Schuyler, Roche & Crisham, P.C. Large enough to to the job right, small enough to listen
 

Keith W. Mandell
Associate

Determination and a commitment to excellence drive Keith Mandell's life and legal career. As a 23-year-old graduate student, Keith embarked on an unusual challenge: a run for mayor of Columbia, Missouri (the state's fifth largest city). While some candidates spent over $30,000, Keith ran on a shoe-string budget, funded by his own $100 and $25 from his 84-year-old great aunt. Many home-made signs, leaflets and door-to-door visits later, including participation in a dozen candidate forums, Keith's enthusiastic effort gained campaign volunteers and support, propelling him ahead of another contender. While another candidate won, Keith's candidacy highlighted his willingness to take on challenges and his lifelong commitment to public service.

Today, Keith is still politically active, having played a key role in the world of cyberspace grassroots campaigning in the 2008 presidential election. But his early graduate school passion for American history turned to the study and practice of law upon discovering the central role played by the legal system at key periods in American history, such as the Civil Rights Movement. Upon graduation from law school, Keith's exceptional research skills, internet mastery and sheer determination found him well-suited to the detail-oriented and ever-changing practice area of insurance coverage, particularly D&O policies and professional lines' claims.

After 10 years in professional practice, Keith is a highly sought-after counselor who serves primarily large insurance companies. "Insurance coverage work," explains Keith, "offers a unique opportunity. An attorney must become thoroughly knowledgeable on a wide variety of insurance policies (e.g., D&O, E&O and EPL), and also skilled in analyzing a wide range of underlying litigation (e.g., securities litigation, employment litigation, etc.). This variety keeps the law fascinating and challenging while expanding my level of expertise and my value to my clients and my firm."

Keith is excited to embark on this new chapter in his legal career with Schuyler, Roche & Crisham. He sees it as the perfect fit for him, large enough to have the resources of a large law firm, but small enough to maintain the personal touch he relishes with clients and colleagues alike. As his Schuyler Roche associates and clients are quickly learning, if there is one attorney capable of digging deep enough to find the needle in a haystack, it is more often than not the former mayoral candidate from Columbia, Missouri.

Publications
Avoiding Liability as a Non-Profit Director — CBA (Chicago Bar Association) Record, April 2005

Liability Insurance Coverage for Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Claims — Mealey's Emerging Insurance Disputes, December 14, 2004

The New Frontier: Criminal Actions Involving Corporate Directors and Officers