McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer

What McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer does

McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer, L.C. is a privately-held Missouri limited liability law firm founded in 1984 and headquartered at 825 Maryville Centre Drive, Suite 300, in Chesterfield (West St. Louis County), with a second office at 4520 Main Street, Suite 1570, in Kansas City, Missouri. Operating under the alternative trade name McCarthy, Leonard, Kaemmerer & Miller, the firm is owned and controlled by its equity partners with no external private equity or venture capital ownership evidenced. Headcount sits in the 11–50 employee band, with approximately 30 attorneys identified across the management roster plus associates; the firm celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024 and continues active recruitment, including a March 2026 lateral partner hire from Capes Sokol and multiple 2022–2025 associate additions.

The firm provides full-service legal representation across 33 distinct practice areas, including construction law, commercial litigation, labor and employment, corporate/M&A, real estate, estate planning, school and municipal law, criminal defense, family law, environmental, entertainment, intellectual property, and alternative dispute resolution. Construction law is the founding and signature practice, anchored by named authorities including W. Dudley McCarter (50+ years, Best Lawyers 30+ consecutive years, named Construction Lawyer of the Year in Missouri), Matthew Menghini, Stephen Miller, Joseph Blanner, Matthew Koehler, Jacob Doleshal, and Clifton Holly. The client base spans large and mid-market corporations in manufacturing, construction, retail, service, insurance, publishing, and healthcare; smaller businesses and not-for-profits; municipalities, school boards, fire protection districts, and ambulance districts; and individuals. Named enterprise clients include Clayco Construction (subject of a $9M+ construction arbitration award), Kirkwood R-7 School District, St. Louis Police Officers Association, Bommarito Volkswagen, St. Louis Magazine, and Mid-States Ice Hockey Association.

Revenue is generated through a traditional professional services model: hourly billable rates for legal services, with engagement terms set via direct attorney–client consultations and no public fee schedule disclosed. Go-to-market relies on partner-level client relationships, peer and industry recognition (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent), and client referrals — supported by a content-marketing website (mlklaw.com) listing practice areas and attorney biographies rather than digital advertising. The firm uses standard legal practice management tools and court electronic filing systems; no proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capability, or external API offering was disclosed. Distribution is direct through Chesterfield and Kansas City offices, serving Missouri and Illinois primary markets, with practice capabilities extending beyond these states.

Name

McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer

Legal name

McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer L.C.

Website

https://mlklaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Founded in 1984, McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer is a Missouri-based full-service law firm with offices in Chesterfield and Kansas City, offering 33+ practice areas with construction law as its flagship, serving corporate, public-sector, and individual clients across Missouri and Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Commercial Law (BPAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI), Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Commercial litigation
• Construction law
• Corporate law
• Municipal law

Headquarters

HQ city

Chesterfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Billable Hours: Traditional law firm billing model based on hourly rates for legal services including litigation, corporate transactions, labor and employment law, real estate, estate planning, and other practice areas. Clients include businesses, municipalities, school districts, and individuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer L.C. is a full-service regional law firm providing experienced legal representation across 33 practice areas, including commercial litigation, construction law, corporate law, labor and employment law, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, municipal and school law, estate planning, criminal defense, and family law. The firm serves large and mid-market businesses, smaller businesses, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, school districts, fire and ambulance districts, and individuals across Missouri, Illinois, and beyond.

Product overview

McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer L.C. is a Missouri-based law firm founded in 1984 offering a comprehensive suite of legal services through 33 distinct practice areas. The firm operates as a full-service legal practice providing both general representation (litigation, employment law, corporate law, real estate, criminal law, family law, estate planning) and specialized services including construction law, commercial litigation, labor and employment, mergers and acquisitions, insurance defense, and municipal law. The firm's practice areas are organized as individual service lines covering the complete spectrum of business and personal legal needs, serving both private sector clients (manufacturing, construction, retail, service, insurance, publishing, healthcare) and public sector clients (municipalities, school boards, fire districts).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction Law Construction law representation for owners, developers, general contractors, design professionals, subcontractors, and suppliers, including contract preparation, negotiation, dispute resolution, mechanic's lien claims, surety claims, and construction defect litigation.
• Commercial Litigation High-stakes commercial litigation services including contract disputes, business divorce, shareholder disputes, lender liability, and complex civil litigation in state and federal courts.
• Corporate Law Corporate law services including entity formation, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, business transactions, succession planning, and closely held business matters.
• Business Law Business law legal services for corporations and business entities, covering transactions, governance, and commercial matters.
• Mergers & Acquisitions M&A transaction legal services including structuring, negotiation, due diligence, and deal documentation.
• Labor and Employment Law Labor and employment law representation for employers including collective bargaining, NLRB matters, employment litigation, and labor relations with public sector employees.
• Real Estate & Development Real estate transactions including sales, acquisitions, leases, development, and related disputes for commercial clients.
• Municipal Law

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kirkwood School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe firm serves as general counsel for Kirkwood R-7 School District, handling all administrative matters and all employee and student discipline. This represents a significant ongoing client relationship for municipal and school law services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Armstrong Teasdale LLP: St. Louis-headquartered full-service law firm with comparable size and practice areas including corporate, litigation, construction, employment, and real estate. Closely comparable in regional scope and client base.
• Capes Sokol Goodman Sarachan PC: St. Louis-based full-service law firm with strong litigation, business, construction, and estate planning practices. Directly comparable in geography, size band, and practice mix; notably, MLK's recent equity partner R. Thomas Avery joined from Capes Sokol.
• Lewis Rice LLC: St. Louis-based full-service law firm serving corporate, real estate, litigation, and employment clients. Comparable in regional focus, size, and full-service orientation.
• Greensfelder Hemker & Gale PC: St. Louis-based full-service law firm serving business clients across litigation, real estate, employment, and corporate matters. Comparable in regional focus, mid-market client base, and practice breadth.
• Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard PC: St. Louis-based law firm serving business and public-sector clients with practices in corporate, litigation, construction, real estate, and employment. Comparable in size, geography, and practice mix.

Broad incumbents

• Husch Blackwell LLP: AmLaw 200 firm with significant Kansas City and St. Louis presence covering corporate, litigation, real estate, and construction law. Overlaps with MLK in regional geography and several core practice areas but at much larger scale.
• Lathrop GPM LLP: Major Midwest-based law firm with offices including Kansas City and St. Louis covering corporate, M&A, litigation, real estate, and labor & employment. Comparable practice mix and regional footprint.
• Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP: Global law firm with strong St. Louis heritage and significant Midwest presence offering corporate, litigation, construction, and real estate services. Direct overlap on multiple MLK practice areas at much larger scale.
• Thompson Coburn LLP: Major St. Louis-based law firm with national reach in corporate, M&A, litigation, real estate, and government services. Significant practice overlap with MLK but at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Polsinelli PC: Major AmLaw 200 firm headquartered in Kansas City with deep Missouri roots and broad corporate, litigation, health care, real estate, and labor & employment practices. Overlaps with MLK on most practice areas but at significantly larger scale and geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles34 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer