Scott K. Martinsen was recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2021 "Lawyer of the Year" for Trusts and Estates.
Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the "Lawyer of the Year," making this accolade particularly significant. These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments.
Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism, and their integrity.
In addition to the "Lawyer of the Year" award, Scott K. Martinsen was also listed in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the following practice areas:

• Litigation - Trusts and Estates

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.

Congratulations Scott!

Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP has been ranked in the 2021 U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" list regionally in 3 practice areas.
In addition, the firm has been named "Law Firm of the Year" in:Firms included in the 2021 "Best Law Firms" list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.
The 2021 Edition of "Best Law Firms" includes rankings in 75 national practice areas and 127 metropolitan - based practice areas. Additionally, one "Law Firm of the Year" was named in each nationally-ranked practice area.
Ranked firms, presented in tiers, are listed on a national and/ or metropolitan scale. Receiving a tier designation reflects the high level of respect a firm has earned among other leading lawyers and clients in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism and their integrity.
Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP received the following rankings in the 2021 U.S. News – Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms":

• Regional Tier 1
  • Kansas City-KS
    • Trusts & Estates Law
  • Kansas City-MO
    • Litigation - Trusts & Estates
    • Trusts & Estates Law
• Regional Tier 2
  • St. Louis
    • Litigation - Trusts & Estates
• Regional Tier 3
  • St. Louis
    • Commercial Litigation

Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP is pleased to announce that 7 lawyers have been included in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.
Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades, earning the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in over 75 countries.
"Best Lawyers was founded in 1981 with the purpose of highlighting the extraordinary accomplishments of those in the legal profession. After three decades, we are proud to continue to serve as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals worldwide," says CEO Phillip Greer.
Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.
Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to 2021 The Best Lawyers in America list:

• Robert K. Kirkland - Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates
• Scott K. Martinsen - Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates
• Daniel P. Wheeler - Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates
• Emily J. Kembell - Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates
• John M. Challis - Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Trusts and Estates
• Richard D. Woods - Trusts and Estates
• Andrew M. Mitchell - Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates

We would like to congratulate our St. Louis partner, John Challis, for being the 2020 recipient of the W. Oliver Rasch Award for his article Electronic Wills in Missouri: The Future is Now. This award is given to a lawyer who has contributed and authored the best Journal of The Missouri Bar article of the year.  John will receive the award in September at the Missouri Bar Virtual Annual meeting. 

Please read more about this honor: https://news.mobar.org/john-challis-honored-for-legal-writing/

We are very pleased to announce the hiring of Joshua S. Rose as an attorney in our St. Louis office.  Josh is an experienced attorney who assists clients with fiduciary litigation, estate planning, and estate and trust administration.  Josh is a 2018 graduate of St. Louis University School of Law and a 2015 graduate of Milliken University.  He is a regular volunteer at Ministries Unlimited Food Pantry, and proudly mentors future lawyers as a judge at the annual Illinois Undergraduate Moot Court Competition.  Josh is licensed to practice law in both Missouri and Illinois. 
               
Josh Rose can be reached by telephone at 314-944-5205 or by email at jrose@kwm-law.com or by visiting his profile: https://www.kwm-law.com/joshua-s-rose.html
​

Our offices will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2020 in observance of Independence Day. 

Bob Kirkland has the honor of speaking at the Central Iowa Society of Financial Service Professionals on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club.
Bob will be giving his presentation: "Pixar for Estate Planners" which emphasizes the need  to plan ahead for the disposition and security of digital assets as well as instruct professionals how to administer such assets post death.
For more information visit: 
https://societyoffsp.org/centraliowa/event/pixar-for-estate-planners/

Bob Kirkland presented The SECURE (“Sending Everyone Cowering Under Reduced Expectations”) ACT and Other Recent Developments in Estate Planning for Retirement Assets via webcast at the 47th Annual Midwest Estate Tax & Business Planning Institute that was to be held in Indianapolis. 
https://iclef.org/2020/05/12831/