HFM Legal

What HFM Legal does

Humphrey, Farrington & McClain, P.C. (d/b/a HFM Legal) is a plaintiff-side litigation law firm founded in 1984 and headquartered in Independence, Missouri. The firm specializes in catastrophic personal injury, mass torts, and class action litigation, with practice areas spanning asbestos/mesothelioma, product liability, medical malpractice, toxic exposure, trucking collisions, wrongful death, nursing home abuse, premises liability, employment discrimination, sexual abuse, Camp Lejeune claims, food flavoring-related lung injury, and property tax class actions. HFM operates as a contingency-fee practice that accepts cases other firms decline, supported by a roster of 14 attorneys working out of a single Missouri office but litigating nationally through co-counsel relationships and multidistrict litigation participation.

The firm generates revenue exclusively through contingency fee arrangements, where it receives a percentage of client settlements and verdicts. There is no disclosed subscription, retainer, or hourly billing model; clients pay only upon successful recovery. The firm supplements plaintiff-side fee income through co-counsel revenue shares on nationwide class actions and MDL proceedings, including the $145 million Hyundai/Kia theft settlement alongside firms such as Hagens Berman, Baron & Budd, and Fegan Scott. New business is acquired via direct inbound contact, attorney and community referrals, the firm's website and blog, and reputation-driven case selection based on a public track record of landmark verdicts and settlements exceeding $2 billion since 1984.

HFM is led by senior partner Kenneth B. McClain and operates as a private professional corporation owned by its equity partners. The firm has been recognized by Missouri Lawyers Media, Super Lawyers, Ingram's Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, and The National Law Journal across multiple years, and its attorneys hold leadership positions in state and federal plaintiff-side bar activities. The underlying technology footprint is limited to standard case management and litigation support systems; HFM does not develop proprietary legal technology, software products, or data assets.

Name

HFM Legal

Legal name

Humphrey, Farrington & McClain, P.C.

Website

https://hfmlegal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HFM Legal is a plaintiff-side litigation law firm founded in 1984 in Independence, Missouri, specializing in catastrophic personal injury, mass torts, and class actions for individual victims and consumer class members nationwide. The firm operates on a contingency-fee model across 14 attorneys and has recovered over $2 billion in verdicts and settlements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plaintiff Personal Injury and Class Action Litigation

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

Keywords

• Personal injury litigation
• Class action lawsuits
• Mass tort representation
• Product liability law
• Wrongful death claims

Headquarters

HQ city

Independence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Contingency Fees: Primary revenue from contingency fee arrangements where the firm receives a percentage of settlements and verdicts won on behalf of clients. The firm also handles cases on behalf of plaintiffs in class action litigation and complex personal injury matters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HFM Legal is a plaintiff-side personal injury and class action litigation law firm that represents individuals, families, and groups harmed by corporate negligence, toxic exposure, defective products, employment discrimination, and unlawful business practices. The firm offers contingency-fee legal representation across practice areas including asbestos/mesothelioma, product liability, medical malpractice, toxic exposure, wrongful death, trucking and automobile collisions, nursing home abuse, premises liability, sexual abuse, Camp Lejeune claims, business law, construction, real estate, and tax planning. Cases are accepted based on merit through free initial consultations.

Product overview

HFM Legal (Humphrey, Farrington & McClain) is a plaintiff-side personal injury and class action litigation law firm offering legal services rather than technology products. The firm provides legal representation across multiple practice areas including asbestos/mesothelioma, product liability, medical malpractice, toxic exposure, wrongful death, automobile collisions, trucking collisions, nursing home abuse, premises liability, construction law, business law, real estate law, sexual abuse, tax planning, and Camp Lejeune toxic exposure claims. The firm is not structured as a software platform or technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catastrophic Personal Injury Litigation
• Asbestos and Mesothelioma Litigation
• Product Liability Litigation
• Medical Malpractice Litigation Plaintiff-side representation for individuals injured by medical malpractice.
• Wrongful Death Litigation Representation for surviving family members in wrongful death cases, including the $108 million cult case verdict recognized as Missouri's largest personal injury verdict for 2012.
• Toxic Exposure Litigation Plaintiff representation for individuals and communities harmed by toxic substances, including PCB contamination (notable $90M verdict), food flavoring-related lung injury, and Camp Lejeune water contamination claims.
• Automobile Collision Litigation Plaintiff representation for individuals injured in automobile collisions.
• Trucking Collision Litigation Plaintiff representation for individuals injured in commercial trucking collisions.
• Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Litigation Plaintiff representation for elderly and vulnerable individuals who have suffered abuse or neglect in nursing home settings.
• Premises Liability Litigation Plaintiff representation for individuals injured due to unsafe conditions on someone else's property.
• Sexual Abuse Litigation Plaintiff representation for victims of sexual abuse in civil claims.
• Camp Lejeune Toxic Exposure Claims Plaintiff representation for individuals harmed by water contamination at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
• Class Action Litigation Plaintiff representation in consumer protection, property tax, environmental contamination, and product liability class actions, including the $145 million Hyundai and Kia theft settlement and the certified class of approximately 200,000 Jackson County homeowners.
• Food Flavoring-Related Lung Injury Litigation Plaintiff representation for workers who developed respiratory illness (popcorn lung) from exposure to food flavoring chemicals, including the Montrose Evergy Facility matter.
• Business Law Services Legal services for business clients, including commercial disputes such as a $60 million breach of contract verdict.
• Construction Law Services Legal services for construction-related disputes.
• Real Estate Law Services Legal services for real estate matters.
• Tax Planning Services Tax planning and related advisory services for clients.
• Absorbent Gelling Material Litigation Plaintiff representation in matters related to absorbent gelling material claims.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.5 billion collected for clients over 30+ years
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024Co-counsel relationship in Hyundai and Kia vehicle theft class action MDL. HFM served as counsel for plaintiffs alongside this firm in the $145 million settlement.
• Fegan Scott LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024Co-counsel in Hyundai and Kia theft settlement representing affected vehicle owners.
• Baron & Budd, P.C.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024Co-counsel in Hyundai and Kia theft settlement class action.
• Local Clinton, Missouri AttorneysminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2024Local counsel partnership in Montrose Evergy Facility class action representing Henry County residents affected by power plant contamination.
• Kapke & WillerthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2018Co-counsel in DST Systems profit-sharing plan litigation representing current and former employees.
• The Klamann Law FirmminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2018Co-counsel in DST Systems profit-sharing plan litigation representing employees recovering losses from retirement accounts.
• White, Graham, Buckley & CarrminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2018Co-counsel in DST Systems profit-sharing plan litigation.
• Kenneth Siemens (Murphy, Taylor, Siemens & Elliot, P.C.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Co-counsel in popcorn lung case representing George W. Giles against Carmi Flavor and Fragrance Company.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Motley Rice LLC: One of the largest U.S. plaintiff firms focused on mass torts, environmental harm, and complex class actions; directly comparable to HFM in asbestos/toxic exposure, catastrophic injury, and class action litigation, with overlapping lead-counsel positioning in nationwide MDLs.
• The Lanier Law Firm: Plaintiff-side firm with strong personal injury, mass tort, and pharmaceutical litigation practices; comparable to HFM in catastrophic injury work and contingency-driven high-value verdicts against large corporate defendants.
• Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP: National plaintiff-side class action and mass tort firm; comparable because both pursue high-stakes consumer protection, product liability, and securities class actions on contingency, and HFM has served as co-counsel to Hagens Berman in the Hyundai/Kia $145M MDL.
• Baron & Budd, P.C. Plaintiff-side firm specializing in mass torts, environmental contamination, and class actions; comparable to HFM in catastrophic personal injury, toxic exposure, and class action practice, and has been co-counsel with HFM in the Hyundai/Kia MDL.
• Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP: Leading plaintiff-side securities and consumer class action firm; comparable to HFM in large-scale plaintiff class action practice and contingency-driven recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of consumer classes.
• Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC: National plaintiff firm with deep mass tort (mesothelioma, environmental, pharmaceutical) and class action practices; comparable to HFM in catastrophic injury work, contingency fee model, and pursuit of large corporate defendants.
• Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC: Plaintiff-side complex litigation firm with strong consumer protection, class action, and civil rights practices; comparable to HFM in representing plaintiffs in high-stakes class actions and individual catastrophic injury matters.
• Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP: Plaintiff-side firm with leading practices in mass torts, consumer protection, and class actions; comparable to HFM in representing plaintiffs against large corporate defendants in high-stakes, resource-intensive litigation.
• Fegan Scott LLC: Plaintiff-side class action firm representing consumers; directly comparable as a co-counsel partner to HFM in the Hyundai/Kia theft class action and similarly pursues nationwide consumer class actions on contingency.
• Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C. Plaintiff-side mass tort firm known for asbestos, environmental, and pharmaceutical injury cases; directly comparable to HFM's catastrophic personal injury, toxic exposure, and product liability practice areas.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 HFM Legal