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Kurt Rasmussen likes to give back to his community. He contributes to various local and national organizations including Children’s Mercy Hospital, Little Sisters of the Poor, KC Hospice, City Union Mission, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters. He is an environmental law and products liability lawyer who tries cases. He sees his role as searching for facts to assist jurors in their service.

Kurt believes in the jury system and that jurors faithfully serve their fellow citizens in finding what the true facts are in order to render a decision under the law. He believes in equality under the law for everyone and strives to fulfill the blindfolded vision of Lady Justice: “Equality for all under the law without bias, or prejudice of any kind.” Respect for everyone is a principle that Kurt and all of the team at RDM believe in and actively strive to achieve.

Kurt has practiced law for forty years and has tried well in excess of fifty cases to verdict. His trials have been in dozens of states, including California, Pennsylvania, New York, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, and Kansas.

In addition to asbestos products, he has defended products liability actions involving fireworks, scaffolding, tampons, nail guns, trailer hitches, printing presses, exercise equipment, gas valves, and combustible drums. Kurt is also experienced in employment law, nursing home litigation, commercial litigation, and class actions.

Kurt serves as the managing member of RDM’s Los Angeles office and is the leader of the Trial Tactics practice group.

Presentations

  • How to Pick a Jury, Trial Demonstration, Continuing Legal Education Series, University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School, 1989

  • Contractors & Construction Defendants in Asbestos Litigation, Mealey’s Asbestos Seminar, 2001

  • How to Get Your Opponent to Disclose the True Cause of Mesothelioma, Andrews Asbestos Seminar, 2005

  • Trial Questionnaires, Voir Dire & Pretrial Strategy to Reduce Risk, Defense Research Institute, 2010

  • Ethics in the Asbestos World, Defense Research Institute, 2010

  • Prior Products, Current Problems: How the Ghosts of Product Litigation Past Shape the Current Landscape, Defense Research Institute, 2013

  • The State of the Art Conduct Defense: Defeating Negligence & Punitive Damages, Defense, 2014

  • Asbestos Litigation Seminar, 2014

  • Defense of Take Home Exposure Cases, Las Vegas, NV, June 2015

We are trial counsel.

Kurt Rasmussen tries cases and delivers results. When you face trial, count on Kurt and RDM’s team of trial attorneys and litigators to develop a winning strategy for you.

Education

  • Georgetown University

    Juris Doctor 1982

  • Georgetown University

    Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude 1979

Admissions

  • State of California
  • State of Missouri
  • State of Illinois
  • State of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri

RDM's Knowledge Blog Posts by Kurt L. Rasmussen

RDM's office in Kansas City, MO.

With hard work, a bit of luck, and the best staff in the business, and of course our happy clients, Rasmussen Dickey Moore has been able to sustain growth through turbulent times. We’ve established ourselves as a premier small firm in the fields we serve. We’ve expanded from a small office in Kansas City’s Westport District to three branches in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Los Angeles with nearly two dozen top-tier attorneys. We are truly thankful for the clients, attorneys, and staff who have brought us so far.

In 2021, RDM celebrated an exciting and impressive milestone—25 years in business! While the ongoing pandemic preempted a silver anniversary party, we still want to take some time to reflect on the past quarter century, from humble beginnings to where we are today.

Rasmussen & Barton

On November 1st, 1996, Kurt Rasmussen, George Barton, and a handful of other attorneys from the Watson & Marshall law firm (including Clayton Dickey and Steve Moore) opened Rasmussen & Barton. The newly established firm first hung their shingle at 21 West 43rd Street in the Westport District of Kansas City. Kurt’s now-retired secretary Anita Kuhn recalls that first office as “not too good.”

“Leaky roofs, crows in the parking lot, people sleeping in the dumpster, one nasty bathroom in the basement,” were some of the challenges Clay recollects from the first year on West 43rd Street. “Anita wore her rain gear and brought a fishing pole to work to mark the occasion of the leaks.”

RDM's first office at 21 West 43rd Street in Kansas City's Westport District.
Our firm’s first office at 21 West 43rd Street in Westport, Kansas City.

The staff initially consisted of four employees, including Anita and paralegal Charles Blaschke, who still works for the firm today. According to the first issue of the R&B newsletter in the winter of 1996, the firm started off with “Corel Word Perfect 7.0 and Microsoft Windows installed on three PCs and two laptops; two laser printers; Savin 9600 copy machine; postage meter; one facsimile machine; phone system with voicemail and cost accounting procedures; scanner with sheet feeder; and of course—the office pen.”

“That first year was scary,” Clay recalls. “We no longer had the safety nets associated with a large organization—health care, steady paycheck, rent, utilities, and overhead being paid for by someone else. We had to pay the rent, buy the office supplies, make payroll, and advance costs to clients.”

However, at the end of their first year in business, the attorneys and staff at the fledgling firm had faith in their future and each other. The firm moved to newer office space on Roanoke Road in Westport and renamed itself to Rasmussen Barton & Willis to recognize the achievements of Randy Willis in developing the firm.

When George Barton left the firm to pursue a solo practice, the name changed again, with a couple of attorneys who stuck it out from the beginning—Clay and Steve—adding their names to the sign, becoming Rasmussen Willis Dickey & Moore.

Invitation to a 1998 open house at the office of Rasmussen, Barton, & Willis.
RDM founding member Kurt Rasmussen in the firm's early days.
Kurt Rasmussen in the early years.
Rasmussen Willis Dickey & Moore's former office at 9200 Ward Parkway in Kansas City.
RWDM’s office at 9200 Ward Parkway.
2006 Kansas City Business Journal photo of Kurt Rasmussen, Virginia Giokaris, Steve Moore, and Clay Dickey.

Into the New Millennium

By 2001, the firm had outgrown its Roanoke Road office and relocated to 9200 Ward Parkway, securing two floors of space and some creature comforts for the growing roster of attorneys and staff. Rasmussen Willis Dickey & Moore would operate from this location for the next 15 years.

Rasmussen Dickey Moore

RDM founding member Clay Dickey and retired secretary Anita Kuhn at RDM's 20th anniversary party.
Clay Dickey and retired secretary Anita Kuhn.

2016 was a year of many milestones. The firm, stronger than ever, celebrated its 20th anniversary. The firm relocated its Kansas City headquarters to the present office in the Holmes Corporate Center at 1001 East 101st Terrace.

Also in 2016, longtime partner Randy Willis retired. With that, the firm again changed its name and became Rasmussen Dickey Moore, or RDM, as we’re known today.

How Did We Get Here?

“Luck,” says Kurt. While luck certainly plays a role in the success of any business, most anyone at RDM will say there’s more to it than that.

“Our mantra for the past 25 years has been, ‘There is no substitute for hard work,’” says Steve. “Hard work pulled the firm through tremendously challenging times—9/11, client bankruptcies, market crashes, and the current pandemic. There is no real mystery to creating a successful law firm. The harder you work, the more successful you will be.”

RDM founding members Steve Moore and Clay Dickey.
Steve Moore (left) and Clay Dickey (right).

Clay reiterates the value of hard work. “What sets us apart is dedication to representing our clients with zeal. We have an ethical duty to be zealous in our representation. We should never allow our adversaries (and our competition) to out-work us. Our clients pay us well to represent them and we owe them nothing short of our best foot forward in every case.”

“I’m confident our clients see that we care more than most about thinking outside the box and creatively thinking about how best to succeed in a case that is tailored to the peculiar facts of any given challenge. We come to work each day with enthusiasm and a willingness to do the best job you can for our clients. They deserve nothing less.”

Behind the luck and the hard work, of course, are people. Dozens of present and past attorneys and staff have dedicated their day-to-day lives to providing exemplary work and quality service to our clients for 25 years and counting.

Despite the constant work, Anita Kuhn recalls, “we always stopped for people. We take a moment to reflect, we celebrate each other, and we take time to help each other.”

The Army National Guard Team Medal presented to Rasmussen Dickey Moore by Col. Chuck Blaschke, RDM paralegal.
The National Guard Team Medal presented to RDM by Col. Chuck Blaschke.

One notable example is when paralegal and National Guardsman Col. Chuck Blaschke was deployed to Iraq in the early 2000s. “The respect that Kurt and the firm had for me as a guardsman and soldier through two deployments was remarkable,” says Chuck. In return, Chuck presented the firm with the Army National Guard Team Medal as a thanks for the support shown while he was away serving the country.

Another paralegal, Teresa Tallman, has been with the firm for most of its existence, recently celebrating 22 years with RDM. She’s made her dedicated work with us a family affair, with her daughter Brittany Leonard also working at the firm as a paralegal.

“The people who deserve special recognition for the success of our law firm are our families,” adds Steve. “They were (and still are) the support system that have allowed us to make innumerable personal sacrifices that have resulted in a successful law firm. Our key to success has been and will always be a strong work ethic, and our families have made that possible.”

To the Future

Rasmussen Dickey Moore named to US News & World Report's Best Law Firms for 2022.

RDM has come a long way over 25 years, expanding to three offices in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Los Angeles. However, our commitment to our core values—dedication, flexibility, and value—have always stayed the same. And while we’ve grown, we still acknowledge the importance of maintaining a lean, efficient organization to be able to provide top-tier service to our clients nationwide at an extraordinary value.

Recently, RDM was recognized in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best Law Firmsfor our work in products liability defense, mass torts defense, and franchise law. Kurt Rasmussen, Clay Dickey, and Joseph Dioszeghy have been once again named to the Best Lawyers list. And Kurt Rasmussen and Steve Moore were listed as 2022 Super Lawyers in products liability defense.

We’re immensely grateful for the opportunity to serve our clients, whether it be from day one of a case or down to the wire before trial. Our attorneys and staff are eager to demonstrate our dedication and attention to detail that have set us apart over the last 25 years.  

Hosts of the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend.

For over a decade, Rasmussen Dickey Moore has sponsored Big Slick, a fun-packed weekend featuring Kansas City native celebrities supporting Children’s Mercy. RDM’s support of Big Slick began with founding member Clay Dickey’s personal experience with Children’s Mercy.

Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO.

Children’s Mercy

In 2009, Clay’s nephew Quinton was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at just one year old. Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that most often affects children under five, and Quinton’s diagnosis was dire. However, after spending a year under the world-renowned care of Children’s Mercy, Quinton has been in remission for over 13 years.

Children’s Mercy was founded in 1897 by two sisters: Alice Berry Graham, a dentist, and Katharine Berry Richardson, a surgeon. Already pioneers as female doctors in the 19th century, the Berry sisters began their work with sick and poor children by renting beds and treating the children in small hospitals, as no hospital would directly admit them to practice medicine. Since then, Children’s Mercy has since grown into a top-tier network of hospitals, specialty clinics, and research institutes based in the Kansas City area.

Hosts of the Big Slick collect funds for Children's Mercy.

Big Slick

Around the same time that Quinton was at Children’s Mercy, the concept for Big Slick was coming together. Actor and comedian Rob Riggle, a native of Overland Park, Kansas, Shawnee Mission South High graduate, and University of Kansas alum, planned to host a poker tournament to raise funds for Children’s Mercy. He reached out to a few of his other celebrity friends from the Kansas City area for help.

Actor Paul Rudd also grew up in the Kansas City area, attending Shawnee Mission West High School and KU. His mother Gloria, a volunteer at Children’s Mercy, encouraged her celebrity son to help with the fundraiser. Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis, also an Overland Park native and Shawnee Mission West grad, signed on to help as well. The three went on to recruit additional celebrities, family, and friends to help put together the tournament on a shoestring budget. The first Big Slick Celebrity Weekend and poker tournament at Harrah’s Casino in Kansas City in 2010 raised nearly $100,000 for Children’s Mercy.

Big Slick host Rob Riggle with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a Children's Mercy patient.

Over the last decade, Big Slick has grown to include bowling tournaments, celebrity softball games, and wild entertainment from Riggle, Rudd, and Sudeikis. Kansas City, Kansas Native Eric Stonestreet and mid-Missourian David Koechner have also joined as hosts of Big Slick. Additional guests have included Will Ferrell, Selena Gomez, Will Forte, Adam Scott, and a number of Kansas City athletes including Patrick Mahomes and Eric Hosmer. From humble beginnings, Big Slick now raises over $2 million every year.

RDM founding members Kurt Rasmussen, Clay Dickey, and their families bowling with actor Adam Scott during the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend.
RDM founding members Kurt Rasmussen and Clay Dickey, along with their families, friends, and actor Adam Scott at the Big Slick bowling tournament.

RDM Sponsors Big Slick

Since the inception of Big Slick, RDM and founding members Clay Dickey and Kurt Rasmussen have sponsored the event. Clay’s personal experience with Children’s Mercy makes the cause a natural fit, and the fact that it’s a lot of fun certainly doesn’t hurt. RDM is a Gold Sponsor of Big Slick 2021.

RDM's collection of Big Slick memorabilia.

Big Slick strives to keep costs as low as possible to maximize the effectiveness of sponsorships and donations, allowing Children’s Mercy to provide cutting-edge therapies and innovative treatments from expert pediatric specialists. After a previous Big Slick event, a Children’s Mercy doctor reached out to Clay to demonstrate the value of the sponsorship: the dollars donated were directly used to fund a teenager’s life-saving blood transfusions and drug therapy.

Normally, Big Slick plays to packed-in crowds at Kauffman Stadium or the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. With the COVID-19 pandemic not fully subsided, the celebrities presented an original online production in 2021—the Big Slick Virtually Talented Show. Sponsors hosted small watch parties, including Clay and Kurt hosting a gathering for family, friends, and coworkers on Saturday, June 12th.

RDM's office in Kansas City, MO.

Rasmussen Dickey Moore is proud to announce our ranking on the 2021 U.S. News & World Report–Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list!

Best Law Firms - Standard Badge.500w.png

Of course, our clients already know that RDM is among the best law firms providing nationwide coverage for not only products liability and toxic torts, but also insurance law, environmental law, commercial litigation, and much more.

RDM delivers unparalleled dedication, flexibility, and value to our clients. Our attorneys have the extensive experience, industry knowledge, and personalized attention you need when facing product liability or toxic tort claims. We can handle your case from the day it is filed or when you’re on the courtroom steps headed to trial.

Get the best.

RDM has won awards, but our true measure of success is the respect we’ve earned from our clients, our colleagues, and our opponents. Trust our reputation for dedicated service at a great value.

Contact RDM

An empty courtroom.

The best trial counsel is well prepared and open for improvement. At Rasmussen Dickey Moore we pride ourselves on continuously looking for innovative ways to improve our trial expertise.

Recently a member of our team went to the Defense Research Institute‘s Trial Tactics Seminar in Las Vegas, attending sessions ranging from jury selection to selecting expert witnesses. This event allowed our firm to be on the cutting-edge of trial preparation and defense for trial. From this event we learned new strategies to best support and defend our clients.

We know how important it is to be prepared for trial. RDM is known for its unparalleled attention to detail on every one of our cases. We bring focus and dedication to your case. We’re always seeking new methods and knowledge to add to our arsenal of skills and experience.

What’s your strategy?

When you’re facing a trial, you need to have a plan. Kurt Rasmussen and the team at RDM can make sure you’re prepared to enter the courtroom.

More about Trial Tactics

Gavel.

Rasmussen Dickey Moore’s trial victory for Lincoln Electric and Hobart Brothers in Laningham v. Hobart Brothers and Lincoln Electric was named as a “2017 Top 5 Defense Verdict” by Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Partners Kurt Rasmussen and Dyanna Ballou and associate Justin Ijei represented Hobart Brothers and Lincoln Electric in a jury trial in Jackson County, Missouri in May 2017.

On January 26th, the team was honored at the Missouri Lawyers Weekly luncheon at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark in St. Louis, Missouri.

RDM delivers results.

RDM has the skills and experience to see your case through to the end.

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