Michael Bub is a Partner in Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP's St. Louis office. He is a member of the Tort & Catastrophic Loss practice area. He is an experienced trial attorney who has represented insurance companies and their insureds for more than twenty-five years in hundreds of cases across Missouri and Illinois. He has achieved Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent rating, it highest rating for attorneys. He was also named to the 2005 - 2013, and 2023 - 2026 editions of the Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyers in Civil Litigation - Defense. In September 2024 Michael successfully defended a premises defendant in a sexual abuse case in St. Louis County Circuit Court in Jane Doe v. Phoenix 4, LLC, which was named as number one in the Missouri Lawyers Weekly Top Defense Verdicts of 2024. In January 2007, he successfully defended General Motors in a post-collision vehicle fire case in the City of St. Louis, Kline v. GM, which was named as number three in the Missouri Lawyers Weekly Top Defense Verdicts of 2007.

Mr. Bub has successfully defended product manufacturers and retailers in dozens of cases involving allegedly defective products including automobiles, tires, hand tools, industrial machinery, ambulance cots, swimming pools, bicycling equipment, and numerous other products. He has also handled toxic tort cases including cases involving exposure to asbestos, benzene and toxic food flavorings. Mr. Bub has also defended transportation companies, including trucking, truck transportation, motor coach and student transportation companies. He has successfully argued cases before the Missouri Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and the Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District.

Mr. Bub is a member of the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers, and served on MODL's board of directors from 2004 to 2007.

Illinois

• Illinois State Courts
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois

Missouri

• Missouri State Courts
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri

U.S. Courts of Appeals

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

• Jane Doe v. Phoenix 4, LLC. Plaintiff was sexually abused by her two former softball coaches. Some of the abuse allegedly occurred at the defendant’s batting cage/training facility. Plaintiff requested $60 million in damages at trial. After a week-long trial, the jury returned a defendant’s verdict.
• Theisen v. Stoddard County. The plaintiffs contended they were beaten, subjected to excessive use of a taser, and sexually assaulted while inmates at the Stoddard County jail. Plaintiffs claimed millions of dollars in damages and punitive damages. After a week-long trial, the jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the defendant.
• Kline v. General Motors. The plaintiff contended that her daughter died from injuries resulting from a post-collision fuel-fed fire allegedly caused by a defect in the vehicle’s fuel system. At the conclusion of a three week trial, the plaintiff’s attorney asked the jury to award more than $10 million, and an additional award of punitive damages. The jury returned a verdict in favor of General Motors.
• Vivitoe v. Ferno-Washington. This wrongful death products liability case arose from an incident in which plaintiff’s decedent was being transported by hospital ambulance personnel. Michael represented the manufacturer of a foldable ambulance cot. The decedent was being transferred into the ambulance when the ambulance cot prematurely collapsed and rolled on its side. On the first day of trial, after successfully eliminating most of the evidence against the manufacturer, the manufacturer was dismissed.
• Wilson v. Union Pacific. This FELA case was brought by a railroad worker who slipped and fell while exiting a bus, sustaining a herniated disc in his low back. Michael represented the railroad and the hotel that leased the bus that was transporting plaintiff from the hotel to a training facility. The case was tried for three days. Towards the end of plaintiff’s case, a mistrial was declared based upon plaintiff’s counsel’s misconduct. The case was settled shortly thereafter. In a separate proceeding, Michael recovered the amount of the settlement paid on behalf of his clients and all attorneys’ fees incurred, from the co-defendant’s insurance company.
• Tenbarge v. Ames Taping Tool Systems. This products liability case arose from plaintiff’s use of an automatic taping tool used in the drywall industry. Michael represented the product manufacturer. Plaintiff claim his ten years of using the tool caused his carpal tunnel syndrome and lateral epicondylitis. The jury returned a unanimous verdict for the defendant.

• Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers (MODL), member 1989 to present, board of directors 2004 to 2007.

• Number one defense Verdict, Missouri Lawyers’ Weekly, 2024
• Number three defense Verdict, Missouri Lawyers’ Weekly, 2007