8 CECB Attorneys Were Selected for Inclusion in 2010 Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars Lists
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.
The Rising Stars selection process is similar to that of the Super Lawyers but those eligible to be a Rising Stars must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for ten years or less and they do not go through the peer evaluation by practice area. From the pool of candidates no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.
While we feel all of our attorneys at CECB are super lawyers and rising stars, here are the six included by Law & Politics to the 2010 Super Lawyers list and the two included to the 2010 Rising Stars list.
Selected for Inclusion on the List of Super Lawyers®
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 has served as author and editor for the Missouri Law Review, The Journal of S Corporations and The Tax Lawyer. Mr. Carnahan received his bachelor’s degree from Southwest Missouri State University in 1971 and his law degree, cum laude, in 1974 from the University of Missouri where he was a Law Review Editor, member of the National Moot Court Team and Order of Coif and his LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Miami in 1975.
Mr. Carnahan is also a member of the Springfield Metropolitan and America (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. He has server as a member of the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri System since 2005. Mr. Carnahan has been included on the Missouri Kansas “Super Lawyers” list published by Law and Politics magazine since 2006.
William E. Evans is a shareholder in the Transactional Practice Group of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown, P.C. He concentrates his practice in the areas of taxation, corporations, real estate, business, and employer/employee law. He has been awarded an AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell [highest rating possible].
Mr. Evans has significant experience in mergers and acquisitions, tax free like-kind exchanges of real estate, and the formation and planning of limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations and has served for over 20 years as a CLE instructor in taxation for the Missouri Bar, Missouri Association of Tax Practitioners, and other CLE providers.
From July of 2003 to July of 2006, Mr. Evans was Legal Advisor to the International Brotherhood of Magicians, a not-for-profit organization consisting of over 12,000 amateur and professional magicians worldwide. Mr. Evans currently is a Member of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Grievance Committee.
Mr. Evans received his bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University in 1974 and his law degree in 1977 from the University of Missouri where he was a member of the Law Review. In 1980, Mr. Evans received his LL.M. in Taxation from Southern Methodist University. Mr. Evans is a fellow in the American College of Tax Counsel, an elite group of only 700 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.
Clifford S. Brown is a shareholder in the Estate Planning Practice Group of 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 earned his B.S., with honors, in Political Science and his J.D. from the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law in 1965 and 1968, respectively. He 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 has also been selected to the Missouri Kansas “Super Lawyers” list since 2006. 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. In 1991, Mr. Brown was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Mr. Brown’s community involvement includes serving on the Board of Directors of the Burrell Center and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
Chip Sheppard is a shareholder and Chairman of the Litigation 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. Mr. Sheppard has tried a combined total of more than 50 business and financial dispute arbitrations, state and federal trials, both jury and non-jury. Other areas of concentration are various business transactions, acquisitions and real estate development.
Mr. Sheppard received his law degree, as an E. Eugene Mason Endowed Scholar, in 1983 from Southern Methodist University. He 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, 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 Bar and has been selected multiple times for inclusion on the “Super Lawyers” list by Law & Politics Magazine (top 5% according to peer review) in the areas of securities, litigation and business litigation and has been named to the “Best Lawyers in America” list by the publication of the same name. In 2008, he Co-Chaired the Greene Countians for Fair and Impartial Judges, was a finalist for Missouri Lawyer of the Year and received the Missouri Bar Association and Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association 2008 President’s Awards in recognition of extraordinary service to those Associations and the legal profession.
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 was honored in 2010 and 2011 by being named to the “Best Lawyers in America” list and has also been named on multiple occasions to the Missouri-Kansas “Super Lawyer’s” list by Law & Politics Magazine, honoring him as one of the top 5% of practicing attorneys in Missouri and Kansas. 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 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 and the Springfield-Greene County Library Foundation. 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.
John E. Price is a shareholder in the Litigation Practice Group of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown, P.C., concentrating in civil and business litigation, environmental law, corporate and real estate law and appellate practice.
Mr. Price has wide experience in environmental law over the last 30 years. He has handled litigation under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Superfund and toxic torts. He regularly advises clients on environmental regulation, permitting and real estate transactions.
Mr. Price also has much experience with large, complex real estate and business transactions, and with commercial litigation involving leases, contracts and insurance disputes. He has argued over 75 appeals in federal and state appellate courts. Mr. Price has served on the Boards of the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation, the Visiting Nurse Association, and Project Parkway in Springfield. Additionally, Mr. Price is currently serving a two-year term as President of the Springfield Sister Cities Association Board of Directors.
Mr. Price received his B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa, with honors, in 1975 and his J.D. cum laude, in 1979 from the University of Missouri at Columbia (Member Order of the Coif; Note and Comment Editor, Missouri Law Review). Mr. Price has been selected for inclusion on the Missouri Kansas “Super Lawyers” list since 2007 and has an AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell.
Selected for Inclusion on the List of Rising Stars
Emily J. Kembell is an associate in the Estate Planning Practice Group of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown, P.C. She concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning and administration, estate, gift and income taxation and probate.
Ms. Kembell has experience in the preparation of Trust Agreements, Wills, Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives and experience in the post-death administration of trusts and estates. Ms. Kembell received her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University where she graduated summa cum laude. Ms. Kembell received both her J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law.
Ms. Kembell is a member of the New York Bar, and the Missouri Bar, as well as a member of the Greene County Estate Planning Council. She is currently serving as the chairperson of the Probate and Trust Committee of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association.
Ms. Kembell’s community involvement has included serving as a member of the Board of Directors of The Springfield Workshop Foundation, and Junior Achievement – Ozarks District Advisory Board. Ms. Kembell is also a member of Leadership Springfield Class 25. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Probate and Trust Committee of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association.
Ric Ashe is an associate in the Litigation Practice Group of Carnahan Evans Cantwell & Brown, PC. He concentrates his practice on a wide variety of business litigation, including non-competition agreements, trade secrets, shareholder disputes, distribution agreements and construction contracts, as well as general business matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Ric practiced for five years at the respected Portland, Oregon, law firm of Dunn Carney Allen Higgins & Tongue, LLP. A Missouri native, he received his undergraduate degree from Missouri State University before attending Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College in Portland, where he graduated cum laude. As a student, he received the prestigious Law Review Excellence Award and served as a research assistant for Professor Janet Steverson.
Ric is a member of the Missouri Bar, the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He is also a member of the Oregon State Bar and the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.