Brandi Spates

Brandi Spates advocates on behalf of individual and commercial plaintiffs in complex litigation. She has considerable experience representing clients in a wide range of employment matters.

Brandi applies her background as a defense attorney and working in higher education to develop strategies that consider the defense’s approach and plaintiffs’ frame of mind. Her ability to recognize the personal nature of litigation and skillful legal writing enable her to craft compelling arguments that deliver a fair resolution.

Among her current cases:

• Brandi is on the Stueve Siegel Hanson team that is investigating and pursuing claims on behalf of dairy farmers who installed a robotic milking system and experienced operational issues, or it did not perform as represented and advertised.
• Brandi represents consumers in data breach litigation filed against Quest Diagnostics, stemming from a data breach suffered by the American Medical Collection Agency (AMCA) that exposed millions of Quest patients’ personal data.

Prior to joining the firm, Brandi practiced at a midsize firm focusing on employment litigation and counseling. While there she handled complex litigation related to allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation and violations of other state and federal civil rights laws.

In her legal practice and personal pursuits, Brandi is driven by her passion to amplify the voices of those underrepresented or unfairly treated. Before attending law school, Brandi earned her M.A. in Educational Leadership from the University of Missouri- Kansas City and worked in a variety of student support roles in higher education both at institutions and non-profit organizations. She credits these roles with providing her valuable communication skills and the ability to relate to clients in her current practice.

During law school, Brandi worked in various roles for the Paul E. Wilson Project for Innocence & Post-Conviction Remedies Clinic, Sporting Kansas City, an Am Law 200 firm and the Kansas City Public Schools’ Legal Services Department, where she assisted the litigation team with employment related matters. She also earned an advocacy skills certification, a distinction for her commitment to pro bono service and was named to the pro bono honor roll.

Active in legal and community organizations, Brandi is a member of the LEANLAB board of directors, is an American Bar Association (ABA) Young Lawyers Division Scholar and Diversity and Inclusion Member-at-Large. She was also selected to be a member of the 2020 class of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program.

News

Experience

Current Cases

Bishop et al. v. DeLaval Inc. et al. (Western District of Missouri): Brandi is part of the team that recently filed a class-action lawsuit against DeLaval Inc. on behalf of dairy farmers who purchased and were dissatisfied with DeLaval’s voluntarily milking system robots. The lawsuit alleges that the robots were defective and failed to perform as represented.

Data Breach: Brandi represents consumers in litigation filed against Quest Diagnostics, stemming from a data breach suffered by the American Medical Collection Agency (AMCA) that exposed millions of Quest patients’ personal data.

Publications

“Preparing to Return to Work During the Pandemic,” Missouri Lawyers Weekly (2020)

“OSHA Issues COVID-19 Return-to-Work Guidance for Retail, Construction, Manufacturing and Package Delivery Industries,” Occupational Health & Safety (April 2020)

“Changes to Discovery Rules Offer Clarity to Litigators,” Missouri Lawyers Weekly (December 2019)

Investigations

Results

Honors & Recognitions

• Judge Kit Carson Roque, Jr. Scholarship Recipient, 2017
• Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2017-2018

Community & Professional

American Bar Association

• Young Lawyers Division Scholar 
• Diversity and Inclusion Member-at-Large

Jackson County Bar Association

Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association

Lawyers Association of Kansas City

Association of Women Lawyers

Black Female Attorneys Group

Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program, Class of 2020

LEANLAB Education Board of Directors, 2020