PRACTICE AREAS

Business Litigation

Corporate Directors & Officers Liability Litigation

Product Liability

James M. Humphrey is a shareholder with the Firm and has 10 years of experience, which includes business and appellate litigation; shareholder disputes; officer and director liability; class actions; contract disputes, legal malpractice defense; insurance coverage litigation; fraud; RICO claims; and antitrust. He also has extensive products liability and personal injury experience, including consumer products, industrial products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and electrical accidents.

Mr. Humphrey's clients include shareholders, corporate boards, corporate officers and executives, electric utilities and product manufacturers.

Before joining the Firm, Mr. Humphrey served as a law clerk to the Honorable Gary A. Fenner, United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. He has made numerous appearances in Missouri’s federal and state courts, as well as various other jurisdictions, and has represented clients located throughout the United States.

Selected as a Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2008 for Business Litigation.

DISTINCTIONS

Mr. Humphrey was selected as a Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2008 for Business Litigation. Rising Stars identifies the top 2.5 percent of up and coming lawyers as chosen by their peers and through independent research by Law & Politics.

Assistant Editor, Creighton Law Review

Golden Key National Honor Society

COMMUNITY AND BAR INVOLVEMENT

The Missouri Bar

American Bar Association

Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association

Lawyers Association of Kansas City

Defense Research Institute

Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers

Lawyers Association of Kansas City; Member, Board of Directors (2007-2010)

Graduate, Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Northland Class of 2006

Graduate, Greater Kansas City Bar Leadership Academy

Ross T. Roberts Inn of Court

NOTABLE EXPERIENCE

Representation of pharmaceutical company in products-liability litigation involving hormone replacement therapy drugs, including involvement in multidistrict litigation (MDL) proceeding pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. In re: Prempro Products Liability Litigation, MDL Docket No. 4:03CV1507 WRW (E.D. Ark.).

Ongoing representation of food flavor manufacturer in products-liability litigation based on exposure to butter flavoring used in manufacture of microwave popcorn.

Ongoing representation of manufacturer of artificial nail products in products-liability litigation.

Representation of electric utility in defense of personal-injury lawsuits based on contacts with electrical transmission and distribution lines.

Significant past and current representation of lawyers and law firms against claims of professional negligence.

Represented plaintiff in lawsuit seeking recovery against primary and excess insurers under property insurance policy with claim for coverage of approximately $285 million.

Representation of former directors, officers and other high-level employees of life insurance company (formerly the largest domestic insurance company in Missouri until liquidity crisis caused sale of company) in connection with lawsuit brought by State of Missouri (Department of Insurance) against, among other defendants, Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. and Goldman Sachs & Co.

Successfully defeated certification of a class of current and former employees alleging various employment claims. Lang v. Kansas City Power & Light Co., 199 F.R.D. 640 (W.D. Mo. 2001). Also successfully opposed plaintiffs’ attempt to secure appellate review of certification decision in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Represented minority shareholder in lawsuit seeking dissolution of corporation.

Successfully defended judgment in favor of insurer on appeal in case claiming coverage for defense costs incurred in litigation between Anheuser-Busch and Labatt Brewing Company. Labatt Brewing Co. Ltd. v. Zurich Ins. Co., 281 A.D.2d 363, 723 N.Y.S.2d 17 (N.Y. App. Div. 2001).

Successfully represented defendant on appeal from an adverse jury verdict on fraud claim. Plaintiff’s verdict reversed and vacated, and judgment entered in favor of client. Mprove, Inc. v. KLT, Inc., 135 S.W.3d 481 (Mo. App. W.D. 2004).

Co-author amicus curiae appellate briefs in U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Courts of Appeals.

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

2009 Offering Advice to Directors and Officers in Today's Business Environment

Missouri Lawyers Weekly

2007

New Missouri Supreme Court Rules of Professional Conduct

Presentation at the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association CLE Seminar

2001

Rule 26(c) Protective Orders: A Brief Summary of the What, Why and How and a Discussion of Issues Raised by the Bridgestone/Firestone Tire Controversy

Declarations

1998

Note, "Everybody Out!" The Supreme Court Grants Police the Authority to Automatically Order Passengers Out of Lawfully Stopped Vehicles in Maryland v. Wilson

31 Creighton L. Rev. 997

EDUCATION

J.D., magna cum laude, Creighton University, 1998,

B.S., Criminal Justice and Criminology, cum laude, Metropolitan State College of Denver, 1995,

BAR ADMISSIONS

Missouri, 1998