Employment Litigation

Sheena Hamilton presented at Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference

On August 17, 2018, Sheena R. Hamilton presented to the judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and federal practitioners at the Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference in Des Moines, Iowa.  The national conference included speakers and panelists offering attorneys the opportunity to learn alongside circuit, district, magistrate, and…

Sheena Hamilton Receives Award from the American Bar Association

In August 2016, Sheena R. Hamilton received the American Bar Association Star of the Year Award given for “exemplary performance of duties in service to the public and the ABA.”  Hamilton serves a Fellow for the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law and as a member of the…

Sheena Hamilton quoted in New York Times article

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Julia Preston of the New York Times interviewed Dowd Bennett attorney Sheena Hamilton, for an article she was writing on the use of non-disparagement clauses in severance agreements.  The article can be viewed by clicking the link below. New York Times Article

Sheena Hamilton Joins Dowd Bennett

Dowd Bennett is pleased to announce that Sheena Hamilton has joined the firm as an associate.  Prior to joining Dowd Bennett, Ms. Hamilton was an associate at a large St. Louis based law firm and clerked for Chief Judge Catherine D. Perry of the United States District Court for…

Dowd Bennett Obtains Defense Verdict for National Retailer Client

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has lost a case involving a woman who alleged Wal-Mart fired her because of her age. A U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri jury found for Wal-Mart on April 7. Yvonne Loskot was 67 when she was fired from the De Soto…

Missouri Court of Appeals Hears Oral Argument in Case of Fired ALJs

Appeals court judges Thursday asked how, beyond the language of a state statute, administrative law judges can be fired. Ron Holliger, general counsel for Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, told the judges the Legislature has the power to create, abolish, modify or change any position - including through appropriations legislation. “It’s…

Judge: Monkey is Not a Service Animal

A federal judge has rejected a Springfield woman's claim that her monkey was a service animal and that she was disabled. Debby Rose had sued the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, CoxHealth hospital and a Springfield Wal-Mart because she was not allowed to take the monkey, named Richard, into restaurants and…

‘Devastating’ Ruling for Woman

A Springfield woman who fought to have her monkey declared a service animal said Thursday she was shocked a federal judge rejected her lawsuit. "It's devastating; it's devastating," Debby Rose said of the outcome of her lawsuit against the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, Cox Health and Wal-Mart East. "I feel like…

Fired ALJs Can Keep their Jobs, Cole County Judge Says

A Cole County judge said three administrative law judges can't be terminated from their positions for budgetary reasons. Earlier this year, five administrative law judge positions were dismissed from their posts. Four of the judges were let go, and a retiring judge was not replaced. Gov. Jay Nixon said the…

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Dowd Bennett is a litigation firm with extensive courtroom experience. Led by trial-seasoned lawyers, including former federal prosecutors and judicial law clerks, our team shares tenacity, a passion for seeing cases through trial and a complete commitment to client service.