An accomplished litigator and recognized by Super Lawyers® for sixteen years, Brian represents plaintiffs in the Kansas City area with personal injury and wrongful death claims. He also handles mass tort cases involving medical devices and pharmaceuticals on a nationwide level.
A firm believer in professional education and outreach, Brian speaks at conferences on topics related to civil litigation, evidence, damages, products liability, wrongful death, and defective medical devices. His writings, published in several legal publications, also include handbooks that are widely used by other attorneys. Brian is an active member of numerous professional organizations including the American Association of Justice (AAJ) and the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (MATA), where he serves on the Board of Governors for each organization. He is also a member of The Trial Lawyers Care, an organization dedicated to helping those with legal needs after natural disasters and helping improve the quality of life of individuals who are in need of legal advice. He annually contributes to the Lawyers Encouraging Academic Performance (LEAP), a local organization made out of attends who assist in the education of under-privileged children.
Most recently, Brian has distinguished himself through his work representing individual plaintiffs in serious personal injury, wrongful death, trucking and medical device litigation cases. He has served in leadership on plaintiff's steering committees involving defective hernia mesh devices and defective orthopedic implant devices.
His efforts have helped obtain settlements in excess of $200,000,000 on behalf of his clients.
A lifelong resident of the Kansas City, Missouri area, Brian currently resides in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, with his wife Stacey Mortimer and four children. Stacey is an attorney with the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Brian and Stacey are active members in the Lee’s Summit United Methodist Church.
BACKGROUND
Brian has litigated numerous cases throughout the United States, including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Personal Injury
Wrongful Death
Semi-Trucking Litigation
Defective Medical Device Litigation
Orthopedic Device Failures
Construction Accidents
LITIGATION PERCENTAGE
100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
BAR ADMISSIONS
Missouri, 1993
Kansas, 1994
Minnesota, 2020
U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri
U.S. District Court District of Kansas
U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Arkansas
U.S. District Court Western District of Arkansas
EDUCATION
University of Missouri Columbia School of Law, Columbia, Missouri, 1993, Juris Doctor
Honors: Order of Barristers; Fred L. Howard Award for Excellence in Advocacy; American Jurisprudence Award in Pre-Trial Litigation and Practice
William Jewell College, 1990, Bachelors of Administration
Honors: Summa Cum Laude; Deans List, Mortar Board; Eons (Senior Honorary)
Oxford University, St. Johns College, Oxford, England
Honors: Oxford Debate Society
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Board of Governors
American Association for Justice, Board of Governors, Products Liability Section- Executive Committee, Medical Device Litigation Section- Member
The Missouri Bar Association, Civil Practice and Tort Law Committees
Kansas Bar Association
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Sustaining Member, Solo and Small Firm and Tort Law Committees
Orthopedic Device Litigation Group
Missouri Trial Lawyers Care (Mo-TLC)
Lawyers Encouraging Academic Performance (LEAP)
Pound Civil Justice Institute, Member Fellow