Areas of Practice:
Ken works in the areas of business and personal injury litigation, business formation and planning, real estate, appellate advocacy and estates and trust planning. He has trial experience in state and federal courts. He has authored numerous appellate briefs and argued before both the state and federal appellate courts.
In the area of litigation, Ken concentrates much of his work in commercial litigation, business litigation, product liability, personal injury, wrongful death and construction litigation. He handles complex medical malpractice actions, product liability actions, class actions (both for the class claimants and for defendants), automobile accidents, actions against manufactured home companies and retailers, child abuse and neglect actions against group homes and wrongful death actions, among other things.
He has successfully handled medical malpractice and personal injury actions involving brain injuries to children and cerebral palsy. He has also successfully handled product liability actions against manufacturers of chipper / shredders and industrial machinery. Ken has also successfully handled several actions against retailers and manufacturers of mobile homes or manufactured homes. Ken has also successfully handled actions for children abused in group home settings in both private and state-run facilities. Ken has also defended several homebuilders in actions brought by owners, defended clients in claims of discrimination, defended claims of contamination and pollution, and defended breach of contract actions in business litigation.
Ken also handles business formation, business planning, real estate and contract issues for clients of the firm. Ken regularly prepares the documents and agreements needed for the formation of corporations (general, limited liability, charitable etc.) and partnerships (general and limited liability). Ken is also experienced in assisting clients with business planning issues such as buy-sell agreements, drafting contracts, reviewing contracts, liability reviews or any other business needs.
Courts Admitted to Practice:
Ken has been admitted to practice law in Missouri state and federal courts since 1993. He is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Kansas and the 8th Circuit for the United States of America. In the past he was also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Education and Professional Associations:
After graduating from high school near the top of his class, Ken attended and graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Business in 1990, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy summa cum laude and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Economics summa cum laude. He attended law school at the University of Missouri – Columbia, receiving his Juris Doctor in 1993 cum laude.
As an undergraduate at the University of Missouri, Ken received numerous honors culminating in being named to the Mortar Board Honorary and the Mystical Seven Honor Society (top 7 students on campus) for his scholarship, leadership and service to the University. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and held various leadership roles within that organization.
During law school, Ken was Associate Editor-In-Chief of Missouri Law Review. He was the author of an award-winning article entitled, “The Discoverability of Personal Injury Surveillance and Missouri’s Work Product Doctrine,” Vol. 57-3, p. 871, Mo. L. Rev. (Summer 1992). Ken graduated near the top of his class and was a member of the Order of the Coif.
Ken is a member of the American Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association and the St. Joseph Bar Association. He is the treasurer of the St. Joseph Bar Association and has held that position since 1999. Ken is also a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association and the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys. Ken is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an honorary for trial lawyers who have secured judgments or settlements in excess of one million dollars for their clients.
Ken is also the author of the Missouri Bar Tort Law CLE Series on Assault and Battery, Third Edition. He was also the author of the 1997 Supplement for the Missouri Bar Tort Law CLE Series on Assault and Battery, Second Edition. Ken was also a member of the Missouri Bar Evidence Publications Committee.
Personal Information:
Ken was born in St. Joseph, Missouri on September 27, 1967. Ken was raised in St. Joseph and attended St. Joseph public schools.
Following graduation from law school, Ken and his wife Sarah returned to St. Joseph where they continue to live. Ken and his wife Sarah have two children, Mollie and Eric.
Ken is an Eagle Scout and a volunteer for the Pony Express Council for the Boy Scouts of America. He currently is the General Legal Counsel for the Council and has been a member of the Executive Board since 1999. Ken is a member of the District Nominating Committee, and has served as the Chairman of that Committee since 2002. He is also a Tiger Cub Den Leader for Pack 45 in St. Joseph. In the past, Ken served as Membership Chairman for the District and as chairman for the Robidoux District Scout Show.
Ken is a member of Wyatt Park Baptist Church in St. Joseph where he is a Sunday School teacher, Deacon and currently serves as a member of the Church Council. He has served on other numerous committees and is a regular volunteer at church.
Ken is also active as a coach of youth sports and has coached baseball and basketball for both boys and girls for many years.
Reported Cases:
The following is a listing of Ken’s reported cases:
Hale v. American Family Mut. Ins. Co., 927 S.W.2d 522 (Mo. App. W.D. 1996)
(insurance coverage litigation).
Ag Processing, Inc. v. South St. Joseph Industrial Sewer District, 937 S.W.2d 319
(Mo. App. W.D. 1996)(commercial litigation).
Weber v. Ideker, 978 F.Supp. 1419 (U.S. Dist. Ct., Kan. 1997)
(employment litigation)
In the Interests Of D.C.C., 971 S.W.2d 843 (Mo. App. W.D. 1998)
(adoption litigation)
Root v. Liberty Emergency Physicians, 68 F.Supp.2d 1086 (Mo. App. W.D. 1999)
(brain injury to infant)
Root et. al. v. Liberty Hospital District et. al., 209 F.3d 1068 (8th Cir. 2000)
(brain injury to infant)
Estate of Burford v. Edward D. Jones, 83 S.W.3d 589 (Mo. App. W.D. 2002)
(broker negligence)
THIS RESUME IS SUBJECT TO RULE 7.3 OF THE MISSOURI RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT, WHICH REQUIRES THAT THE FOLLOWING NOTICE BE GIVEN: “ADVERTISING MATERIAL: COMMERCIAL SOLICITATIONS ARE PERMITTED BY THE MISSOURI RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT BUT ARE NEITHER SUBMITTED TO NOR APPROVED BY THE MISSOURI BAR OR THE SUPREME COURT OF MISSOURI.” |
