Kevin Checkett

The Kansas City Magazine and 417 Magazine of Springfield have named Kevin Checkett as top Missouri lawyer for each of the last ten years.  This distinction is voted upon by other attorneys and awarded to those in the top 5% of their profession.

Kevin Checkett established his general practice of law in Carthage in 1977, after a one-year appointment as research attorney to the Missouri Court of Appeals. Since that beginning, Mr. Checkett has narrowed his practice to general civil trials with emphasis in commercial and bankruptcy litigation as well as estate and business planning. His lectures in both areas have been presented frequently in southwest Missouri. He has served as trustee in thousands of bankruptcies under Chapters 7, 11, and 12, and has been published in professional journals in the areas of creditors' rights, workouts and bankruptcy. Mr. Checkett's litigation experience includes personal injury, all perspectives within bankruptcy, lender liability and other areas of business and commerce, and estates and trusts.

Kevin Checkett has forty years experience in all aspects of trusts and estates.  He has helped numerous family farmers and business owners structure their estate and succession plans for children and grandchildren while minimizing probate and tax costs.   His administration practice helps executors and trustees provide the service required under state and federal law while in accordance with the deceased's will or trust.  Mr. Checkett is experienced in the preparation of federal estate tax returns and resolution with the IRS.

Mr. Checkett is *AV rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Service.  The rating attests to a lawyer's legal ability and professional ethics and is based upon the confidential opinions of members of the bar and judiciary.  The A indicates a high to preeminent legal ability, while the V is an endorsement from other members of the bar of the highest ethical standards denoting an adherence to professional conduct, ethics, reliability, diligence, and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities (http://www.martindale.com/ratings). Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Ratings fall into two categories - legal ability and general ethical standards.

Mr. Checkett was one of five organizers of federally chartered Hometown Bank and served on its board as well as on the board of directors of Oakstar Bank in Springfield, Missouri. He was also one of the founders of Carthage Community Foundation and served as one of its directors.He belongs to the Missouri Bar and is admitted to practice before numerous United States District Courts across the country and the United States Supreme Court. He is also a member of the panel of trustees for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Missouri, the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees and the board of the legal counsel section for the Missouri Bankers' Association.