Richard Morefield
Trial Lawyer and Mediator
For nearly 40 years, Rick Morefield has earned a reputation as both a formidable trial lawyer and a trusted mediator. Licensed in Missouri and Kansas, he leads MSB Law’s litigation team while also serving as a mediator through Sage Mediation Solutions. His rare combination of perspectives, having represented both plaintiffs and defendants during his career, allows him to understand the strategies and pressures facing both sides, making him exceptionally effective whether in the courtroom or the mediation room.
Trial Experience and Achievements
Rick began his career at a large national law firm defending catastrophic injury and complex business litigation cases, then built his own practice representing plaintiffs and business litigants. This dual perspective shapes his approach to every case. Throughout his career, he has represented individuals and businesses in state and federal courts across Missouri and Kansas, handling catastrophic injury, wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, business litigation, breach of contract, fraud, partnership disputes, product liability, premises liability, and insurance matters. He has recovered millions of dollars for personal injury clients and successfully resolved cases ranging from multi-million dollar commercial cases and catastrophic personal injury cases to straightforward automobile collisions.
Rick’s excellence has earned recognition from his peers. SuperLawyers has recognized him every year from 2005 to present. In 2025, SuperLawyers named him among the top 100 Missouri and Kansas SuperLawyers and top 50 Kansas City area SuperLawyers. Best Lawyers in America has recognized him for Plaintiffs Personal Injury law from 2022 to present. He holds a 10.0 rating from Avvo and has received recognition from the National Trial Lawyers as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Kansas.
Mediation Practice
Rick founded Sage Mediation Solutions to help parties resolve disputes outside the courtroom. Litigation is costly not only in terms of time and money, but also in terms of the toll it can take on the parties Rick believes that most disputes can and should be resolved with the help of a skilled mediator, sparing clients the costs, delays, and risks of trial. His nearly four decades of litigation experience, seeing cases from both the plaintiff’s and defendant’s perspectives, gives him unique insight into what drives settlement decisions and what obstacles prevent them. He prepares intensively for each mediation, studying the strengths and weaknesses of both parties’ positions, and works patiently and persistently to help them reach resolution.
Rick completed his mediation training at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and serves on the approved mediator lists for the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri and the District of Kansas. He handles mediations involving personal injury, wrongful death, business disputes, contract matters, insurance litigation, and partnership disagreements. Attorneys who work with him appreciate his even-handed approach, his attention to confidentiality, his wide-ranging experience, and his ability to strengthen attorney-client relationships during the mediation process. He offers post-mediation follow-up at no additional cost, reflecting his commitment to helping parties achieve lasting solutions.
In His Own Words
On Mediation:
In my mediation practice at Sage Mediation Solutions, my goal is to help attorneys and their clients carefully weigh the risks and benefits of trial compared to settlement so they can make informed decisions. I study the materials provided by counsel, prepare thoroughly, and approach each case with persistence and balance. My role as mediator is to create a process that respects confidentiality, strengthens attorney-client relationships, and leads to fair resolutions. Most disputes can and should be resolved without the cost and uncertainty of trial, and I work hard to help the parties reach settlements that are both reasonable and lasting.
On Representing Clients:
When supporting and mentoring our litigation team and the clients we serve at MSB Law, I have two primary goals. First, I strive to help them achieve justice. Justice includes protecting or restoring financial interests in cases involving business disputes, contracts, or personal injury. It also extends to restoring relationships, protecting others from harm, and guiding clients through difficult transitions. My second goal is to help clients recover in other ways as they move through the legal process. People who have suffered a personal injury or business loss need clear guidance through complicated proceedings, and to get the legal help necessary to return their focus to what matters most in their life. As I mentor and advise our litigation attorneys, I help ensure that clients receive clarity, preparation, and steady support throughout the process. A good lawyer is a guide, a confidant, and a trusted adviser during stressful times. Litigation can be demanding, and I work to ensure that all our attorneys help reduce that burden for the individuals and businesses we represent.
Practice Areas
- Personal Injury & Wrongful Death Litigation
- Car, Truck, & Motorcycle Collisions
- Business Litigation
- Breach of Contract
- Insurance Litigation
- Fraud
- Mediation Services (Sage Mediation Solutions)
Leadership in the Legal Community
Rick’s commitment to the legal profession extends beyond his own practice. He has been heavily involved in providing training and mentoring to trial lawyers at every stage of their careers. In 2025, he serves as Faculty Director of the TIPS/ABOTA National Trial Academy, having previously served on its faculty in 2019, 2022, and 2024. He has served as Chair of the Litigation and Trial Practice Committee of the 2000 member American Bar Association’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section and as an Editor of “The Brief,” the section’s quarterly law magazine. Currently, he serves as the Treasurer for the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association and sits on its Executive Committee. He served at the KTLA’s education committee for a number of years.
Rick frequently teaches attorneys at local and national continuing legal education seminars on topics including trial advocacy, insurance law, effective courtroom communication, and presentation of evidence. He has also served as an ABA Adviser to the Uniform Law Commission’s Drafting Committee on Unsworn Domestic Declarations.
Seminars and Published Works
- Faculty Member – TIPS/American Board of Trial Advocates National Trial Academy, 2019, 2022
- Moderator and Speaker – KTLA Trial Tomes Seminars 2022
- Speaker – ABA/TIPS Section Conference, Los Angeles, California: Hey That Tweet Helps My Case: Presenting Social Media, Electronic and Demonstrative Evidence at Trial, 2018
- Speaker – A Five Star Review: Navigating the Pros and Cons of Crowdsourced Media for Your Clients and Firm, 30th Annual Media and the Law Seminar – The Fickle Future of First Freedoms, sponsored by Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the University of Kansas School of Law, May 2017.
- Speaker – “So You Want to Enhance your Insurance Defense Practice? Tips for Becoming a Valuable Partner to In-House Counsel”, at the ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section Conference, Philadelphia, PA, May 2015.
- Speaker – “The Art of Advocacy: Lessons From Preachers,” at The Louisiana Association of Justice’s Masters of Trial Seminar.
- Speaker – “The Art of Communication: Getting the Information You Seek,” at Heartland Paralegal Association’s Annual Fall Seminar.
- Speaker – “May it Please the Court” at the ABA/TIPS Toronto Annual Meeting and Seattle Fall Meeting
Professional Affiliations
Rick maintains active involvement in numerous professional organizations, including the American Bar Association (Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, Litigation Section, and Dispute Resolution Section), Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, American Association of Justice, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, and Johnson County Bar Association. He serves as an Allied Attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, providing pro bono legal services.
Education
- Juris Doctor, University of Kansas School of Law
- B.A. in Economics and Legal Studies, Rice University
- Mediation Training, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
Community Involvement
Rick serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Joy Meadows and participates actively in his church, Gashland Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Gladstone, Missouri, where he plays electric guitar on the worship team. Rick has served as an EPC Ruling Elder at his prior church. Outside the law, Rick enjoys fly fishing, hiking, reading, theology, and playing electric guitar.
To learn more about Rick’s mediation services, visit Sage Mediation Solutions.
Hobbies and Interests
- Electric Guitar
- Fly fishing
- Reading
- Hiking
- Theology