News Release
For immediate release
November 15, 2021
OVERLAND PARK, Kansas — Eleven attorneys from Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC have been honored by Missouri and Kansas SuperLawyers for 2021, including five selected to the prestigious “Rising Stars” list. Fewer than 5 percent of all attorneys in Missouri and Kansas are selected as Super Lawyers — and just 2.5% as Rising Stars — in their respective states. (Learn about their selection process)
2021 SuperLawyers:
Diane Bellquist – Overland Park Professional Licensing Defense
Drawing on more than a decade of experience working for regulatory agencies of the State of Kansas, Ms. Bellquist’s law practice focuses on defending licensed professionals and entities before their respective regulatory boards. With extensive experience in the healthcare industry, Ms. Bellquist has defended a multitude of physicians, chiropractors, physician assistants, and nurses in actions involving their licensure. Additionally, Ms. Bellquist’s regulatory defense practice includes defending attorneys responding to bar complaints, investigations, and disciplinary proceedings involving alleged violations of the Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct.
Christopher Joseph – Lawrence Criminal Defense
Mr. Joseph represents individuals and businesses in complex civil litigation and during the investigation and prosecution of criminal charges. He leads the firm’s criminal and civil asset forfeiture practice groups, and recently launched the firm’s new judicial conduct practice group.
M. Kristine Lawless – Topeka Family Law
Family law dominates Ms. Lawless’s practice, including divorce, property settlement agreements, premarital agreements, paternity actions, and maintenance, with a focus on child custody matters, parenting time, and child support. She has mediation training with an emphasis on domestic mediation and conciliation, and she is certified by the Kansas Supreme Court to perform mediation in domestic cases.
Christopher McHugh – Kansas City Civil & Criminal Defense
Mr. McHugh is a litigator with decades of experience defending individuals and businesses in civil and criminal litigation in Kansas and Missouri courts. In addition to his courtroom practice, Mr. McHugh counsels entities and individuals on law relating to cannabis, marijuana, and hemp projects; represents entities seeking medical marijuana licensure; and assists in all manner of related regulatory issues.
Dionne Scherff – Overland Park Criminal Defense
Ms. Scherff has extensive experience litigating felony jury trials in both federal and state courts. She represents individuals in all types of criminal cases, including first degree murder, bank robbery, drug distribution, mortgage fraud, aggravated kidnapping, rape, aggravated indecent liberties, aggravated battery, stalking, electronic solicitation, DUI and juvenile matters. Ms. Scherff is one of only a handful of Kansas lawyers qualified by Kansas to handle death penalty cases, and is one of only two lawyers in Kansas’ history of death penalty cases to get a capital case dismissed. Two weeks ago she succeeded in getting a first degree murder case dismissed.
Ardith Smith-Woertz – Topeka Family Law
Ms. Smith-Woertz focuses on family law, primarily handling cases involving divorce, child support, child custody and residency, parenting issues, and parentage. She also prepares simple wills. Ms. Smith-Woertz serves clients throughout the northeastern quadrant of the state. Ms. Smith-Woertz is a Certified Mediator through the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration and regularly acts as a mediator/conciliator for parties involved in domestic disputes.
2021 Rising Stars:
Katherine Chlumsky – Wichita Family Law
Ms. Chlumsky’s civil practice is concentrated in civil litigation with an emphasis on employment law. Her domestic practice includes divorce, child custody, child support, parenting time, spousal maintenance, and paternity. Ms. Chlumsky also prepares wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.
Andrew Goodwin – Kansas City Personal Injury
Mr. Goodwin is an experienced litigation attorney whose practice focuses on representing individuals and businesses in the transportation, financial, utility, and manufacturing industries. He has represented clients in cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, professional liability, products liability, property damage, insurance coverage and business disputes. Mr. Goodwin has extensive experience in commercial motor vehicle accidents, having litigated trucking cases in more than 20 states.
Rebecca Henry – Wichita Family Law
Ms. Henry’s family law practice includes divorce, child custody, child support, spousal maintenance, and paternity. She also handles wills and estate planning, probate court matters, guardianship, conservatorship, and adoption.
Casey Meek – Kansas City Criminal Defense
Mr. Meek is licensed in Kansas and Missouri and he practices in municipal, state and federal courts throughout the Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City metropolitan areas. Mr. Meek represents individuals during the investigation and prosecution of felony and misdemeanor charges, including: drug & alcohol offenses; DUI & other traffic offenses; property crimes; person crimes; and probation violations. Mr. Meek also assists clients with expungements of criminal investigations and convictions.
Carrie Parker – Lawrence Criminal Defense
Ms. Parker represents individuals and businesses during the investigation and prosecution of criminal charges in federal and state courts. She also represents businesses and individuals in complex civil litigation and property holders seeking the return of assets seized for forfeiture. Devoting much of her practice to persuasive writing, Ms. Parker has ample experience with district court motion practice and appellate advocacy.
About Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC
Joseph, Hollander & Craft is a premier law firm representing criminal, civil and family law clients throughout Kansas and Missouri. When your business, your freedom, your property, or your career is at stake, you want the attorney standing beside you to be skilled, prepared, and relentless. From our offices in Kansas City, Lawrence, Overland Park, Topeka and Wichita, our team of 20+ attorneys has you covered.
We defend against life-changing criminal prosecutions. We protect children and property in divorce cases. We pursue relief for victims of trucking collisions and those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries due to the negligence of others. We fight allegations of professional misconduct against doctors, nurses, judges, attorneys, accountants, real estate agents and others. And we represent healthcare professionals and hospitals in civil litigation.