Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered

Profile

“That was a Perry Mason moment!” one juror recently exclaimed in reaction to the point in Dan Monnat’s cross-examination that compelled the jury to find his client not guilty of all charges. Such spectacular moments have filled Monnat’s 32-year legal career. Whether he’s winning a not-guilty verdict for a white collar client within the first minutes of trial, or winning acquittals for clients in first-degree murder trials and other complex cases—these are the moments for his clients that enable Monnat to awaken daily at 4:30 a.m., hit the office and do it again.

Passion and preparation personify Monnat. He brings these unwavering qualities to each case, because, “it’s what the client deserves,” he says. “Someone who really cares. Someone who is willing to do the hard work and stand with them during the darkest moments of their lives.”

Twenty-three years ago, Monnat teamed with legal scholar Stan Spurrier to form Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered, a law firm focused on criminal defense. Today the firm has six lawyers and one overriding philosophy: cases are won with passionate argument in the courtroom, backed by rigorous legal scholarship and meticulous preparation. For every lawyer who appears in the courtroom, there is generally one in the office, poring over case law and developing cutting-edge legal strategies.

The firm’s winning reputation for criminal defense is widely known through media coverage of Monnat’s tenacious representation of accountants, children, clergy, doctors, lawyers, law enforcement officers, teachers, and the unfortunate person whose home was raided by police who mistakenly thought it belonged to BTK.

An accomplished author and public speaker, Monnat’s articles have been featured in numerous legal publications, and he travels throughout the country lecturing on criminal defense strategies and juror psychology.

Monnat has served on the board of directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and has been selected as a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. In 2007, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius appointed him to the Kansas Sentencing Commission. In addition to his inclusion on the Top 100 list in Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers®, he has been listed for more than a decade in The Best Lawyers in America.