Firm History
In 1912, Thomas H. “T.H.” Douglas received his law degree from Missouri University Law School and opened a practice at 111 W. Broadway in Bolivar, Missouri. To date, nine direct descendants of T.H. have graduated from the UMC School of Law. T.H. practiced 52 years before he died in 1964. His eldest son, Elvin S. Douglas Sr. joined his father’s law practice in Bolivar in 1932 when the firm became known as Douglas & Douglas. Elvin practiced for 46 years until his sudden death in 1979. Kerry D. Douglas, Elvin’s son, joined the firm in 1972 after graduating from UMC School of law and serving 2 years in the U.S. Army. Kerry is now the senior member of the firm.
Gary W. Lynch became the first non-Douglas personal injury attorney to work for the law firm after he joined the firm as an associate of Elvin, Sr. and Kerry in 1976. Gary became a partner in 1979, when the name of the firm was changed to Douglas, Douglas and Lynch. Following Elvin’s death in 1979, Kerry and Gary incorporated as Douglas, Douglas & Lynch, P.C. and began expanding the practice by the addition of associates.
Verna Haun joined the firm in 1984 as an associate and became a shareholder in 1987. John Kallenbach joined the firm as an associate in 1994 and is currently working in an Of Counsel capacity. Craig Heidemann joined the firm in 1996 as an associate and became a shareholder in 2001. Kerry’s son, K. Patrick (“Pat”) Douglas, joined the firm in October 1999 as an associate and became a shareholder in 2001. Pat is the fourth generation to have the privilege of serving the residents of Bolivar, Polk County and Southwest Missouri as an attorney with the law firm of Douglas, Haun & Heidemann, P.C.
In November of 2002, Gary W. Lynch was elected to the office of Polk County Associate Circuit Judge and left the firm to assume that position in January 2003. In January of 2006, Judge Lynch was appointed by Missouri’s Governor to be a Judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District where he continues to serve the citizens of Missouri. Elizabeth Rohrs joined the firm in August of 2005 on a part-time, of-counsel basis; Don Brown joined the firm as an associate in October of 2005, Nathan Duncan joined the firm as an associate in October of 2007, Reggie Breshears joined the firm as an associate in August of 2007, and Byron Shive joined the firm as an associate in April of 2008. John Kallenbach was an associate of the firm from August 1994 to August 2000 when he changed his status to of-counsel to pursue private business interests. Currently, the firm consists of four partners, four associates and two part-time attorneys affiliated with the firm on an of-counsel basis.
Since 1912, the law firm has maintained a general civil practice, and currently also provides an extended traffic law and criminal defense practice. Currently, all shareholders and associates limit their practice to certain areas of the law in order to maintain a greater level of expertise in their areas that would be possible with a general practice. Douglas, Haun, & Heidemann, P.C. provides legal services in most areas of civil, traffic and criminal law as more fully described on the Home Page.
The personal injury lawyers of Douglas, Haun & Heidemann, P.C. have been and continue to be involved in community and church activities, and spend thousands of pro bono hours each year working for community betterment and religious activities. Contact us today for a free consultation.