Who's Who 2013: Michael Gardner, Partner at Osburn, Hine, Yates & Murphy LLC, Attorneys at Law

__Community involvement:__ Board of governors of The Missouri Bar; Cape West Rotary; Knights of Columbus; Boy Scouts of America, Shawnee District membership committee; Saint Francis Medical Center planned giving committee; Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce; Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce; St. Vincent de Paul school board and St. Vincent de Paul Parish.

What's the most satisfying part about your work?

The most satisfying thing about being an attorney is being able to help my clients get through difficult situations. When someone comes to a lawyer, they are under a lot of stress and need help navigating through the legal system. It may be a person who has been injured in an accident or a business that is mired in some type of commercial dispute. When the case is resolved (whether through settlement or a trial), it is very satisfying to see a client relieved to know that he or she got a good result in the case.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in your line of work?

Work hard and be honest. Get involved in the community. A young lawyer who does a good job for his or her clients and who practices in a professional manner will build a good reputation and will be successful.

What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishment?

I once handled a case where there was a lot of animosity between my client and the individual he had sued. It was a challenging situation, but we were eventually able to settle the case in a way that made sense for both sides. About six months later, I received a call from another gentleman seeking representation. I later learned that he had been referred to me by the individual my client had sued in the earlier case. Even though I had handled a lawsuit against him, he recommended me to a friend of his because he thought I did a good job in that case. I'm very proud of that.