Robert J. Luder
The focus of Bob’s practice is defense litigation. That includes representation of insurance companies and their insureds, as well as commercial retailers and construction entities. In addition, Bob has extensive experience in the area of insurance coverage analysis.
Concentration in these practice areas has allowed Bob to obtain extensive experience as a trial attorney. He has successfully defended numerous cases on behalf of parties that are traditionally difficult to defend, including large commercial retailers, insurance companies and governmental entities.
Bob believes that perhaps the most important aspect of his practice is to establish the value of a case correctly from its inception. He then establishes a litigation plan designed to resolve the case for that value while minimizing litigation costs. Of course, sometimes opposing parties do not agree with the assessed value of the case and it must be resolved by trial. In those instances Bob has enjoyed great success, as he has tried over 50 jury trials, and only three times has the verdict exceeded the amount offered before trial.
Bob also has significant experience at the appellate level. He has argued multiple cases before the Appellate Courts of Kansas and Missouri, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Bob graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.A. in Political Science. During his undergraduate studies Bob served as an intern for United States Senator Robert Dole in the Office of the Senate Majority Leader. He was also the recipient of the Faucett and State of Kansas scholarships for his academic performance. His degree was conferred by the University with high distinction. While in law school, Bob served as a clerk for the Honorable Ralph King of the Douglas County District Court. He has been practicing law since 1991.
Bob is a proud husband and father of two sons and a daughter, and enjoys spending the bulk of his free time with his family. He is a fitness enthusiast and enjoys outdoor activities such as cycling, walking and hiking.
John R. Weist
John is an accomplished lawyer in the areas of commercial and personal injury litigation. In addition to his insurance defense practice, he has worked extensively in the areas of construction litigation and insurance coverage litigation, handling numerous complex coverage matters. John has argued in front of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the appellate courts in the State of Kansas and the State of Missouri.
John received his undergraduate and his law degrees from the University of Kansas. Following law school he served as a law clerk for two years at the Kansas Court of Appeals. He is admitted to practice law in Kansas and Missouri, where he has practiced for the past twenty years.
John has also distinguished himself outside of the office through his service as an ordained deacon in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. His greatest distinction is being a husband and a father of four.
Lesley Renfro Willson
Ms. Willson graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1991. She received her law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1994, and was the recipient of the Ike Skelton, Sr. Trial Practice Award.
After graduating from law school, Ms. Willson’s practice focused on civil litigation defense, including personal injury, construction defect, commercial property damage, and insurance coverage analysis and disputes. She was a partner at successful law firms for 14 years, focusing on evaluation of claims and effectively handling lawsuits throughout the litigation process to settlement or trial.
She earned her membership to the Missouri Bar in 1994 and to the Kansas Bar in 2000. She has served as a legal professional mentor to the Blue Valley School District’s Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS).
Ms. Willson lives in Olathe with her husband and two children.
Matt Mulhern
Mr. Mulhern graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Missouri in 1985. He received his Law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1989. He is a member of the Missouri Bar and the Kansas Bar. He has a hundred percent success rate in arguing before the Missouri Court of Appeals.
As an assistant prosecuting attorney in Jackson County, Mr. Mulhern quickly gained extensive trial experience. He was also legal advisor to the grand jury. He is still called on to serve as a special prosecutor.
Mr. Mulhern has spent more than two decades further honing his litigation skills defending a wide range of personal injury cases, construction defect cases, insurance coverage disputes and bad faith claims.
Mr. Mulhern is a native Kansas Citian. He lives in the Brookside neighborhood with his wife and two children.
Miles Figg
Miles is experienced in all aspects of civil litigation. His practice has primarily focused in the areas commercial, personal injury, construction defect and property damage, and trust and estate law. He strives to consistently secure favorable outcomes for his clients.
In addition to being a trial lawyer, Miles provides guidance to companies and government entities as they address and resolve disputes and plan for future growth and challenges. Miles’ professional background includes working as an analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City prior to attending law school. Miles graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law with honors after receiving his MBA from Rockhurst University and his bachelor’s degree in International Business Management with minors in Political Science and Chinese from Missouri State University.
Outside of the office, Miles is an active member of Rockhurst University’s Young Alumni Counsel, helps coach his kids’ youth sports teams, and is a lifetime member of the Mizzou Alumni Association. A fun fact about Miles is that he became a woodworker during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can often find him in his woodworking studio, which would be more accurately described as his half of the garage and, on nice days, the driveway.
Miles lives with his family in Prairie Village.