Mike is a founding member of the Firm. In his 25 years of practice, he has distinguished himself as a trial lawyer. He started his litigation career in 1990 as an associate at the well-known firm of Blackwell Sanders (now Husch Blackwell). At Blackwell Sanders, he learned the skills of a trial lawyer. Mike became an equity partner at Blackwell Sanders. In 2000, Mike was sent by Blackwell Sanders to build its European litigation practice. The three-month exploration of European litigation turned into a seven-year stay where he created a steady docket of interesting and diverse clients. In 2001, Mike was called upon to develop a strategy for certain syndicates at Lloyd's of London to recover their losses suffered in the 9/11 terrorist attack. Mike developed the strategy and filed the first commercial plaintiff recovery case in early 2002. His work led to the creation of the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee, and he was one of the lead attorneys appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to litigate the World Trade Center cases. This Committee ultimately negotiated a $1.2 billion settlement for the plaintiffs. the largest recovery of this nature in history. In addition to practicing in the United States, Mike is qualified to practice in England and Wales. He also successfully completed the exam to be a certified public accountant (CPA) (Kansas 1987).
Civic & Philanthropic Involvement:
Over the years, Mike has supported several families through the adoption process. Mike does this work on a pro bono basis because he believes in helping bring parents and children together. Medical malpractice Nursing home negligence Attorney malpractice Veterinarian malpractice Railroad crossing Aviation Transportation including busing, trucking and automobile Racing Bloodstock including equine and bovine Grain elevators Business disputes Specialty lines coverage Insurance disputes Captive insurer/reinsurer disputes Property insurance disputes Bar admissions: Kansas, 1990 Missouri, 1991 New York, 2004 U.S. Supreme Court, 2004 Supreme Court of England and Wales, 2001
Associations & Memberships:
Johnson County, Kansas Civil Bench Bar Committee, Ascension Catholic Church, Overland Park, Kansas, Knights of Columbus Council 10932 Charter Member, Overland Park, Kansas, Lifetime Member, Washburn Law Alumni, Topeka, Kansas Maur Hill? Mount Academy College Preparatory School Alumni Association, Atchison, Kansas Maur Hill? Mount Academy College Preparatory School Board of Directors, Atchison, Kansas The Law Society of England and Wales The Johnson County, Kansas Bar Association The Kansas Bar Association The Missouri Bar Association The Kansas City Missouri Bar Association The Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Johnson County Kansas Republican Party, Treasurer Undergraduate: Washburn University, BBA (accounting) 1986
Law School:
Washburn University School of Law, 1990_ Cum Laude Order of the Barristers Washburn Law Journal, Editor Moot Court
