Russ Riggan

Phone: (314) 835-9100
Fax: (314) 735-1054

132 W. Washington Ave., Suite 100
Kirkwood, Missouri 63122.

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. Russ has been selected for inclusion on the Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers list, as well as the Best Lawyers in America List.

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

Guest Speaker, St. Louis on the Air Show, Radio Segment on New FLSA Overtime Regulations, St. Louis Public Radio (90.7 KWMU), November 2016.
Panelist, Employment Law Briefing, Ogletree Deakins Client Seminar, "My Favorite Mistake", October 2016.
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

I cannot express the gratitude towards Mr. Riggan and his team, it was truly a pleasure working with him!!!
“I felt more comfortable and I knew that I had not only made the right decision, but I was in the hands of someone that was genuine about my situation.”

J.N., Human Resources Representative (Race Discrimination Case)
I would highly recommend Riggan Law Firm to anyone that needs a firm who isn't afraid to back down from the "big guys."
“I hired Riggan Law Firm after two other firms told me I didn't have a case.”

B.A., Insurance Claims Analyst (Disability Discrimination Case)
He is approachable, deliberate, hard hitting, and quick to respond.
“He was able to exercise his vast experience in this area and protected me from losing my job.”

F.F., Manager (Disability Discrimination Dispute)
I was very satisfied with the result that Russ helped me achieve.
“I would highly highly recommend Russ Riggan to represent anyone who is looking for an understanding ear, combined with a wealth of experience and true professionalism. Throughout my entire four-month process with Russ during a stressful time in my life, I knew I could fully trust Russ to be on my side, represent me to his fullest capabilities, and be there at any moment I needed. He responded to every email I sent and phone call I made on extremely fast timing, and was never too busy for my questions, concerns, worries, and frustrations. He taught me how to handle the legal and negotiation process with patience, professionalism, and effectiveness. In the end, I was very satisfied with the result that Russ helped me achieve, which only happened due to his coaching of me, his professional effectiveness with my case, and the patience he taught me. And last but not least, Russ is a really good, honest, family-oriented man who I knew I could put my trust and faith in. I felt lucky to have been recommended to Russ by a friend, and would pass along that favor to anyone else looking for a recommendation.”

K.R., High Level Corporate Executive (Severance Negotiation)
I was ultimately satisfied with my outcome and would suggest his expertise to anyone needing his assistance.
“My experience with Riggan Law Firm was an excellent one.”

S.T., Nurse Assistant (FMLA and Disability/Pregnancy Discrimination Case)