Maurice Graham

Practice Areas

Truck Cases; Class Actions & Mass Torts; Medical Malpractice; Personal Injury; Product Liability; Wrongful Death

Career

Maurice (“Marcy”) Graham is one of the most recognized and respected names in the Missouri legal community, where he has practiced in complex business and commercial litigation, catastrophic personal injury and death cases for over fifty years. In 2013, Marcy obtained the highest jury verdict ever received in a medical negligence wrongful death case in St. Louis County. His skill and dedication have produced over $406 million in verdicts and $85 million in settlements in individual as well as class action cases.

In 2022 the Supreme Court of Missouri announced it was changing the name of an award it presents annually to an attorney who has rendered extraordinary service to The Bar and to the Judiciary, and that hereafter this award shall be called the “Maurice B. Graham Award.”

Marcy has been consistently recognized as one of the top attorneys in the state and has been honored with numerous awards, including the President’s Award from the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (2020-2021) and Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly POWER 30 Attorney, Personal Injury. He has been recognized in Best Lawyers of America for Bet-the-Company Litigation as well as commercial litigation, personal injury, and medical malpractice, and repeatedly included in the “Top 10 Attorneys” in the region. He has been voted as one of the top three attorneys in Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly “Missouri Best Survey” in the category of Best Litigator. Marcy is a leader in the legal community, serving in positions including President of the Missouri Bar and President of the St. Louis Bar Foundation. He has also been honored by, and elected to leadership positions in, numerous organizations including such influential positions as Chair of the University of Missouri’s Board of Curators.

Marcy first attended Central Methodist University, where he played football, and he received both his undergraduate and his law degree from the University of Missouri. He served as president of the law school student body. Marcy has been licensed to practice law in Missouri since 1963.

Following graduation from law school, Mr. Graham began his practice in the southeast Missouri town of Fredericktown with the Schnapp law firm. Over his years in Southeast Missouri he had an extensive civil practice handling the defense of medical negligence lawsuits in Courts extending from the Arkansas line, northward to include Jefferson County. Subsequently, Mr. Graham transitioned more into a plaintiff’s practice, which continued through the remainder of his career.

In southeast Missouri he served as the Prosecuting Attorney for Madison County and as the Special Prosecutor for Wayne County, during which time he handled everything from violations for hunting out of season to murder cases.

In 1995, Mr. Graham moved his practice to St. Louis, initially with the Padberg law firm, and subsequently establishing the Graham law firm. In 2000, the Graham law firm merged with Gray & Ritter to become Gray, Ritter & Graham.

Marcy is licensed in Missouri, Colorado and before the United States Supreme Court and U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Fifth, Eighth and Ninth Circuits. He has been lead counsel on many complex business and commercial litigation and catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases in federal and state courts throughout Missouri as well as Montana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Professional Memberships

Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers;

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers;

Fellow, International Society of Barristers;

American Trial Lawyers Association;

Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys;

University of Missouri Board of Curators (2015–2022);

University of Missouri Board of Curators Chairman (2017), Vice Chairman (2016);

University of Missouri Jefferson Club Trustee (2015);

St. Louis Bar Foundation President (2011–2012);

Sheldon Arts Foundation Board in St. Louis, Board Chairman (2007–2010);

Missouri Bar Board of Governors (1980–1990);

Missouri Bar President (1988–1989);

University of Missouri Law School Foundation President;

University of Missouri-Columbia Law School Endowment Campaign Chairman;

University of Missouri Law School Foundation President;

Lawyers Committee, National Center for State Courts (2013–2022);

Supreme Court Cameras in the Courtroom Task Force Co-Chair;

Supreme Court Advisory Committee Member;

Supreme Court Advisory Committee Chairman;

ABA House of Delegates Member (1990–1994);

Central Methodist University Board of Curators;

Missouri Bar;

Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Work Highlights

Jury Returns Record $10.8 Million Medical Malpractice Verdict;

Gray Ritter Graham Obtains $2 million Settlement for Driver Hit by Tractor Trailer Truck;

Gray Ritter Graham Obtains $55 Million Settlement in Doe Run Property Damage Class Action Lawsuit;

$193,000 Settlement in Dog Attack Premises Liability Lawsuit;

$94.6 Million Settlement for Lead Victims

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Missouri, 1963;

Colorado;

U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri;

U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri;

U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit;

U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit;

U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit;

U.S. Supreme Court

Education