History
Thomas K. Riley was born and raised in Fulton, Missouri. Riley graduated with a major in history from Westminster College, Cum Laude.
After graduation, Riley attended law school at one of the nation's pre-eminent law schools, Washington and Lee, of Lexington, Virginia. Riley was a member of, and author for, the Washington and Lee Law Review. He was subsequently inducted into law's most prestigious honorary society, the Order of the Coif. Tom graduated 3rd in his class, Magna Cum Laude.
During breaks in law school, Riley served as an intern to the Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court and worked for a firm serving Virginia and Washington, D.C.
After graduation, but before entering private practice, Riley served as law clerk for the Hon. Ann K. Covington on the Missouri Supreme Court.
Riley joined the firm in 1998 and established a practice in complex transactional work in estate planning, real estate, business, and governmental practice. Tom Riley's practice also emphasizes complex civil litigation in these same areas.
In estate planning, Riley drafts documents ranging from simple powers of attorney and wills to complex credit shelter and QTIP trusts, Family Limited Partnerships, Crummey trusts, Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts, Business Succession Plans, and comprehensive estate-tax plans for mutli-million dollar estates and businesses. Riley's work in estate planning has resulted in invitations to speak and write on estate planning topics for the Missouri Bar, including writing the general estate planning chapter of the Missouri Bar's Estate Planning Deskbook and an article in the Journal of the Missouri Bar on trusts and the Missouri Uniform Trust Code [MUTC Article].
Riley's work in real estate includes representing the majority of realtors, the leading bank, and all the title companies in Callaway County. His work in real estate has included creating subdivisions, commercial developments, landfill and utility agreements, and hundreds of successfully resolved lawsuits. Riley is a frequent lecturer for the Missouri Bar symposiums on real estate law and is the author of a Chapter in the Missouri Bar's deskbook for attorneys on Real Estate Law [Real Estate Partition Article].
Riley's related experience in business transactions and litigation includes creating corporations and LLC's; drafting complex financing contracts, buy-sell agreements, business sales, and a wide range of corporate and contractual litigation. Riley authored an article for Missouri Lawyer's weekly on drafting contracts in light of litigation risk [Missouri Lawyer's Weekly Article] and assisted the Missouri Bar in creating a new deskbook on contractual issues while authoring the chapter on litigating breach of contract claims [Breach of Contract Chapter]. Some of Riley's business clients include The Callaway Bank, Ovid Bell Press, Backer Potato Chip Company, Mertens Quarries, Boyd & Boyd, Inc., Gasper-Atkinson, Truck Plaza, Christensen Construction, and dozens of other corporations throughout Mid-Missouri. Riley also serves on the Board of Directors for Backer Potato Chip Company and the Board of Advisors for The Callaway Bank.
Tom Riley's concentration in these related areas, involvement in state government, and proximity to the capitol has led to the development of an extensive practice in governmental law, from representing municipalities, to drafting proposed legislation, to filing suit against state agencies on behalf of individuals, businesses, and trade associations [Intergovernmental Cooperation and Conflict] Riley's clients include the Missouri Association of Councils of Government, the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission, the Missouri Sheriff's Association, the Missouri Fire Marshall's Association, the Cities of Fulton and Mokane, Missouri, and trade associtions from the Missouri Assisted Living Association to the Missouri Hotel-Motel Association, as well as the lobbying firm of Gamble and Schlemeier.
Riley also has successfully litigated hundreds of lawsuits and participated in both mediation and complex binding arbitrations. He has secured more than a dozen settlements for his clients in excess of $100,000 including one $325,000.00 settlement and one $700,000.00 settlement within the last year. Riley has also obtained numerous judgments over six figures including a wrongful death judgment of $4,580,000.*
In terms of civic responsibilities, Riley has been recognized for his continual efforts for civic and charitable improvement for nearly a decade. In addition to providing hundreds of hours of pro-bono work for churches, charities, and needy individuals, Riley has served as President of the Callaway County Chamber of Commerce; President of the Board of Directors of the Fulton Area Development Corporation; and President of the Fulton College Board of Associates Riley has also been a Director for the University Extension Council, the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society, and the YMCA of Callaway County, while providing legal services for SERVE and dozens of other public charities.
*Past results afford no guarantee of future results and every case is different and must be judged on its own merits. *Past results afford no guarantee of future results and every case is different and must be judged on its own merits.
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