Overview
Tyler J. Finnegan is a trial lawyer that has successfully defended his clients by implementing a trial strategy from day one of his representation. Mr. Finnegan utilizes the trial lawyer’s mindset to not only deliver favorable jury verdicts, but also in negotiating settlements and dismissals. As Mr. Finnegan’s entire career has been focused on litigation, he has taken and defended over a thousand depositions of witnesses and experts. With over 14 years of litigation experience, Mr. Finnegan understands what it takes to try and win cases. As an example, Tyler and his partner, David Bub, recently took over a case that had already been tried and resulted in a large jury judgment against their client. Tyler and David appealed that judgment and won an Appellate court reversal of that judgement sending the case back to the trial court. At the second trial, a jury rendered a judgment fifteen times smaller than the original judgment that had been entered originally when tried by the previous law firm that had represented the client.
Mr. Finnegan defends both companies and individuals in a variety of civil matters, with an emphasis on complex personal injury, trucking and transportation, product defect, premises liability, business disputes, and insurance litigation. Mr. Finnegan has obtained favorable results representing clients involved in litigation throughout Missouri and Illinois and he, along with his partner David Bub, have saved their clients millions of dollars in claimed damages. He advises and represents clients through all phases of the claims and litigation process, including pre-suit evaluation, discovery, trial, and post-trial motions, and his early proactive approach obtains favorable results in both the early stages of a claim as well as in trial.
He has been named a “Super Lawyer” in Personal Injury Defense by Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers, in addition to being recognized by Benchmark Litigation and Best Lawyers.
Recent Results
Two Large Exposure Trials Result in Favorable Verdicts for Defendant Spire Missouri Inc.
In two jury trials in the City of St. Louis three months apart, the trial team of Irene Marusic and Tyler Finnegan obtained two major wins for Spire Missouri Inc. involving clear liability in two unrelated vehicle collisions with the plaintiffs in both …
Court of Appeals Upholds Summary Judgment in Favor of Property Owners Effectively Ending Bollards Litigation in Missouri
The Eastern District Court of Appeals for Missouri recently upheld summary judgment in the nationally watched wrongful death case of Simmons v. Keat Properties, LLC, 717 S.W.3d 259 (Mo. Ct. App. 2025). The Simmons case involved the tragic death of a re …
Defense of Property Owner and Management Company in High Exposure Case Results in Favorable Verdict
In the age of nuclear verdicts, Partner Tyler Finnegan recently defended a large local developer/property owner and a property management company in a premises liability case over damages in a trial before a St. Louis City jury. As one of the Plaintiff …
Court Finds No Coverage In Underinsured Motorist Dispute
In a case involving a complicated choice of law issue David Bub, Tyler Finnegan, and Augustus Hayes recently obtained summary judgment for their client, Cincinnati Insurance Company, on a UIM policy issued in Virginia to the plaintiff’s employer. Plain …
Professional Affiliations
- Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers
- CLM
Awards & Achievements
- Best Lawyers - Insurance Law (2026, 2027)
- MO Lawyers Media - Up & Coming Awards Honoree (2024)
- Benchmark Litigation - Rising Star (2024, 2025, 2026)
- Super Lawyers: Personal Injury General Defense (2024, 2025, 2026)
- Super Lawyers Rising Star (2023)
Speaking Engagements
- Presenter, "Beheading the Snake." Watters Wolf Bub Hansmann Trial & Insurance Symposium, February 2026
- Presenter, "Picking the Right 12", The Gavel National Conference, May 2025
- Presenter, "It's Back! Attorney Directed Care Take II", Watters Wolf Bub Hansmann Trial & Insurance Symposium, February 2025
- Presenter, "JD vs. MD: When the Claimant's Attorney is Directing Medical Care," The Gavel Claims Convention, May 2024
- Presenter, "How Non-Economic Damages are Driving Verdicts - How to Defend Against Them," Watters Wolf Bub Hansmann Trial & Insurance Symposium, February 2024
- Presenter, "JD vs. MD: When the Claimant's Attorney is Directing Medical Care," Fortune 500, February 2023
- Presenter, "JD vs. MD: When the Claimant's Attorney is Directing Medical Care," Watters Wolf Bub Hansmann Trial and Insurance Symposium, January 2023
- Presenter, "Can I Get a Witness: Working with Expert Witnesses from the Initial Claim through Litigation," Brown & James General Defense & Insurance Law Symposium, January 2022
- Presenter, "Examining Neck and Back Claims: Identifying Soft Tissue vs. Surgical Cases," Brown & James Insurance Law & General Defense Symposium, January 2020
- Presenter, "Can I Get a Lyft? Is Your Side-Hustle Covered?" Brown & James General Defense and Insurance Law Symposium, January 2019
Practices
Education
- Saint Louis University (J.D., Health Law Certificate, 2012)
- University of Missouri-Columbia (B.S., History, magna cum laude, 2008)
- Phi Beta Kappa (2008 - Present)
Bar Admissions
- Missouri
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
