Jeff is an Equity Shareholder of Sandberg Phoenix, a member of the firm’s three-person Executive Committee and former leader of the firm’s Health Care Services practice group. In all of these roles, Jeff has helped lead the firm’s growth to nearly 350 employees and 200 lawyers while building Sandberg Phoenix’s industry-leading culture. Sandberg Phoenix has been named a St. Louis Business Journal’s Best Places to Work finalist each of the six years since Jeff was elected to the Executive Committee.
Jeff’s practice is focused on providing practical business and risk mitigation solutions to the healthcare industry.
The ever-changing healthcare regulatory and business environment creates both risk and opportunity. Jeff’s healthcare clients seek his leadership, advice, and judgment to successfully navigate uncertain waters. Beginning in law school, when he was elected president of the Health Law Society and continuing throughout his 25 years of legal practice, Jeff has focused on serving the needs of the healthcare industry.
Jeff is looked to as a healthcare industry leader, having led Lutheran Senior Services as Chairman of the Board from 2019-2023 and serving as the Extramural Executive Liaison to the Center for Innovation in Neurotechnology, a division of the Department of Neurology for the Washington University School of Medicine since 2022. In that role he has worked with faculty and entrepreneurs to start up two early stage Neurotechnology companies: Aurenar, Inc. and Inflexion Vascular, LLC .
Health Care
Throughout his career, Jeff has represented a wide range of health care clients including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, life plan communities, surgical centers, medical laboratories, physician groups, regenerative medical providers, mid-level providers and allied health professionals.
A substantial portion of his practice concentrates on providing solutions and litigation support for the firm’s healthcare clients. Jeff has successfully defended hundreds of nursing home matters in litigation in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and New Mexico and has appeared before the Illinois Department of Public Health and Missouri Department of Senior Services representing clients in administrative hearings. He has authored comprehensive admission agreements for multi-state skilled care providers and an article on the Illinois Supreme Court’s lifting of restrictions on the filing of lawsuits under the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act. He has also served as National Coordinating Counsel for a multi-state long-term care provider.
Litigation
Jeff is actively involved in all aspects of litigation from investigation through trial. He has represented clients in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa state court, as well as federal court in Missouri and Illinois. He has represented clients in mediations, arbitrations and state and Federal administrative hearings.
Since joining Sandberg Phoenix in 2001, Jeff has represented numerous consumer product manufacturers in state and federal litigation, focusing on consumer product liability and fire related suits. He has also represented product manufacturers in claims involving factories, dust explosions, television line cords, surge suppressors, extension cords, power saws, premises liability and benzene.
Jeff has served as national counsel for a consumer product manufacturer , overseeing and managing their litigation across North America.
Business
A portion of Jeff’s practice is dedicated to managing risk and providing advice for his corporate and healthcare clients. Jeff provides consulting advice, business plan counseling, strategic planning and risk mitigation.
Core Values Initiative
In 2013, Jeff started the Sandberg Phoenix Core Values Initiative. The campaign codifies and celebrates the six core values that make Sandberg Phoenix’s culture so great. By weaving our core values into every aspect of what we do, our members are constantly reminded of what is truly important. It all begins with Core Value #1: We Put People First.
Through the program, Sandberg Phoenix awards Monthly “Values Champions”, builds training programs and outlines recruiting objectives to ensure Sandberg only hires new team members who live our values.
Since implementing the Core Values Initiative, Jeff has written articles and spoken nationally about company culture and core values. His article for the Network of Trial Law Firms on the importance of developing company culture can be viewed here, The Lead Domino: The Exponential Impact of Improving Company Culture.
You can learn more about the initiative and Sandberg Phoenix’s Core Values, the Sandberg Phoenix Firm Culture Initiative and our Values Champions here.
Dalbey v. Heartland Regional Medical Center. Complete defense verdict, after a nine-day jury trial, for a regional medical center and ER physician against a $9.1M claim of failure to diagnose and timely treat a patient, causing a massive stroke rending the plaintiff permanently disabled. Missouri Lawyer's Weekly ranked the verdict as the #3 "Top Defense Verdict" in Missouri in 2019.
Menschik v. Heartland Regional Medical Center. Complete defense verdict, after an eight day jury trial, for a regional medical center and three physicians against a $10M claim for failure to diagnose and timely treat a patient, rendering plaintiff a functional quadriplegic with neurological impairment. The verdict ranked as the Missouri Lawyer's Weekly #8 "Top Defense Win" in 2015.
Schwab v. Rosewood. Defended a nursing home in Madison County, IL against a claim that a resident fell, resulting in an injury and surgery. Plaintiff ‘s counsel sought $1M, and the jury awarded just over $58,000.
Welch Products v. Cumberland Engineering. Two week product liability Jury Trial in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (2004) over the explosion of a tire recycling plant.
Defense Research Institute
Illinois State Bar Association
Madison County Bar Association
Missouri Bar Association
Professional Liability Defense Federation
From 2009 - 2017, Jeff was Practice Group Leader for the firm's health law practice group.
Jeff chaired the Sandberg Phoenix Recruiting Committee for five years and served as the firm’s Mentoring Program Chair and Technology Committee Chair. He has also served as a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee, Associate Development Board, Summer Associate Committee and numerous additional firm committees and task forces.
Currently, he serves on the firm’s Practice Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and Compensation Committee.
Since 2013, Jeff has lead the firm’s “Core Values” Committee and Firm Culture Initiative program, focusing on strengthening the firm’s culture.
J.D., Saint Louis University School of Law
• Jeff served as President of the Health Law Association and winner of the school’s moot court competition. He was also awarded the Dowd Award for Appellate Advocacy.
B.A. with a double major in Speech Communication and Political Science, University of Illinois
Illinois
Iowa
Missouri
United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
Lutheran Senior Services
2019 - 2023: Chair of the Board
2015 - Present: Board of Directors
Aurenar, Inc.
2023- Present: Founder, Director
2023: Founder, Chief Executive Officer
Inflexion Vascular, LLC
2022- Present: Founder, Member
Concordia Foundation
2011 - 2014: Board President
2008 - 2014: Board of Directors
Manor Grove - A 117 bed not-for-profit, skilled nursing facility in Kirkwood, Missouri
2009 - 2010: Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee
2006 - 2010: Board of Directors
Voices for Children - A not-for-profit providing volunteer advocates and legal services for abused and neglected children in the City of St. Louis
2005 - 2014: Board of Directors
2007 - 2011: Executive Committee, General Counsel and Governance Committee Chairman
2007 - 2008: Board President
Panelist, "Gateway to Success: A Young Lawyer's Guide to Successfully Navigating Your Organization," American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division CLE
“Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word: Using Effective Contrition Techniques to Mitigate Exposure,” 2013 Professional Liability Defense Federation Annual Meeting
“There’s an App for That: Effectively Using Technology in a Long Term Care Case,” American Conference Institute – 3rd Annual Forum on Preventing and Defending Long Term Care Litigation, Miami, Florida
“Lien on Me: Handling, Reporting and Negotiating the Medicare Lien Maze,” St. Louis Paralegal Day, Missouri Athletic Club, St. Louis, Missouri
“HIPAA, Social Media and Assisted Living,” Missouri Assisted Living Association Annual Meeting, The Chateau, Branson, Missouri
“Social Media and the Nursing Home Setting,” Missouri Health Care Association
Jeff has lectured in several states on topics facing the long-term care industry, including legislative changes, risk management, effective charting, event handling and HIPAA.
He has spoken at Saint Louis University’s law school and lectures on the effective use of technology at trial, and recently lectured about the practice of litigation to members of the graduating class.
He also recently presented on the proliferation of the class action lawsuit to a metropolitan legal group.
Co-author, “The Interlocutory Appeal of Class Certification: Illinois Amends Rule 306,” Illinois State Bar Association Journal (May 2003)
“With the Future of Federal Law Uncertain, Health Care Law Continues to Grow,” Missouri Lawyers Weekly (March 20, 2017)
“Stop Anti-Arbitration Rule for Nursing Homes Group Demands in Federal Suit Against HHS,” Bloomberg BNA’s Health Law Reporter (2016)
“CMS Pre-Dispute Arbitration Contract Ban Likely to Garner Compliance, Legal Challenge,” Bloomberg BNA’s Health Law Reporter (2016)
“Rule Barring Arbitration in Nursing Home Contracts Will Face Legal Tests, Lawyers Say,” Law.com (September 29, 2016)
“Table of Experts: Health Care Partners,” St. Louis Business Journal (July 15, 2016)
“Table of Experts: Health Care Discussion,” St. Louis Business Journal (February 11, 2016)