Lathrop & Gage L.C.
Lathrop & Gage is a multi-disciplinary law firm with one of the nation`s most sophisticated environmental law practices. Our attorneys have considerable experience in defending chemical exposure, asbestos and other toxic tort cases, hazardous and solid waste issues of all types and the recognition and management of environmental pitfalls which can jeopardize commercial transactions. We also specialize in environmental insurance recovery which assists companies in finding insurance assets to cover liabilities for environmental, asbestos, silica, mold or other toxic exposure.
Company details
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- Business Type:
- Law firm
- Industry Type:
- Health and Safety - Hazardous Substances
- Market Focus:
- Nationally (across the country)
- Year Founded:
- 1873
This company also provides solutions for other industrial applications.
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Our Approach
Lathrop & Gage was founded in 1873 on the heartland principles of honor, service, trust and value. We are committed to serving our clients in the same unwavering manner today. While our attorneys have amassed many successes in the past 140 years, the accomplishment of which we are most proud is our continuing representation of our first-ever client, now known as the BNSF Railway Co.
Indeed, Lathrop & Gage has enjoyed success in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries because we are committed to providing excellent talent, service and results, and adapting to changing business environments and technology.
A hallmark of our firm is the commitment to service that we pledge to every client:
- To provide the highest quality of legal counsel;
- To provide prompt, responsive service in all respects, from returning phone calls to managing transaction and litigation deadlines;
- To obtain optimum results through creative problem-solving;
- To understand each client’s unique business context – not just the legal landscape; and
- To handle each client engagement in the most aggressive, creative and cost-effective fashion possible.
Our mission for every client is to achieve the best possible bottom-line result at the earliest possible date.
Commitment to Value
Our mission for every client: to achieve the best possible bottom-line result at the earliest possible date.
Lathrop & Gage partners with clients and delivers the highest quality of legal services in an effective and efficient manner. We engage in a number of initiatives that demonstrate our commitment to providing true value:
Alternative Fee Arrangements. We have developed various fee arrangements as alternatives to standard hourly billing:
- Budget: At the outset of the matter, attorneys consult with the client to determine a budget and bill against it through completion.
- Component Fixed Fee: In certain types of litigation that occur on a regular basis, a total fixed fee may not be feasible, but for certain components (depositions, motions, et cetera) a set amount can be predetermined.
- Blended Rates: All work, whether performed by an associate, of counsel or partner, is billed at a flat rate that reflects a blend of the team’s rates.
- Discounting and Success Fee: Work is performed at a discounted hourly rate, with a success bonus negotiated and defined at the start of the matter.
- Retainer: For a fixed monthly amount, Lathrop & Gage will provide general counsel services, which may include attendance at management meetings, telephone consultation and select project work.
Client Feedback Interviews. We understand the importance of cultivating lasting relationships with our clients. In fact, we actively request performance reviews from our clients through in-depth interviews. These discussions include assessments of our performance and results; communication and responsiveness; legal fees, budgets and billing; and technology.
We share this feedback with the relationship attorney and the firm’s CEO, and we provide assistance to each client team to complete any recommended actions. Additionally, the CEO periodically shares the composite firm rankings with all Lathrop & Gage attorneys and paralegals so that all firm timekeepers are held accountable for client satisfaction.
Technology. Our firm continually invests in the latest technology to expedite information between client-attorney teams, saving clients a significant amount of money. Our clients appreciate the fact that all of our offices utilize the latest in videoconferencing equipment, reducing the need for costly travel. And equally important, we have an internal team capable of handling the production of electronically stored information (ESI), saving our clients from the cost of third-party vendors.
Value Challenge. Lathrop & Gage is a proud supporter of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Value Challenge, a program that aims to connect corporate clients and law firms toward aligned business interests and the delivery of legal services at a demonstrable value.
Lathrop & Gage embraces the “Meet.Talk.Act.” priority of the Value Challenge, and has participated in ACC roundtables in a variety of our markets. Moreover, our 4th annual State of Litigation conference was devoted solely to this topic; about 60 inside counsel, corporate executives and Lathrop & Gage partners brainstormed possible innovations and solutions on topics affecting the legal industry.
AdvanceLaw. AdvanceLaw is a general-counsel led initiative to identify a select group of law firms in the U.S. and abroad that are especially capable of providing high value, on the basis of: client-service, innovation, expertise, quality, efficiency, and attitude. Each law firm is also committed to practices that enhance the legal profession, including pro bono work and diversity. There are currently 90 major company general counsel participating in AdvanceLaw. View a partial List of General Counsel Participants. Lathrop & Gage has been an AdvanceLaw firm since 2009.
Firm Facts
National Firm, Midwest Value. Lathrop & Gage’s 300 attorneys practice in 10 offices nationwide, from Los Angeles to Boston, allowing us to respond to clients’ needs at the local, state and national levels. (In the last three years, our litigators appeared in courts in 44 of the country’s 50 states.) However, with a headquarters in Kansas City and a substantial presence in Colorado, Kansas and Missouri, our Midwest operations provide an inherent value over our peer firms on the coasts.
Full-Service Firm. Lathrop & Gage provides a full spectrum of corporate legal services: business transactions, employment and employee benefits, environmental, intellectual property and litigation. In addition, we offer a large and sophisticated wealth strategies team, which advises businesses, families and individuals.
Nationally Recognized Client Service. BTI Consulting, a leading legal research firm, ranks Lathrop & Gage among the top 30 firms in the country for client service and satisfaction. In BTI’s 2012 survey of hundreds of corporate counsel nationwide, Lathrop & Gage earned high marks for anticipation of client needs, breadth of services, commitment to help, meeting scope and budget, and understanding clients’ businesses, among others. We consistently seek and act upon client feedback. We’re proud that our client roster includes relationships that span more than 25, 50, 75 and 100 years.
Exceptional Talent and Results. Lathrop & Gage attorneys are consistently honored among the country’s top legal practitioners. Dozens of our attorneys are listed among The Best Lawyers in America; many have been inducted into the American Colleges in their respective areas. Chambers USA ranks the firm’s corporate/M&A, employment, environmental, intellectual property, litigation and real estate practices among the best in their regions, and recognizes the firm nationwide for its work in the transportation industry.
Commitment to Diversity. Lathrop & Gage is dedicated to being a law firm whose workforce reflects the diversity of the clients we serve and the communities in which we live and practice. We have ongoing initiatives, both internal and external, that proactively strive toward diversity and inclusiveness. We actively encourage and foster a culture that is respectful of all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age or sexual orientation.
Legacy of Leadership. Lathrop & Gage was founded in 1873 and is considered the oldest continuously operating law firm west of the Mississippi River. We have a proud tradition of community and civic leadership that dates back to our firm’s founders: Gardiner Lathrop was among Kansas City’s first school board members and bar presidents, and John Gage was the “Reform Mayor” who drove out the notorious Pendergast Machine. We invest in our communities by giving of our time and talents.