Category: Business News

Partners for program include leading law firms and community organizations

October 22, 2019 (St. Louis) – Legal Services of Eastern Missouri announced at an October 21 press conference that it received a two-year, $316,361 Pro Bono Innovation Fund Grant from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC).

The grant gives Legal Services the opportunity to expand volunteer lawyer involvement in its Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative (NVI) to better serve four high-vacancy City neighborhoods – The West End, Academy/Sherman Park, Old North St. Louis, and Hyde Park.

This month, four of St. Louis’ largest law firms, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Husch Blackwell, Stinson, and Thompson Coburn, began work with Legal Services and the four neighborhoods to provide direct assistance to resident-led community groups.

Building on the long history of Legal Services’ pro bono support, the press conference was announced during the American Bar Association (ABA) National Pro Bono week, Oct. 20-26, 2019.

Speaking at the press conference were City of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson; Sundy Whiteside, St. Louis Association of Communication Organizations (SLACO) Board President; Dan Glazier, Legal Services’ Executive Director and General Counsel; and Peter Hoffman, Legal Services’ Managing Attorney of the Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative.

Also in attendance at the press conference were more than forty participating law firm representatives, neighborhood association partners, members of the St. Louis Vacancy Collaborative, and Otis Williams, St. Louis Development Corporation Executive Director. 

Services provided to neighborhoods through the grant include litigation support to hold absentee owners of vacant property accountable and assistance on matters relating to corporate governance and compliance. Legal Services plans to expand services to vulnerable residents to prevent displacement through estate planning and help resolve land title issues that prevent people from obtaining home repair services.

At the press conference, Hoffman, who previously directed a similar neighborhood vacancy effort in Kansas City, said, “It’s easy to see the physical blight: broken windows, illegal dumping, weeds. What is less obvious is the legal blight. Fractured land titles, unreleased mortgages, liens – all of these result in a blight that requires legal assistance before anyone can even think about getting a house fixed up.”

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri is one of 14 recipients of grants from LSC’s $4.5 million Pro Bono Innovation Fund, a competitive program that invests in projects intended to encourage and expand pro bono efforts and partnerships to serve more low-income clients.

“These grants stimulate more participation by pro bono volunteers. They enhance public-private partnerships, leverage the federal investment in civil legal aid, and allow our grantees to reach more people in need of civil legal assistance,” said LSC President, Jim Sandman.

“Thanks to this federal grant, we can expand legal services to economically challenged City neighborhoods to build upon the hope and promise of neighborhoods that have long been underserved, and provide resources for growth and opportunity to areas struggling with disinvestment,” stated Glazier. “We are excited for this opportunity to expand, and we are so grateful for our community partners, funders, volunteers, and the City of St. Louis, all of whom are committed with us to improve the quality of life in our communities.”

About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 62 years. In 2018, 30,000 people in 21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit www.lsem.org.

Members provide year-round volunteer support throughout the St. Louis region

St. Louis (Oct. 22, 2019) – October is National Pro Bono Month to highlight the volunteer legal counsel attorneys provide. Member of the Association of Corporate Counsel St. Louis Chapter (ACC-STL), the pre-eminent professional development organization serving in-house counsel, provide pro bono legal assistance and volunteer for community services projects not just this month but throughout the year.

The 2019 ACC STL Pro Bono Committee Co-Chairpersons are Patricia Duft, Sr. Legal Director, Medtronic; and Paula Finlay, Assistant Vice President, Senior Legal Counsel, Labor & Employment, AT&T.

“Each October, we’re reminded of the impact as attorneys we make in the St. Louis community. As a chapter, our involvement is not for one month but throughout the year,” said Finlay.

The Pro Bono Committee identifies pro bono and community services opportunities where members can become involved in a variety of projects ranging from helping entrepreneurs with legal matters to volunteering at a local food pantry providing groceries to its clients.

“Our chapter members, for example, volunteer each month for the monthly Nonprofit Legal Clinics at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. Members meet with prospective Legal Service clients for brief one-on-one sessions to respond to questions they may have on legal issues they experience in the formation or management of a business or non-profit. This work is gratifying because we are involved with helping someone launch a new business,” said Duft.

Provided are highlights of where the ACC-STL members provided free legal counsel and volunteered for community services projects: 

·         Throughout the year, ACC-STL volunteers work with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s Community Economic Development Program (LSEM-CED), whichprovides free business legal assistance to entrepreneurs who are starting or expanding small businesses that provide a benefit to lower-income communities that Legal Services servs and to non-profit entities that promote community development to benefit lower-income individuals. On Oct. 17, the ACC-STL and LSEM-CED partnered to hold a workshop, “How to Start a Small Business,” at St Louis County Library.

• In March, ACC-STL volunteers in coordination with Legal Services and Thompson Coburn held a Business Legal Clinic for small business owners and entrepreneurs at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. Roundtable discussions were held with volunteer attorneys and followed by legal clinic sessions with clients who had questions on individual small business matters.

·         In April, ACC-STL members collaborated with Legal Services, Husch Blackwell and the Family Care Health for National Healthcare Decisions Day where volunteers offered a free legal clinic to assist low-income individuals in Missouri with Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare and Healthcare Directive forms.

·         In May, the ACC-STL partnered with the Veteran Justice Outreach Program, the VA St. Louis Healthcare System, and Missouri Attorney General’s Office Military Assistance for the Veterans Wills Clinic where 40 veterans and their spouses received free legal counsel on wills, living wills and power of attorney valued at $35,000 or less.

·         In late October, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) held, “Celebrate Pro Bono 2019,” a workshop that offered training to local attorneys to support the ACC-STL clinic at Legal Services and to enable members to take on other representations.

“Our committee identifies pro bono opportunities and community service opportunities throughout the St. Louis region because we want to offer our members a well-rounded volunteer experience. From our recent survey results, we learned that a variety of volunteer opportunities is a key draw for members to become active with the Chapter,” said Duft. 

Contact:

Ann Marie Mayuga, AMM Communications

314.485.9499

annmarie@ammcommunications.com

About the ACC STL:

The Association for Corporate Counsel of St. Louis (ACC STL), the pre-eminent professional development organization serving in-house counsel, was founded in 1987. The St. Louis chapter has more than 550 members who represent more than 100 organizations. During its 30-year-history, the ACC STL has grown to become one of the leading chapters in the country having been selected as a 2017 Gold Level Award recipient and winning the 2018 Best Membership / Recruitment Award. To learn more, please visit, https://www.acc.com/chapters/stlouis/.

Funds Expand Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative

October 17, 2019 (ST. LOUIS) – Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has been awarded a two-year, $316,361 Pro Bono Innovation Fund Grant from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC).

Legal Services will use these funds to expand volunteer lawyer involvement in its Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative (NVI) to better serve four high-vacancy City neighborhoods – The West End, Academy/Sherman Park, Old North St. Louis, and Hyde Park.

Beginning this month, four of St. Louis’ largest law firms, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Husch Blackwell, Stinson, and Thompson Coburn, will begin working with Legal Services and the above neighborhoods to provide direct assistance to resident-led community groups. Services provided to neighborhood associations through the grant include litigation support to hold absentee owners of vacant property accountable and assistance on matters relating to corporate governance and compliance.

Legal Services will also expand services to vulnerable residents to prevent displacement through estate planning and help resolve land title issues that prevent people from obtaining home repair services.

“It’s easy to see the physical blight: broken windows, illegal dumping, weeds. What is less obvious is the legal blight. Fractured land titles, unreleased mortgages, liens – all of these result in a blight that requires legal assistance before anyone can even think about getting a house fixed up,” explained Peter Hoffman, managing Attorney of the Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative, who recently directed a similar effort in Kansas City.

Building on the long history of Legal Services’ pro bono support, the organization is hosting a formal grant announcement with community and civic partners Mon., Oct. 21, at 8:00 a.m. at Deaconess Center, 1000 North Vandeventer Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63113 – the start of national Pro Bono week. Legal Services of Eastern Missouri is one of 14 recipients of grants from LSC’s $4.5 million Pro Bono Innovation Fund, a competitive program that invests in projects intended to encourage and expand pro bono efforts and partnerships to serve more low-income clients.

“These grants stimulate more participation by pro bono volunteers. They enhance public-private partnerships, leverage the federal investment in civil legal aid, and allow our grantees to reach more people in need of civil legal assistance,” said LSC President, Jim Sandman.

“Thanks to this federal grant, we can expand legal services to economically challenged City neighborhoods to build upon the hope and promise of neighborhoods that have long been underserved, and provide resources for growth and opportunity to areas struggling with disinvestment,” stated Dan Glazier, Legal Services’ Executive Director and General Counsel. “We are excited for this opportunity to expand, and we are so grateful for our community partners, funders, volunteers, and the City of St. Louis, all of whom are committed with us to improve the quality of life in our communities.”

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About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 63 years. Last year nearly 30,000 people in 21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit www.lsem.org.

ST. LOUIS – On Friday, August 16, 2019, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, the area’s largest nonprofit law firm, honored twelve individuals and organizations with awards in recognition of their commitment to volunteer work and community service.

Receiving awards were: Hon. Stephen N. Limbaugh, Sr. (Robert Walston Chubb Award for lifetime commitment); BDO, USA, LLP (Richard B. Teitelman Community Service Award); Home Sweet Home (Edna M. Taylor Client Service Award); Marygrove (Ashley Award for Child Advocacy); Dana Malkus, Saint Louis University Law School, (Melton M. Lewis Equal Justice Award); Saint Louis Crisis Nursery (Eddie Mae Binion Community Service Award); Mary Sullivan-Thomas (Eddie Mae Binion Community Service Award); Steve Shredl, Thompson Coburn (John R. Essner Young lawyer of the Year Award); Washington University Office of General Counsel (Gerald R. Ortbals Law Practice Award); April Waugh, Citi (F. Wm. McCalpin Pro Bono Award); State Senator S. Kiki Curls and State Senator Jamilah Nasheed (Rory Ellinger Legislative Award)

More than 200 guests gathered at the Ritz Carlton in Clayton to honor the dedication and outstanding contributions of these twelve awardees. Sponsorship for the event was provided by: Missouri Lawyers Weekly; Alaris Litigation Services; Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner; Emerson and Thompson Coburn LLP. Awardee videos were produced by Alaris.

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About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 62 years. In 2018, more than 30,000 people in 21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit www.lsem.org. 

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

L to R: Dan Glazier (Legal Services Executive Director & General Counsel); DiAnne Mueller (Saint Louis Crisis Nursery); Dana Malkus (Saint Louis University Law School); April Waugh (Citi); Missouri State Senator S. Kiki Curls; Steve Shredl (Thompson Coburn); Missouri State Senator Jamilah Nasheed; Steve Lenivy (BDO, USA LLP); Betsy Reznicek (Home Sweet Home); Mary Jane Pieroni (BDO, USA LLP); Monica Allen (Washington University General Counsel); Amicia Young (Marygrove); Mary Sullivan Thomas (Lincoln County Domestic Violence Council); Maria Perron (Legal Services Board President); Jim Guest (Legal Services Director of Volunteer Lawyers Program) and Karen Warren (Legal Services Director of Administration & Community Engagement).

L to R: Dan Glazier, (Legal Services’ Executive Director & General Counsel) with Hon. Stephen N. Limbaugh, Sr. who received the Robert Walston Chubb Award for lifetime dedication to legal aid.

L to R: Karen Warren, (Legal Services’ Director of Administration & Community Engagement), Missouri State Senator Jamilah Nasheed, Missouri State Senator S. Kiki Curls

Back row, L to R: James Surber, Tim Huskey, Patricia Hart Hastings, Tammy White Devine, Chris Goddard

Front row, L to R: Jessica Curtis, Monica Allen(General Counsel), Lisa Wood, Heidi Klosterman

“We are thrilled to be voted one of the most innovative companies in St. Louis by Small Business Monthlyreaders. Our business model is different. The way we approach our client relationships is one where we have engaged relationships where we meet with them weekly to pay their bills, provide business guidance and help them forecast. For the accountants with our firm, they have a quality of work / life balance that few regional firms are able to offer,” said Tom Dunn, CPA, Founder and Owner of Tom Dunn CPA Firm. 

The list of the top 2019 CPA firms is published in the September issue of Small Business Monthly. To view, please click on the following link, https://www.sbmon.com/Awards/Article/1551/2019-Most-Innovative-Companies.

Dunn has been selected by Small Business Monthly readersfor multiple awards including one of the best companies in St. Louis for customer service and best in reliability. He has also been voted one of the “Top 100 People to Know in Business in St. Louis” in 2017. 

Tom Dunn CPA Firm, founded by Tom Dunn, CPA, is a St. Louis-based accounting, business advisory and tax preparation firm that serves small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits, families and trusts.  Nearly 20 years ago, Tom decided to focus on his passions of accounting and helping entrepreneurs find solutions. Tom and his team can manage the business and personal financial, accounting and tax needs of their clients by partnering with them so they have a better chance at success, life-changing results and peace of mind. To learn more, please visit, http://tomdunncpa.com.

Award-winning Supreme Court reporter is keynote speaker at October 4^th luncheon.

August 1, 2019 (ST. LOUIS) – National Public Radio’s award-winning legal correspondent, Nina Totenberg, will deliver the keynote address for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s inaugural Justice Speaks luncheon on Friday October 4, 2019, 11:00 am – 1:00pm at the Hyatt Regency at the Arch in St. Louis.

Ms. Totenberg brings a unique perspective that is always informative and engaging. Her timely appearance – just before the Supreme Court begins its new session – will include insightful discussion of headline-making cases and features her famous predictions about which cases the Court will hear in the upcoming year.

Totenberg has been honored seven times by the American Bar Association for continued excellence in legal reporting and has received two dozen honorary degrees. She holds the distinction of being the first radio journalist to have won the National Press Foundation’s “Broadcaster of the Year Award.” Recently, she was featured in the documentary film RBG.

This event is the first of a series of annual conversations about justice and civil rights which will bring these important issues into a public forum and reflects some of the challenges we face in the work of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.

Media Partner for this event is St. Louis Public Radio, and Presenting Sponsor is Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Tickets are $125 per person with tables of ten available. Sponsorship and ticket information are at www.lsem.org/justice-speaks or contact Louisa Gregory atlmgregory@lsem.org or 314.256.8736.

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About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 63 years. In 2018, 30,000 people in

21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit www.lsem.org.

About St. louis Public Radio: St. Louis Public Radio is an award-winning news organization and NPR-member station, providing in-depth news, insightful discussion and entertaining programs to half-a-million people per month on air and online. With a large, St. Louis-based newsroom and reporters stationed in Jefferson City and Rolla, Missouri, and Belleville, Illinois, our journalists find and tell important stories about communities across the region and help people to become deeply informed about the issues that affect their lives. We broadcast on 90.7 KWMU FM in St. Louis, 90.3 WQUB in Quincy, Illinois, 88.5 KMST in Rolla and 96.3 K242AN in Lebanon, Missouri, and share news and music online at stlpublicradio.org. We are a member-supported service of the University of Missouri – St. Louis.

Director of Human Resources and Director of Volunteer Lawyers Program

St. Louis (July 18, 2019) – Legal Services of Eastern Missouri announces the hiring of two new staff members:

James H. Guest has re-joined Legal Services as Director of the Volunteer Lawyers Program. Guest, a 1997 graduate of Saint Louis School of Law, was Director of the Volunteer Lawyers Program 2006-2015, and has rejoined the agency after serving four years at Washington University School of Law as Senior Career Strategist and Director of Employer Relations. He is a 2008 graduate of Leadership St. Louis and serves as member of University City Historical Preservation Committee, Vice President of the Camp Nebagamon Scholarship Fund, Eagle Bank Community Steering Committee and the Salvation Army’s Family Haven Homeless Shelter Steering Committee.

Kate Tucker has joined Legal Services as Director of Human Resources. Tucker, a 2009 graduate of Washington University School of Law is a licensed attorney with significant experience in human resources and employment law. She previously worked for Commerce Bank, where she co-founded and led the Women’s Employee Resource Group, RISE, and has a background in Organizational Development and Compensation consulting with Tucker Consultants. She is past Chair of the Women in the Legal Profession Section of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.

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About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 63 years. In 2018 nearly 30,000 people in

21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit www.lsem.org.

This is the Tenth Consecutive Year for AMM Communications to Make the List of Best STL PR Firms

July 15, 2019 (St. Louis) – AMM Communications LLC, a St. Louis-based strategic communication and marketing communication firm, focused on public relations, business development, internal communications, content marketing, crisis communications, reputation management, executive communication skills training, and social media consulting, was selected as one of the “Best Public Relations Firms in St. Louis in 2019” by Small Business Monthly readers.

The firm has made the list of Small Business Monthly’s Top Public Relations firms for 10 consecutive years from 2010-19.

“This is an incredible honor,” said Ann Marie Mayuga, AMM Communications partner and co-founder. “We want to thank our customers, partners, vendors, family, and friends for selecting us as one of the top public relations firms in St. Louis. To be included with this group of St. Louis firms demonstrates the level of marketing and public relations talent in the St. Louis region.”

Since its founding in 2008, AMM Communications has served the leading companies in their industry sectors providing them with support ranging from media relations and crisis communications to content marketing, and executive communications skills training.  The company, co-founded by Ed and Ann Marie Mayuga, focuses on serving financial institutions, professional services firms, manufacturing and distribution companies, healthcare, government entities and not-for-profits throughout the Midwest.

The list of the top public relations is published in the July 2019 Small Business Monthly. To view the list of the best public relations firms, please click on the link, http://www.sbmon.com/Awards/Article/1520/2019-Best-Public-Relations-Firms.

About AMM Communications

Founded in 2008, AMM Communications LLC, the leading St. Louis-based strategic marketing and firm, provides media relations, digital marketing, business development, crisis communications, content marketing, internal communications, communications skills training, reputation management, social media consulting, and executive communication skills training. AMM Communications is a nationally certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) by Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and certified by State of Missouri, St. Louis County and St. Louis City.  The company is federally certified as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the SBA and is certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). AMM Communications has been voted one of the “Best PR Firms in St. Louis” by Small Business Monthly from 2010-2019. For more information, please visit, http://ammcommunications.com or call 314.485.9499.