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Donald Prophete

Don is a trial lawyer who excels at representing large clients in complex and multi-plaintiff race employment discrimination cases. He has handled many high-profile and high-damage cases in the sports, military contractor and retail industries. Don has served as lead trial counsel in all types of employment disputes in federal and state courts in New Hampshire, New York, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee including post-decertification wage and hour jury trials for major national employers. 

Don’s practice encompasses all aspects of labor law and labor relations. He has extensive experience assisting the firm's clients in responding to union organizing campaigns, negotiating and advising clients with respect to the administration of collective bargaining agreements and representing clients in grievance and arbitration proceedings.

In addition to his litigation and labor law activities, Don's daily practice revolves significantly around providing advice and counsel to C-Suite executives on whistleblower and other matters in the following business sectors: Technology, Retail, Military Contractors and Manufacturing.

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Boston University School of Law

Fordham University

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Untress Quinn

Untress “Trez” Quinn is a seasoned trial lawyer, focusing his practice on representing clients in disciplinary hearings in health care and educational settings, health care internal investigations, and the defense of medical malpractice and other catastrophic loss lawsuits. He has defended multiple complex litigation cases in both state and federal courts involving civil rights, product liability, medical malpractice and wrongful death claims. He has also represented health care clients under investigation by federal and state agencies and in the review of internal policies to conform with best health care practices. Untress’ defense of high stakes litigation matters in both Illinois and Missouri have included matters involving mental health/suicide, neurological, obstetrical, neonatal, pediatric, cardiothoracic, gastroenterological and other traumatic injuries and losses. He also has specific experience defending medical professionals in matters alleging federal Section 1983 violations. Untress leverages his experience as a registered nurse, along with experience in both direct patient care and health care administration, to skillfully counsel his clients through difficult health care-related matters. His wide-ranging experience and abilities include representing health care providers in not only litigation matters, but also internal investigations involving: Peer Review Hearings Licensure denial or revocation CMS suspensions or revocations Administrative actions Investigative demands received from federal and state agencies Further, Untress is a frequent speaker at industry events across the nation, where he educates his clients and other professionals on various legal topics, and further advocates on their behalf. Background Prior to joining Armstrong Teasdale, Untress spent roughly 15 years in private practice at St. Louis area law firms. In his most recent role, he served as team leader for his prior firm’s Correctional Medicine industry team where he managed and supervised a team of attorneys and paralegals. Untress was a registered nurse for more than 10 years, and has been involved in the health care industry for over 25 years in total. Untress has extensive experience in both medical and surgical settings, including interventional radiology, ventilator rehabilitation, emergency room and cardiothoracic and neurological intensive care units. In addition to providing direct patient care, he served as a director of medical-surgical services, as well as a supervisor of interventional radiology and health care administrator. Untress also served as an adjunct professor at a local university teaching a class involving the interplay between health care and the law. Untress’ extensive medical knowledge and experience are assets he uses in the successful representation of his clients. Untress was also a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves for 13 years, where he achieved the rank of first lieutenant and was awarded the Meritorious Service Award. He was an honor graduate at the 3790th Medical Service Squadron for Medical Service Specialists at Sheppard Air Force Base in 1990. Education Saint Louis University School of Law (J.D., 2006) Certificate in Health Law Health Law Association Black Law Student Association National Louis University (B.S., 2001) Management Dean’s List Student Body Representative Lutheran Medical Center School of Nursing (R.N., 1994) Salutatorian Dean’s List Student Body Representative Alumni Academic Scholarship Admissions Illinois Missouri U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri Professional Activities Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) (Board Secretary, 2021-2022) Illinois Association for Defense Trial Lawyers, Diversity Committee Chair St. Clair County Bar Association American Bar Association American Health Lawyers Association U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (Merit Retention Panel, 2012; Magistrate Judge Selection Committee, 2018) Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois (Hearing Board Member) Charitable and Civic Involvement St. Clair County Child Advocacy Center (Member, Board of Directors) Illinois Center for Autism in Fairview Heights, Illinois (Past Member, Board of Directors) Student Nurse Achievement Program (SNAP) at Southern Illinois University (Past Member) Illinois State Senator James F. Clayborne, Jr., Mentor Program (Past Mentor) Office of the Inspector General / Illinois Department of Human Services Quality Care Board (Past Member) Accolades The Best Lawyers in America ® , Health Care Law (2023) Distinguished Member Award, Illinois Defense Counsel (2022) Savoy Magazine’s 2022 Most Influential Black Lawyers Selected to The National Black Lawyers Top 100 in 2015 (Missouri) NAACP’s 54th Freedom Fund Awards for Excellence in Law Leading Lawyer in the categories of Employment Law: Management; Medical Malpractice Defense Law; Personal Injury Defense Law: General; and Product Liability Defense

Vincent Reese

Vincent D. Reese focuses his practice on labor, employment, and education law, in addition to commercial litigation. Vince has successfully litigated employment discrimination claims based on race, sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, and pregnancy in Missouri and Illinois State Courts as well as many federal district courts around the country.

Vince has extensive experience in representing his clients’ interests with respect to investigations conducted by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the U.S. Department of Labor; the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights; the Missouri Commission on Human Rights; and numerous other government agencies.

In addition to representing his clients in employment litigation matters and administrative proceedings, Vince frequently advises clients on covenants not-to-compete and unfair competition matters. He regularly conducts seminars and in-house training programs for human resources, supervisory, and managerial personnel. In his labor law practice, Vince advises and counsels clients on all aspects of labor-management relations, and he litigates representational and unfair labor practice matters under the National Labor Relations Act. He has also successfully guided numerous clients through NLRB representation proceedings and has also represented and advised public employers on matters before the Missouri State Board of Mediation.

Vince is a member of the Missouri and Illinois Bars. He is a frequent speaker for the EEOC’s Technical Assistance Program and has authored or co-authored numerous articles on employment-related matters. Vince is also a vice-chair of the Missouri Bar’s Labor & Employment Law Committee and a member of the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section, where he has served as a contributing editor of its Developing Labor Law treatise. Additionally, Vince is an adjunct law professor at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis where he teaches pre-trial fundamentals.

Prior to commencing his legal career, Vince worked as a mortgage broker and as a credit and collections manager. He also served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1991 to 2003. He is active within the St. Louis nonprofit community, where he serves on the boards of several charitable organizations.

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Milton Wilkins

Milton P. Wilkins represents individual and corporate clients in complex commercial disputes and white collar defense matters.

Prior to joining Dowd Bennett, Milton was an associate at Sidley Austin LLP in Washington, D.C. At Sidley, Milton represented companies as plaintiffs and defendants in civil actions, individuals in Department of Justice investigations, and companies under investigation and indictment.

Milton previously clerked for the Honorable Robert S. Lasnik of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and the Honorable Frank M. Hull of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Brittney Watkins

Brittney is a Discovery, Research, & Writing Associate in the firm’s St. Louis office, where she has the privilege of representing clients tragically impacted by mesothelioma.
Brittney is a St. Louisan who has found her way home after living in different parts of the country. Before joining MRHFM, Brittney was a law clerk at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to Judge Danya A. Dayson, the Deputy Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division during Brittney’s clerkship.
Following her clerkship, she was a Staff Attorney at ArchCity Defenders on the Civil Litigation Team and Fatal State Violence (“FSV”) Project. Brittney supported families whose loved ones died due to law enforcement involvement or who died in custody, also known as “fatal state violence.” At ArchCity, she primarily handled complex civil rights litigation pursuant to §1983 concerning jail and prison conditions, killings by law enforcement, and in-custody deaths. These matters were before judges in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. These lawsuits often included state wrongful death claims. Brittney also worked on several Missouri Sunshine Law violation lawsuits in the Circuit Courts of St. Louis County and Cole County, Missouri. Additionally, Brittney represented clients at the municipal level for traffic and other municipal violations.
At ArchCity, Brittney was a movement lawyer and lobbied for policy change, led organizing efforts, drafted policies that were implemented at the local level, and regularly provided political education to the community to equip impacted individuals with the tools they needed to advocate for themselves. She also taught the fatal state violence Liberation Lab for the 2022 Law for Black Lives Lawyering for Liberation Conference.
In 2016, Brittney received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University with a Certificate in Latino Studies. At Princeton, she received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Journey Award in 2016 and the Albert Santos-Dumont Prize for Innovation in 2015 for her work to aid and support first-generation and low-income (“FLI”) college students.
Subsequently, in 2019 Brittney obtained her Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law (“WashU Law”), where she also obtained a Certificate in Public Interest Law. At WashU Law, Brittney was a Staff Editor and Primary Editor for the Journal of Law and Policy. Her student note, “Kaepernick Can Kick It!: Employment Discrimination, Political Activism, and Speech in the NFL,” was published in the journal’s 59 th volume. Brittney’s publication has been taught nationally in law school curricula and was a required text for the National Sports Law Institute’s 30 th Anniversary Conference, held at Marquette University Law School. While at WashU Law, Brittney received the Scholar in Law Award. Additionally, in 2018 she was awarded The Bar Plan Foundation Scholarship following nominations by her professors and the law school Dean. In 2019, Brittney was honored as WashU Law’s Public Service Student of the Year, which is presented to the graduating J.D. student who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment and dedication to serving those most in need.
Brittney also speaks Spanish and previously served as a legal translator at Interfaith Legal Services for Immigrants and in WashU’s Immigration Law Clinic.
Outside of the office, Brittney most enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also uses her spare time for various creative pursuits, including singing, playing the piano, sewing, and graphic design. She also likes watching science fiction movies and TV shows, which she views as mini political theory experiments. Brittney is also an active member of her church and a Board Member of the Community Organization to Engage, Uplift, and Restore (“C.O.E.U.R.”) Foundation, which is the church’s non-profit organization. C.O.E.U.R. works to enhance and expand opportunities for healthy living, social awareness, urban economic community development, and educational achievement. C.O.E.U.R. hosts a yearly Thanksgiving Giveaway to provide low-income St. Louis families a Thanksgiving meal and offers annual free tax preparation to the local community.
Experience: Brittney started her career as a practicing attorney at ArchCity Defenders in St. Louis, MO, where she handled various complex civil rights litigation matters, Missouri Sunshine Law violation suits, and municipal matters.
Education: Washington University School of Law St. Louis, MO J.D.; Certificate in Public Interest Law
Princeton, University Princeton, NJ A.B. in Politics; Certificate in Latino Studies
Recognition & Awards: The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 (Missouri)
Washington University School of Law: · Scholar in Law Award · Public Interest Law Student of the Year
The Bar Plan Foundation Scholarship
Princeton University · Martin Luther King Jr. Journey Award · Alberto Santos Dumont Prize for Innovation
Publication: Kaepernick Can Kick It!: Employment Discrimination, Political Activism, & Speech in the NFL , 59 Wash. U. J.L. & Pol’y 259 (2019).
Admissions Missouri Illinois United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri