Russ Riggan

Before opening his St. Louis employment law firm, Russ Riggan practiced employment law at two of Missouri's largest law firms and represented the interests of employers in employment-related disputes. After serving as a management-side employment lawyer for nearly a decade, Russ resigned as a partner of a large defense firm in downtown St. Louis to open his own practice. Russ now predominantly represents the interests of workers whose workplace rights have been violated.

Because of Russ' past experience representing employers, he is intimately familiar with different approaches employers can take with respect to complying with various state and federal employment laws. The employment law landscape is vast and complicated, and employers often run afoul of the law, either accidentally or intentionally. Russ' unique past background of defending, counseling, and negotiating on behalf of employers gives him invaluable insight in how to properly represent workers seeking to assert employment law claims. Russ is committed to protecting the interests of workers and to resolving employment law disputes on terms favorable to his clients.

Based upon feedback from his peers in the legal profession, Martindale-Hubbell assigned Russ an "AV Preeminent" Peer Review Rating--the highest rating given to practicing lawyers--based on ethical standards and legal ability. Likewise, Russ was selected for inclusion on the Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers Rising Stars List for 2009 and 2011.

Education

J.D., Washington University School of Law, (2001)
Wiley Rutledge Moot Court Champion
Employment Law Clinic

B.A. Political Science, Vanderbilt University, (1998)
cum laude
Dean’s List
Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity

Jurisdictions Admitted To Practice

Missouri Bar
Illinois Bar
United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri and Central and Southern Districts of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit

Professional & Bar Association Memberships

American Bar Association
Labor and Employment Law Section
Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee
Fair Labor Standards Legislation Committee

National Employment Lawyers Association (St. Louis Chapter)

Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys

Publications And Presentations

Annual Speaker on Employment Law at Missouri Bar's Annual Law Update

Speaker, Missouri Employment Law--Hot Topics, St. Louis County Bar Association CLE Luncheon, October 2011

Speaker, H1N1 and Other Aerosol Transmissible Diseases: An Employer's Perspective, ABA OSHA Committee Mid-Winter Meetings (2010)

Author, Missouri Bar CLE Deskbook on Employer-Employee Law, Chapter 13, Occupational Safety and Health Act (MoBar 3d ed. 2008)

Moderator, Affirmative Defenses in OSHRC Litigation: Pardon, Parole, or Unwarranted Excuses?, ABA OSHA Committee Mid-Winter Meetings (2008)

Speaker, Overview and Update on OSHA and USERRA, Missouri Bar's Labor/Employment Symposium (2006)

Speaker on Non-Compete Issues, Council on Education in Management (2005)

Author, Recovery of Attorneys' Fees in OSHA Cases, Associated General Contractors' Building Cornerstone Newsletter (2005)

Author, OSHA Citations: Avoiding a Common Pitfall, Missouri Employment Law Letter (2005)

Civic Activities

Member, St. Peter’s Parish, Kirkwood, Missouri

Volunteer coach (baseball, basketball, and soccer)

Vanderbilt Alumni Club, St. Louis