What qualities do you expect to see in a highly effective leader?
What I look for in somebody I want to follow is a person whom I really believe has the total package to get across the finish line. And that, to me, is what is often lacking. Too many people get caught up in the process and aren’t focused enough on the objective, so I look for someone who is able to inspire. Which I think is communication skills. People don't understand the vision, they can inspire. Look for somebody with very strong work ethic and organizational skills. They are at least committed as those that might follow. The followers aren't as likely to work to their full potential.-Catherine Hanaway(53 sec.)
Chatherine Hanaway, Attorney,
Ashcroft Hanaway, LLC
LSL Class of 1995
Catherine Hanaway aggressively and successfully litigates complex civil and white collar criminal cases, provides seasoned and reliable legislative strategic advice, represents clients with thorny regulatory challenges and crafts messages for customers and the public when a client is facing a difficult public opinion dilemma.
In private practice, Catherine has represented clients with energy, regulatory, banking and securities law issues. She represented industrial users of power, opposing the first-ever hostile takeover in the public utilities industry before the Missouri Public Service Commission and the Kansas Corporation Commission. As outside counsel to the RTC, Catherine worked to recover millions during the last major financial crisis to rock the nation.
As U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, Catherine personally successfully tried cases to jury verdicts, supervised more than 4,000 cases and a staff of over 100. During her tenure, the office set records for the most cases tried and money forfeited. She led major expansions of the office’s prosecution of nursing home abuses, child exploitation, health care fraud and sophisticated white collar crimes – including securities and bank frauds. She created a Mortgage Fraud Task Force that prosecuted at every level from borrower to those up streaming bad loans into the asset-backed securities markets.
As the first and only woman to serve as Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives, Catherine held the line against tax increases proposed by the Governor, balanced the budget in an economic downturn, reformed the state’s corporate laws and passed innovative economic development tools. Catherine led Republicans to a majority victory in November 2002, after serving as the Minority Leader of the Missouri House of Representatives. Catherine also served on the staff of U.S. Senator Kit Bond.
Catherine joins the team of outstanding lawyers and professionals at the Ashcroft Group whom she has seen face the nation’s most complicated legal challenges with integrity, skill, and success.
Catherine and her husband, Christopher, live in St. Louis County with their daughter, Lucy, and son, Jack.