John T. (Jack) Peak Jack Peak was born in Parsons, Kansas and moved to Kansas City, Missouri at eight years of age. Following a tour of duty in the U.S. Army, Jack received his undergraduate degree at Central Missouri State College in Warrensburg, Missouri and his law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law in Kansas City, Missouri. Following law school, Mr. Peak joined the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in Kansas City, Missouri. For three years, Jack tried murder and armed robbery cases and was appointed First Assistant Trial Attorney for that office. In 1971 Jack Peak received the *Lon O. Hocker Memorial Trial Lawyer Award from the Missouri Bar Association recognizing his courtroom success. Jack received this award when he was 29 years of age, and was, and remains, the youngest recipient of this award. Mr. Peak joined the Hubbell Law Firm in 1972.

G. Michael (Mike) O’Neal Mike O'Neal was born and grew up in Springfield, Missouri. Following high school, Mike attended and graduated from Drury College in Springfield with majors in Business Administration, Economics and Accounting. Mr. O'Neal then entered law school at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, Missouri and graduated in 1968. Mike returned to Springfield and became an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney. In 1971, Mr. O'Neal was appointed Chief Counsel, Criminal Division, for the Attorney General of Missouri. In this position, Mr. O'Neal tried serious criminal cases throughout Missouri and supervised state attorneys in the Appellate Courts. In 1974 Mike joined the Hubbell Law Firm. In 1978, Mike O'Neal received the *Lon O. Hocker Memorial Trial Lawyer Award from the Missouri Bar Association in recognition of his many trials, both criminal and civil.

Gene C. Napier Gene Napier grew up in Springfield, Missouri. He attended undergraduate school at the University of Arkansas and Drury College in Springfield, Missouri. After undergraduate school, Gene joined the Navy and served as a Naval officer in Vietnam. Upon his discharge from the Navy, Gene entered the University of Missouri School of Law in Columbia, Missouri where he received his law degree. After graduating from law school, Gene was appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri in Kansas City, Missouri. He served in this position for five years. Mr. Napier joined the Hubbel Law Firm in 1980. Since 1986 Gene has served on the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys. Mr. Napier also has served on the Board of Managers of the Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys and currently is an officer.

Christopher H. (Chris) Leach Chris Leach was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, where he attended college and law school at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Born into a strong union family, Chris first became a union member when he began working on the truck docks when he was 15 years old. In 1984, after his first year of law school, Chris came to the law firm as a law clerk. Mr. Leach has been with the firm ever since, becoming a partner in 1992. Chris serves on the Subcommittee on Model Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the Eighth Circuit where he works drafting and updating the FELA jury instructions that are given to juries in Federal Courts throughout the Midwest. Chris also serves on the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and Mr. Leach is a member of the Association of Rail Labor Attorneys, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Missouri Bar Association, Kansas Bar Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Charles W. (Chuck) Gordon, Jr. Chuck Gordon grew up in Blue Springs, Missouri. He has been a trial lawyer for 20 years. On joining the firm in 2001, Chuck brought to our practice years of experience in products liability and complex litigation. Mr. Gordon immediately put his advocacy skills to good use for railroad workers when in Smith v. KCS he successfully argued before the Missouri Court of Appeals for an important change in Missouri law that allows lawyers for plaintiffs to interview former managers of corporate wrongdoers without first getting the corporate wrongdoer’s permission. The Missouri Lawyers Weekly called this one of the most significant cases of 2002, and the change provides a powerful tool for injured railroad workers, and all plaintiffs, in getting to the truth. Having been a partner in a large international law firm, Chuck Gordon has a diverse background that enhances our scope and capabilities. He is a leader at our firm in the use of computer presentation software and animations in trial and mediation. These tools have helped us obtain significant victories for our clients. Chuck's interest in the fair administration of our justice system has caused him to volunteer to represent capital murder defendants at trial and in federal post-conviction proceedings. His successful efforts have resulted in the exoneration of the innocent. Mr. Gordon graduated, with distinction, from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law in 1985.

Jason R. Keck Jason Keck joined the firm in 2001 after graduating from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Prior to law school, Jason attended undergraduate studies at California University of Pennsylvania where he received an NCAA Division I wrestling scholarship. Mr. Keck later attended Southwest Missouri State University where he received scholarships for his academic accomplishments. In 1995, Jason returned to Kansas City to obtain a business degree at University of Missouri-Kansas City and to coach wrestling at his high school alma mater. To help pay for college, Jason also worked at the Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri where he became a member of UAW Local 249. Jason actively volunteers in the community by coaching wrestlers at the youth, high school and collegiate levels. He works to instill the dedication, determination, perseverance and drive that it takes to be successful not only in the sport of wrestling but in life. Jason incorporates these same traits when representing our clients. Since joining the firm Jason has actively litigated a number of cases to highly successful conclusions. To enhance his skills as a strong advocate and an accomplished litigator, Mr. Keck completed advanced studies at the Association of Trial Lawyers of America’s Trial Advocacy College in 2004. Jason is a life long resident of Kansas City and remains active in the legal community. He is a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Association of Trial Lawyers of America and Kansas Bar Association.

Jarrett A. Johnson Jarrett Johnson has over twelve years of trial and appellate experience. In 2000 Jarrett received the Lon O. Hocker Memorial Trial Lawyer Award*, given annually by The Missouri Bar Association in recognition of outstanding trial work. Jarrett has first-chaired over thirty jury trials to a verdict and has briefed and argued numerous cases in the Missouri Court of Appeals. His trial experience ranges from civil cases involving damages in the millions of dollars, to the most serious criminal cases where life imprisonment is at stake. Mr. Johnson is a past Missouri Bar committee chair and devotes significant time to local charitable and educational programs throughout Kansas City. Jarrett was born in Houston, Texas. He received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Texas A & M University in 1990, and his law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1993. Mr. Johnson is a licensed member of the Missouri Bar and has appeared in state and federal courts nationwide.

*Lon O. Hocker Memorial Trial Lawyer Award is an award given annually by the Missouri Bar Association to three lawyers in the state who have demonstrated excellence in trial work.