Biography

Lucy Unger is Chair of the firm's Management Committee and Co-Chair of several of the firm's practice groups. She practices principally in the areas of commercial litigation, products liability and medical malpractice in both state and federal courts in Missouri and Illinois. She has also, however, represented clients in cases involving a multitude of other areas including professional liability, premises liability, and civil rights violations. Although she focuses mainly on litigation at the trial court level, she has also handled in excess of 15 appeals.

Lucy has argued before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Missouri, and several lower appellate courts in Missouri and Illinois. She has tried numerous cases to successful verdicts, including cases for wrongful death. Lucy has likewise obtained summary judgments in numerous cases and dismissals of many others. She has also represented professionals before the Missouri Administrative Commission on proceedings brought against their professional licenses.

Lucy also brings the unusual combination of in-house experience and outside trial experience to her practice in that she was, for several years, an Associate General Counsel for Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. She is therefore sensitive to the challenges of preventative litigation efforts and outside legal fee management and planning. In recognition of her civil litigation defense work, Lucy is listed in Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers and Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition, a distinction given to only the top five percent of lawyers in the region.

A St. Louis native, Lucy graduated from Cor Jesu Academy in South County. She is an avid reader and enjoys playing piano and working out in her free time.

Personal Quote

“Live without regret”

Education

• Washington University School of Law, J.D., 1989
  • Jurisprudence Award, 1988
  • Member, Law Review: Journal of Urban & Contemporary Law, 1987 - 1989
• Loyola University, B.A., summa cum laude 1986

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Defense Research Institute
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Significant Matters

• Defense Verdict for hospital and emergency room physician following four-day trial for wrongful death of a 40 year-old woman.
• Directed Verdict for Director of Nursing in local nursing home following four-week trial for wrongful death.
• Verdict assessing 70% of fault for power plant explosion to plaintiff power company after seven weeks of trial for product liability against manufacturer of burner control system.
• Summary judgment for hospital in case for wrongful death of a man suffering from angiodeman.
• Summary judgment for a landlord in a case for wrongful death due to alleged inadequate security

Pro Bono Activities

• Pro bono representation of several local charities benefiting children with disabilities to secure 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with the IRS and set up corporate charities.
• Volunteer Lawyer, St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts

Bar Admissions

• United States Supreme Court
• United States Court of Appeals
  • Eighth Circuit
• United States District Courts
  • Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri
  • Southern and Central Districts of Illinois
• Missouri
• Illinois

Publications & Lectures

• Speaker, “Ethical Traps to Avoid During Investigations Internal to a Corporation,” 2010 St. Louis Corporate Counsel Institute (May 2010)
• Speaker, “How to Respond to a Notice to Depose the CEO/ CFO,” 2009 St. Louis Corporate Counsel Institute (May 2009)
• Speaker, “Medical Malpractice Litigation Basics,” Seminar for health care client (November 2008)
• Author, “Legal-Ease: Ten Easy Steps to Avoid Litigation.” St. Louis Small Business Monthly (September 2008)
• Author, “Using the CFAA to Prevent Abuse of Your Company's Computer System.” Association of Corporate Counsel's St. Louis Chapter Newsletter (July 2008)
• Speaker, How the ADA Impacts School and Childcare Services