Husch Blackwell Partners Cynthia L. Cordes of Kansas City, Mo., and Christine F. Miller of St. Louis, Mo., have again been named among the 2015 Benchmark Litigation Top 250 Women in Litigation. They are two of only six women selected in the state of Missouri, with Husch Blackwell being the only firm with more than one Missouri honoree. Miller has been named to the list since the honor commenced in 2012, and Cordes was first named to the list last year. The select list recognizes leading female trial lawyers from across the country determined by factors including peer review and career history.
Cordes is a nationally recognized former federal prosecutor and leader in complex criminal litigation. During her years with the U.S. Department of Justice, Cynthia spearheaded and led a multiagency task force of more than 20 federal and state law enforcement agencies and 60 non-profits. Today, Cordes represents those who find themselves under criminal and civil investigation by the federal and state governments and leads internal investigations and government compliance for companies. She was selected as the 2014 Lawyer of the Year by Missouri Lawyers Weekly, a 2014 Most Influential Woman by KC Magazine, and the 2013 Crime Victims’ Rights Act Champion by the U.S. Department of Justice. Cordes is a member of the firm’s Government Compliance, Investigations & Litigation group and the Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation team, and also leads the firm’s Human Trafficking Compliance practice group and Human Trafficking Legal Clinic. Cordes explains more about the firm’s efforts in these areas via Husch Blackwell’s Human Trafficking Compliance video. Cordes prosecuted the most human trafficking cases of any Assistant U.S. Attorney in the country, which involved some of the most complex and contested prosecutions on behalf of the Department.
Miller is an accomplished trial lawyer and persuasive negotiator, having tried and won more than 50 jury trials in state and federal courts across the country. She is a member of the Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation industry group and has resolved lawsuits that sought tens of millions of dollars involving manufactured products. Miller is known for communicating complex evidence in ways that achieve maximum trial advantage for her clients – whether negotiating a resolution before trial begins, shutting down a case in its earliest stages or conveying a convincing defense in the courtroom. Among her many accolades, Miller has been named a Benchmark Litigation Local Litigation Star every year since 2010, is listed among The Best Lawyers in America, was named a 2013 Best Lawyer by St. Louis Magazine, and in 2010 she received the Trial Practitioner Award from Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Miller is also a member of the firm’s partner board and chair of the firm’s diversity council, and a former member of the firm’s executive board.
Benchmark Litigation identifies the leading U.S. trial attorneys and firms at the local and national levels. Focused exclusively on the U.S. litigation market, the publication’s rankings and editorials are the result of extensive interviews with private practice lawyers and in-house counsel.