Kara M. Burke

Principal
Richland Plaza 1
525 West Main Street
Suite 200
Belleville, IL 62220-1547
Bank of America Plaza
800 Market Street
Suite 1100
St. Louis, MO 63101-2501
(618) 355-5134

Print Bio PDF

Kara M. Burke is a principal with Brown & James, P.C., practicing at the firm’s Belleville office. Kara’s practice focuses on defending physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists and various healthcare providers in medical negligence actions in Illinois and Missouri. She has also defended a variety of claims involving premise liability, employment and asbestos exposure.

Recent Verdicts
  • Obtained a dismissal for a physician in a medical malpractice case in Illinois, which was affirmed by the Appellate Court. The plaintiff alleged defendant negligently prescribed fentanyl which resulted in an overdose and death. (2023)
  • Obtained summary judgment in favor of a physician and his employer in Illinois. The plaintiff alleged the defendant negligently administered an anticoagulant, which resulted in a bleeding complication, subsequent surgery and ongoing complaints. (2023)
  • Obtained a defense verdict in a defamation/interference with a prospective economic advantage claim in St. Clair County, Illinois. The plaintiff alleged the defendant made a defamatory statement about a prior employee (plaintiff) during a reference check by a subsequent employer (co-defendant). The plaintiff alleged wrongful termination by the co-defendant, subsequent employer. The trial lasted four days. Plaintiff sought $800,000 in compensatory damages. The jury returned a verdict in favor of our client defendant and against the co-defendant (subsequent employer). (2019)
Prior Legal Experience

Law Clerk, Brown & James, 2011-2014

Academic Honors and Activities

Dean’s Scholar School of Law Scholarship
Academic Excellence Award, Pre-Trial Litigation

More About Kara

Education

  • Saint Louis University School of Law (J.D., 2014)
  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (B.S., Business Administration, 2011)

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois
  • Missouri

Recent Achievements

  • Ones to Watch - Insurance Law, The Best Lawyers in America (2022-2025)

Speaking

  • Presenter, "Under Consideration: Issues in Illinois Med-Mal Cases," Brown & James Insurance Law & Medical Malpractice Defense Symposium, January 2023