Friesen & Associates

05/13/2025

I've been honored to call Dan Monnat and Grace Wu-Monnat my friends and clients for nearly 25 years. Today was a particular honor for me to join more than 250 attorneys from the Wichita Bar Association, honoring Dan with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Here's to you, Dan, and the entire team Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered! Keep those hits a'comin'!

05/09/2025

Thanks to Kirk Seminoff and the Wichita Business Journal for this entertaining interview with Dan Monnat of Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered, as Dan reflects on his 50 years as an attorney advocating for people in the courtrooms of Kansas.

Dan Monnat is in the midst of receiving two lifetime achievement honors.

03/28/2025

We love seeing our clients receive honors from their peers. Congratulations to Dan Monnat on this recognition for well-deserved recognition from the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Our firm is blessed with multiple high-achievers, and today we proudly congratulate firm President Dan Monnat for being honored with the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Lifetime Achievement Award. Dan, who has been a member of KACDL since its inception in 1989 and served as president from 1992-1995, has taught numerous CLE seminars for the organization on such topics as illegal search and seizure, the frailties of narcotics drug detection dogs, and the defense of accusations of child s*x crimes.

Throughout his 36-year association with KACDL, Dan has served numerous times as a member of KADCL’s Strike Force – a pro-bono team of attorneys who defend fellow attorneys facing the threat of legal action for aggressively representing a client.

“I am exceedingly humbled by the generosity of this lifetime achievement award, and fortunate to work with distinguished peers in the criminal defense bar,” Dan said. “Criminal defense is often unpopular, bone-grinding work. I am grateful for each of my KACDL colleagues because I know we will always stand together, bound by our dedication to our clients, our respect for each other, and our passion for protecting the Constitution we hold dear.”

Practicing for nearly 50 years, Dan has built a national reputation for high-stakes criminal defense, white-collar criminal defense, appellate defense, and bet-the-company litigation. His cases have garnered major media attention for the defense and acquittal of late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller; the defense of an innocent man wrongly accused of being the notorious BTK; and acquittals and exonerations of clients in shaken baby murder and other murder, s*x, and white-collar prosecutions.

For his achievements, Dan has been named five times to the Top 10 List of Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers and has been included among the Top 100 Missouri & Kansas attorneys for nearly 20 years. He has also been named among the Best Lawyers in America for more than 35 years.

Photo: KACDL President-Elect Matt Leavitt, of Hulnick, Stang, Gering & Leavitt in Wichita, presents Dan Monnat with the KADCL Lifetime Achievement Award.

03/19/2025

Outstanding news for our friends and clients at HumanKind Ministries today! With your help, we're another step closer to ending homelessness in our community.

HumanKind Ministries has been awarded a $1 million challenge grant from the Mabee Foundation to aid in completing the organization’s $5.1 million Forward Together capital campaign. To receive the full $1 million grant, HumanKind must independently raise another $1.6 million in gifts and pledges by December 2025. When matched, the challenge grant will help fund upgrades on at least six buildings on HumanKind’s existing campus, including Villa Courts, Villa Central, Villa North and The Studios, which together provide 155 affordable living units for those experiencing poverty or homelessness in Wichita.

“Housing is the key component that successfully transitions individuals from homelessness to a safe, sustainable lifestyle,” said Cindy Claycomb, HumanKind Board Chair. “The Mabee Foundation recognized that HumanKind’s existing campus of affordable, accessible housing provides a unique opportunity to make homelessness a rare and non-recurring instance in our community. That is why the Mabee Foundation offered to provide the final $1 million of our campaign goal – provided we can raise another $1.6 million by the end of this year.”

“We are extremely grateful to the Mabee Foundation, as well as to all those who have contributed to the Forward Together campaign thus far,” said Scott Eilert, campaign committee member. “The initial $2.5 million in capital campaign donations qualified us to apply for the Mabee Foundation grant. Now, we’re in the home stretch for securing the final $1.6 million in donations needed to meet the Mabee Foundation’s challenge. When combined, the raised funds and Mabee grant will maximize the potential of our existing facilities by increasing their energy efficiency and improving interior and exterior features for residents.”

The HumanKind campus, including the six properties targeted for renovation, is in close proximity to the soon-to-open Multi-Agency Center (MAC), which will provide centralized services and housing opportunities to help the homeless pivot away from life on the street. (As shown in map below.)

“Between the wraparound services soon to be offered at the Multi-Agency Center (MAC) supported by the City of Wichita and the MAC Governance Board, as well as its nonprofit partners -- and the multiple types of housing offered by HumanKind -- we can offer the most vulnerable among us a way to find stability and self-sufficiency,” said Dawn Shepler, HumanKind President and CEO. “It’s an exciting time for HumanKind and we hope the community will be generous in helping us make this a reality.”

07/18/2024

I always advise clients that media training is one of the best investments a business can make. Whether you're responding to a crisis situation or promoting your organization's good news, it pays to be prepared every time you step in front of a reporter. If you try to "just wing it," you'll lose every time. Whenever I conduct media training for clients, I always include this clip from the incomparable Bob Newhart. It drives home the point and adds a little levity to our sessions. Sad to hear of this great comedian's passing. Good night, Bob. RIP.

05/17/2024

Happy to work with HumanKind Ministries this week in announcing their new CEO, Dawn Shepler. Looking forward to working with Dawn and the rest of the HK staff as they continue their outstanding efforts to make homelessness in our community a thing of the past. Our best wishes also to outgoing CEO LaTasha St. Arnault who has led the organization for the past six years. LaTasha has literally changed the local conversation about homelessness and provided a solid foundation for HK's future growth.

Dawn Shepler is taking the reins of the 135-year-old non-profit that provides holiday assistance, shelter, and assistance to those experiencing housing insecurity.

05/10/2024

I'm blessed with talented clients who do incredibly cool things! Congratulations, Grace Wu-Monnat!

04/30/2024

We've had a great time these past few days working with Jess Hoeme and our friends at Joseph Hollander & Craft Law Firm to promote this week's episode of A&E's Accused: Guilty or Innocent? Airing Thursday at 8 pm, this episode showcases Jess' pre-trial and courtroom efforts to save his client from a potential 41-year sentence. Thanks to Carrie Rengers of Wichita Eagle for her excellent feature about the show.

On Thursday, the A&E series “Accused: Guilty or Innocent” will air an episode set in Kansas that features Wichita attorney Jess Hoeme of Joseph, Hollander & Craft.

08/03/2023

I'm blessed with great clients who are not only top performers in their respective fields, but also stellar performers, period. Congratulations to Monnat of Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered, for being recognized and featured in this month's ABA Journal. Dan's journey as a musician and attorney of 47-years is a fun read and can be found at the link below. Many thanks to ABA Journal Managing Editor Kevin Davis and writer Jenny B. Davis, JD, for working with us on this story.

07/04/2023

So deeply saddened by the news of Dave Calvert's passing. He was a passionate, kind and doggedly determined. Though polio forced his body into a wheelchair at age 10, his intellect and fighting spirit were always rapier sharp. "I can't" was never an option, and he remained committed throughout his life to improving the lives of others.
During his years as an Assistant District Attorney, he created the DA's Consumer Protection Division, known as "Calvert's Crusaders." This team of police and DAs worked together to protect families and the elderly from being victims of crimes -- and the division continues that legacy today.
After leaving the DA's office, Dave spent 11 years on the Sedgwick County District Court bench, respected by prosecutors and defense attorneys alike for his fair and balanced opinions. He left the bench for private practice for a while, but the courtroom was never far from his heart. I was privileged to work with Dave on his campaigns for re-election to the Sedgwick County District Court bench. We lost our campaigns, but I learned a tremendous amount from Dave. I've never known anyone to be more gracious -- whether in life or in defeat. Nothing was ever a setback to Dave, and he lived his life by that credo. Thanks for your brave crusades, my friend. I will miss you.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansas/name/david-calvert-obituary?id=52364827

06/21/2023

Great story in the KU Alumni Association Magazine featuring KU Alumni Steve Martens, as his companies celebrate 75 years in business. We've been honored to work with Steve and his amazing staff at The Martens Companies, NAI Martens, Hospitality Management LLC and NAI Martens for more than 20 years. Our hearty congratulations to them all as they celebrate this milestone. And thanks to the KUAA Magazine and staff for helping us share this story of Steve's passion for business and his passion for The University of Kansas.

As his companies celebrate 75 years, Steve Martens credits KU for his education and the opportunities to build solid business relationships.

06/06/2023

Congratulations to CEO Erik Hatten and all the Corterra of Wichita staff as they get set to open their doors late this month, helping seniors across southcentral Kansas find their way through temporary behavioral health issues. And thanks, Carrie Rengers, for the great story!

A new hospital is opening near K-96 and Ridge Road this month, but it’s open only to a very specific kind of patient.