Attorney
Michael J. Kuckelman
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Bio
Mike is a founding member of the Firm. In his 25 years of practice, he has distinguished himself as a trial lawyer. He started his litigation career in 1990 as an associate at the well-known firm Blackwell Sanders (now Husch Blackwell). At Blackwell Sanders, he learned the skills of a trial lawyer and became an equity partner.
In 2000, Mike was sent by Blackwell Sanders to build its European litigation practice. The three-month exploration of European litigation turned into a seven-year stay, where he created a steady docket of interesting and diverse clients.
In 2001, Mike was called upon to develop a strategy for certain syndicates at Lloyd’s of London to recover their losses suffered in the 9/11 terrorist attack. Mike developed the strategy and filed the first commercial plaintiff recovery case in early 2002. His work led to the creation of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, and he was one of the lead attorneys appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to litigate the World Trade Center cases. This Committee ultimately negotiated a $1.2 billion settlement for the plaintiffs — the largest recovery of this nature in history.
In addition to practicing in the United States, Mike is qualified to practice in England and Wales. He also successfully completed the exam to be a certified public accountant (CPA) (Kansas 1987).
Civic & Philanthropic Involvement:
Over the years, Mike has supported several families through the adoption process. Mike does this work on a pro bono basis because he believes in helping bring parents and children together.
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Experience
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home negligence
- Attorney malpractice
- Veterinarian malpractice
- Railroad crossing
- Aviation
- Transportation including busing, trucking and automobile
- Racing
- Bloodstock including equine and bovine
- Grain elevators
- Business disputes
- Specialty lines coverage
- Insurance disputes
- Captive insurer / reinsurer disputes
- Property insurance disputes
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Professional
Bar admissions:
- Kansas Bar and the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, 1990
- Missouri Bar and the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 1991
- United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, 1996
- England and Wales, 2001
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2004
- New York, 2004
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, 2007
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2010
- Pro Hac Vice admissions in several courts in the U.S.
Board Memberships:
- Atchison Economic Development Board
- Benedictine College Board of Directors
- Catholic Education Foundation Board
- Johnson County Civil Bench Bar
- Johnson County Ethics and Grievance
- Sacred Heart Advisory Board
- St. Benedicts Abbey Board
- Washburn University Board of Trustees
Associations & Memberships:
- Delegate – Republican National Convention, Cleveland 2016
- Earl O’Connor Inn of Court – Alum
- Johnson County Bar Association
- Johnson County, Kansas Republican Party Treasurer (2008 – 2016)
- Kansas Bar Association
- Kansas City Missouri Bar Association
- Kansas Republican Party State Delegate
- Kansas Republican Party Third District Delegate
- Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants
- Knights of Columbus Ascension Council 10932 Charter Member
- Law Society of England and Wales
- Maur Hill – College Preparatory School Alumni Association, Atchison, Kansas
- Maur Hill – College Preparatory School Board of Directors (2010 -2014)
- Missouri Bar Association
- New York Bar Association
- Washburn School of Law Alumni, Life Member
- Washburn University Alumni, Life Member
- Washburn School of Law – Fellow
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Education
Law School:
Washburn University School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 1990
- Cum Laude
- Order of the Barristers
- Washburn Law Journal, Editor
- Moot Court
Undergraduate:
Washburn University, BBA (accounting) 1986
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA), 1987
- Schultz Banking and Finance Scholar