Missouri Lawyers Awards 2026: Samuel Mason Wendt

Partner
Wendt Law Firm
Kansas City

Sam Wendt graduated from Washburn University School of Law in 2001 and serves as partner at Wendt Law Firm, which focuses exclusively on complex litigation representing injured individuals.

In 2025, Wendt secured a $5,000,000 settlement on behalf of two sexual assault survivors who were former employees of Branson entertainer Reza Borchardt. The plaintiffs alleged systematic grooming and manipulation into sexual relationships while they were minors. Beyond monetary recovery, the victims obtained five-year Orders of Protection against their assailant. When the insurer agreed to fund settlements, defendants attempted to block payment unless the plaintiffs accepted confidentiality provisions, Wendt filed suit for breach of contract, invoking Missouri’s newly enacted Trey’s Law, which prohibits non-disclosure agreements in childhood sexual abuse cases. The matter resolved days before trial with full payment and no confidentiality requirements, allowing the survivors to speak openly about their experiences.

Wendt is a former president of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and serves on the board of directors of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation.