For more information, contact:
Stephanie Mitchum Murphy, (816) 292-2000

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Aug. 24, 2007) – Lathrop & Gage L.C. attorneys Richard N. Bien and Don F. Dagenais were named by their peers to the Kansas City Business Journal’s “Best of the Bar,” a list of the most admired and respected lawyers in the Kansas City area.

Recipients were nominated by other lawyers throughout the metropolitan area. Once the votes were tallied, a panel of accomplished attorneys reviewed the list and made a final check of each honoree’s reputation and professional standing. The list was published in the Aug. 24 edition of the Kansas City Business Journal, along with a quote from each attorney.

Bien is the chair of the firm’s litigation division, where his practice involves the defense of class action claims; life, health and disability insurance defense; ERISA; general business and financial litigation; insurance professional liability litigation; insurance coverage litigation and real estate litigation. He is a past recipient of the “Best of the Bar” award and was named to The Best Lawyers in America^® in 2007. He also was listed in Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers in 2005 and 2006.

Dagenais is a member in the firm’s real estate practice area. He focuses his practice on  commercial real estate purchases, sales, mortgages, leases, management and land use projects for all aspects of commercial development. He is a past recipient of the “Best of the Bar” award, in addition to being named to The Best Lawyers in America in 2007 and a Chambers USA “Leading Lawyer” for three consecutive years.

For more information about the Kansas City Business Journal, visit www.bizjournals.com/kansascity.

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 2007, Chambers USA ranked Lathrop & Gage’s corporate, environmental, intellectual property, litigation, real estate and labor and employment teams among the best in the Midwest. For more information, visit www.lathropgage.com or www.beentherewonthat.com.