Q & A
Is there a particular area or industry you focus on in your practice?
While I work with clients in a variety of industries, I dedicate a significant amount of time to counseling distributors and retailers engaging in transactions involving alcohol distribution, including the acquisition and transfer of distribution rights and the negotiation of distribution agreements with suppliers. These sorts of deals involve myriad regulatory complexities that I help my clients identify and address so that they remain in compliance from the beginning to the end of a transaction.
How do you stay up to date on developments that affect your clients?
In the highly regulated alcohol industry, maintaining good relationships with brokers and bankers as well as staying informed about regulatory changes are crucial. I regularly connect with brokers and bankers—even when I'm not working on deals—to keep up with trends. I also read numerous trade publications covering the alcohol industry, and I benefit from Lewis Rice’s long-term relationships with some of the largest alcoholic beverage companies, which have enabled us to become experts in this field.
What is Lewis Rice’s Associate Development Committee, and why did you decide to get involved?
The Associate Development Committee creates and provides in-house training and mentorship for associates and facilitates camaraderie within the firm by planning social events and activities. I have always valued cultivating relationships with attorneys at all levels at Lewis Rice, and I believe it is essential for creating a workplace environment where our attorneys want to stay as they progress in their careers. It is an honor to serve as chair of this committee.
Why is the Associate Development Committee integral to the success of Lewis Rice?
There is a lot of competition for talented attorneys. New associates expect to receive quality professional development opportunities early in their careers. It is important for the firm to provide new associates with access to senior attorneys both inside and outside the office, formal and informal mentorship programs, and comprehensive training. We strive to retain our associates and help them advance within the firm, with the goal being that every associate becomes a partner here. Our dedicated committee facilitates these goals.
Describe the course you teach at Washington University School of Law.
Recognizing the need for more courses dedicated to educating students on transactional law, my colleague Al Ludwig and I co-teach "Business Planning & Drafting: Fundamentals of M&A Transactions." It is a practical seminar on how mergers and acquisitions work. In law school, students mostly read cases, so it's important to expose them to all the different stages of a deal, from the letter of intent to the closing. In this course Al and I discuss what we do day in and day out as well as provide realistic assignments that equip them with a solid understanding of deal making.
What charitable activities do you participate in and why?
I serve as president of the Board of Directors for Places for People, which is a St. Louis-based non-profit with a mission of improving the physical and behavioral health of individuals, families, and communities by providing outpatient services, substance use services and treatment, and rehabilitation. Since witnessing and educating myself on the impact of opioids on communities across the country, I have felt a calling to dedicate my time to helping people with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders.
