municipal law, consumer rights litigation, banking, bankruptcy for both creditors and debtors, contract review and drafting, and all aspects of real estate law - from landlord/tenant disputes to complex sales and acquisitions and everywhere in-between.
In January, 2018, Donald Brown was invited to be a Fellow of the Missouri Bar Foundation. Only 1% of members of the Missouri Bar may become Fellows. A Fellow of the Foundation is first a lawyer in good standing of the Missouri Bar, and has demonstrated significant contributions to the legal community in Missouri.
Donald is a member of the Phi-Delta-Phi legal honors fraternity and has been named on the Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars on multiple occasions. Donald is also extremely honored to have been chosen by the Trustees of The Missouri Bar Foundation as a recipient of the David J. Dixon Appellate Advocacy Award for 2016 placing him in the top echelon of appellate lawyers state-wide.
Donald is a husband to his wife, Michele since 2002; and the proud father of his twin boys, Nathaniel and Samuel since 2007. Donald is also a member of the Knights of Columbus, and Donald has served on the Board for the Springfield Workshop Foundation in Springfield, Missouri.
Gary W. Lynch became the first non-Douglas personal injury attorney to work for the law firm after he joined the firm as an associate of Elvin, Sr. and Kerry in 1976. Gary became a partner in 1979, when the name of the firm was changed to Douglas, Douglas and Lynch. Following Elvin's death in 1979, Kerry and Gary incorporated as Douglas, Douglas & Lynch, P.C. and began expanding the practice by the addition of associates.
John W. Kallenbach joined Douglas, Haun, & Heidemann, P.C. in 1994 as an associate and in September 2000 began working Of Counsel.
John received his Bachelor of Science degree from Southwest Missouri State University in 1991, and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1994. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1994, and is also admitted to practice before the Missouri and U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri.
John is a member of the Missouri Bar and also served as Assistant City Attorney for Bolivar, Missouri from 1994 to 1999. John is currently working in an Of Counsel capacity with the firm.
K. Patrick ("Pat") Douglas is a shareholder of Douglas, Haun and Heidemann, P.C., concentrating his practice in the areas of estate planning, trusts, probate, real estate, corporate and business law, banking and collections. Pat has significant experience drafting trusts, wills, powers of attorney and other estate planning documents, as well as drafting, negotiating and reviewing agreements and leases.
Pat received both his Bachelor's degree and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He received his undergraduate degree in Finance and Banking in 1996 and his law degree in 1999.
Pat was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1999 and is also an Assistant City Attorney for Bolivar, Missouri. Pat holds an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell by their Peer Review Ratings™, which represents the highest level of professional excellence as ranked by other attorneys.
Pat serves on the Citizens Memorial Hospital board of directors where he currently serves as President and Chairman of the board, is a member of the Bolivar Rotary Club where he served as President of the club in 2015-2016, has previously served on the Bolivar YMCA board of managers, was a Springfield Business Journal 40-under-40 honoree in 2012, was named as an SBJ Trusted Advisor in 2020 and is a member of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Bolivar, Missouri. Pat was also inducted into the Bolivar High School Hall of Fame.
Pat is the son of Kerry D. Douglas, a semi-retired senior member of the firm, and is the first member of the fourth generation of Douglas' to practice in Bolivar.
Kerry D. Douglas has been a partner or shareholder of Douglas, Haun & Heidemann, P.C. since 1972. Kerry is the third generation of Douglas' to practice at the same location in Bolivar, Missouri.
Kerry received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Missouri in 1968 and received his Juris Doctorate in 1970, graduating Cum Laude. He is a member of Order of the Coif; Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity (Secretary, 1970); and was a member of Missouri Law Review, 1969-1970. He was admitted to the bar in 1970, and is also admitted to practice before the Missouri and U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Kerry served in the Adjutant General's Corp of the United States Army from 1970 to 1972, and was attached to the Judge Advocate General's Corp at Ft. Knox, Kentucky during his final months in the service.
In addition to his legal practice, Kerry is very involved with the community and the legal profession. He served as the first Chairman of the Board of Directors of Citizens Memorial Hospital District from 1979 until 2006 when he resigned that position for family reasons although he remains as one of two original board members. He is also a founder of the Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation, and served as a Board member until 2004 when he retired from that position. Kerry was Board chairman from 1992 to 1996. Kerry is also a founder of the Bolivar Educational Advancement Foundation, where he has served as a Board member and President since 1991. Kerry has been City Attorney for the City of Bolivar, Missouri, since 1973 where he has served a number of Mayors and Councils. Kerry is a member of the 30th Judicial Circuit Bar Association (President, 1973-1974); the Missouri Bar; and in 1992, was appointed by the Missouri Supreme Court as one of five members of the Missouri Board of Law Examiners, a position to which he was reappointed in 1998. He served as the Secretary of the Board from 1996 through October of 2000, as President from 2000 through 2002, and completed his final year as a member of the Board in 2003.
Nick grew up in Thayer, Missouri, near his family's Century Farm. In 2013, Nick graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas, School of Law in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2016. During law school, Nick worked as a law clerk for the Blair & Stroud Law Firm where he developed an interest in civil litigation. Nick came to work as an associate with DHH straight out of law school and became a shareholder of the firm in 2022. As a litigation partner, Nick focuses his practice on civil plaintiffs work in the areas of personal injury, employment law, and class actions. Nick is admitted to the Missouri Bar and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Nick was named as a Top 40 under 40 member of the National Trial Lawyers Association in 2023.
Nick lives in Springfield with his wife, Mayce, who is also from Thayer. Nick and Mayce enjoy outdoor activities and attending Kansas City Chiefs and Royals games together.
Verna genuinely cares about helping her clients achieve the best results that she can for them. Clients appreciate that she listens to them and understands the difficult situation in which they have currently found themselves. Her compassion for her clients is paired with her excellent litigation skills honed from over 30 years of experience in family law and general litigation. Her litigation skills combined with the concern that she has for clients make for a tough yet compassionate package.
The fact that every day there is a new problem to solve is the thing that Verna likes the best about practicing law. She does not balk at taking on difficult cases. Verna says that difficult cases are often won by patience, attention to detail and having a "never give up" attitude.
Verna has been with Douglas, Haun, & Heidemann, P.C. since 1984. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and business administration from Southwest Baptist University in 1981, (Summa Cum Laude) and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri in 1984. In addition to being a member of the Missouri Bar, Verna is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Verna has argued cases in both the Missouri Court of Appeals and the Missouri Supreme Court.
In her spare time, Verna enjoys traveling, cooking, genealogy, and aqua jogging. She enjoys baking for church activities and currently serves her church as one of its trustees. Verna is a past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Baptist Foundation and has served on the board of the Missouri Baptist Convention. Verna and her husband, Dwight, have two handsome sons, a wonderful daughter-in-law and were recently blessed with a grandson.
Verna Haun joined the firm in 1984 as an associate and became a shareholder in 1987. John Kallenbach joined the firm as an associate in 1994 and is currently working in an Of Counsel capacity. Craig Heidemann joined the firm in 1996 as an associate and became a shareholder in 2001. Kerry's son, K. Patrick ("Pat") Douglas, joined the firm in October 1999 as an associate and became a shareholder in 2001. Pat is the fourth generation to have the privilege of serving the residents of Bolivar, Polk County and Southwest Missouri as an attorney with the law firm of Douglas, Haun & Heidemann, P.C.
In November of 2002, Gary W. Lynch was elected to the office of Polk County Associate Circuit Judge and left the firm to assume that position in January 2003. In January of 2006, Judge Lynch was appointed by Missouri's Governor to be a Judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District where he continues to serve the citizens of Missouri. Elizabeth Rohrs joined the firm in August of 2005 on a part-time, of-counsel basis; Don Brown joined the firm as an associate in October of 2005, Nathan Duncan joined the firm as an associate in October of 2007, Reggie Breshears joined the firm as an associate in August of 2007, and Byron Shive joined the firm as an associate in April of 2008. John Kallenbach was an associate of the firm from August 1994 to August 2000 when he changed his status to of-counsel to pursue private business interests. Currently, the firm consists of four partners, four associates and two part-time attorneys affiliated with the firm on an of-counsel basis.
Since 1912, the law firm has maintained a general civil practice, and currently also provides an extended traffic law and criminal defense practice. Currently, all shareholders and associates limit their practice to certain areas of the law in order to maintain a greater level of expertise in their areas that would be possible with a general practice. Douglas, Haun, & Heidemann, P.C. provides legal services in most areas of civil, traffic and criminal law as more fully described on the Home Page.
The personal injury lawyers of Douglas, Haun & Heidemann, P.C. have been and continue to be involved in community and church activities, and spend thousands of pro bono hours each year working for community betterment and religious activities. Contact us today for a free consultation.