Shaffer Lombardo Shurin

• Local, regional and national businesses
• Professionals and their insurers
• Property owners and individuals
• Public and private companies

Key characteristics

• Focus on complex, high-stakes litigation and disputes
• Represents both plaintiffs and defendants
• Licensed to practice in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Iowa, and routinely serves as lead counsel across the country
• Team of experienced trial attorneys supported by dedicated paralegals and litigation support staff

Approach to litigation

• Emphasis on trial readiness; an unusually high number of the firm's cases go to trial or arbitration
• Identifies and focuses on the key issues in each case
• Uses targeted discovery and attention to detail
• Seeks efficient, cost‑effective resolutions when feasible to avoid unnecessary litigation

Firm philosophy

• No client or matter is treated as trivial, whether it involves complex commercial or construction litigation or smaller corporate transactions
• Commitment to learning each client's business and goals
• Works to provide personal service not typically found at larger law firms

Corporate and business matters

• Forming and dissolving corporations and other business entities
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Franchise agreements
• Shareholder agreements
• Stock redemption agreements
• Stock sales
• Corporate acquisitions or restructuring
• Joint ventures
• Financial workouts
• Asset transfers

Employment and governance

• Employment agreements
• Non‑compete and other restrictive covenant agreements
• Employment contracts and policies
• Negotiation and drafting of business contracts

Finance, tax and real estate

• Loan transactions
• Real estate transactions
• Tax representation, including representation of taxpayers in IRS proceedings
• Representation before regulatory authorities and examination of compliance with applicable federal and state administrative laws and regulations

Individual and owner planning

• Estate planning for individuals and business owners

How to contact the firm

• Call the main office phone number listed above.
• Submit a message through the contact form on the firm's website, which requests:
• Name
• Email
• Phone
• Type of case
• Comments

Service area and licensing

• Based in Kansas City, Missouri.
• Attorneys are licensed in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Iowa.
• The firm routinely serves as lead counsel in matters across the United States.

Lists Kansas City, Leland, Wyandotte, and Shafter as a location. Names Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, United States, and Kansas City as a service area. Areas beyond these are not published.

• Has successfully mediated hundreds of cases, including many matters with multiple parties and adverse interests.
• Mediates disputes involving:
• Professional fees
• Employment‑related disputes
• Insurance, construction and commercial disputes (including family succession of businesses and shareholder disputes)
• Numerous breach of contract claims
• Bodily injury and wrongful death claims
• Has handled matters with amounts in dispute ranging from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Hon. S. Margene Burnett (retired)

• Brings almost 40 years of litigation experience to her ADR practice.
• Background includes:
• 16 years in private practice handling insurance defense and coverage, personal injury, workers' compensation, construction, employment, commercial litigation, products liability, business litigation, appellate matters and probate‑related issues
• 22 years on the 16th Judicial Circuit (10 years as a probate commissioner and 12 years as a circuit judge)
• On the probate and circuit benches, presided over family and fiduciary disputes in probate matters and tried hundreds of civil, criminal and domestic cases, both bench and jury trials.
• Conducted criminal mediations for other divisions as part of the 16th Circuit's criminal mediation program.

Types of ADR matters handled

• Commercial and business disputes
• Construction and surety matters
• Insurance coverage and related disputes
• Professional liability claims
• Employment and workplace disputes
• Bodily injury and wrongful death cases
• Probate, guardianship, conservatorship and other fiduciary disputes

Types of cases

• Commercial and business litigation
• Antitrust litigation
• Contract disputes
• Fraud and misrepresentation claims
• Breach of fiduciary duty
• Business "divorce" or ownership disputes
• Employee non‑compete and restrictive covenant litigation
• Disputes with accountants or auditors
• Insurance litigation and insurance coverage disputes
• Product liability cases
• Class actions and other complex civil litigation

Key facts

• SLS attorneys routinely represent local, regional and national businesses and their owners and officers in contract, fraud and numerous other forms of civil litigation.
• SLS has significant experience representing business owners or partners in "business divorce" matters.
• The litigation practice group is assisted by a team of paralegals.
• The firm uses a computerized litigation support system for management of litigation matters, including document control, case monitoring, docketing and conflict control.

Clients represented

• Accountants
• Architects and engineers
• Auditors
• Brokers and dealers
• Contractors
• Directors and officers
• Health care providers
• Insurance carriers (coverage matters)
• Insurance brokers and agents
• Lawyers
• Real estate brokers and agents
• Sureties

Types of matters

• Commercial construction disputes
• Contract, payment and performance disputes
• Surety bond claims
• Insurance coverage issues related to construction projects
• Professional liability claims connected to construction and design work

Key facts

• Licensed to practice in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Iowa and routinely serves as lead counsel across the country.
• Has handled complex commercial construction litigation and arbitrations involving major federal and local projects.
• Has negotiated and litigated hundreds of commercial contracts and business disputes involving construction, business dissolution, white collar matters and fraudulent transfers.

Professionals represented

• Accountants
• Auditors
• Architects and engineers
• Brokers and dealers
• Directors and officers
• Health care providers
• Insurance brokers and agents
• Lawyers
• Real estate brokers and agents

Focus of the practice

• Defense of professional negligence and malpractice claims
• Attention to confidentiality and the impact of litigation on the professional's ongoing practice
• Coordination with clients and insurers in developing litigation strategy
• Emphasis on protecting clients' hard‑earned reputations in addition to addressing financial exposure

Key facts

• Licensed to practice in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Iowa and routinely serves as lead counsel across the country.
• Attorneys have taken to trial or verdict hundreds of medical negligence cases on behalf of physicians and health care providers in Missouri.
• The firm has handled complex commercial construction litigation, arbitrations and commercial contract disputes that intersect with professional liability issues.

Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess.