Jeanine Bermel and Courtney Hill Selected for Leadership Skills
FOCUS St. Louis selected Husch Blackwell Partners Jeanine R. Bermel and Courtney L. Hill to the 2011-2012 Leadership St. Louis Class. Bermel and Hill are two of the 66 individuals chosen from more than 200 applications received for this year's class.
Those selected for FOCUS St. Louis' prestigious Leadership St. Louis program must possess strong leadership skills and dedication to improving the quality of life in their region. Students will spend nine months learning about critical regional issues and meeting with key area decision makers. FOCUS St. Louis sparks positive community change by developing leadership, influencing policy and promoting community connections.
Bermel concentrates her practice in complex business litigation. She advises clients in matters involving commercial and government disputes, including products liability, health care issues, intellectual property and ERISA. Bermel has defended substantial putative class actions and shareholder derivative lawsuits. Within litigation, Bermel consults with firm attorneys and clients on electronic discovery issues, namely the preservation, identification, collection, review and production of electronic data and documents from a wide array of sources. Bermel writes articles and frequently speaks on issues relating to electronic discovery. She supervises and coordinates large teams involving electronic discovery projects. Bermel has represented and counseled Fortune 500 companies responding to demands for significant volumes of electronic data in civil litigation and government investigations.
Outside of the office, Bermel dedicates time to a variety of non-profit and community organizations. She is a member of the Auxiliary for Lafayette Industries, the largest sheltered workshop in the Midwest that provides constructive employment for mentally challenged adults in a safe environment. As an Auxiliary member, Bermel helps support, coordinate and organize various social and fundraising events. Bermel is also involved in a variety of athletic activities and incorporates her passion for physical fitness and love for children with her fundraising activities. She organizes and sponsors a variety of fundraising events in conjunction with the annual marathon in Memphis, Tenn. to raise funds for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Bermel also helped to promote and support the first annual St. Louis regional spinathon to benefit Friends of Kids with Cancer. In addition, she recently accepted a position on the St. Louis Chapter of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's Board of Directors.
Hill concentrates her practice in the area of Real Estate & Development law, counseling public and private companies in domestic and international commercial real estate transactions and loans. She has worked with a variety of Fortune 500 companies with respect to the acquisition and disposition of real estate assets, leasing of office and industrial properties and commercial lending matters. She is also a member of the firm's Hiring Committee and Chair of the Real Estate Department's Publications and Events Committee.
Hill uses her legal expertise to benefit the community by providing pro bono services for a number of local and national not-for-profit entities. Additionally, she is active with Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), a professional networking organization for female professionals in the commercial real estate industry. Hill supports sponsorship activities for a variety of charities including Safe Connections, a local organization dedicated to helping domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.