About the Firm
Wagstaff & Cartmell is a nationally recognized litigation boutique built for one purpose: winning complex, high-stakes cases. Our attorneys represent individuals, families, businesses, and government entities in the most demanding litigation matters in the country, from mass torts and pharmaceutical litigation to product liability, class actions, catastrophic personal injury, and professional liability. In every case, regardless of the opposing party or the complexity of the facts, our approach is the same. From day one, we prepare for trial.
That philosophy is not a tagline. It is the discipline that has produced over $2 billion in recoveries for our clients, more than 50 favorable jury verdicts, and court-appointed leadership positions in over 30 multidistrict litigation proceedings and class actions nationwide.
$2 Billion+
in recoveries
50+
favorable jury verdicts
30+
court-appointed leadership positions in MDLs and class actions
80+
attorneys, paralegals, and support staff handling complex litigation nationwide
A Firm That Performs at the Highest Level
Wagstaff & Cartmell was built to compete with the largest national law firms in the country. Our resources, our capabilities, and our depth of experience position us to take on well-funded defendants and their counsel without flinching. That track record has established us as one of the premier boutique trial firms in the Midwest, and our ongoing victories in federal and state courts across the country are cementing a national reputation to match. Our team of more than 80 attorneys, paralegals, and support professionals brings together talent from across the legal spectrum. Our ranks include attorneys trained at large national and regional law firms, former federal law clerks, and lawyers consistently recognized by their peers as among the very best in the profession. That combination of big-firm training and experience, boutique-firm focus, and accountability is what makes Wagstaff & Cartmell distinctive.
Attorney Recognition & Credentials
The quality of our attorneys is reflected in the recognition they have earned from the profession's most respected peer-review organizations. Among our attorneys are those who hold or have held the following distinctions:
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
- Fellow, International Society of Barristers
- Past President, Kansas City Chapter, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
- Best Lawyers in America
- Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
- The Kansas City Business Journal's Best of the Bar
- Kansas and Missouri Super Lawyers
Chambers USA has described our attorneys as "top-notch" for the representation of clients in contentious, high-stakes matters, an assessment our results consistently bear out.
Cases & ResultsLeadership in Complex Litigation
Wagstaff & Cartmell is not a firm that participates in major litigation from the sidelines. Our attorneys have been appointed by federal and state court judges to leadership positions in multidistrict litigation, state court consolidations, and class actions more than 30 times. We have served as lead counsel in bellwether and other jury trials in nationally prominent cases, and we have been retained by the Attorneys General of multiple states as private counsel to pursue claims and protect the public interest. This record of court-appointed leadership reflects not only our legal ability but also our credibility with the judiciary, which is credibility earned through consistent preparation, professionalism, and performance.
Representing Plaintiffs and Defendants
Wagstaff & Cartmell's capabilities span both sides of the docket. While we have recovered more than $2 billion on behalf of plaintiff clients, including seven and eight-figure results for individuals and small businesses on contingency, we have also defended some of Kansas City's most prominent companies, securing trial victories and favorable resolutions in high-exposure defendant cases.
We define winning as achieving the best possible outcome for our client, whether that means a landmark verdict, a favorable settlement, or a successful defense at trial. The measure of success is always the result, not the side of the case.
A Culture Built on Credibility
Our firm's success is inseparable from our culture. We value efficiency, creativity, and above all, credibility with our clients, with opposing counsel, and with the courts. We foster a working environment built on mutual respect, support the communities in which we live and work, and hold ourselves to the standard of conduct that the practice of law demands at its best.
Building genuine relationships with clients, colleagues, and the broader community has always been central to who we are. It is a significant part of what makes this firm work, and what sets us apart from firms that are larger in size but narrower in commitment.
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