Attorney
Stephen J. Torline
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Bio
Steve is devoted to finding successful results for every case through open, collaborative communication and attention to detail. His years of experience as a litigator make him a trusted partner and advisor to his clients.
Steve began his career at the national firm Husch Blackwell, where he made partner and built a reputation of handling complex litigation with ease. He has prosecuted and defended complex cases for Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and individuals alike. Throughout his career, Steve has litigated in both state and federal courts across the country, serving as lead trial counsel in multidistrict actions.
Steve specializes in commercial disputes, construction disputes, environmental contamination, professional liability, products liability, and trade secret misappropriation. He has tried cases across the country and has multiple seven and eight figure recoveries for those clients who hired him to prosecute their disputes. He also has numerous defense verdicts for those clients who hired him to defend their interests.
Civic & Philanthropic Involvement:
- Former Board member of the Washburn University School of Law Board of Governors
- Former Board member of the Bacchus Foundation
- Sunflower House
- Benedictine College
- Catholic Charities of NE Kansas
- Visitation Catholic Church, Kansas City, Missouri
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Experience
- Commercial litigation
- Fraud claims
- Products liability claims
- Professional negligence cases involving engineers, lawyers, brokers and doctors
- Wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases
- Class Actions
- Toxic tort
- Enforcement and defense of non-competition agreements and claims of trade secret misappropriation
- CERCLA and common law environmental claims
- Qui Tam claims under the False Claims Act
- Consumer Protection Act Claims
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Professional
Awards & Recognition:
- Benchmark Litigation Future Star, 2010
- Kansas City Business Journal, Best of the Bar, 2011- 2016
- Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, 2010- 2018
- Benchmark Litigation Rising Star, 2011
- Super Lawyers, “Business Edition” Category of Business Litigation 2012
Bar admissions:
- Kansas, 1997
- Missouri, 1998
- United States District Court for the District of Kansas
- United States District Court for the District of Western Missouri
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
Associations & Memberships:
- Earl O’Connor Inn of Court
- Kansas Bar Association
- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
- The Missouri Bar
- Johnson County Bar Association
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Education
Undergraduate:
Benedictine College, BA 1993
- Magna Cum Laude
Law School:
Washburn University School of Law, 1997
- Summa Cum Laude
- Class Rank: No. 1
- Recipient of the Koch Scholarship
- Washburn Law Journal, Editor