Downing Obtains Third Consecutive Verdict In Rice Contamination Trials

Don Downing obtained a $500,000 award for a Louisiana rice farmer in the latest in a series of lawsuits against Bayer Cropscience.  This is Downing’s third consecutive plaintiff verdict in as many bellwether trials accusing the Germany based company of contaminating U.S. rice crops. 

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Cole Named to Fund-Raising Committee For Legal Services of Eastern Missouri

Morry Cole has been named to Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s First Annual Bar Campaign Committee. The goal of the campaign is to raise $600,000 per year for three years to fund service to low-income individuals throughout the nonprofit organization’s 21-county service area.

Missouri Gov. Nixon Salutes Maurice Graham at 2010 Award of Honor Banquet

About 250 members of The Lawyers Association of St. Louis and their guests feted Maurice Graham April 24 at the Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel & Suites as he received the Award of Honor, the organization’s most prestigious recognition.  The award is given each year to an attorney “whose attainments as a trial lawyer and whose record of honorable service to the profession and whose career as a citizen merit such recognition.”   Firm Chairman Robert Ritter, a 2003 recipient of the Award of Honor, served as master of ceremonies for the evening.  Highlights included Gov. Jay Nixon saluting Graham and his wife, Edna Mae, while their son, Lee, contributed his own congratulatory remarks live via satellite link from Malaysia where he now lives.  Morry Cole also represented Gray, Ritter & Graham on the dais. A bit of history was made when Graham, Ritter and Charles Gray, Ritter’s father-in-law who founded the firm in 1946, posed for photographs as all three are recipients of the Award of Honor.

Lockwood Argues in Missouri Supreme Court to Challenge Statute in 2005 Tort Reform

Joan Lockwood argued a case in the Missouri Supreme Court on April 14 that involved the application and constitutionality of Section 538.225, the health care affidavit statue that applies to medical negligence cases.  The statue was amended in 2005 as part of a wave of "tort reform" in Missouri.

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Neill Co-Moderator Of Medicare Litigation Roundtable

Tom Neill was recently a co-moderator of a CLE addressing Medicare Issues in Civil Litigation.  Medicare is a hot topic among attorneys due to the reporting requirements of Section 111 of MMSEA, as well as misinformation regarding set asides.  The CLE was organized by the Lawyers Association of St. Louis.

Maurice B. Graham To Receive Highest Honor from The Lawyers Association of St. Louis

Maurice Graham, President of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., is the 2010 recipient of the Lawyers Association of St. Louis Award of Honor – the organization’s most prestigious award. The award, which was first bestowed in 1946, is given each year to an attorney "whose attainments as a trial lawyer and whose record of honorable service to the profession and whose career as a citizen merit such recognition." He will receive the award at the Lawyers Association of St. Louis’ Award of Honor dinner on April 24.

8th Annual Advocacy Symposium the Largest Ever

Gray, Ritter and Graham, P.C. conducted its 2010 Advocacy Symposium on March 5 at Washington University’s Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center before 100 attendees – the largest attendance in the eight years the firm has been conducting the event.  The free program was open to attorneys with 10 years or less experience and offered presentations on such topics as how to effectively deal with unfair tactics; witness examination techniques; avoiding ethical pitfalls; client relations and development; and litigation techniques that led to success. The symposium included a lunch portion where members of the firm led smaller roundtable discussions with the younger attorneys.

Fox 2 Reports on Sedation Dentistry Lawsuit

Elliot Weiler of Fox 2-TV aired a report on Pat Hagerty’s wrongful death lawsuit against a St. Louis dentist and the practice of sedation dentistry.

2nd Bayer Trial Results in Another Plaintiff Verdict: $1.5 Million

The second in a series of "bellwether trials" in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri resulted in a $1.5 million verdict for Arkansas and Mississippi rice farmers.  Don Downing again represented plaintiffs in their lawsuit against Germany-based Bayer Cropscience. Click here to learn more.

Farmers Win $2M in Bellwether Rice Crops Case

Two southeast Missouri rice farmers were awarded more than $2 million in the first of a series of "test" trials in which rice farmers in five states have brought suit against Bayer Cropscience alleging contamination of their crops by Bayer. 

Don Downing was the lead counsel for the two Missouri farmers and is co-lead counsel of the five-state multi-district litigation.

Lockwood on Panel for Missouri Bar Presentation

Joan Lockwood is part of a panel presenting JURY INSTRUCTIONS - CIVIL on February 10, 2010, as part of The Missouri Bar's "How To Series."

Ms. Lockwood has served on the Committee on Jury Instructions and Charges - Civil since 2003 and was recently reappointed a member and reporter for a term ending July 31, 2012, by the Supreme Court of Missouri.

Don Downing Named a Fellow of American Bar Foundation

Don Downing has been selected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

The American Bar Foundation is dedicated to advancing justice through rigorous research on the law, legal practices, and the law’s impact on society.

The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation is an honorary organization of attorneys, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars.  They have demonstrated outstanding achievements and dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of the legal profession. 

Members are nominated by Fellows in their jurisdiction and elected by the board of directors of the American Bar Foundation.  Membership in the Fellows is limited to one third of one percent of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction. 

Confidential Settlement in Wrongful Death Case Against Dentist

Pat Hagerty obtained a confidential settlement on behalf of a woman whose husband died after undergoing a process known as conscious sedation conducted by a St. Louis dentist.

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Firm Founder Receives "Award of Distinction" for Charitable Giving to Local College

Charles E. Gray, who founded the St. Louis plaintiff law firm of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C. in 1946, recently received the Missouri Community College Association’s Award of Distinction, one of the organization’s highest honors.

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Lockwood Volunteers Time to Salvation Army

Joan Lockwood joined in the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys’ support of the Salvation Army this holiday season by serving as a volunteer bell ringer outside a local Schnucks store on December 4.

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Downing's AT&T Internet Lawsuit Receives Class Certification

A St. Louis Circuit County judge has certified a class action against AT&T. The lawsuit could potentially affect tens of thousands of customers in five states that allegedly received slower DSL speeds than AT&T had advertised.

Ritter Named a Best Lawyers "St. Louis Lawyer of the Year"

Robert F. Ritter has been named "St. Louis Plaintiff Product Liability Litigator of the Year" for 2010 by Best Lawyers.

Best Lawyers conducts an annual survey of more than 2.5 million attorneys across the country to compile a list of attorneys it designates "Best Lawyers in America."   According to Best Lawyers, Ritter "received particularly high ratings in the publication’s survey by earning a high level of respect among his peers for his abilities, professionalism, and integrity."

GRG Congratulates Our Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers Lists

GRG congratulates our attorneys who have been recognized locally, regionally and nationally for their professional excellence. Nine attorneys are included in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. They are: Bob Ritter, Maurice Graham, Steve Woodley, Pat Hagerty, Don Downing, Joan Lockwood, Morry Cole, Gretchen Garrison, and Of Counsel attorney Kevin Hannon.

Cole Obtains $150,000 Verdict After $10,000 Settlement Offer

Gray, Ritter & Graham attorney Morry S. Cole obtained a $150,000 verdict on behalf of a 79-year-old man injured on the campus of Maryville University in St. Louis.    Leonard DeMoor was attending a class reunion at Maryville when he attempted to board a golf cart transporting attendees.  The driver of the cart drove off before Mr. DeMoor was seated, causing him to fall off.  He suffered a seriously broken leg in the fall.  Prior to the jury returning the $150,000 verdict at the conclusion of the two-day trial, Maryville offered Cole’s client $10,000 to settle the case.

Morry Cole's 1-Year Old Son Sets Aviation Record

Click here to read the full article in the Webster-Kirkwood Times.

GRG Congratulates Our Attorneys

GRG congratulates our attorneys who have been recognized locally, regionally and nationally for their professional excellence. Nine attorneys are included in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. They are: Bob Ritter, Maurice Graham, Steve Woodley, Pat Hagerty, Don Downing, Joan Lockwood, Morry Cole, Gretchen Garrison, and Kevin Hannon.

"The Rules of Appellate Brief Writing" Published in The St. Louis Bar Journal

Gretchen Garrison’s article, "The Rules of Appellate Brief Writing" appeared in the Summer 2009 issue of The St. Louis Bar Journal, a publication of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.  Appears with the permission of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and The St. Louis Bar Journal.

$5 Million Settlement in Drunken Driver Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Johnna Ferguson speaks at Saint Louis University

Johnna Ferguson, Legal Administrator for GRG, spoke to the Law Practice Management class at Saint Louis University School of Law on the topic of "How to Hire, Retain, and Effectively Use Office Staff."

Tom Neill Elected to Executive Committee Of The Lawyers Association of St. Louis

Tom Neill was elected to a three-year term of the Executive Committee of The Lawyers Association of St. Louis.  The Lawyers Association of St. Louis was founded in 1934.  Its mission is to promote and improve the legal profession and judicial system.  Membership includes attorneys from both sides of the Bar and all members of the local, federal and state judiciaries.

Tom Neill's article, "Think Adding An In-State Defendant Will Keep You Out of Federal Court? THINK AGAIN" recently appeared in The Missouri Trial Attorney, a publication of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys.

$2.325 Million Jury Verdict on Stray Voltage Case

GRG partner, Maurice Graham, was lead trial counsel in a recent case in which a Jefferson County, Missouri, jury awarded plaintiffs a total of $2.325 million against utility, AmerenUE, as a result of two injuries and death allegedly caused by stray voltage from a 7,200 volt Ameren distribution line which had significantly deteriorated bare concentric neutrals and was buried in a lake.  This is the first known reported case in the United States where a utility has been successfully sued as a result of injury or death due to stray voltage from a utility’s high voltage distribution line buried in a lake.  To learn more, click here.

Joan Lockwood interviewed regarding her experience before the Missouri Supreme Court.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor appeared in St. Louis recently to perform the Ribbon Cutting ceremony for the new Judicial Learning Center in the Thomas Eagleton Federal Courthouse. The Learning Center has a mock courtroom and interactive displays designed to educate the public about the Federal judicial system and the importance of an impartial judiciary. It is the first of its kind in the nation. Later in the day, Justice O'Connor delivered the first Eagleton Danforth Lecture to members of the Missouri bench and bar. The lecture, sponsored by The Learning Center and the Bar Association on Metropolitan St. Louis, will be an annual event. Robert F. Ritter, Chairman of Gray, Ritter & Graham, is a founding Board member of The Learning Center and GRG has been among its strongest financial supporters.

Pictured here are several members of GRG visiting with Justice O'Connor [including l-r Joan Lockwood, Judy Stinson, Graham Dobbs, Justice O'Connor, Pat Hagerty, Tom Neill, Bob Ritter].

Photo Copyright ©2009 by Chris Mantle.

Morry Cole and Adam Hanna discuss "High-Low Agreements in Cases Involving Minors" for the Journal of The Missouri Bar

CIGUATERA FOOD POISONING

Morry Cole and Graham Dobbs are investigating and pursuing cases involving serious injury, disability and neurological compromise from ciguatera food poisoning. Please contact these GRG attorneys if you believe you have been harmed in this manner.