Sara K. Stock

Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Commercial Real Estate, and Banking

Sara is founder and CEO of Stock Legal, a WBENC-certified firm. Stock Legal’s primary purpose is to uniquely (through fixed fees, education, and practical, approachable, relational, and creative representation) support business owners in all their legal needs, including entity formation, capital raise, every kind of general contracting, mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate, banking, intellectual property, estate planning and commercial litigation. Sara’s joint MBA and law degree uniquely position her to provide the highest quality legal advice seasoned with a solid understanding of her clients’ business objectives.

Sara left an equity position at a large St. Louis law firm to join KWS Law, and later to form Stock Legal, because she felt she could better serve her target clients – small to medium- sized businesses – from a small to medium-sized law firm. Sara’s approach to the practice of law and partnering with business owners sets her firm apart nationally, as she brings sophisticated legal experience and combines that with a true business partner approach. Sara is passionate about these types of clients because they surround her in her personal life - Sara’s mom and dad ran the family trucking company out of their home while Sara was a child, and Sara’s dad continues to run this successful business today. Additionally, in 2018, Sara co-founded a second company called Legal Back Office, which provides financial and administrative services to small to medium-sized law firms.

Saint Louis University School of Law – J.D., cum laude (2002); Saint Louis University Law Journal
Saint Louis University – M.B.A. (2002)
University of Missouri at Columbia – B.A., Political Science (1998)

Founding Member, KWS Law (2014-2016)
Member, Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C. – now Lewis Rice LLC (2010-2014)
Associate, Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C. – now Lewis Rice LLC (2002-2010)

Member-at-Large, American Bar Association’s (ABA) Business Law Section’s (BLS) Marketing Board
Member-at-Large,Executive Committee of the FOCUS St. Louis Board of Directors
Former Chair, Middle Market and Small Business Committee, a committee of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Business Law Section's (BLS)
Former Board Member, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Development Board of Directors
Former Board Member, YWCA Board of Directors
Former Board Member, St. Louis University School of Law Business, Entrepreneurship, and Tax Law Advisory Board
Former Board Member, Gateway 180 Board of Directors
Former Board Member, Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Board of Directors

Sara is also an active member of The Association of Corporate Growth, St. Louis, and sits on the advisory board for several institutions, including banking organizations and local companies.

Presenter, Implementing our Ethical Obligation to Assist Underserved Entrepreneurs (American Bar Association, Chicago, IL, 2023)
Presenter, How Can You Help Your Client Choose the Right Adventure? (American Bar Association, Seattle, WA, 2023)
Guest Speaker, Legal Aspects: Launching a Tech Startup (St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, March 17, 2020)
Featured, Taking Care of Small Business - What Small and Midsize Companies need from their Lawyers (The Practice - Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA, Nov/Dec 2019)
Moderator, Unconventional Truths (STL Ad Club Digital Symposium, St. Louis, MO, November 21, 2019)
Presenter, Choice of Equity – Planning Without a Crystal Ball (American Bar Association, Chicago, IL, September 14-16, 2017)
Moderator, Exit Strategies for Selling Your Business (St. Louis, MO, June 6, 2017)
Presenter, Fiduciary Duties in Action: Advising Small to Mid-Sized Business Fiduciaries in Drafting, Decision-Making and Disputes (New Orleans, LA, April 7, 2017)
Panelist, Exit Planning Institute, St. Louis Owners Forum (St. Louis, MO, November 21, 2016)
SQ1 Presenter, Critical Documents (St. Louis, MO, September, 2016)
Panelist, Accelerators and Incubators for Early Stage Startups: What’s happening and where do the lawyers fit in? (American Bar Association, Boston, MA, September 8, 2016)
Featured Panelist, Small Business Lending Discussion, St. Louis Business Journal Table of Experts (St. Louis Business Journal, March 17, 2016)
Presenter, BWC 2015 Business Kickoff, NDAs, Non-Competes, and Leases (St. Louis, MO, January, 2015)
Presenter, Is Your Noncompete Enforceable? Tips and Traps in Drafting and Enforcing Noncompete Agreements (American Bar Association Webinar, July 29, 2014)
Presenter, Business Divorce – From Prenup to Breakup (American Bar Association Webinar, April 4, 2014)
Presenter, Forming a Company and Raising Money (T-REX, St. Louis, MO, October 8, 2013)
Presenter, Business Divorce – From Prenup to Breakup (American Bar Association, San Francisco, CA, August 9-10, 2013)
Author, Captive Insurance Companies for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses (American Bar Association Business Visions Newsletter, March 2013)
Lecturer, Commercial Ground Lease Fundamentals (National Business Institute, Inc., Clayton, MO, 2009)
Author, Which Endorsements are Right for your Transactions? (Commercial Leasing Law & Strategy ALM Law Journal Newsletter, Volume 19, Number 10, March 2007, April 2007)

St. Louis Business Journal, Most Influential Business Women (2023)
Best Lawyers in America, “Ones to Watch” for Business Organizations including LLCs and Partnerships, Closely held Companies and Family Business Law (2023)
FOCUS St. Louis, Leadership St. Louis Class of 2021-22
St. Louis Titan 100 honoree (2022)
St. Louis Business Journal, Largest Law Firms (2023, 2022 & 2021)
St. Louis Business Journal, St. Louis’ Fastest Growing Private Companies (2022)
St. Louis Small Business Monthly, The Hardest Working People in Small Business (2022)
St. Louis Business Journal, St. Louis’ Best Bosses (2021)
Missouri Lawyers Media, Top Legal Innovation Awards (2018)
Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Women’s Justice Awards, (2016)
Corporate Achievers, Honoree Leadership Award (2011)
CREW, Member to Member Business Award (2010)
CREW, Networking Story of the Year (2008)
St. Louis Business Journal, 30 Under 30 (2005)