Karrie Clinkinbeard

About Karrie Clinkinbeard

Karrie Clinkinbeard is an experienced litigator with substantial trial experience across the Midwest including Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska. Karrie focuses on fire, explosion and electrocution litigation, product liability, contract disputes, personal injury and property damage, and life, health and disability matters. She has tried jury cases to verdict in state and federal courts and also achieves successful outcomes for her clients early in litigation through aggressive, targeted pretrial practice.A member of Armstrong Teasdale’s Litigation practice group for more than 20 years, Karrie manages a team of attorneys, paralegals and staff on complex, multi-party, and multi-million dollar matters. She also provides continuing education, claims investigation, and testimony training to investigators, fire and police personnel, and adjusters across the country. She is a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator; Approved Instructor by the US Department of Homeland Security for the National Fire Academy; Technical Committee Principal of NFPA 1033; and Technical Committee Principal of NFPA 921 Technical Committee.

Experience

1. Litigation Partner and Trial Attorney

   Armstrong Teasdale

   Aug 1999 — Present

   I represent utility companies, businesses, product manufacturers and fireworks companies in matters involving fires, explosions, electrocution, chemical release, product failure and carbon monoxide poisoning.As one of an elite group of attorneys accredited as a Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI), certified by the National Association of Fire Investigators, I stay on the cutting edge of new developments in fire science. From scene management, origin and cause determination to post-accident investigation, I handle incidents such as product or equipment failures and industrial disasters. I am often involved at the initial event to evaluate, examine, reconstruct and assess. Understanding the critical concern regarding evidence spoliation, I am knowledgeable in spoliation prevention and accident scene preservation.Proactively counseling organizations in guarding against potential problems, I arrange experts by region and coordinates response teams, fire investigators, engineers and company officials.I am one of only a handful of certified instructors for the Department of Homeland Security and the National Fire Academy. I teach police, fire department personnel, fire marshals and private and investigators on changes in NFPA 921, spoliation of evidence, scene documentation, investigation methodologies and how to handle questions in the courtroom. I have presented across the country at numerous seminars, including the National Association of Fire Investigators’ National Seminar on Fire Analysis Litigation, the International Symposium on Fire Investigation and Science Technology, the IAAI Annual Training Conference and the Natural Gas Claims and Litigation Seminar.The balance of my practice involves product liability, asbestos, and defense of life, health and disability providers, insurers and plan sponsors in federal and state court, including ERISA actions. I counsel regarding wrongful denial, termination of benefits and interpretation of policies.

Education

• Washburn University

  BA, Political Science

  1993 — 1996

• University of Kansas School of Law

  JD, Law

  1996 — 1999

Skills

• Legal Research
• Personal Injury
• Investigation
• Mediation
• Life Health and Disability Litigation
• Defense
• Electrocution Litigation
• Fire Protection
• Liability
• Appeals
• Health
• Product Liability
• Insurance
• Fire Management
• Claims Management
• Litigation Support
• Personal Injury Litigation
• Emergency Management
• Disability Insurance
• Claim
• Courts
• Explosion Litigation
• Patent Litigation
• Trials
• Fire Litigation
• Intellectual Property
• Civil Litigation
• Commercial Litigation
• Trademarks
• Legal Writing
• Litigation