Economic injuries can be surprisingly subtle. Drivers might privately fret about car payments inflated by tacked-on fees. Homeowners might not have noticed the extra costs slipped into their mortgages. Workers blithely sock away money in a retirement account whose managers might not have their best financial interests at heart.

Commercial and consumer lawyers are often the champions of the proverbial “little guy.” Often, they find there are lots of little guys whose common complaints become class action lawsuits that effect big changes. They employ statutory protections ranging from such well-known laws as the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act to obscure statutes like the Second Mortgage Loan Act. They engage in complex economic analyses to prove financial losses. Their victories range from massive settlements to injunctive relief to debt forgiveness.

In this latest edition of THE POWER LIST, a new regular feature from Missouri Lawyers Media, we examine the most powerful attorneys in commercial and consumer law. We look at practitioners who have won notable jury trials, achieved significant settlements in both class action suits and individual claims, and helped to set important precedents that shape the law.

Our editorial team reviewed records of verdicts and settlements, interviewed attorneys and other leaders around the state and pored through the archives of Missouri Lawyers Weekly to compose a list of what we believe are the 30 most powerful commercial and consumer attorneys in Missouri.

Despite our research, readers may well disagree with our list. Are there attorneys who should have been included? Are there some who perhaps shouldn’t have made the cut? Let us know what you think we got right and wrong, or who we might have missed. And watch for further additions to THE POWER LIST later this year.

POWER 30 was written by Senior Reporter Scott Lauck and Staff Reporter Jessica Shumaker. Reach them at [email protected] and [email protected], or Editor Cindi Lash at [email protected]

The POWER List for commercial and consumer law