Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC and Foland, Wickens, Roper, Hofer & Crawford, P.C. announced today that the two law firms will merge effective Jan. 1, 2023.
The combined firm name will be Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC. Baker Sterchi managing member, Scott Kreamer, will continue to serve as the managing member of the merged firm. More than 20 Foland Wickens attorneys will move into the Baker Sterchi Crown Center offices in Kansas City, Missouri. The new firm will have offices throughout Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas.
Baker Sterchi managing member Scott Kreamer said: “Foland Wickens enjoys a great reputation in the legal community, and we are thrilled to be joining forces with such a talented group of people. In addition to adding seasoned attorneys in bad faith and extra-contractual liability, the merger deepens our roster of trial lawyers, advancing our shared goal of being recognized as one of the best trial law firms in the Midwest.”
Foland Wickens principals Scott Hofer and Clay Crawford are fellows of the distinguished American College of Coverage Counsel. Collectively, the two firms’ attorneys have tried thousands of jury trials in state and federal courts across the country and have several attorneys who are members of the prestigious, by-invitation-only American Board of Trial Advocates and American College of Trial Lawyers organizations.
Baker Sterchi and Foland Wickens both have award-winning practices defending clients in civil litigation, including commercial and business, construction, employment and labor, insurance coverage and defense, medical malpractice, premises liability, product liability, professional and management liability, and transportation litigation. Clients range from individual professionals to Fortune 500 companies located locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
“This merger brings together two extraordinarily successful trial law firms in the Midwest, providing additional depth and resources to cross-serve clients in new practice areas and geographies,” said Foland Wickens managing principal Joe Roper. “We see unlimited potential in this combination and look forward to reaching new milestones with our new colleagues.”
The combination with Foland Wickens will increase the number of Baker Sterchi attorneys to more than 90, with more than 50 located in Kansas City. Based on the number of Kansas City area attorneys, the combined firm would rank in the top 10 on the annual Kansas City Business Journal Law Firms list.
“As part of our strategic plan, we continuously seek to add attorneys, whether individual laterals or groups of trial attorneys, who are well-respected in the legal community and endeavor to provide quality legal representation to clients,” said Kreamer.
Baker Sterchi reached its 40-year milestone in 2022, celebrating the occasion with a rebranding and new website launch.