Blanton Firm News

Blanton, Nickell, Collins, Douglas and Hanschen, LLC, proudly welcomes

Tony C. “Trey” Watkins, III, as an associate to the firm. Trey graduated with a Juris Doctor from Southern Illinois University School of Law in May 2020 and was sworn into the Missouri Bar in September 2020. While a law student, Trey served on the Southern Illinois University School of Law Journal as Note Editor and Staff. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science/Pre-Law from Fontbonne University in St. Louis where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He received Fontbonne’s Outstanding Graduate...

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$400 Million Dicamba Settlement Agreement Reached

Monsanto’s successor Bayer AG has agreed to pay up to $300 Million to soybean producers and additional amounts to producers of other non-soybean and specialty crops who have suffered dicamba damage from dicamba sprayed ‘over the top’ of dicamba tolerant soybeans or cotton between 2015 and 2020.  Bayer has agreed to pay attorneys fees, litigation expenses and claims administration expenses and other costs in addition to the amounts provided to qualified claimants.  The total settlement value is expected to...

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Firm News

Firm attorneys have continued to represent clients in both transactions and litigation matters during the Covid Virus response while honoring the requests of elected officials.  Throughout the social distancing program, Firm lawyers have remained available to clients with respect to issues relating to the pandemic response and regular legal matters. In March, Diedre Peters closed large asset purchases of two separate businesses in the agricultural services sector for a firm client.  In March, Joseph Blanton completed a transaction in which a...

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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...

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Hanschen Recognized with Two Legal Honors

SIKESTON—Shaun D. Hanschen of Sikeston was recently recognized with two distinguished awards for his legal work in Missouri. Hanschen was awarded the David J. Dixon Appellate Advocacy Award by The Missouri Bar Foundation during the Missouri Bar Annual Meeting on September 26 in St. Louis. He also was named as one of 45 Up & Coming attorneys by Missouri Lawyers Media on October 12 during an awards luncheon at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. The David J. Dixon Appellate...

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November 2017 News

Sikeston Law Firm Garners U.S. News Best Lawyers Listing  SIKESTON -- Blanton, Nickell, Collins, Douglas and Hanschen, LLC in Sikeston, Mo., has been named a Tier 1 law firm for Medical Malpractice Defendant by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms in 2018,” and the firm also was also included in the 24th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Joseph C. Blanton Jr. of the firm was also selected by his peers for inclusion in the 24th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for his...

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October 2017 News

Joseph Blanton, Bryan Nickell and Diedre Peters represented a St. Louis area client in a contested arbitration proceeding in St. Louis County. The Firm’s client received an Arbitration Award of all of the damages claimed. Joseph Blanton served as a member of the trial practice faculty during the Fall Meeting of Fellows of Litigation Counsel of America held on October 18-20, 2017 in Bal Harbour, FL. Blanton spoke on the process of preparing a Closing Argument. Litigation Counsel of America...

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