J. Kent Emison

Growing up as the son of a dairy farmer, Kent Emison learned the value of a disciplined work ethic from an early age. That dedication comes through in his legal career, where for almost 30 years he has dedicated his practice to representing individuals and their family members in personal injury cases.

A Fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a board member of the Attorneys Information Exchange Group, Kent devotes 100% of his practice to litigation in product liability, motor vehicle accidents, and other cases involving personal injury and wrongful death. In that role he has served as lead trial counsel in numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements and has handled cases all across the United States, from Florida to Hawaii.

Kent's reputation in the field is due to his track record of obtaining the maximum compensation for injured individuals and for families who have lost loved ones. Throughout his career he has been an advocate of trial by jury and is seen as a leader in the profession. He served as President of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (MATA) from 2005-2006, and was on the MATA Executive Committee from 1997-2007.

The Best Lawyers in America and U.S. News & World Report named Kent the "Lawyer of the Year" in 2011 for personal injury plaintiffs' litigation for the Kansas City metro area. That same year he was also selected as one of the top 100 lawyers in Missouri and Kansas by the peer review process Super Lawyers. In 2012 he was honored by Missouri Lawyers Weekly as part of its "Lawyer of the Year" program, for his leadership of Langdon & Emison and his service to the profession and the community.

Kent has presented a variety of seminars to several national associations of attorneys, and has spoken at the University of Missouri-Columbia and University of Missouri-Kansas City. A sustaining member of the American Association for Justice, Kent is an active member of prestigious legal and professional organizations. He is a dedicated board member in several organizations in his local community, and has been a supporter of several philanthropic organizations for decades, both locally and nationally. Many of these positions of nonprofit leadership focus on his particular passions of charities benefitting children, education, and the funding of research for consumer safety. Kent graduated with distinction from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law where he served as Business Editor of the Law Review from 1979-1981. Though he spends less time farming than he did in his youth, he enjoys spending time outdoors when he can.

Education
J.D., With Distinction, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law (1981)
B.S., Cum Laude, University of Missouri, Columbia (1978)

Admissions
State Courts of Missouri (1981)
U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri (1981)

Professional Associations and Memberships
Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (Past President)
Missouri Trial Attorney Magazine (Editor, 1997 - 2002)
American Association for Justice
Attorneys Information Exchange Group (Member, Board of Directors)
Lafayette County Bar Association (Past President)
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
Missouri Bar Association
Kappa Alpha Order Bench & Robe Honor Society