Leland M. Shurin

Shareholder/Director, Shaffer Lombardo Shurin, P.C., 1996-2016; Shareholder/Executive Committee, McDowell Rice & Smith, 1989-95; Shareholder, Horowitz, Shurin & Johl, P.C., 1968-89; Assistant Counselor/Land Tax Attorney, Jackson County, Missouri, 1969-73.

Mr. Shurin has been a practicing attorney for more than forty (40) years. He has a very extensive general trial and business law practice. Mr. Shurin often serves as an arbitrator, mediator and special master. He has been awarded Martindale-Hubbell’s highest “AV” rating for 25 years. He is included in the “Super Lawyers” list.

General trial and business practice. Litigation of commercial, negligence and employment matters, equally for plaintiffs and defendants. Litigated and negotiated on behalf of small businesses, Fortune 500 companies and individuals in regard to mergers, acquisitions, leasing, contracts, franchising and employment related matters; bodily injury and wrongful death.

Successfully tried, as first chair, jury and non-jury cases in numerous courts including Missouri, Kansas, and other states; the United States Court of Federal Claims; and numerous United States District Courts.  Appeared before the Eighth and Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Missouri Court of Appeals and the Missouri Supreme Court. Substantial experience as counsel representing clients in arbitration hearings across the country.

Nominated by President Clinton to be a Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri; nomination withdrawn at my request due to delays in the nomination/ confirmation process.

Super Lawyer 2009-2022. Named by Ingram's Business Magazine as one of Kansas City's best commercial litigation attorneys 2011 - 2019.

Named to 2020, 2021, and 2022 POWER 30 list of commercial and consumer attorneys by Missouri Lawyers Weekly.

2021 The Best Lawyers in America^©.

Chairman of the Missouri Gaming Commission, 2015; Member of the Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri, July 2015-2019; (President- 2018-2019)

Mediated hundreds of cases which have settled. Many cases involve multiple parties with adverse interests. As a mediator, have had a broad range of assignments, including cases involving professional fees; employment-related disputes; insurance, construction and commercial disputes (including family succession of businesses, shareholder disputes, and numerous breach of contract claims); bodily injury and wrongful death claims. Amounts in dispute from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Served as chair or member of three-person arbitration panels as well as sole arbitrator in hundreds of arbitrations that have gone to hearing and Award. Arbitrator in disputes involving design professionals/clients, advertising agencies/clients, and attorney/clients; contractor/subcontractor/ owner disputes; technology disputes; financial institution liability issues; property damage disputes involving homeowner's or commercial insurance claims; claims involving securities and dealer representatives; employment related claims; franchisee/multiple franchisee contract issues and other commercial and bodily injury claims. Size of claims range from a few thousand dollars to multi-million dollar.

Reviewer in the Prudential Remediation Plan Appeals Committee, handling over 100 claims as a mediator and/or arbitrator.

Included on list of neutrals by the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Numerous appointments by Missouri Circuit and U.S. District Courts as Special Master, including:

·         Appointed by the Cole County Circuit Court as Special Deputy Liquidator of the General American Mutual Holding Company; total liquidation proceeds were greater than $1.5 Billion Dollars. 

 ·         Appointed as Special Master to provide an accounting of the damages due from defendant to plaintiff for required capital expenditures for a five-year period, and charity, indigent and uncompensated care for a ten-year period before the judgment rendered in Jackson County Missouri Circuit Court in favor of the plaintiff HealthCare Foundation of Greater Kansas City against HCA in an “amount greater than $161 million.”

 ·         Appointed as Special Master and Mediator in a series of cases against an automobile dealer. One hundred twenty-six cases were settled by formula established in the mediation. 

           Special Master on the Jessie Benton, et al. v. UMB case which included two years of discovery, weekly joint conferences with the attorneys and over 45 Reports/Orders issued. 

            Special Master on numerous class action lawsuits since 2017.

Mr. Shurin received his law degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City in 1968. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia in 1965, where he majored in Economics.

Mediation Training:
International Academy of Mediators - 2014 Spring Conference, May 2014; AAA/ICDR Neutrals Conference, 2012 and 2009; AAA - Unleashing Innovation in ADR, March 2012; Forty Lines Mediators Can Hang Clothes On, March 2012; “Green” Construction Update: How Does ADR Apply to “Green” Construction, September 2010; American Bar Association - Settlecasting: The Right Number at the Wrong Time is the Wrong Number, April 2013; Construction Conference: Maximizing ADR Advocacy for Today’s Economy, 2009; AAA Webinar, Mediation of Construction Disputes: Controlling Your Own Destiny, 2011; AAA Construction Conference: Maximizing ADR Advocacy for Today’s Economy, 2009; University of Missouri Law Center - Advanced Mediation Training, 2000; Mediation of Civil Cases, 2000; US District Court – Advanced Mediation Training, 2000; AAA Sponsored Training for Prudential Mass Claims ADR Project, 1998.

Admitted to the Bar: Missouri, 1968; Kansas, 2006; Arizona, 2016; U.S. District Court: Western District of Missouri and District of Kansas; U.S. Court of Appeals: Eighth and Tenth Circuits.

Missouri Bar Association; Kansas Bar Association; Kansas City Bar Association; Arizona Bar Association; American Bar Association (Litigation Section; Alternative Dispute Resolution Section); Certified Mediator, International Mediation Institute (IMI); Distinguished Fellow, International Academy of Mediators; National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

$475/hr. plus time and expenses (legal research by associates at a lower hourly rate as needed). Travel at $145/hr. plus expenses. Cancellation: $950.00 per day, in addition to time and expenses incurred prior to cancellation, when notice of cancellation is given less than 10 days before a scheduled hearing.