ATTORNEY JOHN B. BOYD
Of Counsel
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Workers’ Compensation
Labor Law and Litigation
Civil Litigation
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, 1971
University of Central Missouri
Juris Doctorate, December 1974
University of Missouri at Kansas City, School of Law
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Missouri Bar Association
Kansas Bar Association
Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys; past Vice President
Kansas Trial Lawyers Association
American Association for Justice Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group
National Academy of Social Insurance
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee
College of Workers Compensation Lawyers
National Football League Players Association
BAR ADMISSIONS
Missouri
Kansas
United States District Court – Western District of Missouri
United States District Court – District of Kansas
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
HONORS / AWARDS
*Rated “AV” (the highest rating possible) by Martindale-Hubbell
*Top 2 Lawyers to call if hurt at work – Missouri Lawyers’ Weekly – 2008
Top 100 Attorneys in Missouri and Kansas – 2007-present
Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers – 2005-present
President’s Award, MATA, June 2006
Lifetime Achievement Award – WILG, October 2010
*All peer reviewed, as voted by attorneys and judges
John Boyd founded the law firm in November 1983. Before that, he was a Missouri Workers’ Compensation judge. He accepted a temporary appointment by Governor Robert Holden to serve as Acting Chairman of the Labor & Industrial Relations Commission. Born, raised and educated in Sedalia, Missouri, John is a 1971 graduate of University of Central Missouri with a B.S. in Business Administration, and a December 1974 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree.
John is a Fellow in the inaugural class of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. He is a founding member, Past-President and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group, a national organization dedicated to representing the interests of millions of workers who suffer the consequences of workplace injury and occupational illnesses. Counsel to the Missouri AFL-CIO and several local unions, John is also a member of Super Lawyers in Missouri and the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) panel of workers’ compensation attorneys.
Concerning workers’ rights, John has lectured across the state, nationally, internationally; has testified before Missouri House and Senate committees; and has written extensively on the subject.
He and his wife, Linda, enjoy their four grandchildren, two rescued beagles, swimming and traveling for fun and relaxation. A proud father and grandfather, John likes to fish and play golf in his free time.
“Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!”
Q&A
Do you have a favorite quote?
“Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!” Proverbs 31:6-9 “The moral test of a government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those who are in the shadow of life, the sick, needy and the handicapped.” Hubert Humphrey “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness and walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
Why are you the best at what you do?
I’ve been blessed to reap the rewards which come from successfully representing great people. I leave the praise and evaluation of my skills to others. I have always strived to do the best for my clients, placing their needs as paramount. Awards and recognition have come my way, for which I am humbled and grateful.
How you got to where you are today?
My parents were solidly middle class – mom a beautician, and dad (a WWII veteran) working in a union shop. Their hard work opened the door for me to be the first of my family to attend college. I worked my way through college and law school, with the unwavering support of my wife, Linda, who deferred her education, working until I passed the Bar before she completed her degree and began teaching.
Most prized accomplishment?
There are many which come to mind, including having a wonderful wife and three successful children. But, as far as the career is concerned, it is being founder, and later president, of a national trial lawyers group (whose members represent the interests of working families), followed by investing the continued effort over two decades to make it flourish.
Why is your job rewarding to you personally?
I have helped those with no voice stand up for their rights and obtain justice in the face of difficult odds. I derive tremendous satisfaction in representing the finest people I have ever met, who depend upon me to make a significant difference in their lives.
Whether it was from completing an adoption of a special needs child, or securing material changes of conduct from corporations to avoid future tragedies, I believe that I have been an instrument of positive change.