Kevin E. J. Regan, the founder of the Regan Law Firm, LLC has been inducted as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an honor bestowed on fewer than 1% of lawyers in the U.S. and Canada. The College is considered among the country’s most prestigious legal organizations.

He was elected to the Missouri Bar Foundation Board of Trustees in 2019.

He also became the first member of his law school class to argue a case before the Kansas Supreme Court. The case revolved around the same individual whom Mr. Regan had successfully prosecuted in Holton, Kansas, as an intern for County Attorney, Dick Lake.

This case was tried during the summer preceding Mr. Regan’s third year in law school.

At the time, he was believed to have been the first law student in the country to successfully first chair a murder case while still in law school. Preparation for the trial of the case included extensive research into the areas of ballistics, blood spatter evidence, Miranda issues, blood alcohol content analysis, shooting distance forensics and tool mark examination. The case was tried against the town’s most experienced defense attorney, and the jury found the defendant guilty of second degree murder.

Upon graduation from Washburn University’s Law School (J.D. 1981), Mr. Regan joined the Johnson County, Kansas District Attorney’s Office. The District Attorney at that time was Dennis Moore, who went on to serve in the United States House of Representatives.

During this time with the District Attorney, Kevin tried many felony jury trials, winning them all.

Kevin was also appointed as a special Federal prosecutor in a murder case for the United States Government while with the District Attorney.

In 1982, Mr. Regan crossed the state line, joining the Jackson County, Missouri Prosecutor’s Office. Working for five years with Jackson County Prosecutor Albert Riederer, Kevin served as trial team leader and senior trial attorney. He tried many homicides, including capital murder. He once tried two capital murder cases sequentially, one right after the other, without a break. He also founded the vertical prosecution unit, which prosecuted every drunk driving injury and fatality case in Jackson County. Mr. Regan personally handled each case for five years. He has also served as a special prosecutor on several major cases for the Missouri Attorney General.

Kevin E.J. Regan has long been recognized as one of Kansas City’s top criminal defense attorneys. He has, for over three decades, provided excellent service to clients seeking a preeminent criminal defense lawyer in Kansas and Missouri State, and Federal Courts.

Mr. Regan has won many homicide cases involving self defense and use of force by innocent citizens. He is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and citizens’ right to bear arms. He has been published nationally on this subject.

He has assisted many clients in achievingpositive results in Kansas City DUI cases, and helped many individuals prevail over problems with alcohol and drug addiction.

The firm has won major awards in civil courts as well for large firm clients, small business owners and individuals needing an accomplished trial attorney.

He has served as a special prosecutor for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, handling major cases throughout the state.

Turning to private practice, in 1987 Kevin Regan joined a prestigious trial and labor law firm, where he became a named shareholder. While a member of the firm, Kevin founded a criminal law department, expanding his practice area to include civil matters and sports as well. During his thirteen years with the firm, Mr. Regan was the leading producer of new business. He chaired the firm’s criminal law department, which handled many major cases involving State and Federal criminal defense representation.

Wishing to downsize and become more independent, Kevin Regan founded The Regan Law Firm in March of 1999. He is committed to providing big firm legal services in a small firm atmosphere. The firm’s offices are in the heart of “Film Row”, in Kansas City’s exciting Crossroads District. Surrounded by an eclectic mix of upscale restaurants, art galleries, specialty shops and stained-glass studios, the location is a comfortable fit for both lawyer and client. The Regan Law Firm provides services for a wide range of clients from all walks of life.

He has now been in private practice for over 35 years.

He was awarded the 36th Annual Lon O. Hocker Memorial Trial Lawyer Award by the Missouri Bar Foundation in 1991, in recognition of outstanding achievement in trial practice.

Mr. Regan has successfully prosecuted, as well as defended, numerous major criminal cases in state and federal courts. He has litigated numerous workers’ compensation and civil cases, including several million dollar plus settlements. He continues to work as general counsel for several local and national businesses. Two of the last criminal cases handled in Federal Court resulted in acquittals.

He has also been named in the Top 50 Super Lawyers in Kansas and Missouri, and honored by the Kansas City Business Journal as one of the Best of the Bar.

He has been selected by Best Lawyers in America for over 20 years.

In 2012, Mr. Regan was awarded “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in America in the area of Criminal Defense. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant. Mr. Regan enjoys the premier rating in all major peer review publications for competence and integrity.

He is past chairman of the Kansas City, Missouri Bar Association Criminal Law Committee. He is past member and counsel of the advisory board of the Heartland Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He is a former co-director of training, education and continuing legal education for the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and was an annual speaker at the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Trial School. He is a guest speaker at UMKC Law School in Criminal Trial Techniques, taught by the esteemed Jim Wyrsch.

He recently was honored as a lifetime member of the Special Forces Association, Bull Simons Chapter, a rare honor bestowed upon a civilian by Special Forces soldiers.

Mr. Regan is licensed to practice in all state and federal trial and appellate courts in Kansas and Missouri and is admitted, as well, to the bar of the United States Supreme Court. He was a top rated adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy at Washburn University Law School. He has helped mentor many outstanding trial lawyers over the years.

He participates in public service CLEs put on by the American College of Trial Lawyer members for local attorneys and law students.

He frequently serves as an invited Master Instructor at the Ross T. Roberts Inns of Court, where young lawyers are taught how to become jury trial lawyers.

Mr. Regan graduated from Washburn University School of Law in 1981. He has served as a highly rated adjunct professor teaching advanced trial advocacy at that institution. He attended Emporia State University and graduated in 1976 with honors. He was a walk-on three-year varsity football letterman and founder and captain of the University rugby team, as well as coach of the boxing club. He competes annually in triathlons. He has been a youth football coach and enjoys woodworking and playing the Great Highland Bagpipes. He co-founded a local youth lacrosse program, The Brookside Badgers, which has flourished and grown over the years to be Kansas City’s largest.

Kevin has volunteered as a piper at military funerals to provide musical diversion from the protests of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church, who attempt to disrupt these services. He was asked to bagpipe as a solo performer at Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Sly James’ inauguration ceremony in 2011. He played at Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s inauguration on January 14, 2019.

He holds numerous sailing certifications and received the Mike McGrath award from the Jacomo Sailing Club in 2017.

Piping highlights include playing with the opening act for Rod Stewart, piping for local Bishop Boland at his 50th year anniversary as a priest, playing with the Irish rock group, The Elders, at Notre Dame University and participating at the funeral services for Margaret Truman Daniel at the Truman Presidential Library. Kevin’s band played to a sold-out crowd at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in March, 2015 with the legendary Irish band, The Chieftains. He was awarded the Pipe Major’s Award in 2018 by the Kansas City St. Andrew Pipes and Drums.

Mr. Regan participated with fellow band mates of the Kansas City St. Andrew Pipes and Drums in playing for the halftime festivities at Arrowhead Stadium, in a tribute to the first responders.

Recent adventures included summiting Mt. Washington, the world’s windiest peak, and helming a 52 foot catamaran in the high seas of the British Virgin Islands.

In April of 2017, Mr. Regan was honored to be a presenter at the first ever Wyandotte County Bar Association Bench-Bar Trial Advocacy Seminar, teaching Criminal Trial Advocacy.

He had the pleasure of sailing on Dennis Conner’s Stars and Stripes in San Diego, California. He climbed the Sydney Bridge in Sydney, Australia. He dove the Great Barrier Reef near Cairns, Australia.

Mr. Regan recently concluded his leadership of a thirteen (13) month continuing legal education practicum with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, which provided monthly top flight instruction with many award winning guest speakers on all topics of trial advocacy from voir dire through closing argument.

Mr. Regan continues to be a guest lecturer at UMKC Law School in the esteemed James Wyrsch’s Criminal Trial Techniques class.

He also had the pleasure of kayaking the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, as well as sailing the waters of Lake Michigan and Pensacola Bay in Florida.

Mr. Regan and other friends climbed the 104 story Sears Tower in Chicago to raise funds and awareness for the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. He climbed 104 stories in the Sears Tower. Mr. Regan also annually completes in the MS150 bicycle fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis.