Sarah Ruane

Attorney Jill Presley, a lifelong resident of Kansas City, Missouri, has devoted her legal career to supporting those seeking personal injury representation. Her deep connections to the community provide her with a unique perspective and genuine empathy, helping her build trust and rapport with her clients. As a Partner and Co-Founder of Presley & Presley LLC, Jill Presley focuses her practice on addressing catastrophic personal injury cases such as semi-truck and auto crashes, sexual abu...

Robert (“Bobby”) Thrasher was born and raised in Columbia, Missouri. After graduating from Rock Bridge High School, Bobby attended the University of Missouri. He graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree, double majoring in Finance and Banking as well as in Real Estate. While in college, Bobby was deeply involved with the Zeta Phi chapter of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Bobby earned his law degree in 2012 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Bobby focuses his practi...

Scott Long is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Scott, who practices law in Kansas City, Missouri, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Scott is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Scott R. Manuel brings over 30 years of experience practicing in the areas of fiduciary litigation, estate planning, probate, trust and guardianship law to Kembell Woods & Martinsen LLP. Prior to joining KWM, Scott served as the Probate Commissioner for the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri starting in November 2014 following his initial appointment as the court’s Deputy Probate Commissioner in January 2014. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Scott was a shareholder with...

Mr. Robb has obtained numerous record-breaking results on behalf of past clients, including the two highest jury verdicts in U.S. history for helicopter crash wrongful death, $350 million and $70 million , and the largest pre-trial settlement for an injury in a helicopter crash, $100 million which is also the largest pretrial settlement in U.S. history for a single plaintiff in a personal injury case. Mr. Robb is past President of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (MATA). Mr. Robb h...

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...

Jeff Kennard chairs SAKG's Construction & Design practice group and is also a member of the firm's Business & Commercial litigation practice group. He has tried or arbitrated more than 20 cases to verdict or award. His clients include publicly-traded companies, several of America's largest private companies, and small businesses. Although Jeff advises clients at all phases of a construction project, the principal focus of his practice is dispute resolution. For more than two decades, ...

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...

Brandon began his legal career working for judges—first clerking for a Missouri Supreme Court judge and then for a U.S. District Court judge. He then entered the courtroom as a litigator, and over the last 13 years has litigated significant, high stakes cases in courts in Kansas, Missouri, and fourteen other states. Brandon has represented corporate and individual clients in matters ranging from trucking accidents to antitrust monopolies to large breach of contract and business tort mat...

Bob Kirkland is the Founding Partner of the law firm of Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP, which has offices in Liberty, Missouri, Springfield, Missouri and Overland Park, Kansas. He is licensed to practice law in Missouri and Kansas. He works with a variety of individual clients, handling the preparation of Wills, Living Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney, Irrevocable Trusts, Charitable Trusts and Minor’s Trusts, and counseling clients in the areas of gifting techniques, asset protect...