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

Kansas City, Mo. (May 22, 2007) – Rick Shearer has joined the Kansas City, Mo., office of the Lathrop & Gage L.C. law firm as an associate in the business litigation practice area.

Prior to joining the firm, Shearer practiced in the Washington, D.C. and West Virginia area focusing on the defense of civil litigation and white collar compliance and criminal defense. He assisted on matters involving the Federal Foreign Corrupt Practice Act, State and Federal False Claims Acts, and federal criminal investigations involving the federal bribery statute.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in 1999 and his juris doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law in 2004. Shearer was a recipient of the Robert W. Miller Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy; Executive Board Member, Syracuse University Moot Court Honor Society; Executive Director, 2003 Lionel Grossman Trial Competition; and Semi-Finalist, 2003 Mackenzie Hughes Appellate Advocacy Competition. He is a member of the American Bar Association and Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia and the National Trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia in 2006.

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.”