Litigation: Missouri

THE FIRM A dominant practice in St. Louis, this deep bench of litigators has the resources to deal with commercial litigation as well as white-collar defense work. The group is particularly active in class action defense, product liability and professional liability matters. It is also sought after for its strength in lawsuit avoidance. In the past year St. Luke's Episcopal-Presbyterian Hospitals sought the team's advice in relation to a liability claim filed by a successful neurosurgeon who fell on a substance that had been spilled on the floor by an employee of the hospital.

Sources say: "The firm employs very knowledgeable and passionate attorneys. They make it a point to understand the client's needs very thoroughly and it feels as if they are part of your firm, rather than lawyers engaged from outside.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS Commentators are quick to praise Clark Cole's strength in insurance and commercial litigation, as well as his ability to handle personal injury and product liability cases. Clients enthuse that “he has integrity, common sense and strong technical skills.” 

Managing partner Laurence Tucker is lauded for his in-depth experience and the quality of his trial skills. Interviewees also recognize his expertise in general commercial litigation and insurance coverage disputes.

Market sources are unanimous in praising James Virtel's expertise in general commercial litigation and disputes concerning the public utility sector. His strengths in writing and strategic thinking are also highlighted.

Paul Kovacs is noted for his wealth of trial experience and comes recommended for his background in high-profile commercial litigation. 

Jeffrey Demerath is a front-runner in white-collar crime investigations, and continues to win mandates from major clients including financial institutions and real estate developers.

James Martin is similarly highly regarded for his expertise in white-collar crime investigations and is also renowned for his strength in internal compliance and general commercial litigation.

THE FIRM This relatively compact but highly regarded firm handles a full spectrum of commercial litigation and is also well versed in handling disputes throughout a diverse range of sectors, including environmental, pharmaceutical, transport and construction. The team has a particular niche in product liability defense and is additionally often called upon to handle employment-related litigation. The firm also maintains excellent regional coverage, with offices in Kansas City, St. Louis and Overland Park.

KEY INDIVIDUALS The highly-experienced John Cowden enjoys an excellent reputation in the commercial litigation arena and also excels in product liability defense work.

James Seigfreid is another key member of the team and is similarly well regarded for his product liability work. He has extensive experience in the agricultural and transport sectors.

THE FIRM This Kansas City-based boutique enjoys a fine reputation in the local litigation market, representing clients in white-collar criminal defense cases and general commercial litigation. Over the past year, the team has seen an uptick in instructions in connection with class actions, as well as disputes in the technology arena. Clients particularly appreciate the combination of trial skill, business understanding and extensive experience that the group is able to bring to the table.

Sources say: "They are skilled lawyers who fight hard and know what they are doing."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Peers hail James Eisenbrandt as a top-tier white-collar criminal defense lawyer "who is easy to deal with and very personable." He is particularly known for his strengths in internal investigation work.

Cochair of the firm, David Oliver is well known in the community for his capability and experience across a full range of commercial litigation. He has wide industry experience, including financial services, automotive and education. 

Thomas Schult is "a very strong player in the arena" of product liability, and is particularly known for representing large manufacturing companies in this area.

Kurt Williams is a well-regarded trial lawyer, particularly sought after for his large-scale class-action work, as well as general commercial litigation and product liability cases.

Jeffrey Morris principally concentrates on white-collar criminal defense, and comes recommended for his expertise in internal investigations.

THE FIRM A major player in both Kansas City and St. Louis, this deep bench of general commercial litigators has the resources to deal with a full range of commercial disputes, including product liability, antitrust matters and high-level noncompete violation lawsuits. It remains one of the largest teams in the region and its attorneys impress clients with their trial experience, sound writing skills and highly strategic approach to matters. Notable clients include Arvest Bank, H&R Block and The Mutual Fund Store.

Sources say: "They are first-rate lawyers at a reasonable price. They really make us happy and do a very good job to keep ours easier."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Craig O'Dear is one of the leading trial lawyers in the firm's Kansas City office and "is simply a fabulous, business-oriented and incredibly effective commercial litigator," sources reveal. He is particularly sought for class action cases and, in a recent representative matter, successfully acted for Tyson Foods in defense of a $44 million wage and hour class action claim.

In addition to William Perry Brandt's well-regarded general business litigation practice, he is also known for his significant securities work. A recent highlight was his role as key adviser to a number of investment banking firms in municipal derivatives antitrust litigation. He wins much praise from the market, with sources referring to him as "scarily smart."

Managing partner Irvin Belzer leads the firm's litigation section in Kansas City and is described as "very smart and able to cut to the chase quickly." A recent key mandate is his role as adviser to Residential Funding with respect to numerous class actions concerning its purchase of second mortgage loans. 

Laurence Frazen is a "talented and knowledgeable" commercial litigator who is especially recognized for his bankruptcy work, including loan workouts and restructurings to avoid bankruptcy. His significant work of late includes representing lenders in a large-scale commercial real estate workout.

Robert Thompson is a "go-to commercial litigator for his good strategic sense, sound judgment, and drafting skills." He represents a sound choice of counsel for class action work.

Top trial lawyer Dan Ball wins much acclaim from market sources, who say "he has a brilliant legal mind, is very professional at dealing with clients and personable in front of a jury." He enjoys a fine track record for his work in product liability defense. He operates out of the St. Louis office alongside Thomas Walsh. Walsh enjoys an excellent reputation for his commercial and employment litigation practice and has a strong focus on appeals. Clients enthuse that "he is very skilled and experienced - one of the best legal writers in the region." A recent key mandate is his role as adviser to a Fortune 100 company in connection with a class action racial harassment appeal.

Also in St. Louis, Robert Ebert is enjoying an increasing profile for his commercial litigation practice and continues to advise U-Haul International on its truck litigation.

THE FIRM This national firm's commercial litigation practice is well versed in a variety of complex disputes. Its considerable strength in defending insurance companies, healthcare networks and pharmaceutical companies in consumer class actions is a particular draw for clients. The group also comes recommended for its work with insurance companies, and counts 21st Century Insurance and Prudential among its distinguished client base in this arena.

Sources say: "This firm is very effective in handling our litigation and we would highly recommend it to potential clients."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Curtis Woods is highly rated for both his white-collar criminal defense work and commercial litigation practice. He maintains a fine track record in class action work and IP disputes.

Jerome Wolf is a senior member of the legal community and is highly thought of for his work representing clients in the construction sector. He is also recognized for class action defense work and has recently been involved in defending a number of automobile companies in nine class-actions against consumer fraud allegations, obtaining a favorable result for his clients.

Stephen Rovak has had a very successful year, which included obtaining favorable verdicts on behalf of several agriculture and pharmaceutical clients across a number of class action cases.

THE FIRM This litigation group is recognized as a player in the St. Louis market and provides advice on the full range of commercial disputes. It has particular expertise in employment, construction and product liability work and is also sought after to handle class action and white-collar criminal defense cases. Recent highlights include advising BP in litigation concerning convenience store franchise systems.

Sources say: "This is a high-quality law firm with a good understanding of our business."

KEY INDIVIDUALS  

David Harris heads the firm's commercial litigation department and has recently been selected as strategic partner by Shell and core counsel by BP. Clients describe him as "a skilled litigator with seasoned judgment, who is always accessible and really understands our business." 

THE FIRM This leading group has a strong presence in both Kansas City and St. Louis and is well-equipped to handle the full spectrum of commercial litigation. It has a particularly good reputation in class action defense, noncompete cases and product liability defense. It continues to see a substantial inflow of consumer class action and commercial litigation work in the agriculture, healthcare and manufacturing sectors. Its stellar client roster includes Career Education, The Commerce Trust and Peabody Energy.

KEY INDIVIDUALS James Griffin is a highly-regarded general commercial litigator, who wins particular praise for his work in highly sophisticated disputes. He is also noted for his expertise in class actions and medical defense.

Stephen Hill heads the firm's government compliance, investigations and litigation department in Kansas City, concentrating on the white-collar criminal defense side. He has a particular niche in the healthcare sector, often advising on internal investigations and voluntary disclosures.

Thomas Carney offers vast experience in commercial litigation, with a strong focus on product liability work. He is also sought after for his experience in toxic tort and environmental disputes. He continues to act as primary lead trial counsel for Olin Corporation.

Patrick McInerney offers solid expertise in the white-collar criminal defense area and is renowned for his internal investigation strengths. A recent highlight has seen him lead the defense team for the former executive vice president of Westar Energy in connection with several white-collar criminal charges; these were dismissed and drawn to a conclusion after seven years of litigation.

THE FIRM This St. Louis-based boutique firm comprises a number of experienced and highly-regarded trial attorneys. The team comes particularly recommended for its work in sophisticated commercial disputes, including professional negligence and labor and employment litigation.

KEY INDIVIDUALS John Gianoulakis is one of the group's most recognized figures and is described as "a senior and very smart commercial litigator." He also elicits much praise for his capabilities in mediation.

Alan Kohn is "an outstanding" trial lawyer. He focuses primarily on business litigation and has a tremendous reputation in the state for his wealth of experience.

THE FIRM Lathrop & Gage's commercial litigation team is noted for its IP, class action and mass toxic expertise. The group works in tandem with the firm's bankruptcy team, and is well versed in disputes concerning workouts, restructuring and other bankruptcy-related litigation. Significant work of late includes successfully defending and obtaining dismissal for a large railroad network in a class-action case in connection with an alleged 60-year toxic contamination.

Sources say: "There are several incredibly experienced attorneys at this firm who have won challenging trial cases for me, and I implicitly trust this firm with those matters, given the experience they have."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Douglas Dalgleish is described as "a well regarded and fine trial lawyer." He enjoys a strong presence in the regional market and is noted for his wealth of experience. He played a leading role in the toxic contamination matter mentioned above.

Kansas City-based Jean Paul Bradshaw is an experienced member of the team with a solid white-collar criminal defense practice, focusing on internal investigations and compliance counseling. Sources describe him as "a great litigator who is very easy to work with." 

Gary Cunningham is active in general commercial disputes and product liability-related work. Clients particularly appreciate his vast experience across a wide range of matters.

THE FIRM This group has excellent regional coverage, operating out of five offices in the state, and comes recommended for its expertise in contract disputes, insurance coverage, product liability and class actions. Its solid client base consists of large businesses, small to medium-sized organizations, and individuals. It also remains an excellent choice for appellate counsel.

KEY INDIVIDUALS The highly-experienced Barry Short "is very much a go-to lawyer" for white-collar criminal defense work. He also maintains an excellent reputation for commercial litigation work, and has a fine track record on cases concerning environmental issues.

St. Louis-based Andrew Rothschild is especially active in toxic tort litigation, professional liability and white-collar criminal defense work. Commentators hold him in high regard for his mediation work and years of experience as a trial lawyer. 

THE FIRM This well-established commercial litigation group has a tremendous presence in Kansas City. The firm has expertise in the full range of commercial disputes, including class actions, breach of contracts, employment and patent litigation defense work. In particular, it is noted for its experience in the engineering and construction sectors. Its distinguished client base includes Kansas City Power & Light, Gray Manufacturing and Honeywell International.

Sources say: "I feel like we have received excellent service for great value. It's like working with a partner who you feel you can talk to without being on the clock." "Their ability to get positive results has been proved on multiple occasions."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Thomas Kokoruda "knows how to put strategy together and get a good result." He chairs both the trial department and healthcare litigation group, and is an expert on medical liability and staff credentialing disputes. 

Dan Boulware's prominence in the general commercial litigation community is greatly valued by clients: "he is a very capable and skillful trial lawyer, who has good common sense and is able to simplify things to make people understand." 

Roy Bash chairs the construction litigation group and is regarded as a go-to person by leading construction industry players. "He is smart, practical and cost effective in providing legal services," one client notes. 

The firm thrives under the leadership of Russell Welsh who also has extensive experience in the general commercial litigation arena. He is particularly skilled in product liability, business disputes and bankruptcy litigation. 

Vice chairman of the firm, John Kilroy splits his time between management responsibilities and his commercial litigation practice. He draws praise for his strong focus on professional liability matters in relation to accountancy and law firms. 

Star individual Lawrence Ward is a "high-profile, go-to commercial trial lawyer," much sought after by construction firms and utility companies for his expertise. He continues to feature in many of the firm's most significant commercial cases. 

Russell Jones chairs both the business litigation and IP litigation practice groups, and is singled out for his extensive experience in advising financial sector clients on patent disputes. In addition, he is also recognized for his commercial litigation and class action work relating to the transport industry.

THE FIRM This Kansas City-based boutique is recognized as a real force in the commercial litigation market, acting for an impressive range of clients, including financial institutions and energy companies. The team handles various disputes spanning product liability defense, real estate litigation and white-collar criminal defense.

Sources say: "They are top-notch when it comes to preparation of special trial defense in all branches of commercial litigation - very thorough in their homework."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Charles German continues to "hold a high profile and is well regarded in the legal community." He comes recommended for his white-collar criminal defense work and is also highly sought after to handle sophisticated general commercial litigation, including class action defense and securities fraud.

Randall Hendricks primarily focuses on complex commercial litigation cases. He chairs the trial team and enjoys a strong reputation among peers for his experience in product liability matters.

Kirk May is another fine commercial litigation specialist highly regarded in the market. "I found him to be very bright, straightforward, well prepared and honorable," one source revealed.

William Beil is "a strong commercial litigator who is highly sought after and widely regarded." He is particularly commended for construction litigation and class action cases.

THE FIRM  This group has a robust team of trial lawyers who come particularly recommended for assisting pharmaceutical and technology clients on product liability-related cases. The group is well-equipped to handle sophisticated disputes, particularly with regard to employment, environmental, IP and class actions. As a result, the team continues to win mandates from major clients including Boston Scientific, Ford and Coca-Cola. 

Sources say: "They are so responsive and it takes the burden off the litigation - simply terrific."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Robert Adams is "a key player in town" and specializes in product liability litigation and insurance coverage cases. He recently successfully defended Marriott International against allegations of premises liability and general negligence.

Harvey Kaplan is regarded as "a superstar product liability lawyer." In a recent work highlight, he defended and obtained favorable summary judgment for Mylan in a multidistrict litigation involving product liability and consumer class action.

The "very sought after" and highly experienced Joseph Rebein is another litigator in the team. He regularly handles complex commercial cases, securities class actions and antitrust disputes.

William Sampson is "a top-notch litigator who has tried hundreds of cases." He has an active practice covering a variety of commercial disputes, and is particularly successful in handling product liability work.

Todd Ruskamp handles both litigation and mediation and focuses mainly on defending financial services clients in lawsuits involving consumer credit, lending and bankruptcy.

Eugene Balloun is a very senior member of the team and widely regarded as a "dean of commercial litigation in Kansas City."

Senior litigator Gene Voigts brings four decades of experience as a general commercial trial lawyer to the table and serves as the firm's vice chair and general counsel. He is "someone who is always sought after for his wisdom and advice on various issues," according to commentators.

THE FIRM This group has made a name for itself in Kansas City and houses a number of strong litigators with extensive trial experience. It is well equipped to handle all manner of litigation and maintains a fine track record in antitrust, product liability and bankruptcy-related disputes. A recent highlight has seen it defend Deloro Stellite, a wear solutions provider, in a large number of mass tort product liability cases, many of which have now been successfully dismissed. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS John Aisenbrey is a well-known former federal prosecutor, well versed in both commercial litigation and white-collar defense. Recent work has seen him handle a number of cases concerning breach of confidentiality agreements and product liability.

David Everson has a particular niche in the antitrust litigation arena and is also sought after to advise on environmental law and white-collar crime-related matters.

Matthew Verschelden chairs the firm's appellate practice and is frequently called upon for his strength in antitrust matters. He is also known for his expertise in disputes concerning the healthcare sector.

THE FIRM Headquartered in St. Louis, this firm houses a substantial team of experienced commercial litigators. It is well versed in a variety of industries and sectors, including telecommunications, agriculture and financial services, and utilizes this broad-ranging experience to represent clients in all manner of complex litigation, from personal injury to product liability. The team is particularly recommended for its expertise in class action defense work and is also sought after for its strengths in white-collar crime cases.

Sources say: "This is a large firm known for its quality work and wide range of talents."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Gordon Ankney has an excellent reputation for white-collar criminal defense work and also draws praise for his expertise in cases concerning environmental issues. His recent highlights include handling product liability matters for a major designer and producer of emergency and security equipment.

Stephen Higgins advises corporate clients on a range of issues including tax disputes and product liabilities. He chairs the firm's commercial litigation group and also wins much praise for his established white-collar criminal defense and internal investigation work.

"Very solid litigator" Raymond Massey is an expert in product liability-related matters and is particularly noted for his representation of transport clients.

The hugely experienced David Wells concentrates on commercial litigation and represents a good choice of counsel for banking institutions. 

Michael Minton has substantial experience in tobacco-related litigation and chairs the firm's practice group in this area.

Roman Wuller makes his debut in the rankings this year and is noted for his increasingly busy class action practice. "He does an outstanding job for us," added one client. He heads the firm's national class action practice and also cochairs its business litigation group.

THE FIRM This Kansas City-based outfit remains a leading player in the state for white-collar criminal defense work. The group enjoys an excellent reputation for the quality of its trial lawyers and is regularly sought for its expertise in criminal investigations. It also maintains a strong reputation for its commercial litigation work.

Sources say: "They are considered to be a strong and good firm for their practice areas."

KEY INDIVIDUALS "Personable and very easy to deal with," James Hobbs is regarded as one of the go-to white-collar criminal defense lawyers in the state of Missouri. 

James Wyrsch is another high-profile white-collar criminal defense specialist, and is heavily praised by peers and clients for his "strong knowledge of the law and outstanding preparation."