Aurora attorney expanding into Republic

David Payne is targeting an early January opening in Republic for his second law office.

A decade after starting his law practice in Aurora, attorney David Payne is on the verge of adding a new Republic office to his firm.

Payne said he is aiming for an early January opening for the second office of David Payne Law LLC. It will be located at 746 E. Highway 60 in Wildwood Plaza.

“I’ve been eyeing Republic for about 20 years,” he said, noting the construction of Wildwood Plaza across the street from Pinegar Chevrolet Inc. was a contributor to him now making the jump.

Payne declined to disclose startup costs or the rate of his five-year lease with Wildwood Plaza development group Melbourne4 LLC, co-owned by Pinegar family members. According to WildwoodPlaza.com, lease rates range from $14.50 to $17 per square foot. He’s working on office infill with Lenny Clark of Liteworks Design LLC.

“Ultimately, my time will be split equally between there and Aurora,” Payne said of the four-employee Republic office, adding it’s a 20-minute drive to his Aurora location.

David Payne Law focuses on estate planning and small-business representation. Payne said he’s been slowly eliminating litigation from his practice, estimating that he once spent between 20-30 hours a month in the courtroom, but is now down to around three to four hours monthly. That’s freed up a lot more time for office work, he added.

“With the evolution of my practice going from a traditional country lawyer to an attorney that primarily focuses on estate planning, that really changed my business model,” Payne said.

He started his Aurora practice in 2009, after previously working at Cardin & Payne in Cassville.

In Wildwood Plaza, the 1,500-square-foot law office joins development anchor tenant Flat Creek restaurant, offices for Edward Jones and Elliott, Robinson & Co., and a Dunkin’/Baskin-Robbins combination store.