When Nate Dunville left Springfield for college, he didn’t sell his house – he knew he would be coming back.
The lifelong local resident says a variety of work in southwest Missouri – from a sales rep at Herrman Lumber Co. to an office manager at the Law Offices of Askinosie & Bilyeu LLC – gives him a competitive edge.
“I hit the ground running in my career,” he says. “Having a network of people with whom I have already established the kind of trust, confidence and mutual respect that is so fundamental to the attorney-client relationship has allowed me to quickly build my practice.”
Currently with the law firm of Neale & Newman LLP, Dunville is a civil attorney focused on conflicts between individuals or businesses. Being able to help people in their time of need is what drew the up-and-comer to the profession.
“When I meet with a client, it usually isn’t on their best day,” he says. “Oftentimes when I see a client, especially a new client, it’s because something has either gone wrong or is about to go wrong.”
Dunville’s goal is not only to achieve the best possible outcome, but also to communicate with the client throughout the process and hopefully relieve their anxieties. Dunville strives to give the client a sense of control, offering them stability in the face of uncertainty.
When it comes to business clients, Dunville stands by the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
“There is no doubt that defending businesses from lawsuits can have a significant impact,” he says. “But one of the most significant ways I affect my clients is by advising them on how to avoid legal issues before they arise.”
Advising clients on how to avoid liability and ensure compliance not only keeps them out of legal hot water, but also maximizes their profitability without unnecessarily exposing them to risk. Dunville says it’s his upbringing in a family of small-business owners and entrepreneurs that gives him a unique appreciation for the plight of business clients.
“Their business is more than their livelihood, it’s their passion, their pride,” he says. “I am taking the issues off of their plate so they can focus on what they do best: running their business.”
Dunville is an active member of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, serving as chairman of the Young Lawyer’s Committee, helping develop a continuing education legal series and establishing a quarterly, free legal clinic at Fairbanks AD: Advisors and Advocates, part of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks Northwest Project.
SMBA Executive Director Crista Hogan says nobody has made a more favorable impression than Dunville, recounting her first encounter with the young lawyer revising the association’s conflict of interest policy.
“That was the first time I knew Nate was in a class by himself,” she says. “I trust him completely with every task and responsibility.”
