KANSAS CITY, Mo. and ST. LOUIS, April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Two of the
leading law firms in Missouri will unite to establish one of the premier firms
in the Midwest, with national and international reach.
    Blackwell Sanders Matheny Weary & Lombardi LLP, based in Kansas City, Mo.,
and Peper, Martin, Jensen, Maichel and Hetlage, based in St. Louis, will
establish Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP.  With over 300 attorneys, the
new firm will be one of the three largest in the region and among the
75 largest in the nation.
    "This is a client-driven merger," said John Phillips, a member of the
Blackwell Sanders executive committee.  "It will enable the new firm to offer
our clients in this region unparalleled strength in a number of areas,
including corporate and securities, mergers and acquisitions, labor and
employment, employee benefits, education, real estate, environmental law, tax,
litigation, and intellectual property.  Many of these clients are expanding
their operations across the region and indeed, nationally and internationally.
We will now be better structured to serve them."
    "At the same time," said Ron Schowalter, managing partner of Peper,
Martin, "many of our national and internally-based clients are increasingly
seeking the opportunity to work with one firm across an entire region.  This
merger will position us to serve their needs across the Midwest."
    Besides Kansas City and St. Louis, the new firm will have offices in
Springfield, Mo.; Overland Park, Ks.; Omaha, Ne.; Belleville, Il.; and London.
Including support staff, the firm will employ close to 700 people.
    Among the reasons the firms make a good fit, Phillips and Schowalter said,
is the complementary nature of their practice areas.  While both firms have
strengths in the areas of corporate and securities, real estate, mergers and
acquisitions, labor and employment, tax and immigration, Peper, Martin brings
highly regarded expertise in the areas of intellectual property and education.
Additionally, Blackwell Sanders has exceptional depth in the areas of
commercial litigation, health care, environmental and international practice.
    Each firm counts many leading businesses among its clients.  Blackwell
Sander's clients include Hallmark Cards, Inc., Commerce Banchares, Inc.,
UtiliCorp United Inc., Black & Veatch, St. Luke's Shawnee Mission Health
System, J.C. Nichols Co., Mutual of Omaha, Emerson Electric, and the Nelson
Atkins Museum of Art.  Peper, Martin's clients include A. G. Edwards & Sons,
Inc., Monsanto Company, Solutia Inc., The Boeing Co., Ameritech, Planet
Hollywood International, Inc., Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc., Baldor
Electric Company, Bunzl Distribution, USA, and the St. Louis Art Museum.
    In addition, both firms have broadly diversified client bases that include
a number of growing middle-market and small-cap companies.
    Together, the two firms' regular representation includes literally dozens
of publicly held companies, including acting as outside general counsel for
eight that are traded on the New York Stock Exchange.  Over the last several
years, they have handled $4-5 billion in corporate financings and acquisitions
annually.  In 1997, they represented parties in real estate transactions
totaling over $4 billion.  Their intellectual property practice encompasses
representations in over 200 countries and territories.  The two firms have
tried cases in more than 25 states.
    The two firms also share similar cultures.  Unlike the many law firms that
essentially operate as associations of individual attorneys servicing
individual clients, attorneys at the two firms traditionally have worked in
teams to provide practical, cost-efficient, high-value legal services and
business advice to clients.  Both firms also share a tradition of offering
nationally recognized technical expertise.  The combined firm will have a
total of 19 attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America.
    Partners of both firms approved the merger earlier this week.  The merger
is expected to be finalized on June 1.  All offices will remain in their
current locations.  It is expected that the combined firm will continue a
strategy of aggressive growth.
    Blackwell Sanders is currently the second largest law firm in Kansas City.
Established in 1916, it is a full-service firm with 230 attorneys.  In 1997,
Blackwell Sanders was the 141st largest firm in the United States.
    Peper, Martin was founded in 1941.  It currently has 82 attorneys
operating in a diversified practice that involves nearly every area of civil
law.  In 1997, Peper, Martin greatly expanded its intellectual property
practice by merging with the St. Louis law firm of Kalish & Gilster.

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