Joe Callahan has more than 20 years of experience handling all aspects of pre-trial litigation and has substantial trial experience in both Missouri and Illinois, including two Top Ten defense verdicts listed in Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Before joining Brown & James, Mr. Callahan was a partner in a St. Louis defense firm and was in-house trial counsel for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.
For more than two decades, Mr. Callahan has represented physicians and hospitals in professional liability claims, manufacturers and insurers in product liability litigation, including medical device, pharmaceutical, trucking and toxic tort litigation. He was one of three attorneys who coordinated the defense of physicians and pharmaceutical companies in multi-district litigation that involved claims of professional negligence and product liability.
Mr. Callahan has defended claims against school districts and represented employers in employment discrimination claims, including claims under Title VII, the ADA, ADEA and before the Missouri Commission on Human Rights. He has defended many premises liability claims and also has extensive experience representing clients in commercial litigation, including contract disputes, construction litigation and insurance coverage litigation. Mr. Callahan is a frequent speaker for continuing legal education programs and regularly conducts mock trials and mock depositions for clients.
Recent Favorable Jury Verdicts
- Obtained a defense verdict in an alleged medical negligence case involving a spine surgery in which the plaintiff’s attorney asked the jury to award $1.5 million in damages. James Raleigh v. Donald deGrange, M.D. (2023)
- Obtained a defense verdict in a premises liability case in the City of St. Louis in which the last pre-trial settlement demand was in the amount of $1.5 million. Crane v. Saracino (2016)
- Obtained a defense verdict in a product liability case in which the plaintiff claimed a traumatic brain injury and his attorneys asked the jury to award $5 million. Viehland v. BMC Leasing, et. al (2015)
Published Appellate Decisions
Wilson v. Dura-Seal and Stripe (2017), upholding summary judgment for Mr. Callahan’s client