Paul Venker represents clients in trials and appeals. He has taken dozens of trials to verdict in a variety of cases involving employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, covenants not to compete, medical malpractice, long term care, home health care, environmental claims for cleanup of hazardous material, product liability involving heavy machinery, transportation of hazardous waste, serious personal injury, and general liability. In prior years, Paul was recognized for receiving one of the top defense verdicts in Missouri.
His legal career has been varied and challenging. Immediately following graduation from law school, he was a member of the Research Staff of the Missouri Supreme Court where he was invited to serve as a law clerk to then-Chief Justice Robert T. Donnelly. Since first arguing an appeal before the Missouri Supreme Court in 1985, Paul has briefed and/or argued dozens of appeals in numerous appellate courts. These cases involved topics such as sovereign immunity; present value jury instructions in FELA cases; whether a so-called “Saturday Night Special” handgun was unreasonably dangerous and defective; the right to cross-examine an employment plaintiff at trial about the content of her EEOC complaint; and the right of a creditor to conduct a pre-judgment attachment.
Paul’s experience broadened during his time as an Assistant Litigation Counsel at Monsanto Company from 1988 to 1990. There, he was involved in directing outside counsel across the United States in the defense of toxic tort, personal injury, and property damage cases. In that role, Paul was closely involved in a wide range of large, complex cases. He also gained the perspective of being a client along with its challenges and rewards.
For the past several years, Chambers USA, a leading guide to the legal profession, has ranked Paul for his work in commercial litigation. In addition, for more than 10 years, he has been honored by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Employment Law, Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury. He has similarly been listed in Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers, a distinction given to only the top five percent of Missouri and Kansas lawyers.