Source: https://www.stuevesiegel.com/attorney/Stueve
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 23:10:38+00:00

Document:
Recognized as a National Law Journal “Elite Boutique Trailblazer” for his work in contingency fee business litigation, Patrick Stueve has prosecuted claims in federal and state courts nationwide against some of the largest companies in the world, including Merck, Formula 1 Racing, ITW, Citigroup, UnitedHealthcare and AIG.
Patrick successfully represented a group of Seaboard Corp. entities against Grindrod Limited, the largest logistics and shipping company in South Africa. Seaboard alleged that one of its former officers and directors attempted to raid it of key employees and force the transfer of its highly profitable overseas trading and shipping business for a below-market price; it sought more than $100 million in actual and punitive damages. Six weeks before trial, Grindrod settled with Seaboard.
In a series of trademark and licensing cases, Patrick secured more than $9 million in total recovery for Overlap, Inc., a small software company, after its programs were installed on firm networks and made available to thousands of brokers without permission or payment.
Antitrust. Patrick works for companies that have been subject to unfair or illegal business tactics. In one representative case, he settled a landmark Sherman Act I antitrust lawsuit brought against the largest managed care organizations and hospital systems in Kansas City. Patrick’s client, Heartland Spine & Specialty Hospital, claimed the defendants conspired to prevent it from obtaining in-network provider contracts and tortuously interfered with its ability to obtain provider contracts. The case – which was featured on the cover of Modern Healthcare twice – ultimately settled after the court denied summary judgment and ruled Heartland had a damages case in excess of $140 million.
Food and Agriculture. Named one of Law360’s “MVPs of the Year” for Food & Beverage, Patrick served as co-lead and class counsel for a landmark case against agribusiness giant Syngenta on behalf of corn growers, grain-handling facilities and ethanol plants nationwide. The resulting $1.51 billion settlement – believed to be the largest agricultural settlement in U.S. history – resolved thousands of cases nationwide against Syngenta related to its marketing and launch of genetically modified corn seed. Pat also has handled matters including corn and rice farming, commercial fishing and various commodities.
Patrick has been recognized by his peers as one of the top commercial trial lawyers in the Midwest and the nation. He was selected by his peers for admission into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Association, the world’s most prestigious association of trial lawyers ( only the top 500 trial lawyers in the United States are admitted). He has been named a Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year” for antitrust and bet-the-company litigation in the Kansas City region. He is ranked among the Top 100 Super Lawyers for Missouri/Kansas, and has been listed among “The Most Powerful Business Leaders in Greater Kansas City” by Ingram’s.
Patrick began his legal career as a federal district court clerk for Judge John W. Oliver in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. He then joined the trial department of the former Stinson, Mag & Fizzell, where he became an equity partner four years later. He left to start Berkowitz, Feldmiller, Stanton, Brandt, Williams & Stueve, a firm he helped to grow to more than 30 lawyers before he departed to launch Stueve Siegel Hanson in 2001.
Born in Prairie Village, Kansas, Patrick was the sixth of nine children. He attended Bishop Miege High School and Benedictine College and served as captain of the football team at both institutions. A retired running back, he credits his experience in football with teaching him how to organize teams around individual strengths – a skill he applies as both a first-chair trial attorney and a founding partner of the firm.
In In Re: Syngenta AG MIR 162 Corn Litigation, MDL 2591, Patrick was appointed Co-Lead counsel on behalf of corn farmers, grain elevators and ethanol plants throughout the United States. In June 2017, Patrick and his co-counsel secured a jury verdict for $217.7 million on behalf of a class of Kansas farmers against biotech giant Syngenta related to the sale of genetically modified corn seed, the 10th largest jury verdict in the country in 2017 according to the National Law Journal. Following this verdict, a $1.51 billion settlement on behalf of nationwide classes of corn farmers, grain handling facilities and ethanol production plants was reached with Syngenta, the largest settlement in the history of GMO agricultural litigation.
In April 2017, Patrick secured a confidential settlement for his client in Allen, et al. v. PIA Assets, LLC, et al., Case Number 5:16-cv-06139-RK in the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Mr. Allen sought over $3 million dollars for alleged breaches of various agreements resulting from the buyout of his ownership interest in several real estate investments and his employment agreement with PIA. He also asserted RICO and fraud claims arising out of conduct surrounding the real estate investments.
In January 2016, on the eve of trial, Patrick secured a $4 million dollar settlement for Kawasaki in Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. and Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. v. Fastex and Illinois Tool Works (ITW). ITW supplied fuel filters to Kawasaki for use in small engines which powered outdoor lawn equipment. Kawasaki’s suit alleged the filters were defective, leaked fuel, and in some cases caused fires on consumer lawnmowers. After learning of the defective parts and potential fire hazard, Kawasaki instituted a nationwide recall for the safety of its customers. Kawasaki brought claims for breach of warranty, breach of contract, and fraudulent inducement to recover its damages from recalling the fuel filters, seeking $4 million in damages.
In February 2016, Patrick secured final approval from an Indiana court of a $2.25 billion death benefit settlement of a nationwide class action lawsuit against The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company over alleged life insurance policy overcharges. In Bezich vs. Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, Patrick argued and won nationwide class certification in the lower court and secured a very favorable appellate ruling certifying a nationwide class on all three claims asserted by Bezich that then led to the settlement covering approximately 77,000 policy owners across 30 states. The term life insurance certificates issued to class members had a total face amount of death benefits estimated at $2.25 billion, with a market value of approximately $171.8 million.
In the fall of 2015, after nearly three years of litigation, Patrick successfully resolved antitrust claims brought under the Sherman Act and the Kansas Restraint of Trade Act on behalf of Associated Wholesale Growers, Inc. against several potato trade groups, processors, dehydrators, growers and marketers. In Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. v. United Potato Growers of America, Inc. et al., Case No. 13-cv-2182 the settling defendants included potato trade groups United Potato Growers of Idaho, United Potato Growers of America, and United II; potato processor R.D. Offut Company; dehydrator Idahoan Foods, LLC; potato marketer Potandon Produce; and grower defendants Blaine Larsen Farms, Inc., Driscoll Potatoes, Inc., Rigby Produce, Inc., Wada Farms, Inc., and several other grower entities.
After nearly four years of litigation, in September 2014, Patrick successfully resolved Sherman Act I and Kansas Restraint of Trade Act antitrust claims filed on behalf of Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc., Four B Corporation (d/b/a Balls Food Stores), Cosentinos Group, Inc., Cosentinos Enterprises, Inc., and Mid Am Food Enterprises, Inc. In Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc., et al., v. United Egg Producers, et al., Case No. 10-CV-2171, AWG alleged that more than twenty defendants conspired to reduce the supply of eggs resulting in higher egg prices and unprecedented profits for the defendants and substantial damages to AWG.
In February 2014, Patrick secured a confidential settlement in Chubb Engineering, LLC v. USA Tank Sales and Erection Company and Cameron Holdings Corp., in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Chubb Engineering alleged the defendants misappropriated trade secrets in violation of the Kansas Uniform Trade Secret Act related to tank fabrication and tank manufacturing.
In May 2013 Patrick reached a confidential settlement with all defendants in Hank Young v. Kansas City Chiefs Football Club, Inc. et al. Patrick represented Hank Young, a respected and nationally recognized artist specializing in sports photography, against the Kansas City Chiefs for unauthorized use of his photographs at the renovated Arrowhead Stadium. Additional defendants included Time Warner, Inc., Populous, Inc., Workshop Design, L.L.C., Hy-Vee, Inc., and Sprint, Inc. Mr. Young sought damages, including punitive damages, for copyright infringement, fraud, negligent misrepresentations, and breach of contract.
In April 2013, in Berry et al. v. Volkswagen of America, Inc., Case No. 0516-cv-01171 (U.S. Circuit Court Jackson County, Missouri at Independence), the Missouri Supreme Court (No. SC92770) upheld attorney’s fees awarded in the settlement of the case, including the lodestar amount and the use of a multiplier. In June 2010, Patrick as lead counsel in a Missouri state-wide class action against Volkswagen obtained complete relief for the class in a settlement secured 10 days before the multi-week trial. Plaintiffs claimed that Volkswagen installed window regulators in the Volkswagen Jetta, Golf, GTI and Cabriolet vehicles, model years 1995-1999, that were defective and thus prone to premature failure and that, instead of fixing these defective parts at no charge to the consumer, Volkswagen made the consumer pay to replace the defective window regulator part.
In November 2012, in Seaboard Corp. v. Marsh Inc. and AIG, Inc., Case No. 09-cv-9499, Patrick reached a confidential settlement for Seaboard, a Fortune 500 company located in Kansas City. Seaboard sought millions of dollars in premiums paid and consulting fees from its insurance broker Marsh and insurance giant AIG for illegally conspiring to rig Seaboard's commercial insurance bids in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Kansas Restraint of Trade Act. This settlement followed the Kansas Supreme Court’s opinion affirming the trial court’s denial of summary judgment based on a statute of limitations defense. Seaboard Corporation v. Marsh Inc., No. 104,294.
In October 2012, Patrick finally resolved a Missouri statewide class action on behalf of all Missouri purchasers of Vioxx, the Cox-2 pain reliever. In Mary Plubell, et al. v. Merck & Co., Inc., Case NO. 04CV235817 (Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri), Plubell alleged that Merck pulled Vioxx off the market after the FDA identified several misleading sales practices used by Merck to market the product and that this conduct violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA). The case was removed to Federal District Court for the Western District of Missouri under CAFA after SSH amended the complaint. Patrick argued and won in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals the affirmation of the trial court's remand to state court. The case was then certified as a class action and set for trial when on the eve of trial full cash compensation was offered to the class valued at $220 million.
In February 2012, a confidential settlement was reached in Manning et al. v. PIA Assets, LLC et al., Case No. 10AE-CV-04468 (Circuit Court of Platte County, Missouri). Patrick's clients sued for breach of contract and fiduciary duty against PIA Assets LLC, Neal L. Patterson and Clifford W. Illig. PIA Assets owns and manages The National Golf Club of Kansas City, The National II (Deuce) Golf Club, Parkville Commons shopping district and the Loch Lloyd Country Club. Mr. Patterson and Mr. Illig serve as two of the three Managing Members of PIA Assets. Defendants Patterson and Illig also serve as Chairman of the Board and CEO and Vice Chairman of the Board of Cerner Corporation, respectively. The lawsuit alleged that PIA Assets failed to meet its obligations to pay plaintiffs under the parties' Operating Agreement. Plaintiffs further alleged that defendants Patterson and Illig breached their fiduciary duties by refusing to pay plaintiffs from available gross cash proceeds as they promised and were obligated to under the Operating Agreement.
In January 2012, Patrick successfully obtained a $2.7 million settlement for Plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against Intrust Bank and its affiliates for overdraft fees assessed by the bank to their customers. The case is Molina v. Intrust Bank, N.A., Case No. 10-DV-3686 (District Court, Sedgwick County, Kansas).
In November 2011, a California federal judge approved a $25 million settlement between a class of direct purchasers of automotive lighting products and several manufacturers accused of participating in a wide-ranging price-fixing scheme. Patrick served as co-lead counsel. The case is Aftermarket Automotive Lighting Products Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 2:09-ml-02007 (U.S. District Court, Central District, California).
In November 2011, Patrick secured a $19 million settlement in a class action lawsuit against Bank of Oklahoma for overdraft fees charged to customers. The case is Eaton v. Bank of Oklahoma, N.A., Case No. CJ-2010-05209 (District Court, Tulsa County, Oklahoma).
In May 2011, Patrick successfully negotiated a $7.8 million settlement of a class action lawsuit against UMB Bank and its affiliated entities for overdraft fees charged to customers. The lawsuit alleged that these practices violated Missouri's consumer protection laws and UMB's contracts with its customers. The case is Allen et al. v. UMB Bank et al., Case No. 1016-cv-34791 (Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri).
In April 2011, Patrick secured a nationwide settlement on behalf of over 22,000 dentists and orthodontists who had been decertified by defendant Align Technology, Inc. to prescribe Align's Invisalign braces. The settlement makes available to the class more than $44 million in injunctive relief, along with a nearly $7 million cash settlement fund. The Claims asserted were for unfair and fraudulent business practices under California law. Plaintiffs alleged that Align unfairly and fraudulently suspended or decertified doctors who paid $2,000 to become trained to prescribe Invisalign for failing to prescribe enough yearly cases. Under the settlement, the entire class will be recertified at no cost to the class members or they can choose a cash settlement. Those orthodontists or dentists who already paid the $2,000 to be reinstated after being decertified will receive full reimbursement under the settlement after paying their pro-rata share of court costs and fees. The case is Leiszler v. Align Technology, Inc., Case No. 10-cv-02010 (U.S. District Court Northern District of California).
In October 2010, Patrick successfully concluded a multi- million dollar securities fraud case (McCormack- Missouri Wireless, Inc. et. al v George K. Baum & Co., Case, Case No. 0916cv12221) brought on behalf of several independent telephone companies against investment banks Brown Brothers Harriman and George K. Baum for sales practices related to now-defunct $100 million Crossroads Wireless project. The case ended with a confidential settlement with Baum and Brown Brothers.
In February 2010, Patrick successfully concluded Tenant Development Association v. Dickey's Barbecue Restaurant, Case No. 08-3155. Patrick's Springfield client sued for tortuous interference, business disparagement, and civil conspiracy against the Dallas, Texas based defendants. TDA offers franchisees construction management services and Defendants allegedly interfered with TDA's contractual and future business relations resulting in significant past and future damages to TDA. The case was successfully resolved with a confidential settlement.
In January 2010, Patrick successfully concluded the final software licensing lawsuit in favor of his client Overlap, Inc. The trademark and licensing cases against several defendants secured over $9 million in total recovery for Overlap. The client's software was installed on firm networks and/or made available to thousands of brokers without permission and without payment of licensing fees to the small Kansas City software company.
In September 2009, Patrick successfully represented Seaboard Corporation, Seaboard Overseas Limited and Seaboard Overseas Trading and Shipping (Proprietary) Limited (collectively Seaboard) against Grindrod Limited, the largest logistics and shipping company in South Africa, and related entities. In Seaboard, et al. v. Grindrod, et al., Case No. 0516-CV27278 (Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri), Seaboard alleged multiple causes of action, including fraud, breach of fiduciary duties, misappropriation of corporate opportunities, tortious interference and civil conspiracy, based upon actions taken by one of Seaboard's former officers and directors, who attempted to raid Seaboard of its key employees and force the transfer of Seaboard's highly profitable overseas trading and shipping business for a price far below fair market value. Plaintiffs intended to seek more than $100 million at trial in actual and punitive damages. Just six weeks before a three week jury trial was to begin in the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri, Grindrod settled with Seaboard.
This lawsuit had a complicated and unusual procedural history. Throughout the litigation, Grindrod attempted multiple times to transfer this lawsuit out of the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri. Patrick successfully fought Grindrod's attempt to remove this litigation to federal court and attempt to compel arbitration in New York. The Circuit Court of Jackson County denied Grindrod's motion to compel arbitration, which was affirmed by the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District in a unanimous decision in January 2008. The Supreme Court of Missouri ultimately denied Grindrod's application to transfer and the United States Supreme Court similarly denied Grindrod's Writ of Certiorari. Discovery in this lawsuit spanned multiple continents, including two full weeks of depositions in South Africa.
In February 2009, Patrick secured a $500,000.00 jury verdict and judgment against Kansas City Life Insurance Company in a breach of contract case seeking payments due to SSH's client under his incentive compensation agreement with Kansas City Life Insurance Company. (Trout v. Kansas City Life Insurance, No. 0616-cv04552). This verdict and judgment was on top of the $1.4 million paid to SSH's client after the lawsuit was filed but before trial. KCL countersued for Breach of Fiduciary duty and the jury rendered a verdict in favor of Mr. Trout. On appeal the case settled.
In March 2008, Patrick settled a landmark Sherman Act I antitrust lawsuit brought against the largest Managed Care Organizations and Hospital Systems in Kansas City. In Heartland Surgical v. HCA Midwest Division, et al No. 05-2164, Patrick's client Heartland Spine & Specialty Hospital, a physician owned spine and specialty acute care hospital in Overland Park, Kansas, claimed that the dominant hospital systems had conspired among themselves and with the dominant Managed Care Organizations to prevent Heartland from obtaining in-network provider contracts. Heartland also alleged the defendants tortiously interfered with Heartland's ability to obtain provider contracts. Over 100 depositions were taken in the case and nearly 4 million pages of documents were exchanged between the parties. After the trial court denied summary judgment on Heartland's boycott claims and ruled after a lengthy Daubert hearing that it had a submissable damages case in excess of $140,000,000 (with treble damages), the case settled with all 11 defendants. Patrick and his firm were featured on the cover of Modern Health Care twice while the case was pending. The case was also frequently covered in The National Law Journal as well as other leading health care and antitrust publications.
In February 2008, Patrick won a $7.1 million jury verdict from a Jackson County, Missouri jury in a breach of license, fraud and unfair competition case. In Overlap, Inc. v. A.G. Edwards, No. 03-cv-201858, the jury awarded both actual and punitive damages after a two week trial. This is one of several cases Pat has brought on behalf of a Kansas City software developer against some of the largest national brokerage firms in the country for violating Overlap's licensing and intellectual property rights.
In November 2007, Patrick obtained a $1.6 million policy limit settlement in a run a way trailer case that resulted in the tragic death of the father of his clients. The lawsuit claimed that Defendants failed to conduct even a cursory inspection of the trailer and truck prior to operating the vehicle that would have revealed the improper ball and hitch assembly, the improper installation and use of the safety chain, and the unconnected safety cable and electronic braking device on the home made 2-ton trailer that resulted in the wrongful death.
In March 2006, Patrick tried and won a $70 million dollar Franchise, Fraud and Deceptive Trade Practices Act case for a family owned Franchisor headquartered in Phoenix Arizona. It was the first case in which the legality of the client's franchise agreement and their right to terminate was litigated. The Texas Franchisee sought $70 million in treble damages under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, attorney's fees as well as punitive damages for Fraud. In addition to defeating Yarborough’s claims, Patrick's client was awarded over $415,000.00 in fees and expenses as a prevailing party by the Phoenix, Arizona arbitrator. (Realty Executives vs. Gary Yarborough, No, 05-1167PHX-EHC).
In February 2006, Patrick successfully argued before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals the first case in the Eighth Circuit to address federal removal jurisdiction under CAFA when a state court petition is amended by the plaintiff and then removed to federal court by a defendant claiming a new case commenced allowing jurisdiction under CAFA. The Eighth Circuit affirmed the trial court's remand back to State court. (Plubell v. Merck).
In October 2005, Patrick successfully completed the prosecution of a Sherman Act I conspiracy antitrust claim in New York federal court on behalf of a family owned business that had been blocked from the market at issue through long term exclusive dealing contracts by the dominant firm in the market. Patrick obtained an eight figure settlement for his client.
In 2004, Patrick represented a long-time franchisee against its franchisor, Robert Half International - the worldwide leader in specialized employment placement. RHI began buying back franchisees in the mid-1980s and by the late 1990s, only a few of the original 100-plus franchisees remained. Patrick’s client, who had been a RHI franchisee since 1971 and was the last holdout, sought to enforce his rights under the RHI franchise agreement. A contentious arbitration ensued, resulting in a confidential settlement.
Patrick is Treasurer and a Board member of the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship Foundation headquartered at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. The Foundation grants 10 fellowships each year to international journalists working in emerging democracies who come to the United States for five months of training and professional development at leading news organizations throughout the U.S. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Benedictine College and the Board of Governors for the University of Kansas Law School. He and his wife Janna are currently Co-Chairing a major development campaign for the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado. Patrick also is an active member of Visitation Church where he is a Sacristan.
Patrick served on the Board of Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City for over a decade including as President for three years. He received the first John and Mary Pritchard Service Award for his efforts.
Patrick and his wife Janna served as foster parents for new born infants for over a decade. Patrick is currently working on developing a program that will provide low cost legal services for Foster families.
Patrick has committed a substantial amount of his time to pro bono projects over the past 30 years. In 2015 Legal Aid of Western Missouri honored him with the Honorable H. Michael Coburn Community Service Award for his four year pro bono efforts to develop and implement a pro bono legal service program for veterans called the Military Matters program. The program is working to become a front line provider of legal and other support services for Kansas City area veterans, active duty military personnel and their families. The program also sponsors an annual symposium that brings together in one setting the various providers of legal and support services for veterans.
Patrick has provided a variety of other pro bono legal services over the years including trying two felony criminal cases to verdict including securing a not guilty verdict in one of these cases. He has also been appointed to represent a criminal defendant on appeal before the Eighth Circuit. He has served as a barrister for the Inn of Court, served as an adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy at the University of Kansas Law School, presented at the Complex Commercial Litigation class at the University of Kansas Law School, served on the E-Discovery Committee for the Missouri Supreme Court, presented CLEs on a number of trial and pretrial subjects. He has also been active with the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and served as President of the Federal Court Advocates, an organization founded by the District of Kansas and Western District Missouri Federal Courts, and now run by the KCMBA.

References: v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v.