Harris Dowell Fisher & Young, Lc

What Harris Dowell Fisher & Young, Lc does

Harris Young Kayser (formerly Harris Dowell Fisher & Young) is a privately held, partner-owned law firm headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri. Founded in 1973, the firm provides management-side labor and employment law counsel to businesses of all sizes, municipalities, insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and self-insured employers across Missouri and Illinois. Its practice spans Employment and Labor Law, Workers' Compensation Defense, Civil Litigation, Government Liability and Civil Rights, Construction Law, and Appellate Practice. On September 17, 2025, the firm rebranded to Harris Young Kayser to signal a strategic expansion beyond traditional employment work into commercial litigation and municipal representation, a shift catalyzed by the 2023 addition of Shareholder Portia Kayser.

The firm operates a traditional professional services model, generating revenue through hourly and fixed fees determined by matter complexity and attorney seniority. Senior partners are described as maintaining direct, hands-on involvement throughout representations, positioning the firm against the leveraged staffing model of larger competitors. Marketing and client development run primarily through the firm's website, attorney profiles, regularly updated commentary on Missouri workers' compensation legislation (including pending bills covered in March 2026), and earned-media placements on KMOX Radio and KTVI Channel 2, plus a November 2025 St. Louis Magazine feature on the firm's evolution.

The firm employs 12 attorneys and holds Tier 1 Best Lawyers rankings in Employment Law - Management and Labor Law - Management for the St. Louis region in 2025 and 2026, with 6 attorneys recognized in 2026 and 7 in 2025. Individual honors include 2024 and 2023 Missouri Lawyers Media ICON Awards (Fred Ricks and Ron Fisher, respectively), a 2025 Lawyer of the Year designation for Fred Ricks, and recognition spanning decades (Fisher in Best Lawyers since 1989). Ownership is partner-held with no private equity, venture capital, or institutional investment indicated, and the firm has been organically grown since inception with no acquisition or merger activity documented.

Name

Harris Dowell Fisher & Young, Lc

Legal name

Harris Young Kayser L.C.

Website

https://harrisdowell.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harris Young Kayser (formerly Harris Dowell Fisher & Young) is a Chesterfield, Missouri-based law firm founded in 1973 serving businesses, municipalities, and public entities in Missouri and Illinois with management-side labor and employment law, workers' compensation defense, civil litigation, and government liability services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chesterfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Services: Law firm providing management-side labor and employment law representation, civil defense litigation, workers' compensation defense, government liability and civil rights, construction law, and appellate services. Revenue is generated through professional services fees, typically hourly rates or fixed fees for specific legal matters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Harris Young Kayser (formerly Harris Dowell Fisher & Young) is a management-side labor and employment law firm that provides legal representation to businesses, municipalities, and public entities. The firm delivers counsel and defense across employment law, labor relations, workers' compensation defense, civil litigation, government liability and civil rights, construction law, and appellate practice, primarily serving clients in Missouri and Illinois.

Product overview

Harris Young Kayser (formerly Harris Dowell Fisher & Young) is a law firm providing management-side labor and employment law representation, civil defense litigation, and workers' compensation defense services. The firm's practice areas include Employment Law, Labor Law, Workers' Compensation Defense, Civil Litigation, Government Liability & Civil Rights, Construction Law, and Appellate Practice. Founded in 1973, the firm serves clients in Missouri and Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employment Law Legal counsel and defense for employers on all aspects of employment law, including workplace discrimination, harassment, labor relations, compliance, OSHA, wage and hour, trade secrets, non-compete agreements, and employee benefits.
• Labor Law Specialized representation for employers in labor (union) relations matters, including National Labor Relations Act compliance, grievance arbitrations, collective bargaining negotiations, unfair labor practice proceedings, and union organizing campaigns.
• Workers' Compensation Defense Defense of employers against workers' compensation claims, including investigation, trials, appeals, settlement negotiations, and challenging fraudulent or exaggerated claims in Missouri and Illinois.
• Civil Litigation Civil defense litigation for employers, including case evaluation, strategic options, sound guidance through every step of litigation, and aggressive pursuit through jury trial and appeals.
• Government Liability and Civil Rights Representation for city and county governments and public entities in employment matters, law enforcement defense, civil rights claims, general liability, open records and meetings compliance, and zoning and land use issues.
• Construction Law Construction litigation, including defense of catastrophic personal injury claims, construction defect claims, and OSHA compliance and citation disputes.
• Appellate Practice Appellate litigation in state and federal courts, including appeals and writs across construction, accidents and injuries, employment disputes, and civil rights matters.

Named customers2 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

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Seyfarth Shaw: Large Am Law firm with one of the largest labor and employment practices in the U.S., including a St. Louis office. Overlaps heavily on employment defense but offers a broader full-service platform.
• Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner: Global law firm with deep St. Louis roots and substantial employment, litigation, and government practices. Larger full-service competitor for the firm's mid-market and public entity clients.

Regional players

• Thompson Coburn: St. Louis-based full-service law firm with an employment practice group representing management. Direct competitor for St. Louis regional employer-side labor and employment work.
• Lathrop GPM: St. Louis-headquartered law firm with strong employment and labor practice serving Missouri and Midwest employers. Comparable regional competitor for private and public sector clients.
• Polsinelli: Kansas City-headquartered Am Law firm with significant St. Louis presence and an active labor and employment practice. Comparable regional competitor for employer-side representation.
• Husch Blackwell: Midwest-based law firm with offices in St. Louis and Kansas City. Competes regionally for labor, employment, and workers' compensation defense work for employers across Missouri and beyond.

Direct peers

• Fisher Phillips: National labor and employment law firm representing employers. Directly comparable for management-side employment work and workplace compliance matters, competing for similar private and public employer clients.
• Jackson Lewis: Major management-side labor and employment boutique with a St. Louis office. Closely comparable in practice focus and target clients, though with substantially broader geographic coverage.
• Ogletree Deakins: National management-side labor and employment law firm with a large St. Louis presence. Directly comparable as a labor/employment-focused firm serving employers, though significantly larger and operating across the U.S.
• Littler Mendelson: Largest U.S. management-side labor and employment law firm, with offices including St. Louis. Directly competes for the same employer-side labor and employment defense work, though at national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harris-dowell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Harris Dowell Fisher & Young, Lc