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Legal Assistant: Courtney Hoffman
Credentials
Education
- Washington University in St. Louis – J.D. 2004, Washington University Global Studies Law Review Executive Editor, Trial Team, CALI Academic Excellence Awards: Appellate Brief Writing, Contracts, Criminal Procedure, Remedies
- Saint Louis University – B.A. 2001, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Legal Services
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction Law
- Employment Law
- Medical Malpractice
- Personal Injury
- Trust & Estates Litigation
- Appellate Practice
- Local Counsel
Bar Admissions
- Illinois
- Missouri
Court Admissions
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Laura E. Schrick
Bio
Laura E. Schrick is a shareholder at Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd. (MM&R), who focuses her practice in commercial litigation, trust & estate litigation, employment law, and construction law.
Laura values the trust that her clients place in her and works hard to provide them with personal attention and practical legal advice. She has achieved significant results for individuals and businesses in a variety of federal and state court matters at both the trial court and appellate court levels. Laura’s practice also includes arbitration and mediation.
Prior to joining MM&R, Laura worked for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee and as an intern with the United States Attorneys’ Office. Laura is AV peer-review rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Since 2013, she has been named as an Illinois Super Lawyer (or Rising Star) in business litigation.
Professional Affiliations
Laura is a member of the American Bar Association Litigation Section, Illinois State Bar Association, The Missouri Bar, St. Clair County Bar Association and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL). She is currently serving as Secretary of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Law Section Council, a member of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Commercial Banking, Collections & Bankruptcy Law Section Council and as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Committee on Character and Fitness, which evaluates applicants’ character and fitness to practice law. For the past ten years, Laura has been an arbitrator for the St. Clair County Circuit Court. She also served on the Court’s e-Discovery Committee.
Community Involvement
Laura is active in her community. She is an adjunct professor of paralegal studies at Southwestern Illinois College and a member of the Belleville Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. Laura volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America and her children’s schools. In 2021, she captained the Belleville Friends of Scouting fundraising campaign to its goal. Laura previously served on the Family Hospice Board of Directors, Big Brothers Big Sisters Friends Committee and as a volunteer coach for Girls on the Run. She has qualified for the Boston and New York marathons and raced in the USAT long course triathlon national championships.
Practice Highlights
- Lead counsel at a bench trial involving agency dispute resulting in $500,000 judgment plus attorney’s fees for our clients and defense verdict on opposing party’s $1 million counterclaim, all affirmed on appeal (2019-2020).
- Lead counsel at a St. Clair County bench trial resulting in judgment for our construction company client for unpaid work (2015).
- Trial team member at a three-week Southern District of Illinois federal court bench trial of ten count complaint brought against pharmacy client and two of its principals by a former partner resulting in defense judgment on claims seeking in excess of $1 million, affirmed on appeal to the Seventh Circuit; associate and then lead counsel defending related litigation between the parties ultimately dismissed by the Cook County and St. Clair County Circuit Courts and affirmed on appeal to the First District Court of Appeals (2009-2020).
- Local counsel assisting in obtaining the dismissal of punitive class action brought in federal court against various professional poker players and internet poker sites (2015).
- Litigation team member at St. Clair County bench trial of a dispute between physician and practice group successfully enforcing practice’s covenant not to compete and other contract provisions (2012).
- Litigation team member helping to achieve successful resolution of race discrimination lawsuit brought by 76 individual plaintiffs against their employer (2011).
- Successful representation of employers and employees before the EEOC, Missouri Human Rights Commission, Illinois Department of Human Rights and Illinois Department of Labor as well as in arbitration and federal and state court matters.
- Litigation team member successfully obtaining denial of class certification of punitive class action filed against private school regarding disciplinary practices.
- Litigation team member successfully representing trustees and beneficiaries in various trust and estate disputes.
- Litigation team member successfully representing construction industry clients, including general and subcontractors, in federal and state court litigation, including contract and workmanship disputes, pension contribution disputes and infringement matters.
- Legal team member advising prominent university regarding ongoing operational matters.
- Represented multiple physicians in defense of medical malpractice claims across a variety of specialties and issues.
- Represented multiple attorneys in defense of legal malpractice allegations across a variety of practices and issues.
- Litigation team member defending parallel civil and criminal litigation alleging accounting fraud against CFO of a Fortune 500 company.
- Litigation team member achieving full defense of multi-million dollar international arbitration and federal court claims brought against agricultural products manufacturer.
- Representation of debtors and creditors in bankruptcy court.
Select Reported Cases
- Rotman v. Fish, 611 S.W.3d 554 (Mo.App. E.D. 2020)
- Ave, Inc. v. Renasant Bank, Inc. 2020 WL 263509 (S.D. Ill. Jan. 17, 2020) with fees awarded to client, 2021 WL 1324532 (S.D. Ala. Jan. 14, 2021)
- Sonnenberg v. Oldford, 2015 WL 1379505 (S.D. Ill. Mar. 24, 2015), affirmed on appeal 810 F.3d 509 (7th Cir. 2016)
- DeliverMed Holdings, LLC v. Schaltenbrand, 2012 WL 13028117 (S.D. Ill. Oct. 15, 2012), on appeal, 734 F.3d 616 (7th Cir. 2013)
- Riley-Jackson v. Casino Queen, Inc., 2011 WL 797493 (S.D. Ill. Feb. 27, 2011)
Publications and Presentations
Civil Practice: Preparing for Trial, Chapter 2, Protecting Litigation Rights. ICLE. (Summer 2021).
Civil Practice: Preparing for Trial, Chapter 4, Injunctions. ICLE. (April 2018, Summer 2021).
Potential Legal Issues Involving Coronavirus in the Workplace – Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd. – 2020.
“An Ounce of Prevention—Best Practices to Minimize Business Litigation Risk,” Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois (April 2021), MMR Business Webinar, Belleville, Illinois (June 2021).
“Legal Tips for Growing Businesses,” Illinois Small Business Development Center presentation, Belleville, Illinois (May 2021).
“2020 Hot Topics in Business Litigation and Employment Law,” MMR Tax Seminar presentation, Belleville, Illinois (September 2020).
“Returning to Work after COVID,” MMR webinar, Belleville, Illinois (May 2020).
#MeToo – Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd. – 2018.
“Which Employment Laws Apply to Me,” SCORE presentation, Belleville, Illinois (August 2018).
“Non-Competes and Trade Secrets,” MM&R Tax Seminar presentation, Belleville, Illinois and Clayton, Missouri (September and October 2017).
“Overcoming Employer Documentation Challenges” and “Advanced Internal Investigation Strategies.” NBI Seminar, O’Fallon, Illinois (November 2016).
“Social Media Evidence,” ABA Young Advocates’ Sound Advice (July 2013).
“Appeals: It’s Not Over Until It’s Over” (moderator), American Bar Association Litigation Section Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois (April 2013).
“New Year’s Resolutions for Young Advocates,” ABA Young Advocates’ Committee Newsletter (January 2013).
“5 Things You Need to Know about Employment Law,” MM&R Tax Seminar presentation, Mt. Vernon, Illinois (September 2009).
Honors and Awards
Martindale Hubbell AV Rated – Peer review reflecting the highest level of professional excellence for legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.
Thompson Reuters Super Lawyers – Recognizing the top 5% of lawyers in the state as determined by peer ratings and research (2020-present).
Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers’ Rising Star – Recognizing top 2.5% of lawyers under 40 determined by peer ratings and research (2013 – 2019).
Leading Lawyers award – Recognizing the top 5% of lawyers in the state (2020-present).
Leading Lawyers Emerging Lawyer award – Recognizing the top 2% of lawyers in the state under the age of 40 (2017 – 2019).
Leadership Belleville Class of 2013