Richard Engel Named Armstrong Teasdale General Counsel

Armstrong Teasdale announces that Financial and Real Estate Services Partner Richard Engel has been selected to fill the general counsel role at Armstrong Teasdale. Engel will be responsible for protecting the firm’s legal interests, maintaining its operations within the scope established by law, and providing guidance on risk management and related liability issues.

In his practice, Engel has represented the interests of local, regional, national and international corporations and financial institutions in all aspects of corporate and financial counseling. His integrated skill set combines advantageously complementary disciplines, including restructuring and bankruptcy, corporate M&A counseling and franchisee representation. He has also long served as outside general counsel to law firms and partners regarding governance issues and fiduciary duties. Engel previously served as practice group leader of the firm’s Financial and Real Estate Services group, and as chair of the Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy practice.

“Rick has been active and a leader in the corporate counseling, insolvency and bankruptcy law community for over 30 years, and has served in leadership roles at the firm for more than a dozen years,” said Managing Partner Patrick Rasche. “I am confident he will bring the same dedication and spirit to his role as general counsel. His high standards and ethics, as well as his commitment to the legal profession, will undoubtedly serve him well in this position.”

Engel succeeds Partner Lori Bockman, who passed away earlier this year after a courageous battle with cancer.

In addition to Engel, Partners Thomas Weaver and Tyson Ketchum hold the roles of deputy general counsel, and Partner Charlie Palella serves as the firm’s loss prevention partner.

Weaver is leader of the firm’s Appellate practice and has significant litigation experience that includes serving as lead trial and appellate counsel in commercial, product liability, insurance and eminent domain litigation matters in both state and federal courts in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. Active in the profession, he was appointed by the Supreme Court of Missouri to a five-year term as a member of the Missouri Board of Law Examiners in 1999. In 2004, he was reappointed to an additional six-year term and was president of the board from 2006 to 2008.

Ketchum focuses primarily upon employment, insurance coverage, personal injury and commercial litigation cases. His practice is unique in that he has handled high-stakes cases for clients involving many different areas of law. In connection with this diverse litigation practice, Ketchum has tried cases to verdict before courts in Missouri and Kansas and has argued before the Missouri Supreme Court, Missouri Court of Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.

Palella has more than 30 years of experience concentrating his practice in the areas of appellate litigation, commercial litigation and tort litigation. Cases that he has handled have had a significant impact on the development of New York law in the areas of insurance coverage, civil procedure and tort liability. He has experience advising engineering and architectural firms, manufacturers and real estate developers on a wide range of issues.