Richard L. Schnake received his Bachelor's degree, cum laude, from Southwest Missouri State University in 1979 and his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1982. He was an Executive Editor of the Washington University Law Quarterly, recipient of the Scribes Award for legal writing, and a member of the Order of the Coif, a national law honor fraternity. He served as the law clerk for Judge Warren D. Welliver of the Missouri Supreme Court before joining the firm in 1983. He has been a partner since 1988.

Mr. Schnake emphasizes appellate practice in both Missouri and federal courts. He has handled cases in the United States Supreme Court, Missouri Supreme Court, Missouri Court of Appeals, and the United States Courts of Appeals.

His practice also includes trademarks, copyrights, commercial law, and litigation. He has experience in trademark and copyright registration; trademark and copyright infringement claims and litigation; banking law; commercial and consumer financing; commercial paper transactions; real estate sale and financing transactions; and personal injury and products liability actions.

Mr. Schnake is the author of Civil Rules Practice, Rules 85-88, 17A MISSOURI PRACTICE (1999), published by Thomson-West, the nation's largest legal publisher. The treatise covers Missouri court rules governing prejudgment attachments, condemnation, declaratory judgments, and child support. He is working on a second treatise covering Rules 89-99, which govern other special actions. He wrote Chapter 4, Settlement Conferences, MISSOURI APPELLATE COURT PRACTICE (5th ed. 2002), for The Missouri Bar's appellate practice treatise, and he has written several appellate practice articles for the Missouri Lawyers Weekly.

Mr. Schnake has regularly spoken on civil appellate and trial practice at seminars sponsored by The Missouri Bar and the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association.

Areas of Practice:
Appeals
Banking & Finance Law
Intellectual Property Law

Bar Admissions:
Missouri, 1982
U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri, 1982
U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1989
U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 1984
U.S. Supreme Court, 1986

Professional Associations and Memberships:
American Bar Association, 1986 - Present 
  Council of Appellate Lawyers
     member
Eighth Circuit Bar Association
Missouri Supreme Court Appellate Practice Committee, 2002 - Present
Missouri Supreme Court Civil Rules Committee, 1994 - 2002
Missouri Supreme Court Civil Rules Study Committee, 1989 - 1992
Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, 1983 - Present
  Law Day Committee, Chair, 1989 - 1991, 2002
  Director, 1993 - 1995
  Secretary, 1992     
Supreme Court of Missouri Historical Society, 1999 - Present
  Trustee
The Missouri Bar, 1998 - Present 
  Appellate Subcommittee, Civil Practice & Procedure Committee, 2002 - Present
     Chair
  Civil Practice & Procedure Committee, 2002 - Present
     Chair
  Legislative Review Subcommittee, 2002 - Present
     member
  Civil Practice & Procedure Committee, 1998 - Present
     Vice Chair

Honors and Awards:
Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, 2006, 2009, 2010
David J. Dixon Appellate Advocacy Award, Missouri Bar Foundation, 1990 - Present
  Recipient 1990
Nominee for nonpartisan appointment to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, 2003
Who's Who in America
Who's Who in American Law

Representative Cases:
Midcoast Aviation, Inc. v. General Elec. Credit Corp., 907 F.2d 732 (7th Cir. 1990)
Laclecle County v. Douglas, 43 S.W.3d 826 (Missouri 2001)
Stowe v. Spence, 41 S.W.3d 468 (Missouri 2001)
Herndon v. Tuhey, 857 S.W.2d 203 (Missouri 1993)
Parmley v. Missouri Dental Bel, 719 S.W.2d 745 (Missouri 1986)
In re Marriage of Thomas, 199 S.W.3d 847 (Mo. Ct. App. 2006)
State v. Carroll, 165 S.W.3d 597 (Mo. Ct. App. 2005)
Beavers v. Recreation Ass'n of Lake Shore Estates, Inc., 130 S.W.3d 702 (Mo. Ct. App. 2004)
Kimberling North, Inc. v. Pope, 100 S.W.3d 863 (Mo. Ct. App. 2003)
Kleeman v. Kingsley, 88 S.W.3d 521 (Mo. Ct. App. 2002)
State ex rel Missouri Highway & Transp. Comm'n v. Rantz, 43 S.W.3d 436 (Mo. Ct. App. 2001)
In re Elinor Short Trust, 7 S.W.3d 482 (Mo. Ct. App. 1999)
Meeks Leasing Co. v. Young, 881 S.W.2d 232 (Mo. Ct. App. 1994)
Strunk v. Commercial Plastics Co., 800 S.W.2d 779 (Mo. Ct. App. 1990)

Representative Clients:
American National Property and Casualty Company
Executive Coach Builders, Inc.
G & R Foods, Inc.
General Pet Incorporated 
Interzone Entertainment, Inc.

Civic Involvement:
Ozarks Counseling Center, 1987 - Present
  Director
  past President

Classes/Seminars Taught:
Appellate Practice 2005-What if I'm not John Grisham? Your brief may not be a novel, but here are tips on how to make it persuasive, The Missouri Bar, 2005
Effective Legal Writing - Finding A Theme and Limiting Issues, The Missouri Bar, 2005
Essentials of Missouri Practice - Basics of Appellate Practice, The Missouri Bar, 2004 - Present
Appellate Practice 2003 - Extraordinary Remedies; Mock Oral Argument, The Missouri Bar, 2000
Appellate Practice 1998 - Whether and How To Appeal, The Missouri Bar, 1998
Appellate Practice 1995 - Oral Argument in the Appellate Court, The Missouri Bar, 1995
Annual Law Update - Civil Trial and Appellate Practice, The Missouri Bar, 1993 - Present

Past Employment Positions:
Hon. Warren D. Welliver, Missouri Supreme Court, Law Clerk, 1982 - 1983

Fraternities/Sororities:
Phi Kappa Phi

Languages:
English
German

Published Works:
"Settlement Conferences", Missouri Appellate Court Practice, 5th ed., 2002
Common Sense Tips for Writing Briefs: Making Life Easy for the Court, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Feb. 25, 2002
Computerization in Appellate Practice: New Means For Old Task, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, April, 23, 2001
Look Before You Appeal: Five Factors To Consider In Making Decision, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, April, 3, 2000
 Civil Rules Practice, Rules 85-88, 17A Missouri Practice, 1999
Rule Revision Clarifies Requirements For Points Relied On, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, April 26, 1999
A Judgment By Any Other Name..., Missouri Lawyers Weekly, April, 27, 1998
Points Relied On Must Explain How Alleged Trial Court Error is Prejudicial, Civil Practice & Procedure News, Feb., 1997
Legislature Makes Major Change Affecting Appellate Practice, SMBA Newsletter, Sept., 1996