Rob is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and is listed in the Best Lawyers of America and Chamber's USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. He was named "Missouri Lawyer of the Year" in 2006 by Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Rob practices in the areas of products liability, intellectual property litigation, insurance coverage litigation, and tort litigation. He has tried more than 35 jury trials in several different states, primarily in the areas of products liability litigation, patent litigation and insurance coverage litigation. He has also made numerous appellate arguments in appellate courts throughout the country. Rob has been an active member of various bar organizations over his career. Rob acts as member and is the reporter for the Missouri Approved Instruction Committee, which drafts instructions for use in civil cases. He was appointed to this position in 2004 by the Missouri Supreme Court. He has served on the board of directors of the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers and the Missouri Bar Board of Governors.

Matters of Note

Recent Trials

• Garrett v. Albright and Central Transport, et al., U.S.D.C. MO, three week trial involving defense of trucking companies in multiple death case.
• James v. Schultz, et al., Circuit Court of Jackson County (2007), defense of legal malpractice case.
• Green, et al. v. Alpharma, Inc., et al., Circuit Court of Washington County (2006), defense of toxic tort claim involving allegations of childhood leukemia caused by exposure to defendant's product.
• Frazier, et al. v. Layne Christensen Company, et al., U.S.D.C. W.D. Wisconsin (2006), defense of patent infringement claim.
• Slaughter v. Ford Motor Company, Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis (2005), defense of eight day trial involving a design defect claim by a quadriplegic.
• Sullins v. Ford Motor Company, Superior Court of New Jersey, Middlesex County (2005), defense of a seven day trial involving a quadriplegic allegedly injured by a defect in a seat belt.
• Eltiste v. Ford Motor Company, Circuit Court of St. Louis County, MO (2004), successful defense verdict of 10-day jury trial involving claims of sudden acceleration.
• NewCap Insurance Co. v. Employers Reinsurance Corp., U.S.D.C. D. KS (2004), defense of reinsurance company in trial involving denial of a claim for untimely notice and claim of $18 million.
• McGill v. Ford Motor Company, Circuit Court of Scott County, MO (2003), successful defense of six-day jury trial involving a wrongful death claim from an allegedly defective steering system.
• George v. Ford Motor Company, Court of Common Pleas, PA (2003), case involving 34-year-old quadriplegic settled in third week before closing involving claims of strict liability for design defect and punitive damages.
• Tharpe, Herrin and R&L Engineering, Inc. v. DSG International Ltd., and Associated Hygienic Products, LLC, U.S.D.C. M.D. GA (2001), three-week jury trial for patent infringement involving $17 million claim for damages.
• Sexton v. Ford Motor Company, County of Sumter, SC (2000), defense of Ford in two-week jury trial involving a wrongful death claim of 32-year-old father of three children involved in a rollover of a Ford pick-up.
• Barbour Well Surveying Corporation v. Layne Christensen Company, U.S.D.C. E.D. CA. (1999), successful defense of three-week jury trial involving claims of patent infringement.
• Anderson v. Ford Motor Company, U.S.D.C. W.D. MO. (1998), successful defense of two-week jury trial for wrongful death involving claims of design defect and crashworthiness.
• Nelson v. Ford Motor Company, U.S.D.C. W.D. MO. (1997), successful defense of one-week jury trial involving design defect claims.

• State ex rel. Ford Motor Company v. The Honorable Michael Manners, 161 S.W. 3d 373, (MO Supreme Court, 2005), application of Missouri laws on service of process and venue.
• State ex rel. Ford Motor Company v. The Honorable Henry Westbrooke, 151 S.W. 3d 364 (MO Supreme Court, 2004), application of work product doctrine to repetitive litigation (2004).
• State ex. rel. Ford Motor Company v. Messina, 71 S.W.3d 602 (MO Supreme Court, 2002), established law for Apex (high level corporate executive) depositions.
• Greenwood v. Isuzu, MO Supreme Court (2001), interpretation of Missouri’s Corporate Venue Statute, 508.040.
• State ex rel. Ford Motor Company v. Bacon, 63 S.W. 3d 641, (MO Supreme Court, 2001), interpretation of agency law as applied to related corporations.

• Frazier v. Layne Christensen Company, Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, appeal affirming trial ruling in favor of Layne in two week patent infringement trial in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
• Nelson v. Ford Motor Company, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, admissibility of other similar incidents.
• Johnson v. Ford Motor Company, MO Court of Appeals (2002), application of venue provisions.
• Anderson v. Ford Motor Company, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Daubert’s application to an expert and jury misconduct.
• Southland Corporation v. The Marley Company, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, failure to recall issues.

• "Missouri Lawyer of the Year," Missouri Lawyers Weekly (2006)
• The Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America
• The Best Lawyers in America (2005-present)
• Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2004-present)
• Expert Guides: Guide to the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers (2007)
• "Best of the Bar" attorneys in Kansas City (2003-present)
• Listed in Missouri Super Lawyers since its inception
• AV rating in Martindale-Hubbell

• American College of Trial Lawyers
• American Board of Trial Advocates
• Member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
• Member of the board of directors for Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers (MODL)
• Member and reporter of the Missouri Approved Instruction (MAI) Committee

• "The Art of Closing Arguments - Tactics to Winning the Jury," Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, February 25, 2008.
• "Selecting, Protecting and Perfecting Company Witnesses," Product Liability Advisory Counsel, Tucson, Arizona, October 17-19, 2007.
• "The Critical Art of Voir Dire," Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers, Branson, Missouri, June 7, 2007.
• "Discovery Issues in Complex Cases," Missouri Trial Judge Judicial College, Jefferson City, Missouri, April 26, 2007.
• "Practical Aspects of Avoiding Punitive Damages," DRI Meeting, Los Angeles, California, February 16, 2005.
• "Marketing of Minority Attorneys," The Straker Bar Association of Detroit, Michigan, April 22, 2004.
• "High Level Executive Discovery," KCMBA, May 29, 2003.
• "Trends in Punitive Damage Research," Products Liability Advisory (“PLAC”) Committee Seminar, May 8, 2003.
• "Federal Practice and Procedure," KCMBA, June 23, 1998.
• "Depositions of Corporate Representatives and Corporate Executives," KCMBA, May 2, 1998.
• "Admissibility of Drug and Alcohol Usage," ABA, April 3, 1998.
• "Effective Deposition Techniques," The Missouri Bar, March 1, 1996.
• "In-Depth Examination of Recent Federal Rules Changes," MATA at KCMBA, February 24, 1995.
• "Revisions to Federal Rules," The Missouri Bar, September 30, 1992.
• "The New 'But For' Test for Causation in Missouri," UMKC, May 6, 1994.

• Robert T. Adams, Juror Non-Disclosure, MODL Journal; April 2000
• Robert T. Adams, Practical Aspects of the Revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Journal of the Missouri Bar Volume 50, No. 6; 1994

• 1987 J.D., University of Missouri - Columbia School of Law (Law Review)
• 1984 B.A., University of Kansas

• Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City
  President's Council (September 2001 - 2004)
• Greenway Fields Homes Association
  Board of Directors (1990-1994)