PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate Law

Internet and Intellectual Business Assets

Life Sciences

Mergers and Acquisitions

Robert Payne represents clients in complex legal, business, and compliance matters. These matters have included the creation, purchase, and sale of several businesses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia; various licensing and other intellectual property, and regulatory matters, commercial transactions, and adversary matters including one matter which resulted in a multi-million dollar verdict for Mr. Payne's client and the removal of a key competitor from the client’s market.

Mr. Payne has worked in the private practice of law on a wide range of tax, finance, real estate, securities, and other business matters. He has also worked as in-house counsel for an international animal pharmaceutical company and he established a legal department and managed the legal matters for a publicly-held and industry-leading railroad equipment and systems supplier. While working for a subsidiary of The General Electric Company, Mr. Payne obtained his Green Belt Certification in using Six Sigma tools. Six Sigma is a discipline that uses data-driven methodology to eliminate defects in business processes.

COMMUNITY AND BAR INVOLVEMENT

The Missouri Bar

Business Law Committee

Appointed by the President of the Missouri Bar to its Multidisciplinary

Practice Ad Hoc Committee

Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association

Former Chairman of the Corporate House Counsel Committee

Association of Corporate Counsel

Former President and Director of the Association’s Mid-America Chapter

American Society of Corporate Secretaries

Former President of the Society’s Kansas City Chapter

Legal Aid of Western Missouri

Member of the Justice For All Campaign Leadership Committee

Alphapointe Association for the Blind, Inc.

Board of Directors and Audit Committee member

Baptist Medical Center Honorary Board of Governors

Former Board Chairperson

Blue River-Kansas City Baptist Association

Former member of the Board of Directors

Blue Springs Noon Rotary Club

Former member

Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program;

Alumnus Southtown Council

Former member of the Board of Directors

Swope Health Services Foundation

Board of Directors

Past Board Chairperson

Women’s Christian Association

Board of Directors

Former Board Chairperson

NOTABLE EXPERIENCE

Al-Tom Investment, Inc., d/b/a Kentucky Fried Chicken, et al., v. Director of Revenue, 774 S.W.2d 131 (Mo.Banc 1989) which concerns the sales tax treatment of material that remains as an essential or necessary part of a finished product.

EDUCATION

J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1984, American Jurisprudence Award; First Place Award, Christian Legal Society Essay Contest

B.A., Economics, with distinction, University of Kansas, 1981, Phi Beta Kappa; A.J. Boynton Economics Scholarship; honors program; German Language Institute (Eutin, Germany)

BAR ADMISSIONS

Missouri

Kansas