Phillip Bryant is an experienced civil litigation defense attorney, representing clients in federal and state courts throughout Missouri and Southern Illinois. He has a diverse legal background, handling cases involving catastrophic injuries, multiple plaintiffs, and multiple defendants. His practice areas include transportation, product liability, insurance coverage, bad faith, and toxic tort litigation. Phillip’s expertise extends to representing the trucking industry, defending product manufacturers, providing insurance coverage opinions, and handling toxic tort liability cases. His hands-on experience with heavy machinery and his background in the livestock feed industry and insurance company work enhance his ability to advocate effectively for his clients.
Outside the office, Phillip serves on the Planning & Zoning/Architectural Review Board of Crystal Lake Park, Missouri, and enjoys weight training, gardening, cooking, and exploring the Wisconsin Northwoods. He and his wife have one grown son. Phillip’s varied experiences and comprehensive legal knowledge make him a formidable advocate in complex litigation cases.
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Associations & Organizations
Illinois State Bar Association
The Lawyers Association of St. Louis
Transportation Industry Defense Association
The Bar Association of Metropolitan Saint Louis
The Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers
Defense Research Institute
Society of Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)
- St. Louis CPCU Chapter Board Member
- CPCU Coverage, Litigators, Educators & Witness Interest Group Board Member
Background
Principal, Pitzer Snodgrass, P.C. (2011 – Present)
Principal, Rabbitt, Pitzer & Snodgrass, P.C. (2007 – 2010)
Associate, Rabbitt, Pitzer & Snodgrass, P.C. (1999 – 2006)
Claims, SAFECO Insurance Companies (1986 – 1999)
Purchasing, Carnation Company (1984 – 1986)
Purchasing and Grain Elevator Operations, Monarch Feed Mills (1982 – 1984)
Family Farm (to 1982)
Community Involvement
Chair, Planning & Zoning/Architectural Review Board, City of Crystal Lake Park, Missouri (2023 – present)
Mayor, City of Crystal Lake Park, Missouri (2012 – 2020)
Member, Suburban Mayors of St. Louis County (2012 – 2020)
Alderman, City of Crystal Lake Park, Missouri (2008 – 2012)
Education
Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers Trial Academy, 2001
Saint Louis University
- J.D., 1999
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, 1994
University of Missouri, Columbia
- B.S., Agricultural Economics, 1982
Experience
Frequently renders insurance coverage analysis for first-party and third party claims
Routinely works on behalf of insurance companies, meeting reporting and budget requirements
Defends manufacturer of power tools from product liability claims
Defends manufacturer of automotive parts from asbestos claims
Represents trucking companies in motor vehicle accidents
Defends hotels in cases of swimming pool drownings
Represents work force supervisors for employee injuries that are outside of workmans compensation
Defended restaurants against claims of foreign objects in food
Defended various restaurants against premises liability claims, including slip and falls and condition of restrooms
Successfully argued that a restaurant franchisor was not a proper defendant in a lawsuit that was also against the franchisee
Licensure
Illinois
United States District Courts
- Eastern District of Missouri
- Southern District of Illinois
Publications & Seminars
- Speaker, “The Ethics of Leadership”, CPCU Society, St. Louis Chapter, March 2016
- Presentation, Mock Daubert Hearing – The Evidence Pit Stop, CPCU Society Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, Indiana, October 2015
- Author, “Underinsured Motorist Coverage”, Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers, January 2000
- Speaker, “Innkeeper Liability”, Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri September 2006
- Speaker, Mock Trial, CPCU Society St. Louis Chapter All Industry Day, April 2008
- Speaker, “Preparing and Trying the Bodily Injury Case”, August 2008
- Speaker, “Premises Liability”, Honorable Order of the Blue Goose, St. Louis, Missouri, February 2009
- Author, “Landowner Liability for Injuries to Employees of Independent Contractors”, CPCU Society Consulting, Litigation & Expert Witness Interest Group, June 2009 Newsletter.
- Author, “Premises Liability by Landowners for Injuries to Employees of Independent Contractors”, Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers, Winter 2009 Newsletter.
- Speaker, “Internal Audits of Claims Operations”, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies National Convention, San Diego, California, September 2010.
- Panel Member, “A Roll of the Dice – The 10 Most Confusing and Least Understood Policy Provisions,” CPCU Society Annual Meeting and Seminars, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 2011.
- Speaker, “Extra-contractual Damages: Unfair Claims Practices, Vexatious Refusal and Bad Faith”, St. Louis CPCU Chapter Meeting, March 2012.
- Presentation, Mock Trial – Electronic Discovery, CPCU Society Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., September 2012.
- Panel Member, The Harmonie Group Retail and Hospitality Conference, Toronto, Canada, September 2012.
- Presentation, Mock Trial – Hurricane Coverage Litigation, CPCU Society Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, October 2013.
- Speaker, Contractual Provisions That Minimize Liability Exposures, The Charles L. Crane Agency Customer Seminar, St. Louis, Missouri, September 2014.
- Presentation, Mock Mediation – The Mediation Roller Coaster: Mock Mediation of An Insurance Dispute, CPCU Society Annual Meeting, Anaheim, California, September 2014.
- Speaker, Risks to Retailers of Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud, The Harmonie Group Retail and Hospitality Conference, Chicago, Illinois, October 2014.
