Family Law

• Child Support
  Tom also represents Missouri and Kansas family-law clients in divorce proceedings, child support and maintenance disputes, and modification matters.

Criminal Law

• Wrongful Death
  Mr. Duggan defended Beatrice Foods Co. against claims arising out of wholly owned subsidiary’s jack stand manufacturing business. Plaintiffs were the children and wife of the deceased Mr. Lampe who died when a jack stand under his Buick allegedly collapsed causing his death. Mr. Duggan prepared the case and commenced the trial after which he was successful in securing a favorable settlement.

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
• Business Formation
• Business Disputes
  Deron has 30 years of experience as a trial and appellate attorney. Deron’s practice encompasses a wide range of clients and disputes – from assisting buyers and sellers of real estate to representing individuals, small business owners and large public corporations in complex litigation matters. During his 30 years of practice, Deron has litigated a broad range of matters including product liability, lender liability, construction and real estate development matters, partnership disputes, first and third-party insurance claims, and various other business disputes, representing both plaintiffs and defendants.
• Business Transactions
• Limited Liability Companies
  The Americold decision will likely have limited impact on real estate investment trusts, because many choose to be organized as corporations whose diversity citizenship will still be determined by its State of incorporation and principal place of business. Americold, however, will have broad application to all unincorporated associations. That is, the Americold Court’s unanimous reaffirmation of its bright-line “doctrinal wall” between corporations and all other entities signals the Court will similarly treat all unincorporated entities, however varied and disparate across the United States, as possessing the citizenship of all their members or owners. So, for limited liability companies, other statutory trusts under newly adopted uniform laws, and other artificial non-corporate entities under state law, the Americold ruling likely ends any uncertainty regarding those entities’ treatment—they will be considered non-corporate entities measuring citizenship by their beneficial owners.

Employment Law

• Employment Discrimination
  Mr. Duggan defended MaggieMoo’s, an ice cream store franchisor, in this § 1981 race discrimination claim. After a two (2) week jury trial, Mr. Duggan secured a settlement for a nominal amount.
• Employment Litigation
  Ann has extensive practice in commercial real estate sales, leasing and development. She has negotiated lease transactions for retail, restaurant, industrial and other commercial properties located throughout the United States on behalf of nationally-known retailers, restaurants, shopping center developers/operators and other business clients. In addition to her leasing focus, Ann represents both buyers and sellers of commercial and residential properties throughout the United States, negotiating purchase and sale agreements and guiding clients through the closing process. She also assists business owners in forming new companies, addressing operational issues and employment matters such as confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, employee handbooks and employment disputes. Ann has also provided in-house training for clients in the areas of preventative workplace harassment and discrimination and has coached national groups of franchisors and franchisees through lease negotiation best practices.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
• Construction Litigation
  Several cases involved over $50 million in claimed damages, and required up to 10 weeks to try. The types of cases John tries involve casualty and property losses sustained from catastrophic fires, lender liability disputes, wrongful death, products liability claims, construction defects, mechanic’s liens claims, rezoning disputes, condemnation, commercial lease disputes, and buy-sell agreement disputes just to mention a few.
• Real Estate Transactions
  He understands that the economic driver of all commercial real estate transactions are the leases, and he has extensive experience with various types of commercial leasing, including...
• Eminent Domain
  Mr. Duggan represented the Strongs in this condemnation case where KCP&L condemned roughly 13 acres for a utility easement. After a one-week jury trial, Mr. Duggan secured a verdict of nearly $2.0 million which the Kansas Supreme Court affirmed on appeal.
• Easement
• Land Use and Zoning
  Sam represents clients in matters related to real estate purchases and sales, leasing, zoning and land use planning, business formation, and commercial transactions.
• Property Damage
  Mr. Duggan acted as lead trial counsel in this ten-week trial involving property damage to food products stored in underground warehouses in Kansas City, Kansas under leases and bailment arrangements. The parties called over twenty expert witnesses in part to establish a fire’s cause and origin that destroyed stored food products, and Mr. Duggan successfully obtained an award in excess of $70 million.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Sky focuses his law practice primarily on tax, business and estate planning and protecting clients’ wealth through careful and systematic planning. He is also a member of The Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the WealthCounsel, LLC and E.planners Educational Alliance, Inc. (also admitted before U.S. Tax Court). Sky has taught in the Masters of Taxation Program as an Adjunct Law Professor at the University of Missouri School of Law. He is also a frequent lecturer on tax and estate planning topics, including presentations for the Missouri Bar, Kansas Bar, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Missouri Trial Lawyers Association, Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, Professional Educational Seminars and National Business Institute. Mr. Kurlbaum was selected “Best of Bar” by his peers as published in the
• Trusts
• Probate

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Tax Law
  Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed legislation on March 22nd making sweeping changes to Kansas tax law, which will change how tax planning attorneys manage their …