Strong Law Firm splits

This summer, the firm purchased the building at 415 E. Chestnut Expressway, which sits northeast of the intersection at Chestnut and North Jefferson Avenue. The 12,000-square-foot building under renovation was most recently occupied by BTS Group Inc., a processor of Social Security disability claims and appeals.

Attorney Steve Garner, who joined Strong Law Firm in 1986 and became a partner four years later, said the cross-town move would put the firm – operating at 901 E. Battlefield Road for 24 years – much closer to the Greene County Judicial Courts complex at 1010 Boonville Ave.

“We figured if we were moving locations then we might as well go ahead and change the name as well,” said Garner, who is also president of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association.

Shareholders

Documents recently filed with the State Supreme Court indicate that Garner and attorneys Jeff Bauer, Neil Chanter and Chandler Gregg are shareholders in Strong, Garner & Bauer. Gregg, a Nixa native who joined the firm in 2004, became a shareholder in conjunction with the move, Garner said.

Attorney Tom Strong, who founded the firm in 1976 and officially retired several years ago, is not listed among the shareholders, but Garner said Strong will remain on the firm’s payroll in an advisory role.

“I can walk down to Tom and ask him any question about trials or trial practice, and he’ll know it,” Garner said. “There’s not much that he hasn’t experienced in 50 years of practicing law.”

Departing members

Two other longtime shareholders with Strong Law Firm – Clifton “Clif” Smart and Steve Harrell – have parted with the trial practice.

Smart joined Missouri State University as the schools’ general counsel Dec. 1, and Harrell has taken a job with Kansas City law firm Bartimus Frickleton Robertson & Gorny PC. Harrell will serve as the firm’s Springfield representative and will work from 901 E. Battlefield until he finds new office space on Springfield’s south side.

Smart, whose practice consisted mostly of catastrophic injury, medical malpractice and commercial cases, was with Strong Law Firm for 15 years.

He holds a juris doctor degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law, as do Garner and Harrell.

Smart said his interest in leaving the trial practice behind began in 2002, when he was selected to serve on the state Appellate Judicial Commission. The MSU general counsel post was another well-timed opportunity, said Smart, who was reluctant to discuss the recent changes at Strong Law Firm.

“It’s really just that two of us have left to pursue other interests,” he said. “… It was a great place to work. I love all those guys, and they’re going to continue to do great things. I just decided 15 years was enough for me and that I would go a different direction.”

Harrell, whose practice areas include product liability, commercial litigation, personal injury and medical malpractice, said he would retain a paralegal and legal secretary who worked for him at Strong Law Firm. He said he’s excited about the next chapter of his legal career.

“I look forward to working with Bartimus firm and continuing to do the type and the quality of legal practice that I have enjoyed at the Strong Law Firm,” Harrell said.

“I’m very grateful to Tom Strong for the opportunity to practice my first two decades of law here.”

GHS Investments LLC – a company formed by Garner, Harrell and Smart – bought the 16,000-square-foot Strong Law Firm building on East Battlefield in 2003. Garner said GHS has lined up an undisclosed buyer for the property, but Harrell didn’t expect the sale to close until March. The buyer is not a law firm, Garner said.