Angela M. Clark

Angela M. Clark

Angela Clark has an active and successful litigation practice with more than 20 years of experience as trusted advisor and advocate for corporate clients, with a targeted emphasis on insurance coverage and bad faith extra-contractual claims. The law of insurance coverage and bad faith is constantly evolving, and Angela has considerable experience recognizing the bad faith setup, helping insurers avoid it, and managing high-stakes, multimillion dollar exposures in Missouri and Kansas. She has testified as an expert in Missouri insurance law before the Missouri House of Representatives in two legislative sessions, working to secure reforms to Missouri insurance laws.

Angela has substantial trial and appellate experience at both the state and federal levels. Her extensive experience extends to a wide range of general civil trial practice, including commercial litigation, product liability, professional liability, and employment law. She has been trusted to act as regional and national counsel for sophisticated business clients. She not only understands the law, she has helped to shape it, through appellate victories and relationships with legislators to advance legislative reforms. Having begun her career at two of the largest and most successful international law firms, she was trained to handle high-profile, complex litigation for Fortune 100 companies, and now brings that experience and insight to obtain first-class results for our clients in a more cost-effective and efficient environment.

Angela frequently speaks and publishes on matters of concern to our clients, and is active in leadership roles in trade and professional associations.

Practice Groups

Business Litigation

Business litigation requires a unique blend of business-specific knowledge and litigation experience. Wallace Saunders has both the knowledge and the experience to protect and move your business forward. Our Business Litigation attorneys handle litigation matters across a broad spectrum of professions and industries.

Construction and Design

The world of construction is comprehensive, collaborative and highly detailed. The same can be said of our approach to construction law. Legal regulations, city and state codes, federal guidelines, environmental issues – there’s a litany of laws and parameters that seems never-ending.

Employment

The ever-changing landscape of human resources law is dizzying. It can be difficult for any HR team or business owner to keep pace. Whether your HR department is small, large or transitioning, the Employment Practice Group at Wallace Saunders works in tight cooperation with you. We take pride in partnership, collaborating closely to provide legal representation and counsel in a capacity that best serves your needs.

Insurance

Insurance issues can escalate from simple to complex quickly, and you need attorneys able to handle it all. With Wallace Saunders, you can rest assured the attorneys in our Insurance Practice Group have a command of insurance law and litigation. In fact, the firm was founded more than 50 years ago with insurance at the core of our practice.

Litigation

Founded as a litigation firm in 1963, our attorneys carry on our tradition of substantial deposition and courtroom experience, with hands-on training that begins early in every attorney’s career. The litigation department is the largest practice area at Wallace Saunders, with more than half of our attorneys working under the Litigation Practice Area umbrella.

Product Liability

Understanding the nuances of Product Liability law and the significant exposure for clients involved in product litigation is a service not every firm can offer. Our experience representing manufacturers, distributors and retailers gives you the advantage of leveraging strategic planning with trial skills in this complex and dynamic area of law.

Professional Liability

Most professionals regularly handle situations where they cannot guarantee specific results for their clients or patients. This makes them vulnerable to professional liability lawsuits. Choosing the right attorney to defend such lawsuits is critical. Additionally, the best defense against professional liability claims begins before a claim ever gets filed.

Personal

Angela is an avid reader, gardener, and proud mother. She is a New York transplant who has become an evangelist for burnt ends.

Smart • Tenacious • Pragmatic

Education

Juris Doctor, University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law
With distinction Top 3%

Literary Editor, UMKC Law Review
Editorial Associate, The Urban Lawyer
Moot Court Executive Board 2001-02
Judge David & Hope Cavanaugh Full-tuition Academic Scholarship
West Publishing Award for Law Review Comment

Bachelor of Arts, Clemson University

Major: English Summa cum laude

Professional Practice

Wallace Saunders

Partner

Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC

Member
Associate

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Associate

Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal LLP (now Dentons)

Associate

Professional Licensure

Missouri; United States District Court, Western and Eastern Districts of Missouri
Kansas; United States District Court, District of Kansas
District of Columbia (inactive)
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Supreme Court

Professional Accomplishments

Reported and Otherwise Notable Cases

Safeco Ins. Co. of Am. v. Yount, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 205225, Case No. 4:19-cv-00890-MTS (E.D. Mo. Nov. 3, 2020)
Safeco Ins. Co. of Am. v. Schweitzer, 372 F. Supp. 3d 884 (W.D. Mo. 2019)(judgment); see also No. 3:18-05059-CV-RK, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64783, 2019 WL 1646408 (W.D. Mo. Apr. 16, 2019)(memorandum and order)
Safeco Ins. Co. of Am. v. Laubinger, No. 4:18CV1237 HEA, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 68510, 2019 WL 1773146 (E.D. Mo. Apr. 23, 2019)
Thomas Farms, Ltd. v. Nat'l Union Fire Ins. Co., No. 1:18CV00196 AGF, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18744, 2019 WL 460503 (E.D. Mo. Feb. 6, 2019)
Smith v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 15032 (10th Cir. Aug. 14, 2017)
Wise v. Savers Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 485 S.W.3d 363 (Mo. App. S.D. 2016)
Smith v. Great Am. Assurance Co., 436 S.W.3d 700, 702 (Mo. App. S.D. 2014)

Selected Presentations

The Restatement of the Law of Liability Insurance – Restatement or Recreation?, ALFA International Insurance Roundtable (Nashville, TN June 2019)
All-Star Writing for the Claims Professional, ALFA International Employment Practices and Liability Insurance Conference (New York, NY June 2018)
Testimony regarding the legislative and case law history of Mo. Rev. Stat. § 379.200, Missouri’s equitable garnishment action, before the Missouri House Committee on Insurance Policy, in support of bills to reform Missouri insurance law (Feb. 2017 and Jan. 2018)
Enforcement of Letters of Intent and the Duty to Negotiate in Good Faith, Commercial Litigation Committee Meeting, DRI Annual Meeting (Oct. 2014)

Selected Publications

ALFA International Insurance Law Compendium (co-author, Missouri and Kansas Chapters), https://www.alfainternational.com/insurance-law-compendia (summer 2021)
Blog Series – the Restatement of the Law of Liability Insurance, www.bscr-law.com (summer 2019)
“A Possible Perfect Storm: The Reanimated Innovator Liability Theory,” For the Defense, Defense Research Institute (April 2018).
FDCC Insurance Desk Reference (co-author, Missouri and Kansas Chapters), Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (2017).
Rescission: A North American Compendium (co-author, Kansas Chapter), DRI Defense Library Series (2017)
Long-Arm Jurisdiction In Missouri And Beyond: Parts 1 and 2, Law360.com (Feb. 2017)
Writing a Reservation of Rights: A North American Compendium (Kansas Chapter), DRI Defense Library Series (2014)
Contributing commentator, “Lawyers React to High Court’s Generic-Drug Liability Ruling,” commenting on the Court’s decision in Mutual Pharmaceutical Co. Inc. v. Bartlett. Law360, Lexis/Nexis (June 2013)
Developments in Kansas Product Liability Law, Product Liability Compendium, ALFA International (2010)
Severance and Removal of Claims, ABA Tort and Insurance Practice Section Newsletter (Summer 2010)
Responding to Employee Requests for Modification of the Workplace: Do You Have to Give the People What They Want? KANSAS CITY BUSINESS JOURNAL, Law Day Special Supplement (May 6, 2005)
Comment, “Else We Are Condemned to Go from Darkness to Darkness”: Victims of Gender-Based War Crimes and the Need for Civil Redress by U.S. Courts, 70 UMKC LAW REVIEW 677 (Spring 2002)
Note, Do Unto Thy Neighbor: In Support of a Conditional Privilege to Warn Neighbors of a Suspected Child Molester after Schmitz v. Aston, 69 UMKC LAW REVIEW 471 (Winter 2000)

Angela was selected to the 2022 Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers lists.

Civic Activities

Kansas Bar Association

President, Insurance Law Section

Defense Research Institute

Insurance Law Committee
Appellate Advocacy Committee
Commercial Litigation Committee

Missouri Bar Association

Insurance Law Committee
Business Law Committee
Women in the Profession Committee

Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers
Volunteer Attorney Project of Kansas City, providing pro bono legal services

News + Events + Alerts

Attorneys Chris Confer and Stephanie Blaylock return to present at AAR “Claims School”

The American Association of Railroads (“AAR”) recently held its annual “Claims School” – a training and education opportunity the AAR provides to claims representatives of various railroads. Last year, Mr. Confer and Ms. Blaylock presented at the Claims School, and because that presentation was so successful, the AAR invited Mr. Confer and Ms. Blaylock to give this presentation again to a new group of attendees.

Greg Bentz makes presentation at the American Hospital Association Annual Meeting in Washington D.C.

Greg Bentz made a presentation at the American Hospital Association Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. on April 23rd, 2023. The presentation was jointly made by Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, The President and CEO of the Joint Commission, and Mr. Bentz. The topic was “Revitalize Your Board’s Focus on Quality and Patient Safety.”