Carol Z. Smith

Chris R. Pace is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Chris R., who practices law in Kansas City, Missouri, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Chris R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Tom Hershewe is one of the Midwest’s leading bad faith insurance litigators. Tom represents insureds who have had their insurance companies abandoned them after another person sued them. Even in cases where the insurance company defends its insured, Tom often serves as the insured’s personal counsel to ensure that the insurance company takes the correct steps to resolve the case. During his time at Dollar, Burns, Becker & Hershewe, Tom has recovered more than $130 million agai...

Casey Meek defends individuals facing municipal, state, and federal criminal charges in Kansas and Missouri. He represents clients in felony and misdemeanor charges, including drug and alcohol offenses, DUIs, property crimes, violent crimes, probation crimes, and expungements. His practice extends throughout the Topeka, Lawrence, and Kansas City metro areas.

Shelley I. Ericsson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Shelley I., who practices law in Kansas City, Missouri, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Shelley I. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Sean has extensive trial and litigation experience through his 27 years of civil defense practice. He represents national transportation companies in cases involving personal injury, Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), grade crossing accidents, property damage, cumulative trauma exposure and other accident investigation and defense. His litigation experience includes a record of success in jury verdicts and pre-trial motion practice. He regularly serves on initial response teams fo...

Michael Matula is a shareholder in the firm’s Kansas City office. Mike concentrates his practice in the areas of employment litigation and counseling. He has represented employers in a wide variety of employment matters including discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wrongful discharge cases, non-competition/trade secrets disputes, and EEOC administrative proceedings. Mike, who has been given an AV Martindale-Hubbell rating, also has significant experience in commercial, tort, and...

While his current practice extends to different areas of tort litigation, José has represented families and individuals injured in railroad grade crossing collisions for most of his career. Before starting his own firm in 2011, he was an attorney with a renowned Kansas City law firm with a national practice in railroad litigation. Missouri Lawyer's Weekly has highlighted the results of José's work on several occasions, including his $3 million settlement of a private crossing co...

Jeff Burns is one of the preeminent truck crash attorneys in the country. He has consulted on hundreds of cases and won his clients millions of dollars in settlements. Over the span of his career he has not only tirelessly fought for justice for his clients, but more importantly, has worked on a national level to reform and change the trucking industry to be safer. He has spent almost as much time in Washington D.C. as Kansas City educating the public and working for rule changes, stronger la...

Jim Holland is managing partner of the firm’s Kansas City office. He works as a business partner with his clients and focuses his advice on helping them navigate employment issues with as little disruption to their operations as possible. Jim counsels employers about how to avoid workplace issues before they become lawsuits. When lawsuits cannot be avoided, however, Jim has litigated cases in federal and state courts across the country. Jim works with his clients to obtain practical, bu...

William Perry Brandt is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy) and Litigation - Securities. William Perry, who practices law in Kansas City, Missouri, has been recognized since 2001. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William Perry is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.