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David B. Helms, GM Law
Staff Report//March 12, 2026//
Shareholder, St. Louis
St. Louis attorney David Helms has 29 years of experience in complex catastrophe and commercial litigation, practicing on a national scale. Helms said his reputation in the legal community has taken a distinctive shape: “I’m generally known as the ‘explosion and electrocution’ lawyer – if things go boom or zap, I’m your guy.”
His most notable matter is the decade-long JJ’s explosion litigation, which began following a 2013 explosion. He secured a bellwether defense verdict in 2015, obtained subsequent dismissals in related personal injury and property cases, and prevailed on a nine-figure indemnification claim affirmed by the Eighth Circuit. A federal court later characterized evidence in a related bad faith insurance matter as quintessential bad faith.
Helms also serves as national trial counsel for USIC, the nation’s largest line-locating company. He advises clients on federal and state regulatory changes and presents case studies at industry conferences. Looking ahead, Helms noted that while AI offers practical utility, it has real limits as a courtroom tool.
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