Kristi L. Burmeister

I helped form PEAK for the same reason I became an attorney, I like solving problems and I’m not afraid to take risks or think outside the proverbial “box.” I am very fortunate to be surrounded by other lawyers at PEAK who feel the same. If you are reading this, I hope it means we will be working together. 

I grew up on a farm in rural Nebraska complete with corn, soybeans, and a horse. For a short time, I even went to school in a one-room schoolhouse (seriously). I am also a triplet.  From my early childhood, I loudly advocated for myself—how else do you get heard in a household with triplets, much less in a school where one teacher is teaching multiple grades at a time? I recall people telling me I should be an attorney and it stuck with me.  After attending the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, I made my way to UMKC for law school. 

I graduated from UMKC with highest honors and was fortunate to be hired by Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in 2007, where I was promoted to Partner seven years later. As an attorney at Shook, I spent most of my time working as national counsel for a Fortune 100 company dedicated to providing life-saving products and services. It was a great job and a great client. I worked on a flat-fee model, litigating all over the country. I immersed myself with the client’s business. I learned from some of the country’s best attorneys and even found myself sitting at trial counsel table at an early stage of my career (a rarity for a young, “BigLaw” attorney). The client ultimately rewarded me for my hard work by allowing me to first-chair a jury trial notwithstanding my (relative) lack of “gray hair.” I am proud of my trial experience. And I love everything associated with a jury trial.

In the eleven years I have practiced law, I have worked on nearly every type of civil lawsuit. I have handled straight-forward “slip-and-fall” cases as well as multi-million-dollar contract disputes. I have resolved high-stakes, business-to-business litigation. No matter the case or the issues, clients are best served by a lawyer who thinks strategically and practically. A “win” is not truly a win if the client’s legal fees are unreasonable or if there is a lack of alignment between the client and attorney.  I am always mindful of the value attorneys need to bring to any dispute.

 I formed PEAK because I would like to revolutionize the practice of law. If you are looking for legal advice or have a problem you would like to solve, I would love the opportunity to speak with you.   

Credentials: 

Education: B.A. University of Nebraska (2004); J.D., summa cum laude, University of Missouri--Kansas City (2007)

Bar Admissions: Missouri and Kansas

Honors:  Kansas City Business Journal, Best of the Bar (2014); Super Lawyers, Rising Star (2015, 2016, 2017), Super Lawyers, Super Lawyer, (2018)

Community Involvement:  Kansas City’s Association of Women Lawyers, Board of Directors (2015, 2018); Kansas City Liquor Control Board of Review, Board member, (2012-2017).

Publications:  Charles C. Eblen & Kristina L. Burmeister, Minimize Liability in Freeze and Burst Lawsuits, Fire Protection Contractor, Dec. 2013, at 28; Paul A. Williams, Charles C. Eblen & Kristina L. Burmeister, Minimizing Tort Liability With The Right Terms, Law360, Feb. 28, 2012.