Armstrong Teasdale congratulates its lawyers for their roles in four of the 2011 largest defense verdicts recognized by Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Two of those verdicts, which were listed in a special section appearing in the newspaper’s Jan. 30, 2012, edition, ranked in the top ten.
The largest defense verdict in 2011 went to the legal team representing tobacco companies in City of St. Louis et al v. American Tobacco Co. The team included Armstrong Teasdale attorneys Frank Gundlach and Matthew Shorey, who served as local counsel for three of the defendants. This claim was filed by dozens of hospitals seeking payment for medical care provided to smokers. The plaintiffs’ lawyers demanded billions of dollars before trial and asked the jury for verdicts totaling $455 million.
The seventh largest defense verdict, valued at $1.75 million, was in Coleman v. Long Elevator Machine Co., a negligence case that was won by partner Karen Baudendistel and associate Theresa Lynch.
Partner Robert Kaiser and associate Narcisa Symank, won the 21st largest verdict ($750,000 value) in the employment case DeRouen v. Centene Management Co. et al. It was the highest ranked defense verdict among employment claims. The 28th largest verdict ($450,000 value) was won by partner Timothy Gearin and associate Anna Selby in a medical negligence case Reifeiss et al v. St. Luke’s Episcopal-Presbyterian Hospitals.