2016 December Issue
Google to tamp down web pages with annoying pop up ads
By ALAN J. ORTBALS Come Jan. 10, 2017, Google will implement a new algorithm that will demote mobile pages that have “intrusive” interstitials that get in the users’ way. Interstitials are pop-up ads that users have to close out in order to get to the content they are seeking. “How that formula works on determining…
Read MoreA small-business exit strategy begins with some good planning
If the process of starting a small business is typically characterized by excitement and anticipation, ending one is almost always filled with mixed emotions. The owner may be ready to retire or move on to another opportunity, the enterprise didn’t meet expectations, or the market for products and services is not what it once…
Read MoreRobert Bassett, Partner, Williams Venker & Sanders, Belleville
By ROBERTA CODEMO Robert Bassett was an undergraduate at Murray State University in Kentucky when he called his uncle and asked him what he should do after graduation. His uncle taught at the University of San Francisco School of Law and told him that law school provided interesting insight into the human condition. “My…
Read MoreChristopher W. Byron, Founding Partner, Byron Carlson Petri & Kalb, LLC, Edwardsville
By RITA DUCKWORTH Byron Carlson Petri & Kalb, LLC handles business law, business litigation and personal injury. Founding partner Chris Byron’s primary focus is on litigation, corporate formation and real estate. “We represent local business entities, providing a broad range of legal advice from formation, employment issues, litigation, transactional work and real estate,” he…
Read MorePhilip Lading, Shareholder, Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard, Edwardsville
By ROBERTA CODEMO Philip Lading enjoys the intellectual challenge of the law. He loves getting a complicated issue and figuring out how to resolve the situation. “I get a sense of personal satisfaction knowing that at the end of the day I’ve helped people navigate their way through a complicated system,” he said. He…
Read MoreStephen C. Mudge, Partner, Reed, Armstrong, Mudge & Morrissey PC, Edwardsville
By RITA DUCKWORTH For more than 85 years Reed, Armstrong, Mudge & Morrissey PC has enjoyed an exceptional reputation in the defense of civil litigation. Third-generation attorney Stephen C. Mudge has contributed to that reputation for more than 35 years. The Mudge family’s history of practicing law began with Mudge’s grandfather in 1902. He served…
Read MorePatrick Mathis, Shareholder Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Belleville
When he was young, Pat Mathis would go on house calls with his dad and he thought that he would follow in his dad’s footsteps and become a doctor. He has an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Saint Louis University. “It wasn’t where my heart was,” he said. “I wasn’t that interested in science.”…
Read MoreJon Allard Jr., Practice Group Leader, Kurowski Shultz, LLC, O’Fallon
By RITA DUCKWORTH For nearly 24 years, Jon Allard Jr. had a passion for criminal law. Right after law school at Saint Louis University, he joined the St. Clair County’s Public Defender’s Office, trying more than 40 jury trials in his first four years. He then spent almost 20 years on the other side of…
Read MoreThomas E. Berry Jr., Principal, St. Louis Office, Jackson Lewis PC
By RITA DUCKWORTH As an attorney specializing in labor and employment law for Jackson Lewis P.C., Thomas E. Berry Jr. says his biggest challenge is keeping abreast of laws that are constantly evolving. The area of focus has expanded well beyond Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from…
Read MoreDonald K. Schoemaker, Officer, Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., Belleville
By RITA DUCKWORTH After growing up in rural Port Byron, Ill., population 900, Donald K. Schoemaker likes living and working in the Metro East. It has a small-town feel, but it’s close to all that St. Louis has to offer. He feels the same about his career at the Belleville branch of Greensfelder, Hemker…
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