Affordable hourly rates and an economy that is moving along at a respectable clip are driving demand for legal services in St. Louis. The city of 318,000 people has an unemployment rate of 7 percent, below the national number of 7.6 percent, and its economy grew at a "modest pace" during 2012, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Armstrong Teasdale's hourly rates in St. Louis are about half of that charged by firms in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles and New York, managing partner Michael Chivell said. About 185 of its 265 lawyers work in St. Louis, but 75 percent of its clients are based elsewhere.
