2021 Trusted Advisers Attorney: Patrick Baird

Attorney Patrick Baird this year took his expertise to Neale & Newman LLP after seven years with Baird Lightner Millsap PC.

He says his goal of providing clients with the best possible legal service remains the same.

“My clients rely on me to provide them with advice so that they can make the best possible choice, both economically and personally,” Baird says. “In providing such a role, it is important that I work with my clients in a team-based setting with both sides providing information and insight.

“It requires more than simply providing the legal advice because, while a client may be able to do something under the law, the financial or personal implications may outweigh what can be gained.”

A partner at Neale & Newman since March, Baird specializes in family law, civil defense and business litigation. In 2020, he had individual annual billings of $290,000. He joined the firm with Katherine Thompson, who exited Baird Lightner Millsap at the same time.

“Pat and Katherine are outstanding lawyers with depth of experience,” said Daniel Wooten, Neale & Newman’s managing partner, in a news release at the time. “Their practice areas dovetail perfectly with our practices, and together we will be able to serve both our clients and their clients even better.”

Baird says his role requires him to be available at all times of the day.

“I make myself available to my clients before and after business hours if that is what is required,” he says. “I spend extra time with the client to make sure that we have identified what the goal is at the end and then discuss the multiple paths available for that goal.”

Baird, who earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, started his career as a prosecuting attorney in Cass County. There, he tried several cases in front of a jury and the court. He later joined the Missouri attorney general’s office, where he defended the state and the Kansas City Police Department in various lawsuits, before returning to his hometown of Springfield in 2014.

“I believe that I have allowed my clients the freedom and flexibility to grow and reach their goals while keeping them protected from the many pitfalls that can come with entering into new contracts and determining the best strategies to enforce those contracts,” Baird says of his career. “I provide my clients with a person who will take their issues seriously and will look for creative solutions.”

He is a member of the Missouri Bar and Springfield Metropolitan Bar associations. He’s also a board member for the Hope Foundation, where he helps raise money for families in need of financial assistance due to pediatric medical emergencies.

At Neale & Newman, Baird and other attorneys stay up to date with the latest trends in business, litigation and estate planning, as well as continuing legal education.

“The law is an ever-evolving world,” he says. “It requires that an attorney constantly stay up to date on what bills are being presented both to the Missouri legislature and in the federal legislative branch.”