The POWER List: James M. Humphrey IV

Berkowitz Oliver Williams Shaw & Eisenbrandt, Kansas City

Jim Humphrey is a partner with Berkowitz Oliver’s business litigation, government investigations and regulatory compliance practice groups. He brings his experience in private practice and governmental service in helping companies with investigations, compliance matters, enforcement proceedings and litigation.

Earlier in his career, Humphrey was a shareholder at Polsinelli, where his victories included defending BF Labs Inc. from Federal Trade Commission claims involving the marketing of computer equipment used to generate Bitcoins. In 2014, his team won a rare denial of the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction in the case.

In 2015, Humphrey became a senior trial attorney for the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Enforcement, where he investigated a wide range of fraud allegations and violations of the Commodity Exchange Act. He left government service in 2019 to go back to private practice.

Humphrey earned his law degree from Creighton University in 1998. His community involvement ranges from the Centurions Leadership Program of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to the Kansas City FBI Citizens’ Academy. He served as the 2012-13 president of the Lawyers Association of Kansas City.