For more information, contact:
Stephanie Mitchum Murphy, (816) 460-5243, or
Justin LaBerge, (816) 235-7724

Trial attorney attracted to the law firm’s national litigation practice

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 5, 2007) – Robert O. Lesley, a seasoned trial attorney with significant experience in intellectual property and consumer products liability litigation, has joined Lathrop & Gage L.C. as a member.

Lesley has 23 years of trial practice experience and has tried nearly two dozen cases, including disputes involving copyright, trade secret, trademark, patent infringement, products liability and technology. Recognized as a Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyer, Lesley has litigated cases in nearly every state, representing some of the country’s best-known brands, including Black & Decker, Toastmaster (now Salton), Vornado and Hallmark Cards.

Previously, Lesley was a partner with Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP; earlier, he was with Stinson Mag & Fizzell (now Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP) for 22 years, several of which he served as the firm’s IP practice chair.

“I’ve watched Lathrop & Gage grow into a litigation powerhouse with national reach – it’s impressive what the firm has accomplished,” Lesley said. “The variety and volume of work is second to none in Kansas City and exceptionally strong regionally and nationally. Add to that a very collegial work environment, and this is the perfect place for me and my clients.”

With more than 180 litigators, Lathrop & Gage has one of the largest litigation practices in the region. Lesley joins a growing stable of high-profile trial attorneys, including IP stalwart Bill Hansen in New York; Phill Lorenzo in Denver; Brent Baldwin in St. Louis; Gary Cunningham in Springfield; and former U.S. Attorney Jean Paul Bradshaw, among others, in Kansas City. Both Baldwin and Cunningham are Fellows in the American College of Trial Lawyers, comprised of the best of the trial bar in the U.S. and Canada.

Moreover, with the addition of Lesley, Lathrop & Gage is now home to 44 IP attorneys. In this area, Lesley is the second significant addition in January alone: Earlier this month, the firm announced the addition of Dean Bierkan, who formerly oversaw the IP portfolio of Heinz Corp. as an in-house attorney, to its New York office.

Lesley earned his undergraduate degree from Westminster College and his law degree from Washington University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Missouri and Kansas.

About Lathrop & Gage:
A leading Midwest full-service law firm, Lathrop & Gage L.C. has 280 attorneys in 10 offices nationwide – from Denver, Colo. to New York, New York. In 2006, Chambers USA ranked Lathrop & Gage’s corporate, intellectual property, litigation, real estate and labor and employment practices among the best in the Midwest, noting the firm is populated with “excellent legal advisers with a strong commitment to customer service.” For more information, visit www.lathropgage.com or www.beentherewonthat.com.