Best Civil Lawyer in Missouri
Stephanie Warren
Civil Lawyer
Stephanie believes listening to a client is critical to being an advocate in family cases. Each domestic case is complex and unique. As a result, fully understanding a client’s position on each individual issue is necessary for reaching the best possible outcome for that client. In addition to listening to a client, she also knows that a good family attorney needs to be able to explain the process to the client in a way that makes sense to that particular client.
Before law school, Stephanie obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Photography from Webster University and a Master’s Degree in Communication from UM-Saint Louis. She has taught communication and public speaking classes at various colleges throughout the Saint Louis area.
Stephanie will manages every element of each client’s case from beginning to end, and advocate for each client throughout the entire process and ensure the client gets the best possible results.
Douglas A. Parker
Civil Lawyer
Born and raised in Springfield, I obtained my BSBA in finance and banking from the University of Missouri at Columbia and my JD from the University of Tulsa College of Law, before returning home to begin my legal career. For the last 19 years I have had the privilege of assisting individuals and businesses of all types and sizes throughout Missouri with their legal needs.
I am licensed to practice in all Missouri courts as well as the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, and I am a member of the Missouri Bar and the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association. I currently represent clients in a wide variety of practice areas including business and commercial law, business litigation, contract litigation, real estate transactions and litigation, creditors’ rights (collections, foreclosures, repossessions, replevin, etc.), and contested family law matters (divorce, custody, visitation and support). Whether my client is an individual or business, big or small, and regardless of the nature of case, I pride myself on providing timely, responsive, effective, and cost-efficient representation.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and pets, golf, riding my jet ski at the lake, and scuba diving.
Todd Miller
Civil Lawyer
Todd Miller is one of Mid-Missouri’s most respected attorneys. He enjoys a perfect 10.0 rating from AVVO, and he annually receives that organization’s Top Contributor award. He was recognized as Advisor of the Year by GolfInc. Magazine and he annually receives the Client Distinction Award by Lawyers.com. Mr. Miller founded the Law Office of Todd Miller, LLC located in Jefferson City, Missouri in 2006 after leading a national property tax consulting group for Deloitte & Touché, LLP in Austin, Texas. Mr. Miller’s firm has a primary focus in the areas of litigation, property tax appeals, elder law, probate, estate planning, trusts and estates, debt collection and defense, bankruptcy, real estate, and criminal law. He has represented clients at trial in 22 Missouri counties to date, he has filed or supervised property tax appeals in twenty-one (21) states to date, and he has represented clients in over 80 of Missouri’s 114 counties
He writes and lectures on the topics of estate planning, and property tax reduction and he is the monthly, legal contributor to the Jefferson City News Tribune. He is currently a board member of the Jefferson City Chamber of Commerce and serves as legal counsel to three Mid-Missouri quasi-judicial organizations and one municipality with multi-million-dollar annual budgets.
Mr. Miller earned his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree with honors from Lincoln University in 1991 and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri Law School in 1999. He is licensed to practice before the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri and he is an active member of The Missouri Bar, the 26th Circuit Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Cole County Bar Association.
Ryan A. Keane
Civil Lawyer
Ryan has served as lead counsel in numerous high-profile class actions and has obtained millions of dollars in relief to thousands of class members. Ryan has tried cases in both state and federal court. He has also argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals (Eighth Circuit), and Missouri Court of Appeals (Western and Eastern Districts).
Ryan spearheaded several class actions challenging the constitutionality and validity of red light cameras throughout Missouri. As a result, Ryan obtained a number of significant appellate victories that invalidated the majority of red light camera ordinances in Missouri. In doing so, Ryan successfully persuaded the Court of Appeals to overrule another appellate decision that had endorsed red light cameras. He then parlayed that success into securing the largest settlement in the State of Missouri in 2015 (an $18,000,000 class action settlement that offered cash refunds to hundreds of thousands of people).
Before attending law school, Ryan worked as a commercial real estate broker. After law school, Ryan worked as an attorney at a large defense firm in the field of insurance litigation. He then worked at The Simon Law Firm for five years where he gained significant experience as a plaintiffs attorney including time spent leading the firm’s class action department.
Ryan is deeply passionate about fighting to ensure the fair administration of justice. The legal maxim “fiat justitia ruat caelum” continues not only to be an indelible imprint on his life, but also a driving force for his pursuit of the truth.
Awards
- Best Lawyers in America, 2022 (This distinction is bestowed upon the most esteemed in the legal profession and only recognizes the top 4% of attorneys in the country)
- Super Lawyers, 2021 (Only 5% of attorneys in Missouri & Kansas receive this distinction)
- Best Lawyers in America, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
- Rising Star – Super Lawyers, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 (Only 2.5% of Missouri attorneys have membership)
- Top 40 Under 40 Litigation Lawyers in Missouri – American Society of Legal Advocates, 2017 (Less than 1.5% of lawyers selected nationally)
- Top Ten Personal Injury Attorney in Missouri – American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2016
- Largest Settlement in State of Missouri, Missouri Lawyers Media, 2015
- Up and Coming Attorneys, 2014 (Chosen as 1 of 54 Missouri attorneys who have demonstrated excellence and a potential to make a difference in the legal profession and their communities. The award recognizes lawyers who are 40 or younger, or within the first 10 years of practice)
CHRISTOPHER FREIBURGER
Civil Lawyer
Born and raised in Dubuque, Iowa Chris went to the University of Iowa where he received his bachelor degree in Marketing. Upon graduation from the University of Iowa Chris attended Saint Louis University School of Law where he obtained his JD and Health Law Certificate. He passed the Missouri Bar in 2010 and has been practicing law in the State of Missouri ever since. Chris’s work history includes working for a large St. Louis Law Firm, working for the State of Missouri as a Hearing Officer and most recently has been working as a general practicing attorney in the Lake Area. Chris has a strong background in Family Law, Criminal Law and Employment Discrimination. In addition to his Missouri Bar license Chris is also licensed in both the Eastern and Western District for the State of Missouri and the District of Colorado.
Licensed
- Missouri Bar
- Western District for the State of Missouri
- Eastern District for the State of Missouri
- District of Colorado
Education
- Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing – University of Iowa
- Juris Doctorate – St. Louis University School of Law
Hannah Versemann
Civil Lawyer
Hannah Versemann is an attorney with deep roots in the Ozarks. She was raised in Clever and attended Missouri State University’s Honors College, where she received her B.A. with honors in philosophy. She traveled to Saint Louis University’s School of Law, where she obtained its prestigious health law certificate and gained valuable experience in the mediation clinic. Hannah is an experienced mediator in family, landlord-tenant, and personal injury cases. After her graduation, Hannah returned to the Ozarks, where she worked for Legal Services of Southern Missouri, both in their Medical-Legal Partnership, and as a general practitioner.
Hannah has a wide variety of experience in areas including family law, probate and estate planning, landlord-tenant law, and health care advocacy. Excellence is important to Hannah, and she enjoys working with her clients to find creative solutions that fit their individual situations.
Hannah enjoys trial practice and has extensive experience winning cases at trial across southern Missouri. However, her proudest victories are the cases where her focus, preparation, and negotiation skills have achieved a resolution for her clients long before trial. Hannah is passionate about alternative dispute resolution, because it often procures better, quicker, and more creative results for her clients long before trial could do so.
MICHAEL D. LOWRY
Civil Lawyer
Michael D. Lowry is a lifelong resident of Jefferson County, Missouri, and a graduate of DeSoto High School. Mike attended the University of Missouri-Columbia–where he graduated cum laude–earning the degrees of Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After graduation from Mizzou, Mike completed an internship with United States Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond in Washington, D.C.
Mike attended Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, earning his law degree in 1994. Immediately following graduation, he served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Jefferson County until 1997, when he founded The Lowry Law Firm. Since that time, Mike has represented thousands of clients locally. Also, the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys has listed Mike as one of the 10 best personal injury attorneys for client satisfaction
Mike, one of our Jefferson County attorneys, served as Municipal Judge for the City of Festus from 1999-2004. In addition, he has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the DeSoto Chamber of Commerce, Secretary of DeSoto Rotary Club, and Director of the Board for COMTREA. He is currently active as a member of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, DeSoto Elks Lodge, as an AMVETS booster. He also serves as a member of the Hillsboro Civic Club, Missouri University Jefferson Club, Missouri University Alumni Association, and Board of Directors for Jefferson County YMCA.
Mike and his family live in DeSoto, and he attends church at Our Lady in Festus where his children attend the parish school. He is active in the parish and the school and serves as a member of the Our Lady School Board. Mike has participated in a number of the local schools by participating in Career Days and coaching high school students for Mock Trial competitions.
Abe R. Paul
Civil Lawyer
Abe was born in Southwest City, MO. He graduated salutatorian from Noel High School (1966). Abe attended the University of Missouri for undergraduate study, where he earned his degree in history (1970). He continued his education at Mizzou, graduating from the School of Law (1974).
Abe has over 40 years of experience as an attorney in McDonald, Newton, Barry, Jasper, and Lawrence counties. He has served as lead counsel in dozens of jury trials and hundreds of bench (judge-decided) trials. Abe served as McDonald County Prosecuting Attorney from 1976 to 1980. He focuses his practice on civil litigation, including personal injury, commercial litigation, and real estate disputes. Abe is one of the most accomplished trial attorneys in Southwest Missouri. Among other accolades, he has been awarded the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating.
Abe lives in Neosho with his wife, Nancy. He has been active in the local community throughout his life. Abe and Nancy are members of the Neosho United Methodist Church. Abe has two children, Jordan and Austin, and two step-children, Brad and Lindsay. Jordan is an attorney with the Paul Law Firm. Austin is a commercial real estate agent in Kansas City. Brad is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Carl Junction. Lindsay is a flight attendant with Southwest Airlines in Denver. Abe is a huge fan of the Missouri Tigers. He also enjoy watching the St. Louis Cardinals, gardening, and fishing.
Hiring the best civil lawyer in Missouri, or anywhere else for that matter, can be crucial for several reasons:
Expertise in Civil Law: Civil law is a complex area of legal practice that deals with disputes between individuals, businesses, or organizations, often related to contracts, property, torts, and other non-criminal matters. A skilled civil lawyer will have in-depth knowledge of Missouri’s civil laws, court procedures, and precedents, which can be invaluable in building a strong case.
Legal Representation and Advocacy: A top civil lawyer will provide you with skilled representation and advocacy in and out of the courtroom. They can argue your case effectively, present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and negotiate settlements on your behalf.
Protecting Your Rights and Interests: In a civil case, your rights and interests are at stake. A competent lawyer will work diligently to protect your rights and achieve the best possible outcome for you.
Case Assessment and Strategy: A skilled lawyer can assess the strengths and weaknesses of your case and develop a strategic approach to maximize your chances of success. They can also advise you on whether it’s better to pursue a trial or seek an out-of-court settlement, depending on the circumstances of your case.
Complex Legal Procedures: Civil litigation often involves complex legal procedures and deadlines. A knowledgeable lawyer can navigate these processes efficiently, ensuring all necessary paperwork is filed correctly and on time.
Negotiation Skills: Many civil cases can be resolved through negotiation and settlement. The best civil lawyers are adept negotiators, capable of reaching favorable agreements that protect your interests without going to trial.
Legal Protection from Opposing Parties: If you’re facing a civil lawsuit, the opposing party may have strong legal representation. Having the best civil lawyer in Missouri will level the playing field and ensure that your rights are protected throughout the legal process.
Experience Handling Similar Cases: Experienced civil lawyers have likely handled cases similar to yours before. This experience can be highly beneficial in understanding the nuances of your situation and identifying successful strategies used in similar cases.
Mitigating Damages and Liability: If you’re being sued, a skilled civil lawyer can work to minimize the damages or liability you may face. On the other hand, if you are the plaintiff, they can help you pursue fair compensation for the harm or losses you’ve suffered.
Peace of Mind: Legal issues can be stressful and overwhelming. Hiring the best civil lawyer in Missouri can provide you with peace of mind, knowing that a capable professional is handling your case and working towards the best possible outcome.
Remember that choosing the “best” civil lawyer may vary depending on your specific case and needs. Look for a lawyer with a track record of success, experience in handling cases similar to yours, and someone with whom you feel comfortable communicating and working.