2015 Trusted Advisers Lawyer: Patricia Musick

In under a decade, the Springfield office of McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips PC has tripled in size, and managing partner Patricia Musick has been there every step of the way.

Musick moved to Springfield to open the office in 2006. It started with two attorneys and one support staff. Today, the caseload has risen to keep five attorneys busy in the office, with support from eight staff members.

But more than managing the practice’s growth, Musick made history with the move.

“I am the first female attorney in the firm’s 113-year history to manage an office location, as well as the first female in the firm’s history to be elected to the board of directors,” she says.

Kansas City, Kan.-based McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, one of the oldest law firms in the Midwest, was founded in 1901 centered on real estate, financial and not-for-profit law and litigation.

Musick, who works in the Springfield office with her husband, Robert, practices in eight legal areas, including business litigation, labor and employment, insurance and workers’ compensation defense. Personally, she has a jury trial record of 10-0 in state and federal courts, according to her attorney bio on MVPLaw.com.

“Because of our depth of trial experience, we can quickly assess a case and determine not only which lawyer is the best match for the client’s needs, but also whether to settle the case quickly and affordably or prepare for trial,” Musick says.

Her representative clients include UPS, Kraft Foods, Missouri Employers Mutual and Mercy.

Last year, Musick and attorneys Greg Goheen and Josh Mareschal successfully defended Merchant Solutions LLC in a civil lawsuit alleging the company violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. During the five-year case, the plaintiff’s claims reduced from 10 facsimiles sent in violation of the TCPA and pursuit of a class action certification – and potentially up to $15,000 in awards – to a single fax allegedly sent. “Those damages would include the cost of a single piece of paper, the ink used for that single facsimile and plaintiff’s loss of use of its facsimile machine when the single facsimile was allegedly transmitted,” according to court records.

The judge dismissed the suit and the class-action request.

The Springfield office has built strong clientele in the areas of workers’ comp and insurance.

“We regularly distribute e-blasts informing clients of new developments, trends and best practices in workers’ compensation,” Musick says. “In addition, we perform on-site training and annual seminars.”

Outside of the law office, Musick is active in the Springfield Area Human Resources Association, Missouri Bar Workers’ Compensation Committee, Safety Council of the Ozarks and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

Before moving to Springfield, Musick served as an assistant county counselor, prosecuting municipal ordinance violations on behalf of St. Louis County. She also provided legal advice to the St. Louis Board of Education and handled employee misconduct and inefficiency hearings on behalf of the superintendent.