Neale & Newman senior partner retires

Photo provided by Neale & Newman LLP

Richard Owensby

Neale & Newman LLP senior partner Richard Owensby retired from the firm at year’s end.

Owensby, who is staying on to wrap up his cases, has been with the company since 1968 and has been a partner since 1974. Neale & Newman administrator Ray Dees said Paul White, the firm’s managing partner, is now senior partner, meaning he’s been at the company the longest among existing employees

Dees declined to elaborate on what happens to a partner's shares when they retire, but said, "those go back into the pool, ultimately."

Owensby was recognized for 12 straight years by Best Lawyers in America in the areas of trusts and estates and was named 10 times as a top-rated attorney in the areas of estate planning and probate by Super Lawyers. Best Lawyers named Owensby as the 2013 Springfield Lawyer of the Year in trusts and estates. He is a fellow at the invitation-only American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and has served as the president of the Greene County Estate Planning Council, according to a news release.

Dees said with Owensby’s retirement, Neale & Newman had 13 partners to start off the year. However, the firm plans to soon announce the promotion of Bryan Fisher as a partner, he said.