5 CECB Attorneys Selected for Inclusion on the 2014 Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyers List

Each year, Law & Politics Magazine invites lawyers in each state to nominate top Missouri and Kansas lawyers, they’ve personally observed in action. Research is then conducted on each candidate dividing them into practice areas. A panel of preeminent peers in each practice area then evaluates each candidate. From the original pool of candidates, only 5 percent of Missouri and Kansas attorneys are selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers. Meet the five CECB Attorneys that were included on the list.

John M. Carnahan III is a shareholder in the Transactional and Estate Planning Practice Groups of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown, P.C. He concentrates his practice in the areas of tax planning, corporate transactions, estate planning, and business succession planning for family-owned businesses. Mr. Carnahan has been awarded an AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Carnahan’s practice has included advice and assistance in real estate acquisitions and development, financial institution organization and compliance, business and estate planning, and acquisition and sale of businesses. Mr. Carnahan has served as author and editor for the Missouri Law Review, the Current Case Development ABA Section of S Corporations, and The Tax Lawyer.
Mr. Carnahan was recently appointed as the American College of Tax Counsel (ACTC) Regent for the 8th Circuit. The ACTC is a nonprofit professional association of tax lawyers in private practice, in law school teaching positions and in government, who are recognized for their excellence in tax practice and for their substantial contributions and commitment to the profession. The College is composed of Fellows (approximately 700 current members) chosen by their peers in recognition of their outstanding reputations and contributions in the field of tax law and is governed by a Board of Regents consisting of one Regent from each federal judicial circuit and two Regents at large. Regents are primarily responsible for assisting in the nomination process for new ACTC Fellows.
In 2005, the Missouri Senate confirmed Mr. Carnahan’s appointment by Governor Matt Blunt to serve on the University of Missouri Board of Curators, representing the Seventh Congressional District. The Board of Curators is a nine-person governing body of a four-campus system including the University of Missouri-Columbia, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of Missouri-Rolla, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Mr. Carnahan is also a member of the Springfield Metropolitan and American (Member, Sections on: Taxation, Business Law, and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law) Bar Associations, as well as The Missouri Bar (Chairman, Taxation Committee, 1984-1985). He is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, the American Bar Foundation, the Missouri Bar Foundation, and has been active in Bar Association activities involving continuing legal education. Mr. Carnahan has been included on the Missouri Kansas “Super Lawyers” list published by Law and Politics magazine since 2006.
John has been included on the Missouri Kansas Super Lawyers® list since 2006.

Clifford S. Brown practices in the Estate Planning Practice Group at Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown, P.C. He concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, probate, and trust litigation, and related tax matters.
Mr. Brown served as the 84th President of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association in 2006. In September 2003, he was appointed to the Board of Law Examiners by the Supreme Court. As a Board member, his role involves the investigation and determination of the character and fitness of individuals seeking admission to the bar, determining the qualifications of practicing attorneys from other states seeking to be admitted to the Missouri Bar without examination, and in developing, administering, and grading the examinations of new applicants seeking admission to the bar.
Mr. Brown has served as an educator and speaker on behalf of the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, the Missouri Bar Association, the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law, and other organizations in providing continuing legal education to members of the legal profession. Mr. Brown is listed in Who’s Who in American Law, as well as The Best Lawyers in America. Mr. Brown is the author of several publications, including the chapters on “Taxation” (Missouri Family Law Deskbook, The Missouri Bar, 4th and 5th Editions, published July 1988 and 1996, respectively), and as co-author of the chapter on “Trust Contests” (Missouri Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Custodianships, and Non probate Matters, 2nd Edition, published 2006).
In 1991, Mr. Brown was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Additionally, Mr. Brown is a member of the American Bar Association where he is a Member of the Trust and Estates Group and the Missouri Bar, where he has served as Chairman of the Probate Law Subcommittee of the Probate and Trust Committee. Mr. Brown is also a member of the Greene County Estate Planning Council.
Mr. Brown’s community involvement includes serving on the Board of Directors of the Burrell Center and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
Cliff has been selected to the Missouri Kansas Super Lawyers® list since 2005.

Joseph D. “Chip” Sheppard, III is a shareholder in the Litigation/Dispute Resolution Practice Group of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown, P.C. He concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, business, securities and intellectual property litigation, dispute resolution and transactions.
A substantial portion of Mr. Sheppard’s practice includes securities and other fraud and fiduciary duty related claims, both as an arbitrator and as counsel for the parties. Mr. Sheppard has tried a combined total of more than 50 arbitrations, state and federal trials, both jury and non-jury, in his areas of concentration. Other areas of concentration are various business transactions, acquisitions, real estate development and related litigation and probate litigation.
Mr. Sheppard is a board member of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, Chairman of the Non-Partisan Court Plan Committee, member of the American Bar Association, the Missouri Bar, and the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association. In 2005 he was elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Association, an honor bestowed upon less than .5 percent of the. In 2008, he Co-Chaired the Greene Countians for Fair and Impartial Judges Committee which was responsible for bringing the Missouri Court Plan to Greene County, was a finalist for Missouri Lawyer of the Year and received the Missouri Bar Association and Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association President’s Awards in recognition of extraordinary service to those Associations and the legal profession. Finally, he has been named to the “Best Lawyers in America” list by the publication of the same name. Mr. Sheppard is a former arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, New York Stock Exchange, and is presently an arbitrator for the National Association of Securities Dealers (FINRA).
Mr. Sheppard’s community involvement includes serving as a director of Hickory Hills Country Club (2003-present), as well as serving as a member of the Chamber of Commerce Governmental Relations Committee (1995-present). He also served as an Elder at the First and Calvary Presbyterian church and on various committees. Mr. Sheppard has also served on the Board of Directors for Leadership Springfield and the Housing Authority of Springfield.
Chip was selected to the Missouri Kansas Super Lawyers® list in 2005 and 2006 and again for 2010-2014.

Thomas D. Peebles, Jr is a shareholder and member of the Estate Planning Practice Group of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown, P.C. Mr. Peebles has concentrated his practice in estate planning and estate and trust administration matters since 1980.
Mr. Peebles has significant experience in the preparation of basic and sophisticated estate planning documents, and in wealth transfer planning for high net worth clients, closely held business owners and their families. He has been awarded an AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell in recognition of his preeminent work in assisting his clients in achieving their estate planning goals and objectives.
In 2004, Mr. Peebles was elected a Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel in recognition of distinguished service in the practice of estate planning, probate and trust law. Mr. Peebles has been honored since 2010 by being named to the “Best Lawyers in America” list. In 2007, Mr. Peebles was elected by his peers as a Fellow in the American Bar Foundation. Membership as a Fellow in the American Bar Foundation is limited to one third of one percent of the lawyers in America and is in recognition of a lawyer whose professional, public and private career has demonstrated outstanding dedication to the welfare of the community and to the traditions of the profession.
Mr. Peebles is the author of several publications, including “Estate Planning Practice – The Fundamentals” (MoBAR, Annual Estate and Trust Institute, 2003), “Miscellaneous Estate Planning Techniques” (Missouri Bar Estate Planning Deskbook, 3rd Edition, 2010) “Basic Tax Considerations” (National Business Institute, How to Draft Wills and Trusts in Missouri, 1996), “Funding and Operating Living Trusts” (National Business Institute, Planning Opportunities with Living Trusts in Missouri, 1993), and “Funding the Living Trust” (MOBAR CLE, Effective Use of Living Trust, 1991). Additionally, Mr. Peebles is a frequent speaker on estate planning topics, including programs for The Missouri Bar.
Mr. Peebles has, over the years, devoted a substantial amount of his time towards civic and charitable activities including the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, the Foundation for the Springfield Public Schools, the Springfield-Greene County Library Foundation, the History Museum of the Ozarks, the Hospice Foundation of Southwest Missouri, and the Child Advocacy Council. Mr. Peebles was recognized as one of ten “Volunteers of the Year” as part of the 2004 Gift of Time Awards sponsored by the Council of Churches of the Ozarks.
In addition to his membership in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Mr. Peebles is a member of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association (Chair, Probate and Trust Committee, 1991 to 1992), the Missouri Bar (Member, Probate and Trust Committee), the Greene County Estate Planning Council (President, 1990-1991), and the American Bar Association (Member, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section).
Tom was selected to the Missouri Kansas Super Lawyers® list in 2005 and 2006 and again for 2010-2014.

Rodney H. Nichols is a shareholder of the firm and is part of the Banking, Litigation and Transactional Practice Groups of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown, P.C. He concentrates his practice in the areas of banking and creditor’s rights, commercial and real estate litigation and general corporate matters. He has served as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Bank Counsel Section of the Missouri Banker’s Association and remains a member of its advisory board. He has been a frequent speaker on current legal issues and trends impacting financial institutions, and along with another member of the firm’s litigation team, successfully defended a large regional financial institution in a case brought against it in federal court by a customer involving a fraudulent wire transfer and the financial institution’s online banking security. This was the first reported case in the United States where the financial institution prevailed in establishing the soundness of its online banking security under Article 4A of the Uniform Commercial Code. The case has received national attention and has been widely publicized in various banking publications.
Mr. Nichols has also served as an appointed member of the Federal Practice Committee for the United States District Court, Western District of Missouri and is a former Chairman of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association’s Federal Bench and Bar, Commercial Law and Insolvency and Programs committees.
Mr. Nichols devotes a significant amount of time to the community and has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Developmental Center of the Ozarks. In October 2004, Mr. Nichols was appointed by the Greene County Commissioners to serve as a Member of the Springfield/Greene County Library Board of Trustees and served two terms through July, 2011. In 2003, he was recognized by the Springfield Business Journal with their “40 Under 40” award, for his outstanding contribution to the community and his profession.
In January 2007, Mr. Nichols was appointed as a Member of the City of Springfield’s Jordan Valley Park Tax Abatement and Tax Increment Financing Commission. In 2011 he was selected to serve as a member of a task force organized by the City of Springfield to evaluate the future use and development of a parcel of real estate owned by the City adjacent to the City’s Exposition facility.
Rodney was previously named to the Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers list as a Rising Star and was selected in 2013 & 2014 for inclusion on the Missouri Kansas Super Lawyers® list.