(816) 474-6300
EMAIL AN ATTORNEY
EMAIL AN ATTORNEY
Attorney/Founder
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Phone: (816) 474-6300
Fax: (816) 474-6302
Email: Click to E-Mail Me
Patrick Reavey’s story begins on a modest farm in Plattsburg, Missouri, where he was the fifth of ten children raised by loving, hard-working parents. In the Reavey household, the values of discipline, simplicity, faith, and service weren’t just taught — they were lived. While others might have had more resources or prestigious backgrounds, Patrick grew up believing in a simple but powerful creed: a relentless work ethic can overcome nearly any obstacle.
That belief shaped a path marked by determination and achievement. Patrick put himself through college and law school, never shying away from a challenge. He graduated in the top 15% of his law school class, earned multiple awards for legal writing, and even authored a book on legal malpractice that is now housed in law libraries nationwide — all while working year-round to support himself.
Patrick’s legal career began early. He clerked for a law firm that hired him before he even graduated, launching him into the courtroom to sharpen his trial skills by defending cities and counties across Kansas in employment and civil rights cases. His talent quickly caught the attention of one of Kansas City’s most prominent firms, Shook Hardy & Bacon, where he played a key role on the national tobacco litigation team — interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence in high-stakes cases that made headlines across the country.
Patrick went on to join Lewis Rice & Fingersh, where he honed his focus on employment law. But in 2000, driven by a desire to chart his own course, Patrick founded Reavey Law LLC — a firm that would go on to represent hundreds of clients and secure more than $14 million in verdicts and settlements, often against formidable corporate defendants backed by national firms. Time and again, Patrick’s tenacity and preparation proved to be the great equalizer.
While representing individuals has always been a cornerstone of his practice, Patrick has also been a trusted advisor to cities throughout Kansas. For the past 25 years, he has served as City Attorney for De Soto, Kansas — now the site of the world’s largest Panasonic battery plant and the biggest economic development project in Kansas history. He has also served as City Attorney and prosecutor for Wellsville, and City Attorney for Basehor, Edgerton, and Merriam, Kansas.
Today, Patrick’s primary focus is on his ongoing role as De Soto’s City Attorney, helping guide a city at the center of transformative growth.
Patrick enjoys spending time with his wife Denise and their three children in the South Plaza area of Kansas City, Missouri, where they are active members of St. Elizabeth’s parish and school. He also cherishes time at the family farm outside Lecompton, Kansas, hunting, restoring classic cars, attending sporting events, checking out new breweries, and enjoying architectural design throughout the Kansas City area. Patrick stays grounded in the values that first shaped him — faith, family, hard work, and service.
Employment Law
Employment Law — Employee
Employment Law — Employer
Discrimination
Pregnancy Discrimination
Sexual Harassment
Retaliation
Wrongful Discharge
Family & Medical Leave Act
Wage & Hour Disputes
Fair Labor Standards Act
Civil Rights
Constitutional Law
Whistleblower/Qui Tam
Municipal Law
Kansas, 1995
Missouri, 1996
U.S. District Court District of Kansas, 1995
U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri, 1995
U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 1996
U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit, 1996
Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas
Juris Doctorate – 1995
Honors – Dean’s List
Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri
Bachelor of Science – 1991
Double Major in Economics and Communication
Legal Malpractice: A Research Guide for Lawyers and Law Students, Williams S. Hein & Co.
Inc, 1995
Patrick G. Reavey & Christopher M. McCurdy, Best Respondent’s Brief, 22 Northern Kentucky
Law Review 201, 1995
Moot Court Council, 1993 – 1995
1995 August A. Rhendigs National Product’s Liability Competition
1994 Chase National Environmental Law Competition
Reavey Law LLC, Owner, 2000 – Present
City of De Soto, Kansas, City Attorney, 2000 – Present
Fisher Patterson Sayler & Smith, Attorney, 1995 – 1997
Shook, Hardy & Bacon, Attorney, 1997 – 1998
Lewis, Rice & Fingersh L.C., Attorney, 1998 – 2000
Woodard v. Kansas City, Missouri Aviation Department, Platte County Missouri Circuit Court Case No. 15-AE-CV02493: Reverse race discrimination claim. Tried to a jury verdict (in favor of Plaintiff) on September 30, 2022 for $500,000 compensatory damages and $1,000,000 in punitive damages.
General Elevator & Hydraulics, Inc. v. Fischer Construction, et al., Jackson County Missouri Circuit Court Case No. 00-CV-200663: Construction, failure to pay case tried to a jury verdict (in favor of Plaintiff) in December 2001.
Smith v. Daviess County, U.S. W.D. Mo. Case No. 5:02-cv-06085: First Amendment retaliation case tried to a jury verdict (in favor of Defendant) in April 2004.
Tolle v. American Drug Stores, U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 05-2191: Gender discrimination case. Jury verdict for $1.2 million in favor of Plaintiff. Case settled in November 2006 before Court entered judgment or awarded attorney’s fees.
Fountain v. Andre Bollier, Ltd., Jackson County Missouri Circuit Court Case No. 0516-CV-32686: Workers compensation retaliation case tried to jury verdict (in favor of Plaintiff) in September 2007.
McCullough, et al. v. Commerce Bank, Jackson County Missouri Circuit Court Case No. 0616-CV-24340: Race and age discrimination case tried to a jury verdict (in favor of Defendant) in June 2009.
Montoya v. A-1 Mufflers, Jackson County Missouri Circuit Court Case No. 0716-CV14455: Workers compensation retaliation case tried to a jury verdict (in favor of Plaintiff) in October 2009.
Brown v. YRC Inc., U.S. D. Kan Case No. 07-02556: Pregnancy discrimination case tried to a jury verdict in April 2010 (in favor of Plaintiff, but Trial Judge ruled there was insufficient evidence). Verdict reinstated via Tenth Circuit Appeal No. 11– 3001.
City of Wellsville v. Vickie Bass, Franklin County, Kansas District Court Case No. 2010-CR-384: Defendant appealed municipal court conviction on battery charge and requested a jury trial. Prosecutor Reavey presented the case on behalf of the City. Jury entered a guilty verdict.
Teltech, Inc., et al. v. Richard Milam, et al., Jackson County Missouri Circuit Court Case No. 01-CV-219893: Business dispute case tried to jury verdict (in favor of Defendants) in October 2011.
Hood v. Daviess County, Missouri, et al., U.S. W.D. Mo. Case No. 01-cv-6042: Individual FLSA claim, settled in July 2002.
Newman v. Gentry County, Missouri, et al., U.S. W.D. Mo. Case No. 02-cv-06061: Individual FLSA claim, settled in May 2003.
Goff v. Evergreen Alliance Golf, Ltd, et al., U.S. W.D. Mo. Case No. 04-cv-00153: Individual FLSA claim, settled in May 2004.
Skillpath Seminars v. Bennett, Johnson County, Kansas District Court Case No. 05CV-03845: Bennett was sued on non-compete agreement. Patrick Reavey defended Bennett and filed counterclaims for FMLA retaliation and wrongful discharge. A confidential settlement on the FMLA/wrongful discharge claims occurred in March 2007.
Hefter v. Kansas City Catering, et al., U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 08-cv-2276: Failure to properly pay overtime, matter settled in December 2008.
White v. Skillpath Seminars, et al., U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 07-2319: FMLA case. Extensive briefing and rulings in case. Settled in October 2009.
Paul v. Villa St. Francis, et al., Johnson County, Kansas District Court Case No. 08-CV-04286: FMLA and wrongful discharge case. Court allowed claim for punitive damages on prediction that Kansas Supreme Court would recognize state wrongful discharge claim based on FMLA retaliation. Case settled in October 2009.
EEOC, and Brooks and Smith v. Imagine Schools, U.S. W.D. Mo. Case No. 08-0731: Pregnancy discrimination case. Non-confidential settlement for $570,000 in March 2010, and other non-monetary requirements imposed on Imagine Schools.
Denyer v. Speak et al., U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 09-cv-02274: FLSA retaliation claim. Settled in March 2010.
Noland v. Enterprise Holdings, Inc., U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 10-cv-2140: FLSA misclassification, individual claim briefly involved in MDL litigation. Settled in January 2011.
Gharahramani v. Missouri Gas Energy, et al., Jackson County Missouri Circuit Court Case No. 0916-CV-37430: Employment discrimination case. Extensive briefing and rulings in case. Settled in June 2011.
Leftwich v. City of Pittsburg, KS, et al., U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 16-2112: First Amendment and Title VII retaliation case. Extensive briefing and rulings in case. Settled in August 2017.
Schmitz v. State Dept. of Workforce Services Labor Standards, Supreme Court of Wyoming Case S-17-0006: Age discrimination case against the Wyoming Department of Corrections argued before the Wyoming Supreme Court in December 2017.
Flinn v. Kenny’s Tile, Jackson County Missouri Circuit Court Case No. 1716-CV11512: Employment case. Settled in January 2019.
Hall v. Life Care Centers of America, Inc., et al., U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 16-2729: FMLA and discrimination case. Extensive briefing and rulings in case. Settled in May 2019.
Forge v. Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 18-2204: FMLA and disability discrimination case. Extensive briefing and rulings in case. Settled in January 2020.
Garrison v. Dolgencorp, LLC, et al., U.S. W.D. Mo. Case No. 4:16-CV-00349: Summary judgment dismissal of disability claim reversed via Eighth Circuit Appeal No. 18-1066. Case settled in July 2020.
Russell v. Kiewit Energy Group, Inc., et al., U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 18-2144: Employment retaliation case. Extensive briefing and rulings in case. Settled in January 2021.
Martley v. City of Basehor, et al., U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 19-02138: Equal Pay Act and retaliation case. Extensive briefing and rulings in case. Case settled for $230,000 while appeal of summary judgment ruling was pending in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Bruce v. Lincare, Inc., et al., U.S. W.D. Mo. Case No. 4:21-cv-00463: Race discrimination and retaliation case. Settled in May of 2024.
Meriwether v. Lincare, Inc., et al., Clay County, Missouri Circuit Court Case No. 16-CY-CV08718: Pregnancy discrimination case. Settled in October of 2024.
Speer et al v. Cerner, U.S. W.D. Mo. Case No. 4:14-cv-00204: Failure to properly calculate overtime rate, Rule 23 and FLSA claims. Settlement of $4.5 million recovered for class.
Webster et al. v. Pure Fishing, Inc., Platte County, Missouri Circuit Court Case No. 13AE-CV-02003: Failure to pay staff for time worked, unpaid overtime. Settled in July 2017.
Rukavitsyn et al. v. Sokolov Dental Laboratories, U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 12-cv-02253: Failure to properly calculate overtime rate, off-clock work.
White v. Pasha Distribution Corp., U.S. W.D. Mo. Case No. 4:11-cv-00975: Unpaid overtime wage case, Rule 23 and FLSA claims. Settlement of $2.5 million recovered for class.
Spears et al. v. Mid-America Waffles, et al., U.S. D. Kan. Case No. 11-cv-02273: Underpayment of minimum wage. Settled in November 2012.
Desseaux v. Aviacode, Inc., U.S. D. Utah, C.D. Case No. 2:17-cv-01065: Defendant improperly classified employees as independent contractors. Settled in September 2018 for $1.6 million.
Williams v. Crossroads Courier, Inc., Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri, Case No. 20SL-CC05596. Defendant improperly classified employees as independent contractors. Settlement of $1.65 million recovered for class.
Farah v. LogistiCare Solutions, LLC, U.S. W.D. Mo. Case No. 4:20-cv-00578. Defendant improperly classified employees as independent contractors. Confidential class settlement in 2023.
Sage v. Williams, et al., 23 Kan. App. 2d 624, 933 P.2d 775 (1997): Summary judgment upheld in favor of Defendant County officials in civil rights, tax and constitutional claims.
Gamblian v. City of Parsons, 261 Kan. 541, 931 P.2d 1238 (1997): Summary judgment upheld in favor of Defendant City in wrongful death claim involving exclusive remedy provision of the Kansas Workers Compensation Act.
Stueckemann, et al. v. City of Basehor, Kansas, 301 Kan. 718, 348 P.3d 526 (2015): In subdivision’s challenge to City’s involuntary annexation, City prevailed in the trial court (Leavenworth County District Court Case No. 2009CV000177), in the Kansas Court of Appeals (see 2012 WL 3966521), and ultimately in the Kansas Supreme Court.