Ozarks Profile

Attorney, shareholder and vice president, Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown PC, Corporate Center. Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown is a law firm practicing in the areas of taxation, estate planning, business, corporate, environmental and real estate law and litigation, arbitration and mediation. The firm lists Springfield ReManufacturing Corp., Banta Foods and Signature Bank among its notable clients. Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown was founded in 1979 with two attorneys. The firm had five attorneys when Carnahan joined the firm in 1986 and has 12 today. Carnahan is a member of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association, the Oregon Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He is a member of the franchising forum, and the taxation and law practice management sections of the American Bar Association and a past member of the Technology and Computer Law Committee of the Missouri Bar Association.

Age: 48

No. of years in Springfield: Carnahan's family moved to Springfield shortly after his birth in 1951. He has lived here except while attending college, five years in Portland, Ore., and one year in San Diego, Calif.

Education: Carnahan graduated from Glendale High School and went on to receive his undergraduate degree from the University of MissouriÐColumbia in 1971, juris doctorate from Northwestern School of Law in Portland, Ore., in 1984 and master's in taxation from the San Diego School of Law in 1986.

Early career: Carnahan worked in a bike shop in Columbia while attending college. After graduation, he worked briefly for Public Leasing Corp. and Murray Distributing, then spent a few years selling bicycles and related products as a representative for Alpin Distributors. He refinished fine furniture at Norman's Furniture and Antiques in Ozark for a year and co-owned Third Eye Music Inc., a shop specializing in used and vintage guitars where Carnahan worked as a luthier, making, restoring and repairing vintage guitars. Carnahan moved to Portland, Ore., in 1981 to hone his skills as a luthier and began attending law school at night. He remained in Portland following graduation from law school, then attended the San Diego School of Law for his master's before returning to Springfield to practice law at Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown.

Current projects: "Current projects change rapidly and vary widely for me. I generally always have a number of tax matters, from pre-planning transaction structures for best tax results, (to) audits, protests, tax court petitions, offers in compromise and sales and employment tax appeals to the Administrative Hearing Commission. I frequently have several transitional matters pending, (buying and selling businesses, e.g., currently I am working on a $22 million acquisition of a Missouri business by a public corporation)."

Management philosophy: "Being proactive, keeping current and timely scheduling for upcoming work rather than getting things done just in time and reacting to crisis. This increases the rate of success and lessens stress."

Spare-time pursuits: Carnahan is an avid collector of 1954-1969 Matchbox cars and maintains an extensive Web site with information on Matchbox collecting. He is also in his sixth year as a director and officer of the Springfield Little Theatre and spends time landscaping his yard, camping and hiking, playing with computers, listening to music and playing the guitar.

Family data: Carnahan and his wife, Susan, an interior decorator and avid tennis player, have been married five years.