Lashly & Baer, P.C., has its roots from Jacob M. Lashly, one of Missouri’s outstanding trial lawyers and a president of the American Bar Association. Another aspect of our legacy is the commitment to the communities in which we live and work. This public service tradition was evidenced by Mr. Lashly’s and his son, John’s, active roles in significant civic, charitable and community organizations as well as Missouri politics. This tradition continues as each lawyer contributes according to individual talents, time and interests.
Lashly & Baer, P.C., is known for its work on the groundbreaking St. Louis school systems desegregation case. Started in 1972 and concluded in 1999, the state of Missouri was found to have violated the United States Constitution by failing to dismantle the de jure segregated school system that existed prior to 1954. The state was ordered to pay over $2 billion in extraordinary school funding for transfer students and programs to be used to improve the quality of education in racially isolated schools. This case resulted in the largest voluntary interdistrict transfer program in the United States that still continues today.
Former members of Lashly & Baer, P.C., have served as a member of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, on the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Missouri, on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern Division, and on the Circuit Court of the State of Missouri.
A number of our current lawyers have held high-level appointive and elective positions in state and local government, including counsel to the governor, Missouri Representative to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, the Missouri Reorganization Commission, the Missouri Housing Development Commission, the Missouri State Employees Retirement System, chairman of the St. Louis County Council, chairman of the Board of Election Commissioners of St. Louis County, the St. Louis County Charter Revision Commission, and vice president of the Board of Police Commissioners of the City of St. Louis. Many of our attorneys are active at the local governmental level as planning and zoning board members. Some are active on behalf of major political parties.
You work hard to accumulate and preserve your financial assets. Lashly & Baer, P.C., works just as hard to make sure these assets are protected.
Our attorneys provide estate and asset-protection planning services to owners of closely held businesses, corporate executives, professionals and individuals with special needs. We begin by analyzing our clients’ goals and developing plans to implement those goals through wills, trusts, lifetime and charitable gifts, and other techniques such as family limited partnerships and LLCs, powers of attorney, special needs trusts, irrevocable trusts, and probate and estate planning.
We can develop strategies that allow business owners to pass their business interests to succeeding generations while providing advantageous estate and income tax results. We also provide estate administration services to ensure the plan we develop is executed properly. We do all this because it’s your financial security at stake, and we want to protect it now and for future generations.
From our offices in St. Louis, Missouri, and Belleville, Illinois, we help clients throughout the region.
The protection of assets and their transfer to future generations are among the most important goals an individual can have during a lifetime. That’s why Lashly & Baer, P.C., provides comprehensive legal counsel in the management and transfer of property as well as the administration of decedent estates, trusts and other fiduciary accounts.
Our attorneys use their vast knowledge of estate and trust law to help individuals, corporate fiduciaries and charitable/nonprofit entities. It’s the kind of legal experience that is so valuable when dealing with your financial assets. We can help you reach the goals you have made for yourself, your family or your organization, and we aim to reduce your applicable income, gift and estate taxes while we work to achieve the goals you have set.
We regularly handle the following legal issues for our clients:
The estate planning process is complicated. There are many considerations, both for individuals and attorneys. We can work with you to craft a comprehensive plan that protects your wealth and shields it from undue loss and taxation.
If you or your family member is injured as a result of an accident, fall or someone else’s negligence, Lashly & Baer, P.C., can provide you with the proven personal injury experience you need.
Our knowledgeable attorneys have represented numerous injured plaintiffs and have successfully settled with or sued companies and workers’ compensation funds as the case demands.
If you are injured, you should seek medical care quickly and seek legal representation promptly thereafter. We’ll ensure that your medical claims, time lost at work and property damage are tracked and organized properly for filing with the insurance companies. We’ll pursue a result that meets your needs and is fair and appropriate.
If a personal injury claim is made against you, your family, or your business, our attorneys can provide you with the skill you need and the experience you expect. With offices in St. Louis, Missouri, and Belleville, Illinois, we are well-positioned to hear your case and help you move forward.
We regularly handle the following legal issues for our clients:
We handle all matters of personal injury litigation. We work to get you results quickly – we know your recovery is your priority. We’ll work to outline your options and start the process right away.
The law should help your business grow, not hold it back. We understand the legal issues companies face to maintain profitability and to expand into new areas. We provide our experience to organizations that range from private companies, publicly held businesses and health care entities to nonprofits, financial institutions and joint ventures. Probably the only things more complicated than operating a business are the legal issues associated with its operation. This is where we excel. We can develop, negotiate and document every stage of a transaction. This is something that requires high-end legal skill, prompt negotiation and correct documentation. It’s all intended to help your business successfully meet any possible legal challenge as you move forward.
Lashly & Baer, P.C. has a proven track record in various areas, from formation and organization questions to solving matters related to succession planning, including discussions surrounding mergers, acquisitions and dissolutions. We provide comprehensive risk-management services so that you will always be fully informed and prepared for each scenario. We work with businesses in matters pertaining to bankruptcy and related creditors’ rights issues, as well as private placement and securities financing. In addition, we assist businesses with matters relating to:
Our attorneys have been active members of various organizations, from the Commercial Law League of America to the Estate Planning Council of St. Louis and more. We represent various industries in St. Louis, Belleville and the surrounding areas, as well as regionally and nationally.
Any organization with a few, or a few thousand, employees has the potential for labor or employment problems. These issues can bring a business on the move to a standstill. To make sure your business keeps going, Lashly & Baer, P.C. provides comprehensive representation and advice to employers in all aspects of labor relations and employment law.
James C. Hetlage, Julie Z. Devine and other Lashly & Baer attorneys work closely with our public and private sector clients to create and implement clear and concise employee handbooks, advise on and draft policies, and offer training seminars on new and updated laws affecting our clients’ businesses. The outcome? Our attorneys help to minimize the probability of employment conflicts.
Of course, even with the best of defenses, no employer is completely immune from employment claims. We are skilled at conducting thorough investigations into claims in the defense of our clients. When appropriate, our attorneys will negotiate a solution beneficial to both sides through mediation or other alternative means. These same attorneys are also fully prepared to aggressively represent our clients in court and before administrative agencies and have done so hundreds of times.
Our employment attorneys also draft and litigate the enforcement of noncompetition, confidentiality and trade secret agreements to protect employers’ interests in their valuable business assets.
Clients turn to James C. Hetlage and other Lashly & Baer attorneys for our experience in public and private sector collective bargaining negotiations, union avoidance, unfair labor practice charges, unlawful union activities and labor arbitration. Plus, we also counsel employers in union organizing campaigns, elections and union decertification proceedings. Lashly & Baer, P.C. is there to help when you face strikes, picketing, hand billing, and work stoppages during the collective bargaining process.
At our firm, we assist clients with issues surrounding:
In the compensation and benefits area, Rhonda A. O’Brien can provide guidance and counsel. We design, implement and provide legal counsel on employee welfare benefit plans, retirement plans and executive compensation plans in compliance with state law where applicable, and the Internal Revenue Code. We also assist our clients in complying with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) where exemptions do not apply.
We Have The Experience Necessary To Help Our Clients
Our labor and employment attorneys have been active members of the following:
To schedule a consultation with us, use the online form or call us at 314-621-2939.
For decades Lashly & Baer, P.C. has advised the insurance and surety industries on the complex issues they face. We have extensive experience in litigating coverage and bad faith issues. Plus, we have extensive knowledge of the rights and obligations of insurers and excess carriers in different layers of coverage or concurrent coverage. What’s more, our attorneys have long assisted sureties in meeting their obligations as required by the law.
We regularly handle the following legal issues for our clients:
To discuss these matters with our firm, call us at 314-621-2939 or use the online form.
In many instances, litigation is the last option. Even though it can be a lengthy process, it’s often the right move for individuals and businesses who need resolutions to their problems. At Lashly & Baer, P.C. we represent people, businesses and government entities in claims ranging from business disputes to personal injury matters.
We know that litigation usually is not the best answer – that’s why we will discuss all your legal options and the potential expenses and outcomes. Many of our attorneys are experienced in arbitration and mediation in state and federal courts and before the American Arbitration Association, FINRA and the New York Stock Exchange.
As a result of our work, Lashly & Baer, P.C. earned a reputation as the Go-To Law Firm for trial work by American Lawyer Media’s Corporate Counsel magazine. While we advise on ways to minimize your exposure to risk, when litigation is necessary, we provide the highest-quality representation at a reasonable cost.
We regularly appear before judges and juries. Our attorneys’ experience and resources will provide you with valuable, accountable personal representation. It’s the kind of experience you want on your side.
Our attorneys litigate matters relating to:
From our offices in St. Louis, Missouri, and Belleville, Illinois, we litigate cases locally, regionally and nationally. Contact our offices at 314-621-2939 or use our contact form to reach us via email.
