Gary Justis is an attorney with over 30 years of experience and the founder of The Justis Law Firm LLC. Gary was born in Durango, Colorado, and raised in Farmington, New Mexico. After completing high school in Farmington, New Mexico, he obtained his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1987, where he was also a three-year starter for the MU football team from 1984-86. Gary also obtained his J.D. from the University of Missouri in 1991, where he served for the MU Law Review.
After receiving his law degree, Gary practiced with the law firm of Lathrop & Gage for 17 years. Gary became a partner at Lathrop & Gage in 1998. From 2008-11, Gary practiced with the law firm of Wagstaff & Cartmell. Gary’s niche environmental practice focuses primarily on multi-party Superfund sites across the United States. He focuses on the entire array of Superfund issues, from the development and negotiation of large multi-party de minimis and global allocations and settlements, negotiations with federal and state agencies and potentially responsible parties, cost-recovery and contribution litigation, and insurance recovery efforts (both negotiation and litigation). His other environmental experience includes litigation and regulatory work under RCRA, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and various other federal and state environmental regulatory regimes. Gary also has represented various clients in toxic tort lawsuits. He also has experience in several federal and state court products liability and personal injury cases and assists distressed homeowners in Missouri and Kansas.
Gary is admitted to practice in Colorado, Missouri, and Kansas. He is also admitted and regularly practices in numerous federal districts, including the Western District of Missouri, the District of Kansas, the Northern and Central District of Illinois, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Texas, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Circuits. He also practices pro hac vice in various other federal districts.
Gary’s professional affiliations include the Colorado, Missouri, and Kansas Bar Associations, and the American Bar Association (Environmental Section).
Gary continues to exercise regularly and enjoys all things outdoors in the “environment” including traveling, cycling, hiking, skiing, camping, and fishing. Gary also regularly participates in Climate Ride events around the world to raise money to promote climate change awareness and for environmental charities.