in and out of the courtroom

Gregory Odom618.202.5802

Baker Sterchi Member Greg Odom has been elevated to second vice president of the Illinois Defense Counsel (IDC) following the organization's June board meeting.

Jack C. Nielsen816.448.9327

Previously, Missouri public construction projects generally followed a familiar rule: No mechanic's liens, but mandatory payment bonds. Missouri's 2025 amendments to Section 107.170 disrupt that framework by allowing certain public-private projects to proceed without a statutory bond and instead rely on mechanic's lien rights. The changes create new opportunities and risks for owners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and sureties alike.

Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice has been recognized with three national practice area rankings in the 2026 edition of The Legal 500, a guide used by buyers of legal services to evaluate law firms by practice area.

Clay Crawford816.460.2831

Scott D. Hofer816.471.4489

James Scott Kreamer816.471.2121

Jennifer L. Maloney314.345.5076

John A. Watt816.471.2121

Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice and five attorneys have been recognized in the 2026 edition of Chambers USA for insurance, general commercial litigation and product liability litigation in Missouri and the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Katherine Cortesy608.662.1159

Baker Sterchi obtained judgment for the defense on behalf of a physician in a small claims trial in Marathon County, WI.

Baker Sterchi welcomes its 2026 class of summer law clerks in the firm's Belleville, Kansas City and Madison offices.

James Scott Kreamer816.471.2121

For the sixth year in a row, Baker Sterchi Managing Member Scott Kreamer has earned recognition on Missouri Lawyers Media's Business Defense POWER List.

Megan M. Coluccio206.957.9669

Rebecca D. Boatright206.957.9670

On May 7, 2026, after a three-day trial in the Circuit Court of Oregon for Multnomah County, Baker Sterchi Seattle attorneys, alongside co-counsel, obtained a directed defense verdict on behalf of a nonprofit client in Portland, Oregon.

Thomas E. Rice816.448.9333

Missouri Lawyers Media has selected Baker Sterchi Member Tom Rice as a recipient of its 2026 ICON Award.

Heather Field Shore816.448.9329

On June 5, Baker Sterchi Member and Kansas Bar Association Construction Law Section President Heather Shore will help lead and co-present at the KBA Construction Law CLE Conference in Olathe, Kansas.