Attorneys at Chinnery Evans & Nail

Driven by an unsinkable entrepreneurial spirit, Carl L. Chinnery founded the firm in 1967 and has been serving the community ever since. He enjoys contributing to the civic, charitable and educational life of the Lee’s Summit and greater Kansas City area.

His charitable service includes serving as Chairman of the Truman Medical Center Planned Giving Council; Chairman of the Children's Mercy Hospital Planned Giving Council; Secretary of the Powell Gardens Board; and Chairman of the Community Foundation of Lee's Summit.

Carl's civic activities include the Rotary Club, serving as a District Governor of Rotary International in 2002-2003; the Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce, serving as its president in 1978; the Lee's Summit Economic Development Council, as president in 1996-97; and the Rockhurst College Small Business Development Corporation, as past Chairman. He has served as president of the Lee's Summit R-7 Board of Education, and as president of the Lee's Summit Educational Foundation. Carl was a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and was also a Charter Life Underwriter. His indelible mark on the community is evidenced, among other things, by the nature trail at Unity Village that bears his name.

Carl earned a B.A. degree from Beloit College and a J.D. degree from the University of Missouri - Kansas City. His first love is his family, followed by hobbies and interests as varied as the Midwestern weather, including woodworking, sailing, gardening, golf, and boat-building.

Gayle Evans has practiced law for over 40 years, concentrating in the areas of estate planning, corporate law, real estate, and employee stock ownership plans.

Having accumulated Malcom Gladwell’s 10,000 hours, Gayle enjoys putting her expertise to work assisting her clients, and sharing with the lay and legal community alike by speaking frequently at national estate planning and tax forums, including Duke University, the Mountain States Tax Conference, and the American Law-Institute-American Bar Association Estate and Gift Tax Seminar.

She has written a number of works, including Estate Planning for the Family Business Owner, published by the AICPA; chapters on Estate Planning for Business Owners and Retirement Plan Distributions for Missouri Estate Planning published by the Missouri Bar; and ESOPs for The Practical Tax Lawyer.

She received her bachelor's and master's degrees (cum laude) from the University of Missouri - Columbia, and received her law degree (with distinction) from the University of Missouri - Kansas City, where she was Articles Editor of the Law Review and appointed to the Order of the Bench and Robe.

When not helping her clients, you may find her immersed in British mysteries, doting on grandchildren, golfing or raising chickens.

Molly has practiced with the firm since 1999. This longevity has allowed her to counsel many clients with equal doses of humor, humility, and straightforward, no-nonsense advice. She especially enjoys hearing clients say, “Well that wasn’t so bad!” after initial consultations.

She graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor's degree and received her law degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia. Molly is a member of the Missouri Bar, the Kansas Bar, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the Greater Kansas City Estate Planning Society, and the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys. She has been named both a Rising Star and subsequently Super Lawyer by the Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers Magazine and KC Magazine since 2008.

She is active in the legal community, having served on the Trust & Probate Committee of the Missouri Bar and has been an adjunct professor at Avila University in the Paralegal Studies Program. When she is not spending time with her husband and their two boys, Molly gives back to the community by serving as a member of the Truman Medical Center Charitable Foundation Board, the UMKC Dental School’s Rinehart Foundation Board, the ReDiscover Foundation Board, and as a past president of the Lee's Summit Rotary Club. She is also a sucker for dogs, live music and sporting events. She is responsible for the family’s latest unplanned Wayside Waifs adoption and has visited over half of the MLB ballparks.

Nancy E. Blackwell, much-loved by her clients and colleagues for her elegance, grace, and experience, has dedicated over 28 years to the practice of law and to the service of the Lee’s Summit community.

Nancy received her B.A. degree and her J.D. degree (with distinction) from the University of Missouri - Kansas City, where she served as Managing Editor of the Law Review and wrote for the legal journal. She is a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the Greater Kansas City Estate Planning Society, and she is a former member of the American Bar Association and the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys.

Nancy is active in service to the community, having served on the Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Board of John Knox Village; the Board of Directors of the Lee's Summit Educational Foundation; the Board of Directors of the Lee's Summit Economic Development Council; the Board of Trustees of the University of Missouri - Kansas City Law Foundation; and the Children's Mercy Hospital Planned Giving Council. She was named as The Outstanding Young Woman of Lee's Summit by the Lee's Summit Jaycees early in her career.

Andrew S. Felker’s sensible, problem-solving approach makes him a favorite with the firm’s clients and business partners alike. He brings his expertise and passion to aspiring and experienced business owners in need of legal guidance. Andrew walks with individuals and families as they navigate the intimate, and often difficult, decisions associated with drafting a will or trust or planning for the possibility of disability, and he often helps clients piece together the subtle complexities of a real estate transaction.

Andrew's commitment to clients spills over into the community. Since joining Chinnery Evans & Nail in 2013, Andrew has played an active part in Lee's Summit Chamber, participating in the Chamber's 2013 class of Leadership Lee's Summit and currently serves on the Chamber's Board of Directors. He is an immediate past-member of the Chamber's Executive Committee where he served as vice-chair of business and economic development. Andrew has served on and believes in the community-enriching programs and missions of Lee’s Summit CARES and Pro Deo Youth Center. He currently serves as a member of Lee's Summit Medical Center's Board of Trustees. Andrew has also played an active role in his neighborhood's homeowners' association, serving on its Board of Directors as well.

Andrew maintains professional associations that enrich his ability to provide meaningful legal advice to clients. For a number of years, Andrew has served on the Kansas City Estate Planning Symposium's committee for Estate Planning Fundamentals, a program that provides quality instruction to attorneys new to estate planning or in need of a basic refresher; he served as Program Chair for the 2017-2018 programs and currently co-chairs the committee. Andrew presently serves as a member of the Kansas City Estate Planning Symposium's board of directors. Andrew is a member of the Kansas City Estate Planning Society and the American Bar Association, and he serves as a board member of, and has chaired, the Kansas City Chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society.

Before joining Chinnery, Evans & Nail, Andrew administered trusts and estates for UMB Bank's Private Wealth Management division, and gained valuable perspective about how will and trust planning is actually carried out. He studied at the University of Missouri at Columbia where he received his bachelor's degree (with honors) and his law degree. Before law school, Andrew coordinated media relations for legislators in the Missouri House of Representatives' Communications Department. While in law school, he was the Associate Managing Editor for the Journal of Dispute Resolution, the president of the student chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society and a clerk in a local law firm. Andrew is an Eagle Scout.

Despite his many professional and civic commitments, Andrew remains committed to his family and faith. You’ll see him sometimes strolling through Downtown Lee’s Summit with kids in tow. At other times, he is cheering on--or coaching--a daughter on the soccer field or volleyball court. When he has his wish, he’s likely at home in the throes of a wrestling match with toddlers or trying to double-bounce big kids on the trampoline. Better yet, he might be lost in a good book or just passing time in conversation with his wife, Sarah.

Casey G. Crawford is a long-time resident of the Kansas City area, attending Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas and graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a bachelor’s degree (with honors) in Political Science. While in college, Casey was a member of the Men’s Basketball team at the University of Colorado at Boulder, playing professional international basketball in Europe and Asia after graduation.

Casey attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, graduating with honors. While in law school, Casey was a member of the UMKC Law Review, was a research assistant for Dean Nancy Levit, served on the Law Review Board as a Comments Editor, and participated in many other student organizations. Casey made the Dean’s List, received the Top Appellate Advocate award, and was a recipient of the Judge David T. and Hope Cavanaugh Scholarship.

After law school, Casey practiced with a prominent civil defense firm, practicing in the areas of insurance defense, personal injury, subrogation, contractual analysis, insurance investigation and real estate. After joining Chinnery, Evans & Nail in 2018, Casey focused his practice on civil litigation, general business and real estate law, probate, and estate planning. Casey is licensed to practice in the Missouri and Kansas state courts, as well as the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri and the United States District Court for Kansas.

In 2017, Casey was recognized as an “Up and Coming” lawyer and awarded the “Law Firm Leader” by the Missouri Lawyers Media Association. In 2019 and 2020, Casey was nominated and recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers magazine, receiving special recognition in business litigation. Casey has litigated and tried cases in both federal and state courts, handling numerous bench and jury trials on behalf of clients.

Casey is active in the community, having previously during law school been an assistant basketball coach at Lee’s Summit High School, and a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus Council #6819, achieving in 2020 the honor of a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus. Casey is also a member of the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce (2017 – Present), Advisory Board Member for the Truman Heartland Community Foundation (2019 – Present), Lee’s Summit Rotary Club (2018-Present), President of Legacy Wood Property Owners’ Association (2020 – Present) and was appointed (2018 – Present) by the Mayor of Lee’s Summit to serve as a member of the Board for the Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation.

Adam M. Teel graduated from Washburn University with a bachelor’s degree (with summa cum laude honors) in Political Science, and received his law degree from Washburn University School of Law (with cum laude honors – top 10% of the class). While in law school, Adam was a Staff Writer for the Washburn Law Journal, and was published in the Spring 2016 Edition of Volume 55 of the Washburn Law Journal. Adam served as a founding member and Vice President of the Washburn University School of Law Student Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, and also served for two years as a small group study leader for first year law students. He gained practical legal experience during law school as a legal extern for the Honorable Eric Melgren at the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, and as a legal intern for the Kansas Corporation Commission’s Oil and Gas Conservation Division and Office of General Counsel.

Before joining Chinnery Evans & Nail, Adam practiced law at a law firm in his hometown, Hutchinson, Kansas, primarily handling estate planning, probate, and business matters. Adam is currently a member of the Kansas Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association. Adam is licensed to practice law in Kansas and Missouri.

When not in the office, Adam can be found enjoying live music, exploring Lee’s Summit, cheering on Sporting Kansas City, playing a round of disc golf, or trying to avoid guttering every frame at a local bowling alley.

Jason graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law in 2016 with a certification in tax and estate planning. His primary practice areas are probate, trust administration, and elder law. He is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the Lee’s Summit Chapter of Kiwanis, and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association. When out of the office, Jason enjoys spending time with his wife, Laura, and his daughter Vivian. Jason and Laura are expecting a second daughter in June 2021.

Brynne C. Brown concentrates her practice in the areas of business law (both for-profit and non-profit), estate planning, real estate, and tax. Her approach to practicing law is direct, pragmatic, and hand’s on. Brynne effectively communicates with clients to understand how best she can assist with business formation and succession planning, choice of entity decisions, estate planning, including probate and trust administration, real estate and tax matters, including tax planning and controversies. Brynne has experience with the simplest of matters to greatly complex and challenging transactions. She works with clients and their advisors to develop comprehensive and efficient solutions.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with emphases in Finance and Economics from Mizzou (December 2012), Brynne completed a dual Master of Business Administration (December 2015) and Juris Doctor (May 2016) program at UMKC, where she later received her Master of Law in Taxation (May 2017). She is very proud to be a UMKC Roo!

Throughout her academic and legal career, Brynne has been recognized for excellence. Brynne served on the UMKC Law Review Editorial Board as Articles and Symposium Editor and has won national awards for her article, The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: How Increased Regulation Has Given Large Banks and Artificial Competitive Edge. Brynne received the Best Written Submission in the American Bar Association Section of Taxation Law Student Tax Challenge, LL.M. Division (2016), and has assisted UMKC teams prepare for their oral defense presentations in subsequent year competitions. Brynne was recognized as a Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyer – Rising Star in 2020.

Brynne is active in the Kansas City community, serving on numerous boards and committees. She currently serves as: a Director and the Chairperson of the Building Blocks Committee of the Mid-America Charitable Gift Planners; a Member (and past Institute Co-Chair) of the Heart of America Tax Institute; and a Member of the Children’s Mercy, Donald H. Chisholm Planned Giving Council. She is also active with several state and local bar associations

Beyond the firm, Brynne is an avid reader of historical (mostly British) mystery novels and a movie connoisseur. She enjoys doting on her husband, Eric, and fur-baby, Watson.