Professor, University of Minnesota Law School
Ilan Wurman is the Julius E. Davis Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches administrative law and constitutional law. He previously taught at Arizona State University. He writes primarily on the Fourteenth Amendment, administrative law, separation of powers, and constitutionalism. His academic writing has appeared in the Yale Law Journal, the Stanford Law Review, the University of Chicago Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, the Virginia Law Review, the Duke Law Journal, the Minnesota Law Review, the Notre Dame Law Review, and the Texas Law Review among other journals.
Professor Wurman is the author of a casebook, Administrative Law Theory and Fundamentals: An Integrated Approach (Foundation Press 2d ed. 2024). He is also the author of A Debt Against the Living: An Introduction to Originalism (Cambridge 2017), and The Second Founding: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Amendment (Cambridge 2020). His next book, The Constitution of 1789: A New Introduction, is also forthcoming with Cambridge University Press.
Professor Wurman practices law with the firm Tully Bailey. He has litigated a variety of administrative law and constitutional law cases, including cases involving COVID-19 restrictions, transmission lines, and Appointments Clause challenges. He also devised winning public nuisance theories to force city governments to address the increasingly challenging public camping crises throughout the country.
Wayne A. Abernathy, Wild Bells
Wayne A. Abernathy is a former U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions under President George W. Bush, receiving the Alexander Hamilton Award in recognition of his service. In that office he was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Prior to his work at the Treasury, Mr. Abernathy served as Staff Director of the Senate Banking Committee, under Chairman Phil Gramm.
Following his service at the Treasury, Mr. Abernathy worked for 15 years on the staff of the American Bankers Association, as Executive Vice President for Financial Institutions Policy and Regulatory Affairs.
Previous experience with the Senate Banking Committee includes serving as Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Securities during 1995-1998. From 1989 until 1994, Mr. Abernathy was a Republican economist for the committee. He previously worked as a senior legislative assistant for Senator Gramm during 1987-1989 and as an economist for the Banking Committee’s Subcommittee on International Finance and Monetary Policy during 1981-1986, under Chairman Jake Garn.
Mr. Abernathy earned his bachelor’s degree in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University in 1978. In 1980, he received a master’s degree in International Studies from the School of Advanced International Studies of The Johns Hopkins University.
Managing Partner, Federal Financial Analytics, Inc.
Karen Shaw Petrou is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Federal Financial Analytics, Inc., a privately-held company that, since 1985, has provided analytical and advisory services on legislative, regulatory, and public-policy issues affecting financial services companies doing business in the U.S. and abroad. The firm’s practice is a unique blend of strategic advice and policy analysis that does not include lobbying or any other projects that would compromise its objectivity and independence. This, Petrou believes, gives boards of directors, senior management and regulators the best advice on emerging issues on which to base their own strategic planning and advocacy.
Ms. Petrou is a frequent speaker on topics affecting the financial services industry. In addition to presentations to Congress, foreign legislatures and government agencies, she has spoken before such organizations as the Japanese Diet, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, various Federal Reserve Banks, the Economist’s Buttonwood conference, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the American Bankers Association, The Clearing House, the Financial Services Roundtable, the Institute of International Bankers, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, the American Bar Association, the Brookings Institution, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the National Association of Manufacturers, and many other industry, academic and policy-maker audiences. She has also authored numerous articles in professional publications such as the American Banker and International Economy, as well as general-interest media like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Ms. Petrou appears frequently in the media as an expert on banking legislation and regulation.
Prior to founding her own firm in 1985, Ms. Petrou worked in Washington as an officer at Bank of America, where she began her career in 1977. She is an honors graduate in Political Science from Wellesley College and also was a special student in an honors program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She earned an M.A. in that subject from the University of California at Berkeley, and was a doctoral candidate there. She has served on the boards of banking organizations and sits as a director on the board of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation. She is also an advisory member of the board of the Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law.
Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice
Robert Frommer serves as a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice. He joined the Institute in August 2008 and is currently litigating on behalf of SpeechNow.org, a group challenging the federal campaign finance laws regarding free speech.
Before joining IJ, Robert was an attorney with the Washington, D.C., office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where he litigated both complex litigation and public-interest matters. He is a former law clerk to Judge Morris Sheppard Arnold of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Robert received his law degree magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 2004, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as both a book review editor for the Michigan Law Review and president of the Federalist Society student chapter. Before going to law school, Robert earned a master's degree in economics from George Mason University.
Co-Chair, Republican National Lawyers Association
Jennifer Bukowsky is a syndicated talk radio host, Co-Chair of the Republican National Lawyers Association, and Vice-Chair of the Missouri Republican Party.
An accomplished criminal defense attorney, Jennifer has handled more than 1,400 cases ranging from trespass to first-degree murder. She clerked for Missouri Supreme Court Judge Mary R. Russell, served as an Assistant Public Defender, and later built her own firm before launching Show-Me Defenders in 2021.
Her contributions have been widely recognized with awards including the David J. Dixon Appellate Advocacy Award, the President’s Service Award from the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, the Distinguished Recent Alumni Award from the University of Missouri School of Law, and “20 Under 40” honors from the Columbia Business Times. She has helped shape Missouri law as a member of committees that revised the Criminal Code and drafted the state’s expungement bill—both now enacted.
A leader in conservative legal circles, Jennifer serves on the Missouri Supreme Court’s Task Force on Criminal Justice and the Show-Me Institute Board, previously taught the Innocence Clinic at Mizzou, and has deployed multiple times as an election attorney for the Republican National Lawyers Association.
A University of Missouri School of Law graduate with highest honors and Order of the Coif membership, she also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy and is a licensed CPA. She lives in Columbia, Missouri, with her husband and two sons.
Prosecuting Attorney, Christian County, Missouri
On January 1, 2011, Amy Fite began her first term as the Prosecuting Attorney for Christian County. During her tenure the office has transitioned to a “fileless office”, a “no refusal” policy has been established to allow law enforcement to seek search warrants in cases involving impaired drivers, the office has been structured into teams for better efficiency and accountability. She has implemented a best practice of vertical prosecution – meaning the same prosecutor handles the case from case review through disposition.
After graduating cum laude from St. Louis University School of Law in 1997, Fite began as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. While there she served as the narcotics attorney. Upon leaving Christian County, Fite spent over eight years at the Circuit Attorney’s Office for the City of St. Louis. At the Circuit Attorney’s Office, Fite served in the Drug Court, Domestic Violence Unit, General Felony Trial Staff, Gang Unit, and the Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit. She spent more than two years as the Trial Trainer, where she trained incoming Assistant Circuit Attorneys how to prepare and try jury trials. While at the Circuit Attorney’s Office, Fite participated in well over 100 jury trials, including successfully convicting murderers, robbers, rapists and child sex offenders. In 2008, Fite joined in the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office serving as a 1st Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the General Crimes Unit. January 1, 2011, she began her first term as Christian County Prosecuting Attorney.
Fite serves on the board of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (MAPA). In 2018, she concluded a two-year term as president for MAPA. She previously served as the president-elect and secretary of MAPA, and as the chair of the Victim Services Sub-committee of MAPA’s Best Practices Committee. She currently serves as a co-chair on the Missouri Supreme Court’s Task Force on Criminal Justice.
Fite was honored as the Prosecutor of the Year in 2018 by the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. In 2015, the Missouri Victim Assistance Network honored her with the James P. Damos Award in recognition of her willingness to go above and beyond her designated duties in order to affect a positive change for victims. In 2014, she was honored as the Family and Sexual Violence Hero of the Year by MAPA. That same year, she was named, one of Springfield Business Journal’s Twenty Most Influential Women. In 2006, Fite was named by the Missouri Lawyers Weekly as one of Missouri’s “Up and Coming Lawyers”. Fite’s trial skills were recognized while at the Circuit Attorney’s Office by receiving the Trial Star Award three consecutive years and being a recipient of the Justice Award.
As the elected Prosecutor, Fite serves with 18 other members of the office whose mission is to seek and serve justice. She continues to carry a caseload that includes murders and sexually related crimes.
Fite has presented at national and statewide conferences. In 2016 she co-presented at the Gundersen VIP Summit/When Words Matter conference on the benefits of conducting forensic interviews of children beyond the age of the hearsay exception. She is a member of the “ChildFirst” faculty whose responsibility is training professionals from multiple disciplines who work with child victims or witnesses of child abuse, neglect or other violent crimes. She served several years training new prosecutor from across the state as part of the faculty for the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services Trial Advocacy School. She has also served as faculty on “How to Prosecute the Child Sex Offender”. She was also a member of the original faculty who created the curriculum. She has presented on various topics at the statewide Prosecutors’ Conference. She has regularly presented at various citizen academies hosted by local law enforcement agencies.
Partner, Wyrsch, Hobbs & Mirakian, PC
Mr. Hobbs has extensive experience in both civil and criminal cases with particular emphasis in white collar criminal defense work. He has tried cases in areas such as criminal enforcement of environmental laws, defense of health care prosecutions, representation of individuals and corporations charged with business crimes, and defense of political corruption prosecutions. Mr. Hobbs has also represented individuals charged with violent offenses and sexual assault cases. His practice also involves grand jury representation and pretrial representation of individuals and corporations under investigation for criminal conduct. Mr. Hobbs is the recipient of numerous awards, and he has served on many boards of organizations advocating for criminal defendants.
Co-Chair, Republican National Lawyers Association
Jennifer Bukowsky is a syndicated talk radio host, Co-Chair of the Republican National Lawyers Association, and Vice-Chair of the Missouri Republican Party.
An accomplished criminal defense attorney, Jennifer has handled more than 1,400 cases ranging from trespass to first-degree murder. She clerked for Missouri Supreme Court Judge Mary R. Russell, served as an Assistant Public Defender, and later built her own firm before launching Show-Me Defenders in 2021.
Her contributions have been widely recognized with awards including the David J. Dixon Appellate Advocacy Award, the President’s Service Award from the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, the Distinguished Recent Alumni Award from the University of Missouri School of Law, and “20 Under 40” honors from the Columbia Business Times. She has helped shape Missouri law as a member of committees that revised the Criminal Code and drafted the state’s expungement bill—both now enacted.
A leader in conservative legal circles, Jennifer serves on the Missouri Supreme Court’s Task Force on Criminal Justice and the Show-Me Institute Board, previously taught the Innocence Clinic at Mizzou, and has deployed multiple times as an election attorney for the Republican National Lawyers Association.
A University of Missouri School of Law graduate with highest honors and Order of the Coif membership, she also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy and is a licensed CPA. She lives in Columbia, Missouri, with her husband and two sons.
Prosecuting Attorney, Christian County, Missouri
On January 1, 2011, Amy Fite began her first term as the Prosecuting Attorney for Christian County. During her tenure the office has transitioned to a “fileless office”, a “no refusal” policy has been established to allow law enforcement to seek search warrants in cases involving impaired drivers, the office has been structured into teams for better efficiency and accountability. She has implemented a best practice of vertical prosecution – meaning the same prosecutor handles the case from case review through disposition.
After graduating cum laude from St. Louis University School of Law in 1997, Fite began as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. While there she served as the narcotics attorney. Upon leaving Christian County, Fite spent over eight years at the Circuit Attorney’s Office for the City of St. Louis. At the Circuit Attorney’s Office, Fite served in the Drug Court, Domestic Violence Unit, General Felony Trial Staff, Gang Unit, and the Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit. She spent more than two years as the Trial Trainer, where she trained incoming Assistant Circuit Attorneys how to prepare and try jury trials. While at the Circuit Attorney’s Office, Fite participated in well over 100 jury trials, including successfully convicting murderers, robbers, rapists and child sex offenders. In 2008, Fite joined in the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office serving as a 1st Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the General Crimes Unit. January 1, 2011, she began her first term as Christian County Prosecuting Attorney.
Fite serves on the board of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (MAPA). In 2018, she concluded a two-year term as president for MAPA. She previously served as the president-elect and secretary of MAPA, and as the chair of the Victim Services Sub-committee of MAPA’s Best Practices Committee. She currently serves as a co-chair on the Missouri Supreme Court’s Task Force on Criminal Justice.
Fite was honored as the Prosecutor of the Year in 2018 by the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. In 2015, the Missouri Victim Assistance Network honored her with the James P. Damos Award in recognition of her willingness to go above and beyond her designated duties in order to affect a positive change for victims. In 2014, she was honored as the Family and Sexual Violence Hero of the Year by MAPA. That same year, she was named, one of Springfield Business Journal’s Twenty Most Influential Women. In 2006, Fite was named by the Missouri Lawyers Weekly as one of Missouri’s “Up and Coming Lawyers”. Fite’s trial skills were recognized while at the Circuit Attorney’s Office by receiving the Trial Star Award three consecutive years and being a recipient of the Justice Award.
As the elected Prosecutor, Fite serves with 18 other members of the office whose mission is to seek and serve justice. She continues to carry a caseload that includes murders and sexually related crimes.
Fite has presented at national and statewide conferences. In 2016 she co-presented at the Gundersen VIP Summit/When Words Matter conference on the benefits of conducting forensic interviews of children beyond the age of the hearsay exception. She is a member of the “ChildFirst” faculty whose responsibility is training professionals from multiple disciplines who work with child victims or witnesses of child abuse, neglect or other violent crimes. She served several years training new prosecutor from across the state as part of the faculty for the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services Trial Advocacy School. She has also served as faculty on “How to Prosecute the Child Sex Offender”. She was also a member of the original faculty who created the curriculum. She has presented on various topics at the statewide Prosecutors’ Conference. She has regularly presented at various citizen academies hosted by local law enforcement agencies.
Partner, Wyrsch, Hobbs & Mirakian, PC
Mr. Hobbs has extensive experience in both civil and criminal cases with particular emphasis in white collar criminal defense work. He has tried cases in areas such as criminal enforcement of environmental laws, defense of health care prosecutions, representation of individuals and corporations charged with business crimes, and defense of political corruption prosecutions. Mr. Hobbs has also represented individuals charged with violent offenses and sexual assault cases. His practice also involves grand jury representation and pretrial representation of individuals and corporations under investigation for criminal conduct. Mr. Hobbs is the recipient of numerous awards, and he has served on many boards of organizations advocating for criminal defendants.
Partner, Ellinger and Associates, LLC
Marc Ellinger is a founding partner of Ellinger and Associates, LLC, and represents businesses, individuals, organizations and committees in disputes. Marc focuses his practice in election law, legislative and rulemaking practice, municipal finance and structuring, issues of state and federal constitutional law, gaming law, and appellate practice and has achieved a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating.
Marc served as legal counsel for the Missouri State Auditor in 1993. In that role advised the State Auditor constitutional and tax law matters, as well as matters related to municipal and state debt financing and regularly appeared before the state appellate courts and the Missouri Supreme Court on the Auditor’s behalf. Marc transitioned to private practice in 1999. Prior to founding Ellinger and Associates, LLC, Marc was a member of Blitz, Bardgett & Deutsch, LC.
Marc has more than twenty years of experience in election law and campaign finance compliance, including the representation of candidates, as well as ballot measure campaigns and Political Action Committees across the State of Missouri. Marc has drafted initiative petitions covering a broad range of subjects and has been involved in the coordination of campaigns and litigation on ballot measures, on behalf of both proponents and opponents.
Marc is also actively involved in representing businesses and individuals in gaming law, particularly with respect to the Missouri Gaming Commission license and compliance matters. He represents casino operators, gaming equipment suppliers, game developers and key persons throughout the gaming industry on a broad range of gaming and licensing matters. He is one of only two Missouri attorneys recognized as a General Member of the International Masters of Gaming Law and is recognized as a Super Lawyer in the Gaming Law area.
Marc’s background as a CPA allows him to view tax matters through multiple lenses. Marc has represented numerous clients in administrative and civil cases involving sales, use and property tax law. He also regularly advises clients regarding transaction structuring.
Marc has significant appellate experience in Missouri. He has argued more than twenty cases in the Missouri Supreme Court and dozens more in the Eastern and Western Districts of the Missouri Court of Appeals. From local government issues of first impression, to tax matters, to numerous election law cases, Marc has protected the interests of businesses, individuals and local governments across Missouri.
Partner, Graves Garrett Greim LLC
Edward “Eddie” Greim focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, free speech and election law, and internal investigations and whistleblower claims. He has been recognized for his successful representation of businesses and individuals in commercial litigation while also being named a “go-to” lawyer on policy and constitutional issues.
Eddie was named a Constitutional and Election Law Trailblazer by the National Law Journal in 2020. His free speech and election law practice has included numerous constitutional challenges to election and campaign finance laws; representation of clients in state and federal ethics and campaign finance enforcement actions and investigations; initiative petition drafting and litigation; litigation and advice regarding First Amendment protections for petition circulation; representation of not-for-profit clients before state regulators; litigation of state and federal redistricting issues; and advice on campaign and election law compliance.
Eddie complements his trial work in complex, high-profile commercial and constitutional cases with oral advocacy and briefing in important appeals. Recognized as a Missouri Lawyers Media POWER 30 Appellate Attorney in 2021, he has argued before the Missouri and Kansas supreme courts multiple times, other state appellate courts across the country, and before the Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Tenth U.S. Courts of Appeals.
Eddie’s notable work for clients includes:
Recovering substantial compensation and injunctive relief for plaintiffs, in complex multiyear litigation, as lead counsel in the first and only nationwide class action certified against the Internal Revenue Service for violating taxpayer protection statutes when it targeted hundreds of groups based on their political viewpoints.
Successful First Amendment challenge to Missouri’s 2016 campaign finance restrictions.
Successful challenge to a vast, multiyear, secret criminal investigation into Wisconsin political groups and nonprofits, and follow-up challenge to expose role of state ethics board which secretly aided the investigation and was later dissolved by the legislature.
U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief for the National Republican Redistricting Trust in the 2019 Rucho litigation, and federal and state redistricting litigation and advice since 2011.
Challenges under the First Amendment in federal court, and in briefing to the Michigan Supreme Court on state constitutional grounds, to unprecedented emergency powers claimed by Michigan Governor in 2020.
Representation of numerous public officials and private citizens who are subject to “lawfare” attacks based on their political viewpoints or policy objectives.
Oversight of multiple internal investigations.
Eddie received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 2002, where he taught on the Board of Student Advisers, received the Dean’s Award for Leadership, and served as President of the Harvard Catholic Law Students Association. He received two bachelor’s degrees, summa cum laude, in economics and political science from the University of Missouri.
A native of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, Eddie lives in Kansas City with his family. He enjoys Missouri and military history. On many weekends, he can be found with his wife and daughters exploring sites of local interest. He enjoys reading and debating and has given presentations or organized discussions at numerous gatherings, formal and informal, of professional and personal interest.
Partner, Stinson LLP
Chuck draws on 25 years’ experience litigating and negotiating very high profile cases, primarily involving some sort of government action, to help offer clients a broad and insightful perspective on Missouri's government and judiciary.
In its annual 100+ List, The Missouri Times newspaper said: Chuck Hatfield's "time at the highest levels of state government have made him very sought after as an attorney in private practice. There is probably no attorney who knows more members of the judiciary and the executive branch in the state. He is also known for his quick wit on social media and willingness to take on tough cases." He has personally handled more than a dozen major cases before the Missouri Supreme Court. Chuck regularly appears before administrative agencies as well as trial and appellate courts at both the state and federal levels.
In his regulatory practice, Chuck has handled matters involving every department of Missouri government. As an outgrowth of his regulatory- based litigation, Chuck is a highly rated commercial litigator. He defends complex high-stakes litigation including class actions involving regulated industries such as securities, insurance and merchandising practices. He chairs the firm’s Financial Services and Class Action Litigation division and its Government Solutions group.
Chuck understands the importance of providing great legal service and value to his clients. As an attorney certified in Legal Project Management (LPM), he has been trained in matter budgeting and management in order to provide transparency and efficiency to his clients.
State Senator, Missouri State Senate (MO-18)
Senator Cindy O’Laughlin was sworn into office on Jan. 9, 2019, to serve the residents of Northeast Missouri’s 18th Senatorial District.
In addition to her public service, Sen. O’Laughlin has served as vice president of Leo O’Laughlin, Inc. for the past 26 years. The senator and her husband own and operate a trucking company and ready mix concrete business with locations in Shelbina, Macon, Marceline and LaBelle.
Prior to being elected to the Missouri Senate, Sen. O’Laughlin served as a school bus driver, an administrator at a local Christian school and as a member of her local school board. Now, Sen. O’Laughlin serves as the chair of the Senate Education Committee and works to improve education outcomes for all of Missouri’s children, regardless of where they live.
Senator O’Laughlin has been a member of various civic organizations such as the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Shelby County Economic Development Board. She has also served on numerous statewide boards such as the Associated Builders and Contractors and the Missouri Club for Growth. Senator O’Laughlin is currently a member of the National Rifle Association, Missouri Cattlemen, the Missouri Farm Bureau and Macon First Baptist Church.
O’Laughlin grew up on a farm and spent much of her childhood around horses, livestock auctions and corn fields. Today, she’s the proud owner of several dogs including Basset Hounds, as well as several rescues dogs.
A current resident of Shelbina, Sen. O’Laughlin has four sons, a foster daughter and six grandchildren. She is a 1978 graduate of the University of Missouri.
Partner, Ellinger and Associates, LLC
Marc Ellinger is a founding partner of Ellinger and Associates, LLC, and represents businesses, individuals, organizations and committees in disputes. Marc focuses his practice in election law, legislative and rulemaking practice, municipal finance and structuring, issues of state and federal constitutional law, gaming law, and appellate practice and has achieved a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating.
Marc served as legal counsel for the Missouri State Auditor in 1993. In that role advised the State Auditor constitutional and tax law matters, as well as matters related to municipal and state debt financing and regularly appeared before the state appellate courts and the Missouri Supreme Court on the Auditor’s behalf. Marc transitioned to private practice in 1999. Prior to founding Ellinger and Associates, LLC, Marc was a member of Blitz, Bardgett & Deutsch, LC.
Marc has more than twenty years of experience in election law and campaign finance compliance, including the representation of candidates, as well as ballot measure campaigns and Political Action Committees across the State of Missouri. Marc has drafted initiative petitions covering a broad range of subjects and has been involved in the coordination of campaigns and litigation on ballot measures, on behalf of both proponents and opponents.
Marc is also actively involved in representing businesses and individuals in gaming law, particularly with respect to the Missouri Gaming Commission license and compliance matters. He represents casino operators, gaming equipment suppliers, game developers and key persons throughout the gaming industry on a broad range of gaming and licensing matters. He is one of only two Missouri attorneys recognized as a General Member of the International Masters of Gaming Law and is recognized as a Super Lawyer in the Gaming Law area.
Marc’s background as a CPA allows him to view tax matters through multiple lenses. Marc has represented numerous clients in administrative and civil cases involving sales, use and property tax law. He also regularly advises clients regarding transaction structuring.
Marc has significant appellate experience in Missouri. He has argued more than twenty cases in the Missouri Supreme Court and dozens more in the Eastern and Western Districts of the Missouri Court of Appeals. From local government issues of first impression, to tax matters, to numerous election law cases, Marc has protected the interests of businesses, individuals and local governments across Missouri.
Partner, Graves Garrett Greim LLC
Edward “Eddie” Greim focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, free speech and election law, and internal investigations and whistleblower claims. He has been recognized for his successful representation of businesses and individuals in commercial litigation while also being named a “go-to” lawyer on policy and constitutional issues.
Eddie was named a Constitutional and Election Law Trailblazer by the National Law Journal in 2020. His free speech and election law practice has included numerous constitutional challenges to election and campaign finance laws; representation of clients in state and federal ethics and campaign finance enforcement actions and investigations; initiative petition drafting and litigation; litigation and advice regarding First Amendment protections for petition circulation; representation of not-for-profit clients before state regulators; litigation of state and federal redistricting issues; and advice on campaign and election law compliance.
Eddie complements his trial work in complex, high-profile commercial and constitutional cases with oral advocacy and briefing in important appeals. Recognized as a Missouri Lawyers Media POWER 30 Appellate Attorney in 2021, he has argued before the Missouri and Kansas supreme courts multiple times, other state appellate courts across the country, and before the Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Tenth U.S. Courts of Appeals.
Eddie’s notable work for clients includes:
Recovering substantial compensation and injunctive relief for plaintiffs, in complex multiyear litigation, as lead counsel in the first and only nationwide class action certified against the Internal Revenue Service for violating taxpayer protection statutes when it targeted hundreds of groups based on their political viewpoints.
Successful First Amendment challenge to Missouri’s 2016 campaign finance restrictions.
Successful challenge to a vast, multiyear, secret criminal investigation into Wisconsin political groups and nonprofits, and follow-up challenge to expose role of state ethics board which secretly aided the investigation and was later dissolved by the legislature.
U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief for the National Republican Redistricting Trust in the 2019 Rucho litigation, and federal and state redistricting litigation and advice since 2011.
Challenges under the First Amendment in federal court, and in briefing to the Michigan Supreme Court on state constitutional grounds, to unprecedented emergency powers claimed by Michigan Governor in 2020.
Representation of numerous public officials and private citizens who are subject to “lawfare” attacks based on their political viewpoints or policy objectives.
Oversight of multiple internal investigations.
Eddie received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 2002, where he taught on the Board of Student Advisers, received the Dean’s Award for Leadership, and served as President of the Harvard Catholic Law Students Association. He received two bachelor’s degrees, summa cum laude, in economics and political science from the University of Missouri.
A native of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, Eddie lives in Kansas City with his family. He enjoys Missouri and military history. On many weekends, he can be found with his wife and daughters exploring sites of local interest. He enjoys reading and debating and has given presentations or organized discussions at numerous gatherings, formal and informal, of professional and personal interest.
Partner, Stinson LLP
Chuck draws on 25 years’ experience litigating and negotiating very high profile cases, primarily involving some sort of government action, to help offer clients a broad and insightful perspective on Missouri's government and judiciary.
In its annual 100+ List, The Missouri Times newspaper said: Chuck Hatfield's "time at the highest levels of state government have made him very sought after as an attorney in private practice. There is probably no attorney who knows more members of the judiciary and the executive branch in the state. He is also known for his quick wit on social media and willingness to take on tough cases." He has personally handled more than a dozen major cases before the Missouri Supreme Court. Chuck regularly appears before administrative agencies as well as trial and appellate courts at both the state and federal levels.
In his regulatory practice, Chuck has handled matters involving every department of Missouri government. As an outgrowth of his regulatory- based litigation, Chuck is a highly rated commercial litigator. He defends complex high-stakes litigation including class actions involving regulated industries such as securities, insurance and merchandising practices. He chairs the firm’s Financial Services and Class Action Litigation division and its Government Solutions group.
Chuck understands the importance of providing great legal service and value to his clients. As an attorney certified in Legal Project Management (LPM), he has been trained in matter budgeting and management in order to provide transparency and efficiency to his clients.
State Senator, Missouri State Senate (MO-18)
Senator Cindy O’Laughlin was sworn into office on Jan. 9, 2019, to serve the residents of Northeast Missouri’s 18th Senatorial District.
In addition to her public service, Sen. O’Laughlin has served as vice president of Leo O’Laughlin, Inc. for the past 26 years. The senator and her husband own and operate a trucking company and ready mix concrete business with locations in Shelbina, Macon, Marceline and LaBelle.
Prior to being elected to the Missouri Senate, Sen. O’Laughlin served as a school bus driver, an administrator at a local Christian school and as a member of her local school board. Now, Sen. O’Laughlin serves as the chair of the Senate Education Committee and works to improve education outcomes for all of Missouri’s children, regardless of where they live.
Senator O’Laughlin has been a member of various civic organizations such as the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Shelby County Economic Development Board. She has also served on numerous statewide boards such as the Associated Builders and Contractors and the Missouri Club for Growth. Senator O’Laughlin is currently a member of the National Rifle Association, Missouri Cattlemen, the Missouri Farm Bureau and Macon First Baptist Church.
O’Laughlin grew up on a farm and spent much of her childhood around horses, livestock auctions and corn fields. Today, she’s the proud owner of several dogs including Basset Hounds, as well as several rescues dogs.
A current resident of Shelbina, Sen. O’Laughlin has four sons, a foster daughter and six grandchildren. She is a 1978 graduate of the University of Missouri.
Partner, Covington & Burling
Beth Brinkmann is an experienced appellate and Supreme Court litigator who has served in high-level positions in the Department of Justice, most recently as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division. She has argued 24 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. Ms. Brinkmann also has argued in numerous federal and state appellate courts across the country.
As the Civil Division’s top appellate lawyer, she was responsible for supervising much of the federal government’s civil litigation in appellate courts, including constitutional challenges, administrative law issues, intellectual property matters, and national security cases. During her tenure at the DOJ, Ms. Brinkmann presented oral argument in several high-profile court of appeals cases, including the successful defense of the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act and the government’s victory in federal immigration preemption litigation. She also regularly consulted with trial lawyers for the government on legal arguments and strategy at early phases of litigation, made recommendations on appellate matters to the U.S. Solicitor General, and advised senior leadership of cabinet-level departments and at regulatory agencies regarding litigation risk, legislative proposals, and rulemaking matters.
President, America First Legal Foundation
Gene Hamilton is the President of America First Legal, which he co-founded, and where he was previously the Executive Director, Executive Vice President, and General Counsel. He most recently served as Deputy White House Counsel to President Donald Trump. Earlier in his career, Gene served as Counselor to Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice and as Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Homeland Security. He also served as General Counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee and held several roles at the Department of Homeland Security, including with U.S. Immigration Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of the General Counsel. He holds a B.A. from the University of Georgia and a J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law.
Partner, Jones Day
Board Member, U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
Beth A. Williams is a Board Member of the United States Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, an agency whose mission is to ensure that the federal government's efforts to prevent terrorism are balanced with the need to protect privacy and civil liberties.
Prior to her Board service, Ms. Williams was the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy at the United States Department of Justice from August 2017 to December 2020. In that role, she served as the primary policy advisor to the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General, and as the Chief Regulatory Officer for the Department. Ms. Williams also led the judicial nomination process for the Department, assisting in the selection and confirmation of more than 230 Article III judges to the bench.
Prior to becoming Assistant Attorney General, Ms. Williams was a litigation and appellate partner at a national law firm, where her practice focused on complex commercial, securities, appellate, and First Amendment litigation. From 2005-2006, Ms. Williams served as Special Counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where she assisted with the confirmation of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. and Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. to the United States Supreme Court.
Ms. Williams clerked for the Hon. Richard C. Wesley on the United State Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She graduated from Harvard College magna cum laude, with a degree in History and Literature, and she earned her law degree from Harvard Law School, where she served as Executive Editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy.
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