Top defense wins in 2014

Staff Report//February 2, 2015//

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See top 2014 plaintiff wins

Rank	Value	Type	Case category	Caption	Venue	Winning Attorneys	Opposing Counsel
1	($30,000,000)	DV	Personal Injury	Abbott v. Missouri Gas Energy	Jackson County	Karrie Clinkinbeard of Armstrong Teasdale (Kansas City); Lynn Hursh of Armstrong Teasdale (Kansas City)	Grant Davis of Davis, Bethune & Jones (Kansas City); Stacey Dungan of Breneman Dungan (Kansas City)
2	($29,500,000)	DV	Employment	Katz v. Anheuser-Busch	St. Louis City	James Bennett of Dowd Bennett (St. Louis); Gabriel Gore of Dowd Bennett (St. Louis); Jennifer Aspinall of Dowd Bennett (St. Louis); Megan Heinsz of Dowd Bennett (St. Louis)	Mary Anne Sedey of Sedey Harper (St. Louis); Donna Harper of Sedey Harper (St. Louis); Ben Westhoff of Sedey Harper (St. Louis); Jessica Scales of Sedey Harper (St. Louis)
3	($17,500,000)	DV	Product Liability	Hopfer v. Neenah Foundry Co.	St. Louis City	Bradley R. Hansmann of Brown & James (St. Louis); Kevin M. Glynn of Brown & James (St. Louis)	Kenneth K. Vuylsteke of Fox & Vuylsteke (Webster Groves); Daniel T. DeFeo of The DeFeo Law Firm (Lexington)
4	($11,900,000)	DV	Product Liability	Black v. Brunswick Corporation	Camden County	Stephen Moore of Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith (St. Louis); Jay Morris of Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith (St.Louis)	Rob Sullivan of Sullivan Law (Kansas City); Tim Morgan of Sullivan Law (Kansas City); Erik Bergmanis of Bergmanis Law Firm (Camdenton)
5	($11,454,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice	Bradshaw v. Mercy Clinic Springfield Communities	Phelps County	Kenneth W. Bean of Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard (St. Louis); Bobbie J. Moon of Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard (St. Louis); Kenneth Brostron of Lashly Baer (St. Louis); Jason L. Call of Call & Gentry Law Group (Jefferson City)	Donald Schlapprizzi of Schlapprizzi Attorneys at Law (St. Louis); Craig Schlapprizzi of Schlapprizzi Attorneys at Law (St. Louis); Toni Schlapprizzi of Schlapprizzi Attorneys at Law (St. Louis)
6	($6,000,000)	DV	Product Liability, Wrongful Death	Dejana v. Marine Technology Inc.	U.S. District Court, EDMO	Bradley R. Hansmann of Brown & James (St. Louis); Russell F. Watters of Brown & James (St. Louis); Erica F. Blume of Brown & James (St. Louis)	Michael Allweiss of Allweiss & Allweiss (St. Petersburg, Florida); Stuart Fraenkel of Kreindler & Kreindler (Los Angeles, California); Richard Voytas Jr. of Voytas and Company (St. Louis)
6	($6,000,000)	DV	Wrongful Death	Hsueh v. The Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Louis	St. Louis County	David T. Ahlheim of Childress Ahlheim Cary (St. Louis); Craig R. Klotz of Childress Ahlheim Cary (St. Louis); Gerald A. Sims of Rouse & Cary (Kirkwood); Katherine J. Hausman of Rouse & Cary (St. Louis)	Joan M. Lockwood of Gray Ritter & Graham (St. Louis); Morry S. Cole of Gray Ritter & Graham (St. Louis)
8	($4,900,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice	Pham v. Vo	St. Louis City	J. Thaddeus Eckenrode of Eckenrode-Maupin (St. Louis); Lisa Howe of Eckenrode-Maupin (St. Louis); Edgar Lim of Lim Law Office (St. Louis)	Jeff Lowe of Carey Danis & Lowe (St. Louis); John Carey of Carey Danis & Lowe (St. Louis)
9	$3,370,000	DV	Eminent Domain	State ex rel. Missouri Highways & Transportation Commission v. Waldencorp Inc.	Clay County	John (Jack) H. Norton of Norton & Norton (Kansas City); Robert G. Norfleet of Norton & Norton (Kansas City)	Paul Sterrett of Missouri Department of Transportation (Chesterfield)
10	($3,275,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice	Wehner v. Lyon	Jackson County	Scott K. Logan of Logan Logan & Watson (Prairie Village, Kansas); M. Bradley Watson of Logan Logan & Watson (Prairie Village, Kansas); Christopher H. Logan of Logan Logan & Watson (Prairie Village, Kansas)	Bill McIntosh of The McIntosh Law Firm (Kansas City); Steve L. Hobson of The McIntosh Law Firm (Kansas City); Meredith R. Peace of The McIntosh Law Firm (Kansas City)
11	($3,100,000)	DV	Contracts	Gateway Hotel Holdings Inc. v. Chapman-Sander Inc.	St. Louis City	Bob Tucker of Goffstein, Raskas, Pomerantz, Kraus & Sherman (St. Louis); Ellen Siegel of Goffstein, Raskas, Pomerantz, Kraus & Sherman (St. Louis)	Debbie Champion of Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion (St. Louis); Victor Essen of Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion (St. Louis)
12	$2,981,472	DV	Business/Commercial	Citizens Bank & Trust Co. v. Gros Manufacturing	Jackson County	John M. Edgar of Edgar Law Firm (Kansas City); Matthew J. Limoli of Edgar Law Firm (Kansas City)	W. Perry Brandt of Bryan Cave (Kansas City); Staci O. Schorgl of Bryan Cave (Kansas City); Jennifer L. Berhorst of Bryan Cave (Kansas City)
13	($2,715,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice	Meyers v. McCarthy	St. Louis County	Rodney Sharp of Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard (St. Louis); Dennis Harms of Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard (St. Louis)	Jim Holloran of Holloran, White, Schwartz & Gaertner (St. Louis); Ronnie White of Holloran, White, Schwartz & Gaertner (St. Louis)
14	($2,500,000)	DV	Wrongful Death	Admire v. Bish	Callaway County	Bradley R. Hansmann of Brown & James ; John J. Greffet of Brown & James	Alan S. Mandel of Mandel & Mandel ; Micahel Sudekum of Mandel & Mandel
15	($2,200,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice	Villa v. Haueisen	St. Louis County	Kirk J. Wittner of Wittner, Spewak & Maylack (St. Louis)	Michael Flynn of Kilo, Flynn, Billingsley, Trame & Brown (St. Louis); John Kilo of Kilo, Flynn, Billingsley, Trame & Brown (St. Louis)
15	($2,200,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death	Tullock v. Success Health Corp.	St. Louis City	Philip L. Willman of Brown & James (St. Louis); Angela E. Pozzo of Brown & James (St. Louis); John Sandberg of Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard (St. Louis); Sara Obermark of Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard (St. Louis)	David A. Boresi of Thurman, Howald, Weber, Senkel & Norrick (Hillsboro); Sean Flaherty of Thurman, Howald, Weber, Senkel & Norrick (Hillsboro)
17	($2,000,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice	Feldkamp v. Hannibal Clinic Operations	Marion County	David P. Ellington of Brown & James (St. Louis); Halle L. Dimar of Brown & James (St. Louis); John Morthland of Wasinger, Parham, Morthland, Terrell & Wasinger (Hannibal)	Mark Evans of Bley & Evans (Columbia); Wally Bley of Bley & Evans (Columbia)
17	($2,000,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice	Waters v. Meritas Health Corp.	Clay County	Bruce Keplinger of Norris & Keplinger (Overland Park, Kansas); Christopher Lucas of Norris & Keplinger (Overland Park, Kansas)	James Bartimus of Bartimus Frickleton Robertson & Goza (Leawood, Kansas); Mike S. Meyer of Bartimus Frickleton Robertson & Goza (Leawood, Kansas); Michael L. Sexton of Sexton & Shelor (Overland Park, Kansas); Kevin Graham of Flook and Graham (Liberty)
17	($2,000,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice	Sykes v. Seibly	Jackson County	Jayson A. Ford of Shaffer Lombardo Shurin (Kansas City); Gregory P. Forney of Shaffer Lombardo Shurin (Kansas City)	Sam K. Cullan of Law Offices of Cullan & Cullan M.D., J.D. (Kansas City); Steve K. Nordyke of Law Offices of Stephen K. Nordyke (Butler)
20	($1,935,719)	DV	Employment	Kloeckner v. Perez	U.S. District Court, EDMO	Nicholas Llewellyn of U.S. Attorney’s Office (St. Louis)	Lynette Petruska of Pleban & Petruska Law (St. Louis)
21	($1,900,000)	DJ	Medical Malpractice	Morgan v. Burns	U.S. District Court, EDMO	Joseph C. Blanton Jr. of Blanton, Rice, Nickell, Cozean & Collins (Sikeston); John E. Cozean of Blanton, Rice, Nickell, Cozean & Collins (Sikeston)	Douglas P. Dowd of Dowd & Dowd (St. Louis)
22	($1,800,000)	DV	Employment	Klobnak v. Jackson County	Jackson County	Paul Seyferth of Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris (Kansas City); Kimberly Jones of Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris (Kansas City)	Lynne Bratcher of Bratcher Gockel & Kingston (Kansas City); Marie Gockel of Bratcher Gockel & Kingston (Kansas City); Kristi Kingston of Bratcher Gockel & Kingston (Kansas City)
23	($1,700,000)	DV	Business/Commercial	Big A LLC v. Payne	Jackson County	Wesley J. Carrillo of Ensz & Jester (Kansas City); Remington B. Smith of Ensz & Jester (Kansas City)	Daniel Baker of Stanley B. Cox & Associates (Sedalia); Stanley B. Cox of Stanley B. Cox & Associates (Sedalia)
24	($1,500,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice	Helton v. Cox Medical Centers	Greene County	Randy R. Cowherd of Haden, Cowherd & Bullock (Springfield); Catherine A. Heredia of Haden, Cowherd & Bullock (Springfield)	Patrick Martucci of Johnson Vorhees & Martucci (Joplin); Brian Johnston of Johnson Vorhees & Martucci (Joplin)
25	($1,236,746)	DV	Insurance	Hannan v. Auto-Owners Insurance Company	U.S. District Court, EDMO	Jonathan B. Morrow of Brown & James (St. Louis); Robert L. Brady of Brown & James (St. Louis)	Corey Jackson of The Law Office of Corey Jackson (Columbia)
26	($1,200,000)	DV	Employment	Krantz v. Jackson County	Jackson County	Kim Jones of Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris (Kansas City); Paul Seyferth of Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris (Kansas City); Nick Seacord of Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris (Kansas City)	Lynne Bratcher Bratcher of Bratcher Gockel & Kingston (Kansas City); Kristi Kingston of Bratcher Gockel & Kingston (Kansas City)
27	($1,000,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice	Coonts v. Messner	Greene County	Kent Hyde of Hyde, Love & Overby (Springfield); David Overby of Hyde, Love & Overby (Springfield); Brian Malkmus of Malkmus Law Firm (Springfield); Jared Robertson of Malkmus Law Firm (Springfield)	Jenifer Placzek of Placzek, Winget & Placzek (Springfield); Joe Winget of Placzek, Winget & Placzek (Springfield)
27	($1,000,000)	DV	Premises Liability	Steele v. Schnucks Markets, Inc.	St. Louis County	Debbie S. Champion of Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion (St. Louis); Dean A. Stark of Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion (St. Louis)	James Collins of Law Offices of James Collins (St. Louis)
27	($1,000,000)	DV	Medical Malpractice	Bowman v. Byrne	Camden County	James P. Reinert of Gonnerman Reinert (Clayton); William J. Magrath of Gonnerman Reinert (Clayton)	Dan Pingelton of Pingelton Law Firm (Columbia)