We are excited to announce that Principal Attorneys Seth Gausnell, Don O’Keefe, Bill Thomas, and Derek Ruzicka have all been named to the 2024 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers list. We also applaud Principal Attorney Jim Ribaudo, and Associate Attorneys Hayley Hughes and Najla Hasic on their selection in the 2024 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers Rising Stars list.
Seth Gausnell was recognized in the area of Personal Injury General: Defense. Seth has over 39 years of experience as a trial lawyer and has tried over 100 cases to verdict. He is a mediator and a member of several legal and state bar associations. He has lectured at seminars on transportation liability, premises liability, and broker/agent liability. Read more about Seth’s background and experience here.
Don O’Keefe was recognized in the area of Transportation/Maritime. Don has over 30 years of experience as a trial lawyer and has tried more than 100 cases to verdict in state and federal courts in Missouri and Illinois. Don is a member of many prominent legal and state bar organizations and is frequently recognized by Missouri Lawyers Weekly for favorable verdicts. Read more about Don here.
Bill Thomas was recognized in the area of Construction Litigation. With 30 years of trial law experience, Bill’s practice is diverse with an emphasis on complex litigation. He is a Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America and on the American Arbitration Association’s panel of construction arbitrators. Bill is involved in a number of professional organizations, is currently the chairperson of the International Association of Defense Counsel’s Construction Law Committee, has spoken at numerous conferences, and has authored many articles for different publications on several topics from product liability to construction law issues. Read more about Bill’s background here.
Derek Ruzicka was recognized in the area of Personal Injury Products: Defense. Derek has successfully handled many matters through completion in a number of difficult venues. Derek has over 15 years of experience handling cases involving general liability matters, professional liability, toxic torts – including asbestos, benzene, and other substances, product liability, trucking, and environmental claims. Read more about Derek here.
Jim Ribaudo was recognized as a Rising Star in the area of Insurance Coverage. He focuses on assisting insurance companies with coverage issues, as well as, appellate matters. His background requires an extensive amount of research and writing, and staying up to date on the most recent developments in Missouri statutes and case law that change the insurance industry. Read more about Jim here.
Hayley Hughes was recognized as a Rising Star in the area of Civil Litigation: Defense. Hayley engages in a variety of civil defense litigation ranging from general liability to professional liability, including complex litigation. Hayley is also involved in several professional organizations. Read more about Hayley here.
Najla Hasic has been recognized as a Rising Star in the area of Personal Injury General: Defense. Najla attended Southern Illinois University School of Law where she graduated magna cum laude in May 2020, after attending Webster University majoring in Legal Studies. Through Webster, she was able to study abroad in Vienna, Austria, where she focused her studies on abnormal psychology and human behavior. During her time in undergrad, she worked as a Bosnian translator for a plaintiff’s firm in St. Louis. Read more about Najla here.
Each year, only five percent of lawyers in the state are chosen by the Super Lawyers research team for this prestigious recognition. Super Lawyers, a division of Thomson Reuters, evaluates exceptional attorneys across over 70 practice areas who have demonstrated significant peer acknowledgment and professional success. The selection process employs a patented, multiphase approach that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent assessment of candidates, and peer reviews within specific practice areas. This rigorous method results in a credible, thorough, and diverse list of outstanding legal professionals.
Congratulations to these exceptional GOT attorneys for their recognition in the 2024 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers List!