Kansas/Missouri Elite Litigation Options? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Anon due to post history potentially doxing me.

I am from KC/STL and am interested in returning for family reasons. I am at a top litigation shop, have clerked, top school, etc. and am concerned about the market in either KC/STL. The old threads I could find were too dated to be useful. Does anyone have info on the litigation scene in either state or city? I am open to government as well (I know the Missouri SG office has a lot of firepower and am not concerned about the politics).

[Anonymous User]

Dowd Bennett in STL.

[Tasteful Orlando]

Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP comes to mind in KC.


Lots of midlaw and biglaw, which you can find on NALP-type sites.

[crouton62]

Shook Hardy Bacon is an excellent litigation shop, particularly in product liability/mass tort defense, and is headquartered in KC

[Anonymous User]

Shook Hardy Bacon is an excellent litigation shop, particularly in product liability/mass tort defense, and is headquartered in KC

I'm a partner at another firm whose practice focuses on consumer class action defense and I agree with this. Their work is top-notch and I put them in my top tier of products liability defense shops (along with Quinn, Covington, Dechert, Williams & Connolly, and a couple of other firms).

[Anonymous User]

Second Dowd Bennett, the closest I’m
aware of to an “elite boutique” in MO. Wyrsch Hobbs is a good white-collar trial boutique. If you’d be willing to stretch to Des Moines, look at Weinhardt. I would not work at the Missouri SG unless you are seriously interested in a career in conservative impact litigation. For a more conventional biglaw environment there are quite a few options—e.g. Bryan Cave, Shook Hardy.

[Anonymous User]

Second Dowd Bennett, the closest I’m
aware of to an “elite boutique” in MO. Wyrsch Hobbs is a good white-collar trial boutique. If you’d be willing to stretch to Des Moines, look at Weinhardt. I would not work at the Missouri SG unless you are seriously interested in a career in conservative impact litigation. For a more conventional biglaw environment there are quite a few options—e.g. Bryan Cave, Shook Hardy.

If you're pushing to Iowa, Belin McCormick is the obvious flag - comp almost doubles other Iowa firms and they do a decent clip of serious litigation work. 170k as a first year (i think?), which goes a long way in Des Moines

Otherwise, 100% agree Dowd Bennet is clearly the best option in STL and also probably the closest you are going to get to "elite boutique" in the midwest outside of Chicago.

Re: STL conventional big law, Bryan Cave is clearly the top firm but Husch, Armstrong Teasdale and Thomsen Coburn all have meaningful presences

[Anonymous User]

Second Dowd Bennett, the closest I’m
aware of to an “elite boutique” in MO. Wyrsch Hobbs is a good white-collar trial boutique. If you’d be willing to stretch to Des Moines, look at Weinhardt. I would not work at the Missouri SG unless you are seriously interested in a career in conservative impact litigation. For a more conventional biglaw environment there are quite a few options—e.g. Bryan Cave, Shook Hardy.

If you're pushing to Iowa, Belin McCormick is the obvious flag - comp almost doubles other Iowa firms and they do a decent clip of serious litigation work. 170k as a first year (i think?), which goes a long way in Des Moines

Otherwise, 100% agree Dowd Bennet is clearly the best option in STL and also probably the closest you are going to get to "elite boutique" in the midwest outside of Chicago.

Re: STL conventional big law, Bryan Cave is clearly the top firm but Husch, Armstrong Teasdale and Thomsen Coburn all have meaningful presences

Agree that Belin is the other outstanding option in Iowa (and Weinhardt is made up of ex-Belin lawyers)

[Anonymous User]

You could also consider a full remote position at one of the firms or boutiques that offers that opportunity. Quinn is most known for this arrangement, but others come to mind too.

[Anonymous User]

You could also consider a full remote position at one of the firms or boutiques that offers that opportunity. Quinn is most known for this arrangement, but others come to mind too.

What are the others that come to mind?

[Anonymous User]

There are no "elite" firms in KC. There are some that have good lawyers. Your question is not realistic.

[Anonymous User]

There are no "elite" firms in KC. There are some that have good lawyers. Your question is not realistic.

Lol this is dumb. Probably coming from a 1L.

Wagstaff & Cartmell
Stueve Siegel Hanson
Just a couple that are considered elite by many.

[Anonymous User]

There are no "elite" firms in KC. There are some that have good lawyers. Your question is not realistic.

Lol this is dumb. Probably coming from a 1L.

Wagstaff & Cartmell
Stueve Siegel Hanson
Just a couple that are considered elite by many.

Unsure about the quality of their work, but the credentials of Wagstaff attorneys are nowhere near elite. I quick scan of their website shows nearly all KU and UMKC grads without clerkships

[Anonymous User]

Same for SSH