Ogletree Deakins Expands Presence with Kansas City, MO Office

Office represents the first national labor and employment law firm to open doors in area

ATLANTA – February 1, 2005 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), the nation’s third largest labor and employment law firm, announced today that it has opened a new office in Kansas City, Mo. Opening the office are Donald S. Prophete, Anthony B. Byergo, Michael L. Matula, and Jill A. Morris, all formerly with Armstrong Teasdale LLP. Other lawyers are expected to join the office shortly. With the new office, Ogletree Deakins is the first national labor and employment law firm to have a presence in Kansas City, Mo. The firm now has offices in 22 cities across the United States.

Mr. Prophete will serve as managing shareholder of the new office. He and the office’s other attorneys represent management on labor and employment issues and provide litigation, counseling and transaction services to some of the area’s top employers. According to Prophete, “This is an outstanding opportunity for us and our clients. We now have at our fingertips the expertise, depth and resources of 270 labor and employment lawyers from Miami to Los Angeles. Further, Ogletree Deakins’ well-known commitment to client service is consistent with our approach to practicing law.”

Gray Geddie, Ogletree Deakins’ managing shareholder, said, “We are delighted with the opportunity to enter the Kansas City market. We have been interested in expanding into this region of the country for some time and couldn’t be happier with the team that is joining us.” Geddie continued, “The attorneys in our new office share our firm culture, philosophy and work ethic and are an ideal match. We strongly believe our clients will benefit from their expertise and experience, and we welcome them to the Ogletree Deakins family.”

More About Ogletree Deakins

Ogletree Deakins is the nation’s third largest labor and employment law firm, specializing exclusively in the representation of management in all types of employment-related legal matters. The firm has approximately 270 lawyers located in 22 offices from Miami to Los Angeles. In addition to handling labor and employment law matters, the firm has thriving practices focused on business immigration, employee benefits, and workplace safety and health law. Ogletree Deakins represents a diverse range of clients, including more than half of the Fortune 50 corporations in the U.S.

For more information, please contact Karen Gonzales, client services manager, at 404-870-1784.