When Everything Is On The Line,
Preparation Dictates The Verdict.
We do not run a volume settlement mill. Every catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and commercial litigation matter is staffed by senior trial partners and prepared for a jury verdict from day one.
"Insurance defense carriers know which firms settle cheap on telephone calls, and which firms bring a courtroom trial team with full financial resources."
— Eleanor Vance Sterling, Managing PartnerCase Results & Settlements
Judicial recoveries, published precedents, and defense judgments secured by our senior trial advocates across Missouri and Kansas state and federal courtrooms.
| Docket / Year | Matter Caption | Practice Specialty | Jurisdiction / Forum | Recovery / Disposition | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22-CV-88190Term 2023 | Catastrophic Commercial Trucking Collision | Catastrophic Injury | Jackson County Circuit Court, Missouri | $4,850,000Jury Verdict | |
| 20-CV-31405Term 2022 | Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Liability | Catastrophic Injury | U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri | $3,200,000Pre-Trial Settlement | |
| 23-CV-11980Term 2024 | Surgical Error & Undiagnosed Post-Op Sepsis | Medical Negligence | Clay County Circuit Court, Missouri | $2,450,000Pre-Trial Settlement | |
| 21-CV-44912Term 2022 | Industrial Machinery Defect & Conveyor Failure | Catastrophic Injury | Johnson County District Court, Kansas | $1,950,000Jury Verdict | |
| 19-CV-08221Term 2021 | Commercial Breach of Contract & Trade Secrets | Commercial Litigation | U.S. District Court, District of Kansas | $1,680,000Pre-Trial Settlement | |
| 21-CV-09412Term 2023 | Multi-Million Fiduciary Fraud Defense | Fiduciary Defense | Jackson County Probate Division | Complete DismissalDefense Dismissal |
Principal Trial Partners
Your case is never handed off to an inexperienced first-year associate. You work directly with proven courtroom advocates.
Eleanor Vance Sterling
MANAGING PARTNER · HEAD OF TRIAL LITIGATIONFormer Assistant U.S. Attorney with over 75 jury trials taken to verdict in Missouri and federal district courts. Focuses on catastrophic wrongful death and trucking liability.
Arthur J. Vance
SENIOR TRIAL COUNSEL · COMPLEX COMMERCIAL DEFENSEFellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). Renowned strategist for high-stakes business torts, trade secret litigation, and multi-district class actions.
Dedicated Practice Specialties
Catastrophic Injury & Wrongful Death
Contingency Representation — Zero Fee Unless We RecoverWhen negligence results in permanent physical impairment, paralysis, or loss of life, our trial teams deploy investigative reconstructionists to hold corporations and insurers fully accountable.
- Semi-truck & highway collisions
- Brain & spinal cord injuries
- Construction site collapses
- Wrongful death claims
Complex Commercial & Business Litigation
Aggressive Courtroom Advocacy for High-Stakes DisputesHandling high-exposure breach of contract, trade secret misappropriation, shareholder squeeze-outs, and intellectual property disputes in state and federal courtrooms.
- Shareholder & partnership dissolutions
- Non-compete & trade secret theft
- Real estate development disputes
- Breach of commercial fiduciary duties
Medical Negligence & Surgical Errors
Uncovering Hospital System & Diagnostic FailuresHolding medical institutions and surgical teams accountable for preventable surgical errors, birth injuries, and failure to diagnose malignant oncology cases.
- Surgical mistakes & retained foreign objects
- Delayed cancer diagnosis
- Labor & delivery trauma
- Anesthesia overdoses
Confidential Case Evaluation Screener
Submit your incident timeline, jurisdiction, and facts directly to our trial partners. Submissions are protected by strict attorney-client confidentiality rules and reviewed within 4 business hours.
Well within Missouri's 5-Year Statute (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120) and Kansas's 2-Year Statute (K.S.A. § 60-513). Thorough reconstruction and medical audit recommended now.
Country Club Plaza Office
4600 Madison Ave, Suite 1200, Kansas City, MO
Direct Trial Intake Hotline
(816) 555-0144 (24/7 Answering Service)