Matters

Representative Trial Experience:

  • United States District Court for the District of Kansas, February 2025.  Represented employer in four day evidentiary hearing against claims of tortious interference and unfair competition related to hiring of employees who previously worked for a competitor, resulting in denial of competitor’s motion for preliminary injunction.
  • Circuit Court of Barry County, Missouri, May 2024. Represented employer in case involving disability discrimination and retaliation claims resolved on the first day of trial.
  • United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Topeka, August 2023.  Represented bank in one week jury trial against claims of race discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblowing brought by two former directors.
  • Circuit Court of Clay County, Missouri, June 2023. Represented employer in two-week jury trial against claims of disability discrimination and whistleblower retaliation brought by former employee.
  • AHLA Arbitration, September 2022. Represented medical group in week long hearing against claims of gender discrimination, retaliation, and breach of contract brought by female physician and obtained dismissal of similar lawsuits filed by physician against medical group and hospital in Illinois state and federal courts.
  • Red Rock Packaging v. VC999 et al., Jury Trial, District Court of Johnson County, Kansas, August 2022. Represented Plaintiff Red Rock, alleging that Defendants misappropriated trade secrets and confidential information such as financial documents and customer lists. Jury verdict for $1.43 million in favor of Red Rock as well as punitive damages and attorneys' fees. 
  • Circuit Court of Platte County, Missouri, December 2018. Represented employer in two-week jury trial against claims of gender discrimination and retaliation brought by former employee.
  • Circuit Court of Greene County, Missouri, November 2015. Represented trust company in one-week jury trial of claims related to company’s administration of trust.  

Emma also routinely supports her colleagues by advising on trial strategy, jury instructions, and other trial related filings.

In addition to advising clients of their rights and risks related to restrictive covenants and trade secrets, Emma regularly appears and argues on Motions for Temporary Restraining Orders and Preliminary Injunctions at the onset of matters involving restrictive covenants and trade secrets. Emma has experience representing clients in these matters in numerous industries, including:

  • Healthcare
  • Logistics
  • Information technology and security
  • Investment and wealth advising
  • Insurance brokerage services
  • Industrial and manufacturing
  • Food ingredient manufacturing

Other Representative Employment Litigation Experience:

  • Obtained summary judgment in favor of hospital employer on all claims of retaliation, unlawful pay practices, and wrongful discharge brought by former employee.
  • Obtained dismissal of all claims filed against employer's supervisors and executives sued individually by former employees in suit related to alleged workplace injuries. Employer's supervisors and executives were dismissed entirely after the court determined the former employees' allegations were insufficient to state a claim for relief under a narrow exception in Missouri law authorizing claims against co-workers, individually, for affirmative negligent acts.
  • Berger v. Copeland Corporation, LLC, 505 S.W.3d 337 (Mo. App. S.D. 2016): Represented employer in appeal from a $28 million verdict entered against employer, including award of $23 million in punitive damages.  Successfully argued issues related to the finality of the judgment to the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Missouri, then successfully argued to the trial court to set aside the verdict and grant employer a new trial on all issues.
  • Stelling v. SJMGroup, 504 S.W.3d 248 (Mo. App. S.D. 2016): Obtained summary judgment in arbitration on behalf of national health care provider on multiple breach of contract claims brought by former physician related to her employment agreement, and successfully defended the summary judgment order in employer’s favor on appeal.
  • Medlin v. RLC, Inc., 486 S.W.3d 339 (Mo. App. S.D. 2015): Successfully argued and obtained an opinion from the Missouri Court of Appeals in favor of bank summarily rejecting subcontractor’s claims against bank following 10+ years of litigation related to the subcontractor’s mechanic’s lien.