What Fisher Patterson Sayler & Smith does

Fisher, Patterson, Sayler & Smith, LLP is a defense litigation law firm founded in 1909 and headquartered in Topeka, Kansas. Operating as a Limited Liability Partnership under Kansas law, the firm employs 26 attorneys across three offices in Topeka, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Missouri, practicing exclusively in Kansas and Missouri state and federal courts. Its practice spans 17 service areas, with the heaviest concentration in civil rights defense under 42 U.S.C. §1981 and §1983, government liability for cities, counties, and school districts, insurance coverage and bad-faith defense, employment law, product liability defense, medical malpractice defense, construction litigation, and appellate practice. The firm also offers mediation services and a newer Renewable & Alternative Energy practice advising municipalities on battery energy storage, wind, and solar development.

The client base is anchored in two primary verticals. Government Entities include cities such as Wichita, Overland Park, Columbia (Missouri), and St. Charles, along with counties including Shawnee, Miami, and Clay, served through panel engagements and direct counsel appointments. Insurance Companies form the second pillar, with named panel relationships with CNA Insurance, Liberty Mutual, Travelers, and EMC Insurance for defense of coverage disputes, declaratory judgment actions, and bad-faith claims. Secondary exposure extends to healthcare providers (physicians, hospitals, nursing homes) and corporate/commercial clients including Clayco in construction litigation.

The business model is professional services revenue on a billable-hour basis; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market relies on long-tenured client relationships, professional reputation, and external validation through Chambers & Partners, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and Martindale-Hubbell AV ratings. Marketing channels are limited to the firm website, monthly client email alerts on legal developments, and attorney speaking engagements at CLE conferences. The firm has no parent company, no external investors, and no disclosed funding, consistent with the partner-owned structure typical of established regional law firms. The most recent material move was the March 2024 opening of the Kansas City, Missouri office with five added attorneys, the firm's first geographic expansion outside Kansas in over three decades.

Name

Fisher Patterson Sayler & Smith

Legal name

Fisher, Patterson, Sayler & Smith, LLP

Website

https://fpsslaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fisher, Patterson, Sayler & Smith is a 115-year-old Kansas-based defense litigation law firm with 26 attorneys across three offices serving government entities, insurance carriers, and corporate clients in Kansas and Missouri.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD), Environmental & Energy Law (BPAHAAAO)

Keywords

• Defense litigation services
• Civil rights defense
• Government liability defense
• Insurance defense law
• Employment law litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Topeka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Fees: Law firm generates revenue through professional legal fees charged to clients for defense litigation services. Fee structures include hourly rates for legal representation, with services provided to government entities, insurance carriers, and corporate clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fisher, Patterson, Sayler & Smith is a regional defense litigation law firm providing counsel and aggressive representation to government entities, insurance carriers, healthcare providers, and corporate clients across Kansas and Missouri. The firm delivers legal services across 17 practice areas including civil rights defense, government liability, insurance defense, employment law, product liability, medical malpractice, construction litigation, civil defense litigation, appellate practice, corporate law, bankruptcy and creditors' rights, real estate and zoning, business transactions, administrative law, mediation, professional liability, and renewable and alternative energy legal services.

Product overview

Fisher, Patterson, Sayler & Smith, LLP is a regional defense law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services through a platform-plus-specializations model. The firm operates across 17 distinct practice areas including Civil Defense Litigation, Civil Rights, Government Liability, Product Liability, Employment Law, Medical Malpractice, Construction Litigation, Insurance Law, Corporate Law, Bankruptcy, Real Estate & Zoning, and Renewable & Alternative Energy. The practice areas work together to provide integrated defense counsel, with attorneys cross-referenced across multiple services (e.g., civil rights attorneys handle government liability cases; product liability specialists advise on regulatory compliance and recalls). The firm serves as lead trial counsel and regional counsel in automotive, industrial, and consumer product litigation, while also providing transactional and advisory services for business and governmental clients. The firm's core strength lies in tort litigation, with over 100 years of experience in Kansas and Missouri state and federal courts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Rights Defense Defends civil rights claims against public entities under state and federal law, including claims under 42 U.S.C. §1981 and 1983.
• Government Liability Defense Represents city and county governments, school districts, and other public entities in employment, law enforcement, civil rights, open records and meetings, elections, and zoning and land use issues.
• Civil Defense Litigation Provides decades of trial experience in state and federal courts litigating tort claims ranging from vehicle accidents, gas explosions, electrical contact injuries, and libel and slander.
• Insurance Law & Defense Represents insurance carriers and their insureds in coverage disputes, declaratory judgment actions, bad faith and vexatious refusal claims, and uninsured and underinsured motorist claims.
• Employment Law Services Handles complex litigation involving Title VII claims, employment contracts, accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, retaliation, discrimination, and sexual harassment claims.
• Medical Malpractice Defense Represents health care professionals in administrative processes and malpractice litigation, including physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, hospitals, home health agencies, and nursing homes.
• Product Liability Defense Defends manufacturers and retailers in product liability claims, providing advice on governmental standards, regulations, warnings, advertising, marketing, and recalls.
• Construction Litigation Represents clients in litigation arising out of construction projects including catastrophic personal injuries, construction defect claims, mold infestation, EIFS failure, and professional design liability.
• Appellate Practice Services Provides advice regarding feasibility and probable outcome of appeals, prepares legal briefs, and advocates clients' positions before appellate court panels in state and federal appellate courts.
• Administrative Law Services Represents individuals and businesses in administrative matters including professional and business licensing, employment discrimination claims, corporate compliance, and other regulatory issues.
• Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights Services Represents creditors in bankruptcy proceedings and counsels small businesses and individuals considering filing bankruptcy, with expertise in insurance carriers impacted by bankruptcy processes.
• Business Transactions & Litigation Provides counsel and representation to businesses on matters of formation, contracts, real estate, sale transactions, regulation, employment, insurance, and finance.
• Corporate Law Services Advises clients in the formation and upkeep of corporate entities, providing full service for small businesses with advice on regulatory concerns, licensing, and transactions.
• Real Estate & Zoning Law Advises on property acquisition, financing, platting and development, and represents government bodies on zoning and land use matters.
• Professional Liability Defense Represents professionals including accountants, appraisers, architects, engineers, lawyers, real estate agents, home inspectors, clergy, and health care professionals in professional licensing and standards litigation.
• Mediation Services Provides mediation services led by Mark Katz with over four decades of trial and litigation experience in Kansas and Missouri.
• Renewable & Alternative Energy Legal Services Provides legal services for counties and municipalities in connection with development, negotiation, and operation of battery energy storage systems (BESS), wind, and solar energy facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully defended hundreds of civil rights claims under state and federal law
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lathrop GPM: Kansas City-headquartered mid-sized law firm with strong insurance defense, product liability, and governmental liability practices across multiple Midwest states. Directly comparable to FPS&S as a regional defense firm with insurance carrier clients and government counsel work.
• Polsinelli: Kansas City-based AmLaw firm with substantial insurance defense, product liability, healthcare, and governmental liability practices. Comparable mid-continent defense firm competing in similar Kansas/Missouri markets though materially larger.
• Shook, Hardy & Bacon: Kansas City-based defense litigation firm with a national product liability, insurance defense, and governmental liability practice. Comparable to FPS&S in defense-side focus, multi-state reach, and similar plaintiff-defense mix, though significantly larger in scale.
• McAnany Van Cleave & Phillips: Kansas City-based defense litigation firm with insurance defense, governmental liability, civil rights defense, and employment practices. Closely mirrors FPS&S in niche-defense positioning, regional footprint, and client mix of municipalities and insurance carriers.
• Spencer Fane: Mid-sized Midwest firm with strong insurance coverage, municipal/governmental liability, employment, and civil rights defense practices. Closely comparable to FPS&S in regional defense focus, vertical specialization, and government/insurance client mix.
• Wallace Saunders: Overland Park, Kansas-based law firm with strong insurance defense, product liability, and civil litigation practices serving the Kansas City metro. Geographically adjacent and competitively positioned similarly to FPS&S in the regional defense market.

Broad incumbents

• Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner: Global AmLaw firm with significant Kansas City office practicing product liability, insurance, and commercial litigation. Competes with FPS&S for insurance carrier defense work and municipal/governmental liability matters in the KC market.
• Stinson LLP: Kansas City-headquartered full-service firm with product liability, insurance, and commercial litigation practices. Comparable defense litigation capability though broader in scope than FPS&S's defense-focused model.
• Husch Blackwell: Kansas City-headquartered full-service firm with a defense litigation, insurance, and governmental liability practice. Comparable in serving government entities and insurance carriers, though offering a broader corporate/transactional footprint than FPS&S.

Regional players

• Saunders, Walsh & Becker: Kansas City-based insurance defense firm specializing in coverage disputes, bad faith, municipal liability, and civil litigation defense. Comparable in size, focus, and client base to FPS&S as a regional mid-market defense competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fisher Patterson Sayler & Smith