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Assistant
April McCart
(816) 460-5543

2345 Grand Blvd.
Suite 2800
Kansas City, MO 64108

Practices
Business Litigation

Additional Information
Publications
Professional Affiliations
Honors


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Michael S. Cessna

Experience
Mr. Cessna practices business litigation law and focuses his practice on general appellate litigation.  His experience includes pharmaceutical products liability, commercial, transportation litigation and insurance coverage disputes.

Mr. Cessna has first chaired appellate litigation in the U.S. Court of Appeals, presenting oral arguments before the Fourth, Eighth and Eleventh Circuits, the Missouri Supreme Court, and the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Eastern and Western Districts.

Education
  • Tulane University School of Law, LL.M., Admiralty and Maritime Law, with distinction, 1988
  • Georgetown University School of Law, LL.M., International and Comparative Law, with distinction, 1985
  • University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Law School, J.D., with honors, 1984
  • University of Arkansas, B.A., with honors, 1982
Admissions
  • Texas, 1987
  • Louisiana, 1988
  • Missouri, 1990
  • Arkansas, 1999
Court Memberships
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth & Eleventh Circuits
  • Missouri Supreme Court
  • Missouri Court of Appeals for the Eastern and Western Districts
Honors
  • Recipient, Edward A. Dodd Award as outstanding candidate for the degree of LL.M., Tulane University
Professional Affiliations
  • Federalist Society
  • The Missouri Bar
  • Arkansas Bar Association
  • State Bar of Texas
  • Louisiana State Bar Association
Publications
  • Lloyd's Ship Arrest Report, The Legality of the U.S. Seizure of the Zedom Sea, 1990
  • Maritime Report, The Prosecution of a Cargo Claim, 1990
  • The Mutual Rights and Obligations of Wharfingers and Shipowners, 19 Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce 565, 1988
  • Coal Top-Offs: A Case Study of the Failure of U.S. Maritime Policy, 17 Journal of Maritime Law & Commerce 211, 1986

Published Opinions:

  • In Re Carpenter, 36 Fed. Appx. 80 (4th Cir. 2002)
  • Gasper v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 270 F.3d 1196 (8th Cir. 2001)
  • Clevenger v. Oliver Insurance Agency, Inc., 2007 WL 3147251 (Mo. October 30, 2007)
  • Kenney v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 100 SW3d 809 (Mo. 2003)
Press Releases
03/17/2008 Michael S. Cessna Joins Lathrop & Gage as Of Counsel





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