Steven Martin "Steve" Aaron

A native of St. Louis, Bill received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri. He has fought hard for personal injury victims for 33 years, spending many sleepless nights worried about his clients and thinking of new and creative ways to litigate their cases. Bill is passionate about helping his clients receive the best medical care and the best results on their cases, whether by trial or settlement. In fact, he has successfully collected well over $250 Million for hi...

Jill Kanatzar is one of the most respected plaintiff attorneys in the region. Her deep experience in cases related to sexual abuse, child injury and wrongful death, nursing home abuse and medical malpractice spans more than 25 years. Jill’s entire career has been dedicated to helping people who often cannot help themselves. From small children to disabled adults to our elders, she has stood next to and fought for people’s rights. She has also been appointed special prosecutor acro...

Andrew S. LeRoy is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Andrew S., who practices law in Kansas City, Missouri, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Andrew S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Brian Finucane is a partner in the firm's Kansas City office. He has practiced exclusively in the field of labor and employment law since 1977. Brian provides a broad range of legal services in employment law, from daily client consultation designed to avoid legal problems to defending clients in complex class action litigation. He also represents clients in traditional labor law matters, negotiating contracts and handling National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) matters, union contract arbitrat...

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...

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...

Jeannie M. DeVeney represents retailers, school districts, public entities, and other employers in all types of employment law issues. She has successfully tried harassment, discrimination and retaliation cases to juries in both state and federal courts and has appeared before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Missouri Commission on Human rights, the Kansas Human Rights Commission, the Kansas City Human Relations Department and numerous other state and federal agencies. She has...

Jack Wallace is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Jack, 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 Jack is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jeffrey D. Hanslick is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Jeffrey D., who practices law in Kansas City, Missouri, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeffrey D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.