Paula L. Brown

Contact Info


Assistant

Merry E. Morales


Practice Focus

Business & Commercial Litigation

Health Care Litigation

Transportation Litigation

Personal Injury


Education

J.D., University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, 1996

Managing Editor, UMKC Law Review; Staff Member, The Urban Lawyer

Order of the Coif (Top 10%)

Honors B.A., Mass Communications/Broadcast Journalism, University of Utah, 1987

Phi Beta Kappa


Memberships

Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association

Missouri Bar Association

Kansas Bar Association

Lawyers Association of Kansas City (President-2006)

Lawyers Association of Kansas City Foundation (President-2007)


Publications & Presentations

Never Give In: Missouri’s New Attempt at Medical Malpractice Caps (CLE Presentation)

Note published in UMKC Law Review


Awards & Recognition

Annette Moore Award for highest grade in Commercial Transactions

John L. Sheldon Award for outstanding appellate advocacy

Top grade in Federal Jurisdiction

Lawyers Association of Kansas City Public Service Award

Paula is a seasoned trial lawyer who focuses her practice in the areas of FELA litigation, personal injury, medical malpractice, and employment.

“All cases are ultimately stories to be told. We are passionate about transforming our clients’ stories into winning strategies.”

After graduating from the University of Utah with a degree in broadcast journalism but prior to attending law school at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, Paula worked as a news anchor and reporter for KODE-TV in Joplin, Missouri. Unbeknownst to her at the time, Paula’s on-air broadcasting experience would help develop and refine many of the invaluable skills that cause her to excel as a trial lawyer, including the ability to communicate clearly and react quickly on her feet. As one of her former clients stated, Paula has an “honorable presence in the courtroom and a tenacious attention to detail” while also being “quick and agile in dealing with the ebb and flow in the courtroom.”

Paula has substantial first-chair trial experience, achieving favorable defense verdicts in high-exposure medical malpractice and railroad injury trials. She has also secured significant plaintiff’s verdicts and settlements in personal injury and employment cases.

Results

  • $11.1 million verdict for mother in wrongful death action against landlord for failing to inspect and install adequate smoke alarms in a rental home.
  • Won verdict in favor of railroad against injured driver who claimed grade crossing was “abnormally dangerous” and should have had lights and gates.
  • Secured verdict for railroad in wrongful death action alleging inadequate warnings by conductor during shove of railcars across street.
  • Won $6 million verdict for small Kansas City awards company whose general sales manager began working for a large competitor before quitting his job and secretly misappropriated sales orders and confidential client information to benefit the competitor.
  • Achieved unanimous defense verdict in railroad worker’s claim of head strike leading to neck fusion and loss of employment. Verdict returned by jury in under 20 minutes.
  • Defended and obtained defense verdict in Buchanan County, Missouri, for surgeon from whom plaintiff sought significant damages, alleging her ureter was crushed during surgery on ovaries. Obtained unanimous defense verdict following jury trial.
  • Obtained favorable result for insurance company in action brought by Attorney General of Pennsylvania seeking more than $3 million in damages and penalties for alleged consumer protection violations.
  • Served as lead counsel and successfully defended gynecologist who allegedly burned patient with heat-sterilized speculum during gynecological surgery.
  • Obtained entry of directed verdict after close of plaintiff’s evidence in jury trial of premises liability action against hospital.
  • Obtained substantial confidential settlement for client who sustained injuries to testicle after physical therapy incident and wheelchair fall in transport van
  • Appellate briefing and oral argument before Missouri Court of Appeals and Missouri Supreme Court.
  • Representation of licensee before Missouri State Board of Nursing

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The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Past results afford no guarantee of future results. Every case is different and must be judged on its own merits.

1100 Walnut Street, Suite 1950
Kansas City, MO 64106-2197
P: 816.268.9400  F: 816.268.9409