Matthew W. Geary

Shareholder/Director

mgeary@dysarttaylor.com                      Legal Assistant: Diane Kennedy
816-714-3030                                           816-714-3044
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“It is important to me as an attorney to thoroughly evaluate and face each lawsuit’s unique complexities and challenges to achieve the best result for my clients.”

Bio

Matthew Geary is a civil litigator known for his ability to see the complexities of clients’ legal issues. His experience and knowledge of his clients’ businesses help him build creative legal strategies and solutions that lead to results. Matt also has significant appellate experience briefing and arguing cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, Missouri Supreme Court, Kansas Supreme Court, and intermediate appellate courts in Missouri and Kansas. Matt is also a frequent speaker and author on topics impacting the surety industry.

Matt has extensive experience representing clients in a wide array of civil disputes, including cases involving the surety industry, insurance coverage and defense, business disputes, and product liability defense. Additionally, Matt has been a city attorney and represents clients in municipal government matters. Clients look to Matt to handle important cases that protect their future. Matt has obtained successful results for clients in cases with millions of dollars at stake across a broad spectrum of industries.

Matt joined Dysart Taylor in 2002 and was made a shareholder and director of the firm in 2008. Prior to joining Dysart Taylor, Matt was a law clerk to the Honorable Patricia Breckenridge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District. Matt also worked as a legal intern for the Honorable David J. Waxse, Magistrate for the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

Matt is licensed in the state and federal courts in Missouri and Kansas as well as the United States Courts of Appeal for the Eighth and Tenth Circuits.

 

 

Experience

  • Regularly represents surety companies in performance and payment bond cases, commercial bond cases and indemnification issues.
  • Extensive experience representing public utilities and rural electric cooperatives in matters relating to injury and property damage claims, bankruptcy, billing disputes and administrative matters.
  • Broad experience representing property owners and business owners in zoning and land use matters, direct and inverse condemnation, regulatory takings, licensing disputes and constitutional issues involving governmental entities.
  • Significant experience representing business owners and shareholders in breach of fiduciary duty cases, dissolutions and other business disputes.
  • Pro bono representation of a nonprofit group developing rail trails in the state of Kansas.
  • Drafted real estate contracts, leases, easements and other agreements in connection with real estate transactions with private and governmental entities.

Activities

PROFESSIONAL
  • American Bar Association
  • Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
  • The Missouri Bar
  • Missouri Municipal Attorneys Association
  • Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
  • Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers
COMMUNITY
  • City of Prairie Village, Kansas
    • Parks and Recreation Committee, Ward 5 representative, 2014-present
  • Boy Scouts of America / Scouting America
    • Troop Committee Chair, 2022-present; Lead Advisor, Philmont Scout Ranch, 2023, 2024; Wood Badge Course 5-307-23; District Committee Member; Eagle Scout, 1993
EDUCATION
  • University of Kansas School of Law, J.D. 2001
    • University of Kansas Law Review, Note and Comment Editor
  • William Jewell College, B.A., Political Science, 1998
    • Varsity Track and Field (Captain); Varsity Cross Country (Captain); Varsity Soccer
    • All Conference Track and Field
HONORS
  • Best Lawyers, 2022-present
  • Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, 2008-2015
PUBLICATIONS
  • Author: Personal Jurisdiction Over Sureties; Vol. 39, No. 3, Surety Claims Institute Newsletter, October 2024
  • Co-Author: The Electronic Payment Bond Deskbook, Missouri; May 2023
  • Co-Author: Chapter V-The Surety’s Enforcement of its Rights of Reimbursement (Indemnity); The Surety’s Indemnity Agreement: Law and Practice 3rd Ed., 2023 (Mike Pipkin, Marilyn Klinger, George Bachrach, Tracey Haley, eds.).
SEMINARS
  • May 11, 2023: Sums (Un)Justly Due: Attorneys’ Fees and Interest Issues for the Payment Bond Surety; ABA Fidelity and Surety Law 2023 Spring Conference; Lake Tahoe, Nevada
  • March 30, 2023: Surety’s Bond Obligations to Obligee for Subcontractor Nonpayment Claims; Southern Surety and Fidelity Claims Conference; Savannah, Georgia
  • January 20, 2023: Enforcing Rights to Reimbursement; ABA Fidelity and Surety Law 2023 Midwinter Conference; Washington D.C.
  • September 8, 2022: Indemnity Considerations – How to Get the Money; Pearlman Conference; Seattle, Washington
  • August 18, 2022: Insurance for the Surety; ABA Fidelity and Surety Law 2022 Midwinter Conference; Nashville, Tennessee
  • September 9, 2017: Defending Any Exposure Causation, Fall 2017 USLAW Network Client Conference, Carlsbad, California
  • September 24, 2016: My Rights: Equitable Enforcement of Corporate Rights – Fall 2016 USLAW Network Client Conference, Colorado Springs, Colorado
 

 

700 W. 47 Street, Suite 410
Kansas City, MO 64112

Phone: 816.931.2700
Fax: 816.931.7377

  

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All Rights Reserved.