MoveMakers & NewsMakers for Jan. 24, 2023

St. Louis | Kansas City

St. Louis

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP announces the appointment of Dean Kpere-Daibo, a partner with the firm, as co-chair of the labor relations practice group effective Jan. 1. He joins Atlanta-based partner Leigh Tyson as co-chair.

“Dean is an exceptional lawyer with a commitment to achieving excellent results for his clients,” said Neil Wasser, executive committee chair. “He is respected across Missouri and throughout the country for his professional acumen, client advocacy, and service to the community. We look forward to incorporating his leadership and vision for the labor relations practice group.”

Kpere-Daibo devotes his practice to representing employers in traditional labor matters, including providing labor guidance, defending unfair labor practice charges in front of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and defending alleged violations of collective bargaining agreements. He also has extensive experience in representing and advising employers in union organizing campaigns and employee educational campaigns; providing supervisor training; and providing representation in front of the NLRB. He also focuses his practice on counseling and training employers concerning topics such as implicit bias and microaggressions, anti-harassment, workplace investigations, anti-discrimination, and positive employee-supervisor relations training to prevent disputes.

“I’m fortunate to work with such a highly talented team of attorneys, and it is truly an honor to be asked to step into a leadership role to continue our practice group’s reputation for exceptional service on behalf of our clients,” Kpere-Daibo said.

In addition to his legal practice, Kpere-Daibo is extremely active in the St. Louis community. He currently serves as vice chair and commissioner of the Civil Service Commission for the City of St. Louis. He served as president of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and vice president of administration for the Society for Human Resource Management, St. Louis, and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He has also served on the board of directors for Epworth Children & Family Services and the governing board for Safe Connections.

Kpere-Daibo received his Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri - Columbia.

Kansas City

Shareholders Matthew Merrill and Elizabeth Moeller have joined the Sandberg Phoenix Kansas City office. 

Merrill is a member of the firm’s health law practice group. He has been defending health care providers in Missouri and Kansas for over 23 years. His practice emphasizes the defense of litigation involving professional liability claims, including nursing home defense, medical malpractice defense, dental malpractice defense, allied health care provider defense, and other complex civil litigation matters. 

Merrill is licensed to practice in Kansas and Missouri, and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Merrill received his Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law and his B.G.S. in political science from the University of Kansas. 

Moeller is also a member of the firm’s health law practice group. Her practice emphasizes the defense of litigation involving professional liability claims, including medical malpractice defense, nursing home and long-term care defense, dental malpractice defense, allied health care provider defense, and other complex civil litigation matters. 

Moeller is licensed to practice in Kansas and Missouri, and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Moeller received her Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri - Columbia School of Law, her M.H.A. from the University of Missouri - Columbia School of Medicine, Department of Health Management and Informatics, and her B.A. in biology and Spanish from St. Olaf College.