Personal Quote
"I strive to provide the vision and value necessary to accomplish the goals of clients and colleagues."
Biography
Jonathan Ries is a senior shareholder and a founding member of Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard.
Jonathan has successfully litigated hundreds of cases in the federal and state courts of Missouri and Illinois. He has tried more than 30 major civil jury trials in a wide range of substantive areas including malpractice, products liability, contracts, business torts, franchise law and distributor disputes.
Jonathan’s current practice is concentrated in the defense of health care malpractice, product liability, and personal injury litigation, particularly in the defense of catastrophic injury cases. He also maintains a significant posture in business litigation matters. He is trial counsel for many leading community and teaching hospitals, physicians, and business interests in the bi-state area, as well as various nationally based insurance and business organizations for litigation in the states of Missouri and Illinois.
Jonathan has served as advocate in more than 75 serious cases at mediation. He was recently certified as a trained mediator by the Washington University School of Law, and is available to serve as a neutral in alternative dispute resolution.
Jonathan has been named as one of the best trial attorneys in the country by Best Lawyers in America for the past five, consecutive years. He is currently listed by Best Lawyers in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Medical Malpractice Law, and Product Liability Litigation. Jonathan has also been listed in the Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and has been named to the Top 50 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers in the St. Louis area.
Practice Groups
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Products Liability
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Health Law
Industries/Areas of Practice
- Physicians
- Hospitals
- Transportation
- Manufacturing
- Nursing Homes
- Consumer Products
Civic Activities
Jonathan has served as a presenter or key-note speaker, primarily on subjects relating to trial advocacy and malpractice litigation for a wide range of business and professional groups and organizations. He has also been involved in community activities, serving as an officer and board member of various charitable organizations.
Professional Activities
Jonathan is admitted to practice in the federal and state courts of Missouri and Illinois, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.
He is a member of the Missouri and Illinois State Bar Associations, the American Bar Association, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the Lawyers' Association of St. Louis and The Women Lawyers' Association of Greater St. Louis.
Education
Jonathan earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame in 1974.
He attended Duke University and the University of Manchester, England, earning his B.A. from Duke University in 1971.