Blanton Law Firm News

Diedre Peters, formerly an associate with the Firm, became a member of the Firm effective January 1, 2019.  Diedre is a native of Bertrand, Missouri and is a graduate of Charleston High School.   Diedre is a graduate of Columbia College and a magnum cum laude graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law.  While in law school, Diedre served as an Associate Editor of the University of Illinois Law Review.  Diedre focuses her practice on litigation and transactions.

Joseph Blanton and Bryan Nickell obtained a defense verdict in an 11 day medical malpractice case tried to a jury in Scott County, Missouri in February.

Paralegal Melette Pobst and Office Manager Darlene Ferrell were recognized in July as Unsung Heroes by The Missouri Lawyers Weekly.  The article noted that Pobst’s skills are wide-ranging including managing discovery and helping with the preparation of pleadings and briefs in litigation matters as well as putting together the documents in complex transactions and estate plans.   Ferrell has been employed by the firm for nearly 50 years and has been the office manager for the last 30 years.

Attorneys Tom Collins and Shaun Hanschen reached a settlement in a contested employment law matter in August.

Attorney Patrick Douglas recently reached a settlement for a Firm client in an auto accident case.

The Firm will be listed in the 2020 edition of Best Lawyers by U. S. News and World Reports for the St. Louis Market for commercial litigation, product liability defense, and medical malpractice defense.  Joseph C. Blanton, Jr. will be listed in Tier 1 in these areas.

The Firm is serving as co-counsel in a dicamba class action currently pending in the Circuit Court of Scott County, Missouri.

RN Aimee Eftink has joined the firm as an employed nurse consultant.   Aimee is a graduate of the Southeast Missouri University School of Nursing and is a former employee of Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston working primarily in the Intensive Care Unit.   The Firm now employs three full time nurse consultants, including Aimee, Crystal Nugent and Carole Hillis.

The Firm has been retained by a second Farm Credit System entity to provide advice on a variety of legal matters.  The Firm has represented Farm Credit entities since 1933.

Joseph Blanton received a Masters of Science in History from the University of Edinburgh, UK during the July commencement proceedings.  His masters thesis analyzed the contributions of Abraham Lincoln’s three law partners to Lincoln’s development as a lawyer and politician.