Gregory M. Bentz

Gregory M. Bentz

Greg Bentz is an experienced trial lawyer with 40 years of experience representing clients in business litigation matters at all levels of State and Federal Courts, including the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Bentz graduated from both the College of Business and School of Law at the University of Nebraska. Both degrees were awarded with distinction. While in Law School, he served as an Executive Editor of the Law Review and graduated as a member of the Order of the Coif. Mr. Bentz has been recognized by the Best Lawyers in America for over 10 consecutive years in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Antitrust. He was selected in 2019 by Best Lawyers in America as Antitrust Lawyer of the Year in Kansas City.

Mr. Bentz has been chosen by the Kansas City Business Journal as Best of the Bar. He has been selected as a Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyer every year since 2010. Mr. Bentz has extensive experience with all types of business disputes including breach of contract, insurance disputes, antitrust, tort, and class actions. He brings a developed understanding of a client’s business to help them solve their issues.

Greg is also active in the community. He is a past-president of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Saint Luke’s Health System. He also chairs the System’s Compensation Committee, Nominating/Governance Committee, and the Physician Contract Review Committee. He has been active at Saint Luke’s since 2005, having previously served on the Board of Saint Luke’s Plaza Hospital and as Chair of Saint Luke’s South Hospital.

Greg is active in the American Hospital Association. He currently chairs the AHA Committee on Governance. Greg is also a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors. He is a Board Leadership Fellow and is Director Certified by the NACD.

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.

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.

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.

Transportation: Railroad and Trucking

When it comes to trucking and railroading, our attorneys are with you from the start, emphasizing early response to losses. Our transportation attorneys are on call 24/7 to respond to serious accidents and emergencies by visiting accident scenes to gather and preserve evidence. This helps lay the groundwork for a careful investigation and vigorous claim defense. We have an established emergency response protocol, and will work with a team of accident reconstructionists, field investigators, and criminal defense attorneys, when needed, to immediately respond to trucking, railroading, and other transportation accidents and emergencies.

Personal

Knowledgeable • Creative • Problem-Solver

Education

University of Nebraska, B.S. in Business Administration, with distinction, 1980

Beta Gamma Sigma (Business Honorary)

University of Nebraska, J.D. with distinction, 1983

Executive Editor, Nebraska Law Review, 1982-1983
Order of the Coif
Order of the Barristers

Professional Practice

Wallace Saunders – Of Counsel, December 2022 - Present
Sharp Law, LLP – Partner 2020 – September 2022; Assistant Managing Partner
Polsinelli PC – Associate 1983 – 1989; Shareholder 1989 – 2019

Presentations and Articles

KCMBA Business Litigation Handbook: Tortious Interference with Contract or Business Expectancy
A Date with the Supremes: Lessons from Our U.S. Supreme Court Experience
Antitrust Audits as Part of a Compliance Program: How to Design and Perform an Audit and What to do if You Find a Violation
Department of Justice Reasserts Intention to Criminally Enforce No-Poach Guidance
St. Luke’s Health: Does Improving Patient Care Justify a Merger Under Antitrust Law? Ninth Circuit Says “No” and Orders Divestiture
2016 Antitrust Case Law and FTC Action Highlights FTC Agency’s Approach to Hospital Mergers
Becoming the Target of an Antitrust Lawsuit: Essential Considerations
Department of Justice Reasserts Intention to Criminally Enforce No-Poach Guidance
Mo. Civil Procedure § 57-1 (Mo Bar 2d Ed. 1995): Interrogatories and Depositions

Key Matters

Successfully represented clients before the United States Supreme Court in an antitrust case related to the Natural Gas Industry
Represented American Carriers Inc., a national trucking company located in Kansas City, in a breach of contract against Westinghouse Credit Corporation. Case Tried for six weeks with a verdict in favor of our client in the amount of $70 million. Jury award affirmed and collected.
Represented plaintiff in a breach of contract transaction involving the sale of CompuServe, Inc. to WorldCom, Inc. with a simultaneous transfer to AOL. Alleged breach of an agreement regarding the exclusive use of name and customer list for Block owned credit card portfolio. Case tried for three weeks with verdict for H&R Block and against AOL in the amount of $21 million.
Represented plaintiff Electronic Tire Technologies, a startup company, in a breach of contract case against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company; case tried to a jury with a verdict in favor of our client in the amount of $1 million. Case settled during appeal.
Represented H&R Block in a breach of contract case by franchisee.
Successfully defended against physician’s antitrust claims arising out of a privileging issue.

Professional Licensure

United States Supreme Court
Kansas Bar
Missouri Bar
Nebraska Bar
U.S. District Court of Kansas
U.S. District Court of Western District of Missouri
U.S. District Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
U.S. District Court of Appeals 8th Circuit
U.S. District Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
U.S. District Court of Appeals 10th Circuit

Professional Accomplishments

Selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America for Commercial litigation and Antitrust (2012-Present)
Selected by the Best Lawyers in America as Antitrust Lawyer of the Year for Kansas City (2019)
Chosen by the Kansas City Business Journal as Best of the Bar (Various Years)
Recognized by Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers and KC Magazine as a Super lawyer (2010-Present)
Selected to America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators
Selected by ALM and Martindale Hubbell as an Elite Lawyer of the South (2019)
Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent rating
America’s Most Honored Professionals

Civic Activities

American Hospital Association (2019 – Present) – Committee on Governance; Chair – Elect (2022)
Selected by Kansas Hospital Association as Trustee of the Year (2018)
Board of Directors Saint Luke’s Health System (2014 – Present); Chairman (2022 – Present)
Board of Directors, Saint Luke’s South Hospital (2008-2022); Chairman of the Board (2010-2020)
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association – President (2007-2008); Chair of BAR Headquarters Task Force (2008-2010); Recipient of 2010 Presidents Award for Outstanding Service
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation – President (2013)
Recipient of 2004 President’s Award for Outstanding Service, Bar Foundation Lifetime Member
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church – Senior Warden (2003-2004)(2015-2018); Chancellor (2005-2014)(2021-Present)

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.”