Chris Schnieders is a skilled trial lawyer devoted to representing individuals and families in complex civil litigation — with a focus on catastrophic injury, occupational exposure, and wrongful death cases.
- Chris has successfully tried and resolved cases across the country, including:
- a $21.8 million verdict in a Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) case in Norfolk, Virginia;
- a $2.575 million verdict in a Wichita, Kansas medical-malpractice case involving a fatal opioid overdose;
- a $3.9 million settlement in Warren County, Illinois — the largest settlement in the county’s history — arising from a catastrophic wrongful-death case; and
- a $2.4 million settlement in Cook County, Illinois in a psychiatric-malpractice case involving the suicide of a hospitalized patient.
In addition to his courtroom victories, Chris has consistently helped achieve successful resolutions for thousands of clients in national mass-tort litigations, including those involving Roundup and Avandia. His work in these and other pharmaceutical and medical-device cases has led to over a billion dollars in recoveries for injured individuals and their families.
Chris has also served in significant leadership positions in national multidistrict litigations (MDLs), including:
- Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in In re: Uloric Products Liability Coordinated Pretrial Proceedings, Case No. 20 C 623 (N.D. Ill.);
- Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and Chair of the Discovery Committee in In re: Zofran (Ondansetron) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2657 (D. Mass.);
- Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in In Re: Cordis IVC Filter Cases, JCCP 4977, Superior Court of the State of California, County of Alameda; and
- Chair of the Discovery Committee in In re: Zoloft (Sertraline Hydrochloride) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2342 (E.D. Pa.).
Over his career, Chris has built a reputation for holding Fortune 500 corporations and institutions accountable in some of the nation’s most challenging litigation. He has represented clients harmed by toxic exposures, defective medical devices, dangerous pharmaceuticals, and professional negligence, and continues to take on cases involving diesel-exhaust, benzene, and PFAS (“forever-chemical”) contamination.
Regularly recognized by his peers for both skill and integrity, Chris has received numerous honors, including:
- Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year” (2025) for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs in Kansas City;
- Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year” (2023) for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in Kansas City;
- designation as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by The National Trial Lawyers;
- recognition in Kansas Super Lawyers® since 2013; and
- an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards.
An active member of the legal community, Chris belongs to the American Association for Justice, the Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas Bar Associations, the National Trial Lawyers, and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, where he has served in the past as Vice Chair of the Civil Practices Committee. He is a graduate of the KCMBA Bar Leadership Academy and the Ross T. Roberts Inn of Court Program.
Outside the courtroom, Chris volunteers within the community and devotes pro bono time to assisting individuals facing family-court challenges.
Currently, Chris continues to lead litigation on behalf of railroad workers, farmers, and families affected by toxic and environmental exposures — including Roundup, PFAS and biosolids contamination, diesel-exhaust and benzene-related cancers, and other cases involving catastrophic injury and wrongful death. His work combines deep scientific understanding with relentless advocacy for those whose lives have been upended by corporate negligence.
Awards and Honors
- America’s Top 100 Attorneys
- AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®
- Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
- The Best Lawyers in America©, since 2021
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions- Plaintiffs
- Personal injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
- Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
- Lawyers of Distinction, 2020
- Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, 2026
- Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers®, Thomson Reuters
- Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers Rising Star®, Thomson Reuters, 2009, 2011-2012
- The National Trial Lawyers - Top 100 Trial Lawyers, 2014-2026
- The National Trial Lawyers - Top 40 Under 40, 2014-2018
Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, Professionalism gone wild. Judicial intimidation? The Bench and Special Masters in litigation crosshairs? Recusals, motions to disqualify, mandamus and blogs, Mass Torts Puerto Rico (May 2, 2024)
- Speaker, “Next Steps After You Settle a Case – Section on Toxic, Environmental & Pharmaceutical Torts (STEP)”, American Association for Justice 2021 Annual Convention (July 15, 2021)
- Speaker, Perrin Conferences: The Opioid Litigation Conference (June 6, 2019)
Media Appearances
- Court Temporarily Shelves Key Biosolids Suit Over PFAS Contamination, Inside PFAS Policy (February 11, 2026)
- Railroad Cancer Death Verdict nets $21.8M Under FELA, Missouri Lawyers Media (January 2, 2026)
- Jury rules against doctor, in favor of family of Excel victim who died of opioids, The Wichita Eagle (April 28, 2022)
- Victim of Excel shooting awarded $2M in opioid overdose lawsuit, 13-WIBW (April 22, 2022)
- Victim of Excel shooting awarded $2M in opioid overdose lawsuit, KWCH (April 22, 2022)
- Roundup Claimants Slam ‘Frankenstein-ian’ $2B Bayer Deal, Law360 (March 5, 2021)
- Judge casts doubt on Bayer's $10.9B Roundup settlement, fears 'manipulation', St. Louis Business Journal (August 28, 2020)
- Black Farmers Sue Bayer, Urging Federal Court To Take Roundup Off the Market, KRCU (90.9FM | 88.9FM) (August 27, 2020)
- Black farmers sue Bayer in effort to remove Roundup from shelves, St. Louis Business Journal (August 27, 2020)
- Farmers Group Sues Monsanto To Get Roundup Off Shelves, Law360 (August 26, 2020)
- Black Farmers Go to Court to Stop Sale of Roundup, Courthouse News Service (August 26, 2020)
- Black Farmers Go to Court to Stop Sale of Roundup, exbulltein.com (August 26, 2020)
- Black farmers file suit against Monsanto seeking to block sale of Roundup, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (August 26, 2020)
- Roundup News Conference At Bayer-Monsanto Headquarters, (August 26, 2020)
- Group to Revise Deal For Future Claims In Monsanto MDL, Law360 (July 8, 2020)
- Lawyers Withdraw, Aiming to Revise, $1.1 Billion Class Settlement Over Roundup, Law.com | TheRecorder (July 8, 2020)
- Bayer to Alter Plan for Handling Future Roundup Cancer Suits, As Reported By
- Bloomberg (July 8, 2020)
- The Detroit News (July 8, 2020)
- Judge 'Skeptical' Of Settlement For Future Roundup Claims, Law360 (July 7 ,2020)
Representative Cases and Settlements of Note
*Results May Vary Depending On Your Particular Facts and Legal Circumstances*
- a $21.8 million verdict in a Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) case in Norfolk, Virginia
- $2,575,000 Plaintiff Verdict focused on the opioid epidemic, where the client overdosed from a dangerous combination of opioids and benzodiazepines prescribed by his psychiatrist to treat post traumatic stress disorder
- a $2.575 million verdict in a Wichita, Kansas medical-malpractice case involving a fatal opioid overdose
- a $3.9 million settlement in Warren County, Illinois — the largest settlement in the county’s history — arising from a catastrophic wrongful-death case
- a $2.4 million settlement in Cook County, Illinois in a psychiatric-malpractice case involving the suicide of a hospitalized patient
- In Re: Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2187, 2325, 2326, 2327 and 2327 (D. WV)
- In Re: Avandia Marketing Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1871 (E.D. Pa)
- Yasmin and YAZ (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2100
- In Re: Bextra and Celebrex Marketing, Sales Practices and Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1699 (N.D. Ca)
- Prozac Birth Defect Litigation
- Paxil Birth Defect Litigation
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Missouri
- Kansas
- Illinois
- United States District Court, Western District of Missouri
- United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
- United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois
EDUCATION
University of Kansas, J.D.
London Law Consortium Externship, The Honorable Society of Gray’s Inn
Boston College, B.A.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- American Association for Justice
- The National Trial Lawyers
- Illinois Bar Association
- Kansas Bar Association
- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Leadership Academy
- Missouri Bar Association
- Ross T. Roberts Inn of Court Program
COURT APPOINTMENTS
- Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, In Re: Uloric Products Liability Coordinated Pretrial Proceedings, Case: 1:20-cv-00623
- Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, In Re: Cordis IVC Filter Cases, JCCP 4977 (Alameda County, Ca)
- Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and Co-Chair of the Discovery Committee, In Re: Zofran (Ondansetron) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2657 (D. Ma)
- Chair of the Discovery Committee, In Re: Zoloft (Sertraline Hydrochloride) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2342 (E.D. Pa)
- Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, In Re: Effexor (Venlafaxine Hydrochloride) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2458 (E.D. Pa)
- Member of Science and Daubert Committees, In Re Avandia Marketing Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1871 (E.D. Pa)
- Clerkship, Hon. John R. O’Malley, 16th Circuit Court of Missouri
PRO BONO
Board Member, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Kansas City
OTHER EXPERIENCE
Partner, Wagstaff & Cartmell, LLP
