James R. Wyrsch

James R. Wyrsch grew up in Springfield, Missouri, the third oldest in a family of nine children. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, Juris Doctorate degree at Georgetown University Law School in Washington, D.C., and Masters of Law in trial practice at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School. Immediately upon graduation from law school in 1966, he served three years in the United States Army, achieving the rank of Captain and receiving the Joint Services Commendation Medal in 1969.

In 1970, Wyrsch moved to Kansas City and joined the firm now known as Wyrsch Hobbs & Mirakian, P.C. In over 35 years of practice, he has tried numerous cases in local, state and federal courts of law throughout the United States, including eight U.S. Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court of the United States. Wyrsch's legal expertise is principally in the areas of complex criminal and civil litigation. In complex civil matters, he has been involved in the areas of RICO, antitrust, fraud, business tort, franchise, environmental and contract law and other civil litigation matters. He has also been significantly involved in representing professionals in disciplinary and licensing matters. In complex criminal matters, he has defended cases in the areas of antitrust, bank and wire fraud, tax, health care, environmental and other criminal matters.

Wyrsch has always found time to share his legal knowledge and experience via teaching, lectures, legal writings, and involvement in instruction committees, both state and federal. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School since 1981, teaching a Criminal Trial Techniques course (together with fellow shareholder J. R. Hobbs) and frequently lecturing before various legal groups. He co-authored Missouri Criminal Trial Practice, published by Harrison Law Books in 1994, and has also written numerous articles on varied legal topics that have been published in Bar Journals and Law Review publications. Wyrsch was a member of the Panel of Arbitrators for the American Arbitration Association from 1975-2000 and the Panel of Arbitrators for the U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri from 1985-91, has served on the Missouri Supreme Committee on Criminal Instructions and Charges since 1983 (now the Missouri Supreme Court Committee on Procedures in Criminal Cases), and on the Sub-Committee to Draft Model Criminal Instructions for the District Courts of the Eighth Circuit since 1986.

Wyrsch holds membership in many law-related associations. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Kansas City Bar Foundation since 1993, is an Advocate of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Life Fellow in the American Bar Foundation, and a Fellow of the Missouri Bar Foundation. He has chaired the Criminal Law Committee, Antitrust Committee, and Business Tort/Anti-Trust/Franchise Committees of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and served as Vice-Chairman of the Criminal Law Committee for the Missouri Bar Association. He is a past secretary and director of the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Wyrsch received the UMKC Law Foundation Service Award (1991-92). He has been listed in every edition of the Best Lawyers in America, appears in the National Directory of Criminal Lawyers, Euromoney Publications World's Leading White Collar Crime Lawyers (1995 edition), and in several Who's Who publications, including Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in the Midwest; Who's Who in Emerging Leaders in America (1st Edition 1987-1988), Who's Who in Business Crime Lawyers, Who's Who of Business Lawyers, Who's Who in Finance and Industry, and Who's Who in Amreican Education. He has also been named in Who's Who in Kansas City Law (Kansas City Business Journal , 1991, 1995), and named "Best of the Bar" by the Kansas City Business Journal for 2002-2005.

Wyrsch lives in Blue Springs, Missouri with his wife, Darlene, a paralegal with the firm.