Lucas J. Ude
636-798-0583 | lude@wwbhlaw.com
Overview
Lucas Ude is a trial lawyer that concentrates his trial practice in defending his clients in high stakes and complex class actions, insurance coverage and insurance bad faith litigation. Lucas has been involved in defending his clients in matters involving alleged damages in the high eight figures including several matters that involved damages in the $20,000,000 to $50,000,000 range. He has successfully defended clients in lawsuits throughout Missouri, Illinois and Kansas and successfully represented clients in the filing of Declaratory Judgments and Interpleader actions to obtain timely resolutions of contested coverage and damage issues. The foundation of his success is his thorough preparation and straight forward approach both in the court room and in recognizing and briefing dispositive legal issues involved in complex litigation.
As a result of his success and professional experience in the area of insurance coverage and bad faith, he is retained by insurance carriers to represent and advise them in all stages of pre-suit claim handling and litigation, including claims involving coverage disputes, bad faith liability and extra contractual exposure. In a recent complex class action filed in the United States Eastern District Court, Missouri, Lucas obtained a dismissal of the action by filing a comprehensive summary judgment on the substantive underlying legal issues, effectively ending the multimillion-dollar class action when the plaintiff dismissed the case.
In addition to his work in the court room, Lucas has successfully represented insurers, private companies and individuals in high-stakes and complex appeals at the Appellate level in both state courts and in the United States Circuit Court of Appeals. He is routinely involved in briefing and arguing matters before the Appellate Courts. Lucas also represents clients in high stakes arbitrations involving class action, insurance coverage, bad faith and construction defect matters.
Regardless of the venue or forum, Lucas has developed a strong reputation for aggressively defending his clients in any adversarial proceeding and his clients know that Lucas will be working hard to defend their interests by thoroughly preparing the case for trial, arbitration or on appeal.
In representing his clients, Lucas routinely provides presentations to keep his clients updated on the latest legal developments in their fields and provides numerous seminars for various clients and companies in working to keep his clients apprised of updates to the law in the areas in which they operate.
Recent Results
Obtained Dismissal of Multi-Million Dollar Class Action Lawsuit involving $16,000,000 potential exposure
In 2022, Tim Wolf and Lucas Ude secured a dismissal with prejudice of a class action against his client. The plaintiff sought to have a class certified based on the theory that their insurer client had incorrectly paid a loss involving sales tax and a …
Obtained Appellate Decision for Insurer – “Other Insurance” Clause
In 2022, following a trial in the state court, Russ Watters and his partner, Lucas Ude, prevailed in the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, when the Appellate Court affirmed the trial court’s verdict and judgment that Nationwide Insurance Com …
Court Upholds Household Liability Exclusion Saving carrier $250,000
In 2022, Russ Watters and his partner, Lucas Ude, obtained a trial judgment for their client on the issue of a policy exclusion for injuries sustained by resident relatives under the auto liability policy. The accident at issue occurred while insureds …
Obtained Judgment on behalf of Insurer in Coverage Class Action involving potential damage in excess of $100,000,000
In 2021, Tim Wolf and Lucas Ude obtained summary judgment on behalf of an insurance company client in a complex class-action case in which the plaintiffs challenged their client’s subrogation practices throughout the state of Missouri for the past seve …
Past Results
- Nationwide Insurance Company of America v. Matthew Six, No. WD84631, Cass County Mo. No. 18CA-CC00932 (June 2022). Successfully represented national insurance carrier with respect to enforcement of “Other Insurance” provision of underinsured motorist coverage section at both trial and appellate level confirming that the insurer did not owe $250,000.00 in UIM coverage for the claim at issue.
- Travis Geist, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, v. Grinnell Select Insurance Company, June 21, 2022, U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri, 4:22-cv-00443 (June 2022). Successfully secured a dismissal with prejudice of a purported class member’s claims against their client where the plaintiff sought to have a class certified based on the theory that the insurer had incorrectly paid a loss involving sales tax and a total loss vehicle.
- Lara Pyatt, et al., v. Rebecca Schales, et al (March 31, 2022), Circuit Court of Callaway County, Missouri, Case No. 20CW-CV01117. Successfully represented national insurer at bench trial where parties disputed applicability of policy exclusion for injuries sustained by resident relatives or insureds under auto liability policy confirming that insurer had correctly determined that the additional $250,000.00 being sought was not owed under the policy.
- White Knight Diner, et al., v. Owners Insurance Company, Inc., United States District Court Eastern District of Missouri, 4:17-cv-02406-MTS, 2021WL3286821 (August 2021). Obtained summary judgment on behalf of an insurance company client in a complex class-action case in which the plaintiffs challenged the insurer’s subrogation practices throughout the state of Missouri for the past several years potentially impacting many thousands of claims.
- Arbitration Proceeding (July 2020). Successfully defended claims in excess of $10 million being asserted against waterproofing contractor client in a multi-week arbitration proceeding involving complex construction liability claims.
- Bunge v. Dever Electric, St. Louis County Circuit Court, 17SL-C03884, (September 2018). Obtained summary judgment on behalf of small electrical contractor being sued by global company seeking millions in alleged damages. Successfully argued statute of limitations defense by virtue of Missouri Borrowing Statute.
- Daniel Baumhoff v. Farmers Insurance Company, Inc., United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri (August 2018). Obtained summary judgment on behalf of national insurer in case upholding exclusionary provisions of underinsured motorist coverage section of auto policy.
- McDonald v. GEICO Gen. Ins. Co., United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, 2015 WL 4393880 (July 2015). Obtained summary judgment on behalf of national insurer in case upholding exclusionary provisions of underinsured motorist coverage section of auto policy and defeating stacking arguments asserted by claimant.
- North Creek Village Homeowners Association v. Andrew Hendrix, Platte County Circuit Court, 12AE-CV02094-01 (December 2014). Successfully secured dismissal of claims for MMPA violations and Fraud in the Inducement of Contract based on statute of limitations grounds, followed by case being dismissed in its entirety just months after this order was entered in client’s favor.
Professional Affiliations
- The Missouri Bar
- Illinois Bar Association
Speaking Engagements
- Presenter, "Can You Spare Some Change? The Application of Recent Statutory Changes in Missouri," Brown & James General Defense & Insurance Law Symposium, January 2022
- Presenter, "Bad Faith and Missouri: Current Trends and Observations," Brown & James Insurance Law & General Defense Symposium, January 2021
Practices
Education
- Saint Louis University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2013)
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (B.S., with honors, Political Science, 2008)
Bar Admissions
- Missouri
- Illinois
- Kansas
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois