Lewis Rice Names Seven New Members

Lewis Rice is pleased to announce that it has named seven new members of the St. Louis office. Michael H. Durbin, Jacqueline K. Graves, Sonette T. Magnus, Sarah A. Milunski, and Jerina D. Phillips practice in the Litigation Department, and Missy A. McCoy and Andrea M. Patton practice in the Corporate Department. Join us in congratulating the newest members of the Firm.

Michael H. Durbin focuses on intellectual property law and is a former patent examiner. He has years of experience litigating patents before federal district courts, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and the International Trade Commission. Michael leverages this experience when working with clients to prosecute their patent and trademark applications. He has represented inventors and companies in many diverse areas of technology including computers and telecommunications, medical devices, bicycle components, and chemical applications.

Jacqueline K. Graves has extensive experience representing lenders, prosecuting complex suits to recover from borrowers and guarantors on multi-million dollar loans. Jackie also prosecutes and defends trust and will contests, trust reformations, and actions against trustees. Additionally, in her municipal law practice, Jackie regularly advises cities and agencies on a number of issues from the Sunshine Law to complex litigation.

Sonette T. Magnus counsels corporate clients through all phases of commercial litigation, including pre-suit evaluations, discovery, mediation, expert witness preparation, trial preparation and when advisable, trial. She also practices in the Governmental Solutions and Administrative Law Department, where her experience includes implementing practical strategies to achieve business results and influencing public policy in the greater St. Louis area.

Missy A. McCoy advises clients in a wide variety of commercial and residential real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, development, and financing. She assists clients with real estate aspects of renewable energy projects including review of title and survey matters, leases, and easements. Missy has significant experience drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, closing documents, complex office leases and amendments, utility easements, and more.

Sarah A. Milunski handles cases involving Missouri’s Franchise Act, consumer protection statutes, contract and property disputes, municipal litigation, and personal injury in both federal and state courts in Missouri and Illinois. She regularly develops the case strategies and legal arguments that are relied upon at trial in some of the Firm's most complex cases.

Andrea M. Patton works on a variety of corporate matters including mergers and acquisitions, corporate formation and restructuring, regulatory compliance (primarily in the areas of alcohol and cannabis law), commercial real estate transactions, and corporate and commercial contract issues.

Jerina D. Phillips represents individuals and companies in a variety of disputes, including complex commercial litigation, employment litigation, media and communications law, and consumer litigation. Jerina has successfully represented clients throughout the United States and across nearly every industry.


Throughout the Firm's history, Lewis Rice attorneys have made excellence the foundation of their practice. Founded in 1909, more than a century of service gives the Firm the experience, resources and tools to serve their clients' dynamic needs. A diverse team of more than 150 attorneys provides counsel and solutions for the challenges facing local, regional and national businesses, as well as individuals and families. Lewis Rice maintains offices in downtown St. Louis, suburban Town & Country, and Jefferson City, Missouri and Edwardsville, Illinois. The Firm also has offices in downtown Kansas City, Missouri and suburban Overland Park, Kansas.