PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Ms. Pake has engaged in civil litigation with emphasis on insurance coverage litigation, business litigation and professional liability defense. Other matters have included defense of governmental recovery actions in tobacco, firearms and lead industries, employment litigation, savings and loan litigation, breach of contract actions, regulatory compliance, constitutional law litigation, and white collar criminal litigation. Ms. Pake has tried cases in federal and state court involving employment discrimination, breach of contract, patent infringement, sales, housing discrimination, civil rights, personal injury, and school law. She has successfully briefed and argued motions to dismiss and for summary judgment. She has also briefed and argued cases on appeal involving insurance coverage issues, breach of contract issues, civil jurisdictional issues, medical malpractice, and the federal sentencing guidelines.

Ms. Pake was recognized in the 2007 issue of Missouri Super Lawyers in the area of insurance coverage litigation.

EDUCATION

Boston College Law School, Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, 1986
Boston College Law Review
President, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity
Service on Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau.

Wellesley College, Bachelor of Arts with Honors, 1983

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

• Represented law firm in malicious prosecution action brought by opposing party in underlying lawsuit for rescission of sale of business
• Represented medical school and physician in medical malpractice action for failure to diagnose child abuse
• Represented reseller of telecommunications equipment in breach of contract and lost profits action against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
• Represented private and public employers in defense of actions by former employees for age, sex and race discrimination, as well as claims of wrongful termination in violation of public policy
• Represented insurer in defending claims of tortious interference with contract and civil conspiracy
• Represented insurer in coverage action by national retailing corporation regarding multimillion dollar claims under pension liability policy
• Represented numerous insurers in coverage actions arising out of environmental and business claims
• Represented retailers association in constitutional challenge to City of St. Louis ordinance related to advertising
• Represented landlord in Fair Housing Act suit brought by Department of Justice
• Represented defendant in action for breach of contract in manufacture and sale of marine products
• Represented heavy equipment lessor in action against public utility for damage to crane
• Represented accounting firm in action by former employee for breach of employment agreement
• Represented outside director of failed savings and loan in class action by purchasers of uninsured securities and in criminal investigation and SEC action
• Represented airline in insurance coverage action arising out of environmental claims
• Represented St. Louis County school district in defending constitutional challenge to Missouri school financing system
• Represented private religious boarding school in civil rights action against state and local officials

BAR ADMISSIONS

Missouri, 1989
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1986
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Board Member, Compton Heights Association, 1992-1995; President, Compton Heights Association, 1994

President, Wellesley College Club of St. Louis, 1995-1997

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; Committee on Women in the Legal Profession

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

Insurance Issues in Environmental Clean-Ups: Insurer's Duty to Defend and Indemnify Under CGL Policies, Boston Bar Association, April 6, 1988 (with Shotwell)

Bad Faith: Surety's Liability Limited to Penal Sum of Bond, International Association of Defense Counsel Fidelity & Surety Committee Newsletter, June 1987 (with Devin)

Case Comment, Supreme Court Holds Juvenile Preventive Detention Under New York Statute Not Violative of Due Process: Schall v. Martin, 26 Boston College Law Review 1277 (1985)

"Construction Contracts - Unpaid Materialman's Right to Recover from General Contractor and Surety - Failure to Comply With Statutory Notice Requirement," 1984 Annual Survey of Massachusetts Law 223

"Breathalyzer - Preservation of Breath Samples and Ampules - Radio Frequency Interference - Validity of One-Test System," 1984 Annual Survey of Massachusetts Law 102

Contributing Author, Materials for National Business Institute Missouri Insurance Coverage Law Seminar, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002

Co-Speaker, NBI Missouri Insurance Coverage Law Seminar, April 1999, September, 2000, July 2002