FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            

For more information, contact:
Katie Hollar, (816) 460-5631
Justin LaBerge, (816) 235-7724

JOAN K. ARCHER JOINS LATHROP & GAGE

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 2, 2006) – Joan K. Archer has joined the Kansas City office of the Lathrop & Gage L.C. law firm as an of counsel attorney in the Intellectual Property division.  Prior to joining Lathrop &  Gage, Archer was a member at Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP, where she was a member of the firm's Intellectual Property and Technology department and president of the firm's subsidiary, Archer Jury Focus LLC.

Archer focuses her practice on intellectual property litigation, including trademark, patent, and copyright cases. She also has handled trademark opposition matters before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Archer also consults in the area of trial communication and jury behavior.  She is licensed to practice in Missouri and Kansas.

Archer earned her bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University, summa cum laude, in 1982, her M.A. in 1984, and her Ph.D. in 1991 in Communications Studies and Jury Behavior. She earned her juris doctorate from the University of Kansas in 1992.   She is a member of The Missouri Bar, American Bar Association, Kansas Bar Association, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Archer also is a member of the Bench Bar Committee of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas and serves on the board of directors of the Folly Theater in Kansas City as board secretary.

About Lathrop& Gage:
Lathrop & Gage L.C. is a full-service law firm with 280 attorneys in 10 offices across the country. The firm has a regional, national and international practice in business and tort litigation, intellectual property, government relations, corporate, environmental, labor and employment, health care, real estate, financial institutions, tax, wealth strategies, and bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. For more information, visit www.lathropgage.com.

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