Richard N. Bien, ’83, was named to the 2018 Best of the Bar list by The Kansas City Business Journal.

Lawyers named to the list have been selected by a panel of judges who examine each applicant’s professional reputation, involvement in significant cases or deals, and civic involvement. Those listed must also have at least 10 years of professional practice and be engaged in private legal practice within the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Bien leads the ERISA, Life, Health and Disability practice group of Lathrop Gage in Kansas City, Mo. He has been at the forefront of ERISA/employee benefit litigation and has handled more than 400 matters defending claims handling activities and has defended dozens of class action matters involving benefit plans. More recently, Bien’s litigation practice has taken on a larger slice of trust company, fiduciary and financial litigation; insurance professional liability litigation; and insurance coverage litigation.