UCM General Counsel Receives Missouri In-House Counsel Award

By Jeff Murphy, November 27, 2018

 

WARRENSBURG, MO –  Missouri Lawyers Media recently recognized Lindsay Chapman, general counsel for the University of Central Missouri, as a recipient of a 2018 In-House Counsel Award. The awards breakfast and presentation took place Nov. 8 in Clayton, Mo.

This annual awards program was established in 2017 to honor in-house counsel at all levels “who among other things, navigate complicated contract negotiations, defend their companies in high stakes litigation and defend some of an organization’s most important assets.”

Chapman was honored in the category for attorneys representing nonprofit or government organizations. Other categories included areas such as health care, private and public companies.

“Working in-house allows attorneys to become familiar with their client’s needs, people, and industry,” Chapman noted. “I’m grateful that Missouri Lawyers Media celebrates the importance of this work and am incredibly honored to be recognized alongside amazing colleagues in the field. It is my privilege to work in public higher ed, and appreciate the Board of Governors giving me the opportunity here in Warrensburg. The students, faculty, and staff at UCM are energizing and inspiring; what a joy it is to be a part of their team.”

Chapman became UCM’s general counsel in July 2018, where her work includes both general practice and dealing with employment issues, as well as Board governance and managing outside counsel. Her office also oversees UCM’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety and Office of Accessibility Services. She had served the university previously while working for Husch Blackwell in Kansas City, a firm which represented the university as outside general counsel.

Currently in her 14th year of legal practice, Chapman is an alumna of Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in human resource management from K-State, she went on to earn a certificate in European Union law from the Universite Libré de Bruxelles (Brussels, Belgium), and a law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law (St. Louis, Missouri) in 2005, focusing much of her work since then on employment and labor law. Her early experience as an attorney includes serving as an associate at Diekemper, Hammond, Shinners, Turcotte & Larrew in Clayton, where she advised clients on union-management relations and arbitrating contract disputes. This was followed by a year clerking for U.S. District Judge William D.

Stiehl of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, followed by service in Milwaukee, Wis., as an associate with Husch Blackwell. In this capacity, she represented companies in areas related to labor and employment law.

Prior to joining UCM, Chapman gained six years of experience as in-house counsel at K-State. She left that position and rejoined Husch Blackwell in 2016, which led to the opportunity to serve UCM.

Chapman resides in Warrensburg with her husband, Justin Chapman, D.C., an instructor in UCM’s Biology Program, and their sons, Brody (age 10), and Colby (age 7).