Scott E. Blakesley

Andrew Schermerhorn is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. Andrew, who practices law in Kansas City, Missouri, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Andrew is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jesse J. Camacho is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property and Patent Law. Jesse J., who practices law in Kansas City, Missouri, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jesse J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Burke D. Robinson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Burke D., who practices law in Kansas City, Missouri, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Burke D. 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...

Justin M. Dean is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Justin M., who practices law in Kansas City, Missouri, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Justin M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Kevin J. McManus is the owner of Kevin McManus Law, a Kansas City–based firm serving clients in Missouri and Kansas in personal injury and disability law. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Saint Louis University School of Law ( with honors ), Kevin began his career representing corporations before dedicating his practice to helping injured individuals and their families. He has been recognized by SuperLawyers Magazine, the National Trial Lawyers Association (Top 100 Civil P...

Melody Rayl is a partner in the Kansas City office. Melody counsels and advocates for private and public-sector employers in all aspects of employment litigation and traditional labor law. Melody regularly advises and counsels her clients through difficult situations with an eye to preventing litigation before it occurs and provides training to supervisory and management level personnel on a variety of employment related topics. When litigation does occur, Melody works with employers in defen...

John handles a wide variety of legal issues ranging from disputes between business owners to personal injury lawsuits to non-compete allegations to defective construction claims to interpreting insurance policies. It is his broad practice that enables him to see all sides of a client’s problems and help develop effective solutions. He has litigated a number of high-exposure wrongful death and personal injury claims from workplace accidents, product defects, trucking accidents, and insuf...