in and out of the courtroom

Megan M. Coluccio206.957.9669

On Dec. 5, 2025, following a four-week trial in Walla Walla County Superior Court, attorneys with the Law Office of Andy Cooley and Baker Sterchi secured a defense verdict on behalf of Benton County, Washington.

Hayley D. Hollis971.374.5568

Explores GLP-1 drugs' surging use, alleged risks and defenses in emerging product-liability suits centralized in MDL-3094, and compounding disputes, with attention on pivotal discovery, Daubert rulings, and bellwethers shaping outcomes ahead.

Philip V. Sumner816.460.2811

Baker Sterchi Member Phil Sumner will serve as a panelist during the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) webinar "Assessing Reform Efforts on Time-Limited Demands" on Jan. 29.

Robert L. Christie206.979.3859

John Barry206.957.9669

Baker Sterchi secured summary judgment, with prejudice, for a municipality in a Title VII action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

Heather Field Shore816.448.9329

On Feb. 5, Baker Sterchi Member Heather Shore will present "Construction Estimating and Project Management in the World of AI" at the KC Construction Estimating Academy being held in Olathe, Kansas.

Jessica M. Reis314.345.5023

The Seventh Circuit held that in ADEA lawsuits, before the court may permit "opt-in" notice to a class of prospective plaintiff employees, plaintiffs must furnish evidence that prospective class members are "similarly situated" in that they were victims of a common illegal employment practice or policy, and defendants must have the opportunity to rebut that showing.

Laura K. Beasley618.202.5801

Gregory Odom618.202.5802

Lee J. Hurwitz618.202.5824

Meghan C. Kane618.202.5803

Illinois Super Lawyers 2026 has named Baker Sterchi Members Laura Beasley and Greg Odom to the Super Lawyers list and Members Lee Hurwitz and Meghan Kane to the Rising Stars list.

Paul N. Venker314.345.5001

Teresa M. Young314.345.5010

For the sixth consecutive year, Baker Sterchi attorneys Paul Venker and Teresa Young have earned recognition on Missouri Lawyers Media's POWER List of Appellate Attorneys.

Emily C. O'Connor618.202.5820

Emily O'Connor has been named a 2026 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow. O'Connor is an associate in Baker Sterchi's Belleville office.

Megan Sterchi Lammert816.448.9358

The Eighth Circuit recently rejected class certification in the Folgers serving-size labeling litigation (In re: Folders Coffee Marketing), finding that consumers vary widely in whether they read the labels, how they interpret the serving instructions and how strong they prefer their coffee. The Court, in Smith v. The Folger Coffee Co., emphasized that the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act does not allow consumers who suffered no loss to "piggyback" on the alleged injuries of others, making the proposed class inappropriate, and found class certification inappropriate under the proposed unjust enrichment and price premium theories.