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We are excited to announce that Principal Attorneys Seth Gausnell, Don O’Keefe, Bill Thomas, and Derek Ruzicka have all been named to the 2023 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers list.  We also applaud Associate Attorney Hayley Hughes on her selection in the 2023 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. 

Seth Gausnell was recognized in the area of Personal Injury General: Defense. Seth has over 38 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 and 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 almost 30 years of trial law experience, Bill’s practice is diverse with an emphasis in complex litigation. He is a Fellow in 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, has spoken at numerous conferences, and has authored a number of articles for different publications on a number of 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.

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 a number of professional organizations. Read more about Hayley here

Super Lawyers employs a patented, annual, state-specific selection process to identify outstanding attorneys, combining peer nominations, evaluations, and independent research. Super Lawyers’ commitment to a meticulous and multifaceted selection process ensures the inclusion of highly qualified and diverse legal professionals, offering a reliable guide for individuals seeking legal representation.

Congratulations to these exceptional attorneys for their recognition in the 2023 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers List!

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