James P. Sanders

James is himself a successful business owner and real estate developer in the St. Louis area. He knows first-hand the valuable contribution that a small business can have to a community and its economy. James knows that with the right counsel, the law can be a tool to help businesses achieve their goals of survival, growth and ultimately prosper.  While most businesses only consult with attorneys in the wake of a pending lawsuit or emergent business issue, James works with his clients from the onset of the relationship taking time to meet and understand both the people and the business. His goal is to become a counselor and asset to his clients.

James serves as outside general counsel to businesses large and small across Missouri and Illinois. He works closely with company leadership to become a part of the team, coordinating all legal needs across corporate, transactional, litigation, real estate, and other disciplines. His clients include real estate developers; craft breweries; beer, wine and alcohol distributors and wholesalers; startup businesses; high net worth individuals and families; aerospace manufacturers; and retailers who transact business across the region.

James also represents individuals and businesses in civil litigation matters. Most frequently, these matters involve complex contractual disputes, struggles over corporate control, real estate, insurance coverage, intellectual property, as well as TRO and injunction issues. James has tried more than 30 matters to conclusion in state and federal, as well as numerous private arbitrations. He has extensive first-hand experience with the use of technology in all stages of the litigation cycle, particularly e-discovery, drawing upon an undergraduate and private workplace background in computer science.

James has also represented clients in a number of industries, including commercial/military aerospace, construction, medical billing, alcohol production and distribution, and consumer goods during investigations and/or administrative proceedings conducted by state and/or federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Internal Revenue Service. Specific to the alcoholic beverage industry, James provides general project evaluation services and business counsel for startup craft breweries, wineries, and distilleries. He handles the entire legal process of starting and growing a business in the beverage industry, handling federal, state, and local application and licensing, real property and site evaluation and negotiation, intellectual property protection, and strategic business guidance.

Finally, James provides counsel to businesses on what is often one of the biggest influencers on a balance sheet – real estate. He regularly handles real property assemblage and acquisition, public-private partnerships and development agreements, tax and governmental incentives for residential, commercial and mixed use development/redevelopment, special taxing district formation, finance arrangements including acquisition & development, construction, and semi/permanent financing, entity formation and governance, project modeling and evaluation for general and limited partners, development and redevelopment, post-development and sale, sale-leaseback, and/or unwinding in tax incentive developments.