Brandon Gutshall

Brandon Gutshall focuses his practice on building strong, lasting relationships with his clients. He prides himself on collaborating with clients to understand their business needs so that he can align client and firm interests to achieve better legal outcomes at an exceptional value. He is accessible and responsive, and he defends his clients’ interests as if they were his own.

Brandon represents clients in product liability, premises liability, negligence, fraud, breach of contract and warranty actions in state and federal courts throughout the country. His experience includes representing clients in a variety of high-stakes matters involving: autonomous vehicles/equipment, construction equipment, jobsite accidents, cargo securement devices, trucking regulations and accidents, HVAC systems, fire protection systems, security alarm systems, automobiles and component parts, industrial accidents, farm and forestry equipment, educational institutions, contractual disputes, the adequacy of medical care and insurance coverage disputes.

Brandon manages large dockets of cases and personally handles all aspects of his matters from the initial case pleadings through trial. His diverse experiences allow him to assist clients of all sizes to proactively manage risk and creatively solve problems.

To that end, Brandon regularly performs litigation risk assessments in which he counsels clients. He identifies liability risks and works with clients to minimize them, so that they will be in a better position to effectively and efficiently defend against litigation if it occurs.

Representative Matters:

• Brandon serves as National Product Liability Counsel for a privately held $2 billion company with more than 40 separate operating entities in diverse economic sectors. In 2013, Brandon worked with this client to implement a legal services efficiency model to measure the value and true cost of legal services provided by its law firms. Brandon and his team were identified by this company as its most efficient and value-adding firm with an efficiency rating of over 90 percent. In 2015, the Association of Corporate Counsel recognized this company and Shook as ACC Value Champions for their work to improve legal outcomes, reduce costs, decrease case outcome variation, and improve the efficiency and value of legal services. Brandon presented on these topics at the Champions Dinner during the 2015 ACC Conference.
• Diluzio v. Kinedyne, LLC, et al., Burlington County, New Jersey (2017) (favorably settled during jury selection – wrongful death case involving claims of defects in truck cargo products)
• Coordinate appeal to have insurer’s denial of Stage IV cancer patient’s treatment reversed. (2014)
• Shepherd v. Barko Hydraulics, LLC, Bulloch County, Alabama (2013) (jury trial – commercial fraud and warranty issues – plaintiff verdict vacated on appeal)
• Parker-Hendricksen v. Rodriguez, et al., Monmouth County, New Jersey (2011) (jury trial – defense verdict in permanent disability case involving commercial truck/pedestrian  accident)
• Davis v. Advanced Store Co., Inc., Jackson County, Missouri (2010) (bench trial – defense verdict in defective product case involving auUtomobile component parts).
• Wardrop v. Pyle Transport Services, Inc. et al., Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (2010) (leverage indemnification and insurance procurement provisions to procure complete defense, indemnity, and reimbursement of legal fees for client in multimillion-dollar wrongful death case)
• Sutherland v. Allied Tube, et al., Cook County, Illinois (2012) (use targeted discovery to locate previously missing contract and use contract to leverage indemnification and insurance procurement provisions to obtain complete defense and indemnity for client in multimillion-dollar wrongful death suit)

Education:

• J.D., summa cum laude, University of Missouri – Kansas City, 2009
• B.B.A., summa cum laude, University of Missouri – Kansas City, 2005

Bar Admissions:

• Missouri
• U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri

Memberships:

• American Bar Association
• Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
• Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers
• Ross T. Roberts Inn of Court Program (2010-2011)
• The Missouri Bar

Community Involvement:

• Little League Baseball Coach (2010-Present)
• Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers Trial Academy (2013)
• Platte County R-3 School District, Elected School Board Member (2012-Present)
• City of Platte City, Planning and Zoning Board Member (2010-2012)