Celynda L. Brasher
Ian P. Cooper
Kate L. Nash
Margaret A. Hesse
Melanie Gurley Keeney
Michelle H. BasiWe are proud to announce that eight Tueth Keeney attorneys have been included in the 2019 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers ® list. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Michelle Basi, Celynda Brasher, Amy Clendennen, Margaret Hesse, and Kate Nash are all recognized in Schools & Education, as well as Adam Henningsen, who is recognized on the Rising Stars list. Melanie Keeney in recognized in Immigration: Business, and Ian Cooper is not only recognized in Employment Litigation: Defense, but also included in both ‘Top 50: 2019 St. Louis Super Lawyers’ and ‘Top 100: 2019 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers’ lists.
Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys.
The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. Super Lawyers Magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.
Michelle Hammond Basi practices in the areas of school law, special education, school litigation, and labor and employment law. Michelle represents school districts throughout Missouri with respect to employment and termination matters, special education, Section 504, student discipline and student rights, civil rights, and church/state issues. Michelle has successfully represented school districts in student and employment matters before various federal and state courts and administrative agencies, including the EEOC, Missouri Commission on Human Rights, and the Office for Civil Rights. She is also a regular speaker at statewide and regional school law conferences.
Celynda L. Brasher is a founding shareholder of the firm. She practices in the areas of education, litigation, and labor and employment law. Celynda represents numerous school districts throughout Missouri. She regularly advises boards of education and administrators on matters involving employee hiring, evaluation, remediation, and termination; student rights and discipline; special education; school finance; civil rights; contracts; the Missouri Open Meetings Act; church/state issues; and an assortment of other constitutional matters. Celynda also represents public, private, and non-profit employers in discrimination defense, collective bargaining, union organization, unemployment compensation, wage/hour compliance, and terminations, as well as a variety of other employment law areas. Celynda has extensive litigation experience in federal and state courts and before federal and state administrative agencies. Celynda is a frequent speaker and author on school law and private employment topics. She is a co-author of the Missouri Bar School Law CLE Deskbook, and has written a number of articles for legal, educational, and school nursing publications. Celynda is a former tenured teacher and a registered nurse. Celynda has a B.A. in History from Drury University. She also has a B.S. from Saint Louis University School of Nursing. Celynda earned her J.D., cum laude, Order of the Woolsack, from Saint Louis University School of Law. Celynda was also Managing Editor of the St. Louis University Law Journal.
Amy Leech Clendennen practices in the areas of education, higher education, litigation, and labor and employment law. Amy advises clients on issues ranging from student discipline to personnel matters to special education. She has successfully represented school districts, colleges and universities, and private employers in litigation before various administrative agencies, as well as state and federal courts. Amy is a sought-after and regular speaker at state-wide and regional educational conferences. She has been elected to three terms on the Webster Groves School District Board of Education. Amy earned a Bachelor’s degree from Truman State University, a Master’s degree from Ball State University, and a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis, all with honors.
Ian P. Cooper is a founding Shareholder of Tueth, Keeney, Cooper, Mohan & Jackstadt, P.C. Ian practices in the areas of employment law, higher education law, and litigation and regularly serves as lead trial and appellate counsel in significant employment lawsuits, including class actions and other complex litigation. Ian has been elected a Fellow in both the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and in Litigation Counsel of America. He has also been named a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Ian was also selected to the Top 50 2018 St. Louis Super Lawyers list.
Adam Henningsen practices primarily in the areas of education law, labor and employment law, and civil litigation. Adam regularly works with school districts and individual administrators on matters including labor and employment, contracting, student discipline, special education, and state and federal regulation compliance. He has successfully represented school districts, charter schools, and other employers in State and Federal Court, as well as administrative agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission, and the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. Prior to joining the firm, Adam practiced school law at a firm in Kansas City, Missouri.
Margaret A. Hesse is a shareholder with the law firm of Tueth Keeney. She primarily practices in the areas of education law, employment law, and litigation and has represented school districts across both Missouri and Illinois for many years. Margaret’s experience in includes defending school districts in matters involving the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Missouri Human Rights Act, Title VII, the Safe Schools Act, Title IX, the Equal Pay Act, Section 1983, First Amendment and Sunshine Act compliance, to name a few. She consults with educators on a daily basis on a variety of issues. Margaret is committed to creating a world where school leaders are spending as little time as possible thinking about legal concerns, so they can maximize their time and attention shaping young lives.
Melanie Gurley Keeney practices in the areas of employment, immigration and education law. Melanie has been included in Best Lawyers in America ® for 25 years, and has been recognized in all areas of her practice. She also has been named to Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers ® lists for over 10 years, and has been rated one of the top 50 female lawyers in Missouri and Kansas. She was named a “Top Missouri Lawyer” by St. Louis Magazine and Kansas City Magazine for Immigration Law. Melanie has been distinguished as Best Lawyers ® St. Louis Immigration Law Lawyer of the Year in 2019, 2015, and 2012, and St. Louis Education Law Lawyer of the year in 2017. In 2016, Missouri Lawyers Weekly presented Melanie with the Women’s Justice Litigation Practitioner Award and in 2014, Washington University School of Law honored Melanie with the International Women’s Day Award for Employment Law. She has served as an adjunct professor at Washington University and is a frequent presenter on legal topics. Melanie is a founding Shareholder of the Firm and currently serves as the Chairperson of the Firm.
Kate L. Nash is a shareholder of the firm and practices primarily in the areas of higher education, litigation, and labor and employment law. Kate acts as outside general counsel to numerous institutions of higher education, advising those organizations on a wide range of legal issues. In addition, Kate is frequently asked to conduct internal investigations regarding complex and sensitive matters in workplaces and at educational institutions. Kate also has extensive litigation experience litigation experience in federal and state courts and before federal and state administrative agencies. Kate is a frequent lecturer and author on employment and higher education issues and is active in the National Association of College and University Attorneys. She was an adjunct professor at Saint Louis University School of Law for numerous years, where she taught a course on non-profit organizations. Kate earned her B.A. from Cornell University and received her law degree at Washington University. Kate is a member of the Firm’s Management Committee.