Kenneth Brennan is an accomplished trial lawyer with over 20 years of experience in courtrooms throughout the United States.
• Rinder v. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., 2019 IL App (1st) 171969 – Successfully argued and won an issue of first impression in Illinois regarding whether a state-law failure to warn claim issue is a question for the judge or jury.
• Minor M.M. ex rel. Meyers v. GlaxoSmithKline LLC, 61 N.E.3d 1026 (Ill. App. 1st Dist. 2016) – Successfully argued and won an issue of first impression in Illinois regarding personal jurisdiction.
• Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs in hundreds of radiation exposure cases pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri arising from the Manhattan-Project-era releases of ionizing radiation into North St. Louis County.
Upon graduation from the University of Iowa College of Law, Ken began his career at a defense firm in St. Louis, Missouri. After six years of defending large corporations against “the little guy”, Ken determined he wanted to help those same individuals he was once opposing. That decision resulted in a passion for helping those injured through no fault of their own, and 20+ years later, Ken has become a highly-skilled, distinguished Plaintiffs lawyer.
Ken’s extensive experience on both sides of the courtroom has given him a broad range of practical knowledge and understanding required to address the complex technical and legal issues that arise in mass tort litigations. Ken is proud to have taken on some of the largest industries in the world – including the pharmaceutical, communications, auto, banking, and insurance industries.
In 2017, Ken obtained an important personal jurisdiction decision from the Illinois Appellate Court. In another notable case, the court praised Ken for his efforts to overturn an ERISA Plan’s decades-long misinterpretation of its disability pension requirements. According to the order, “the public interest has been significantly advanced by the counsel’s efforts.”
Prior to concentrating on mass tort cases, Ken had a successful career representing individual consumers, small businesses, multinational corporations, franchisors, and franchisees.
Awards and Recognitions
• SuperLawyers 2012-2019
Professional Speaking and Writing Engagements
• Personal Jurisdiction, Madison County Bar Association CLE, June 22, 2018
Professional and Community Affiliations
• The American Association for Justice (AAJ)
• The American Bar Association
• The Federal Bar Association Southern District of Illinois Chapter
• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
• The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL)
• The Madison County Bar Association
• The St. Clair County Bar Association
• The Injury Board
