Attorney Profiles

N. Trey Pettlon III 
Olathe, Kansas
Managing Partner
phone (866) 646-4864
fax (913) 393-0210
email Email Me

Our chief attorney, N. Trey Pettlon, was born in Maryville, Missouri on December 25, 1965 and grew up in Clay County.  Trey graduated from North Kansas City High School in 1984.  After graduating from the University of Missouri at Columbia in 1988, Trey went to Washburn University School of Law where he earned a Juris Doctorate in 1991.

Trey has extensive trial experience in the area of representing clients who either suffered life-altering personal injuries or wrongful death as well as representing persons accused of committing crimes.  In 1997 Trey won the largest wrongful death verdict in Clay County Circuit Court.  In 2007 Trey won one of the largest jury verdicts for the year in the State of Missouri. He has won numerous "not guilty" jury verdicts for clients charged with serious crimes in Missouri and Kansas. 

Trey has represented clients in jury trials in Missouri and Kansas, and federal court.  He has defended clients to juries in Jackson County, Clay County, and Johnson County, Missouri; Johnson County, Kansas, Shawnee County and the United States District Court for the District of Kansas.  He has represented clients in important personal injury cases in jury trial in Clay County, Jackson County, Miami County and Wilson County, Kansas.

Trey once defended a client being sued for millions.  After over a week of jury trial, the Plaintiffs settled against Trey's client for six thousand dollars.  Several of the other defendants were found liable by the jury for $12 million dollars each.  The case was later featured on NBC's Dateline.

Trey frequently lectures at continuing legal education seminars for other attorneys, masters level education classes and law school classes on topics such as the Fourth Amendment, the criminal justice system, juvenile law and how to defend a DUI in jury trial. 

Since leaving the District Attorneys Office, Trey has also been appointed to serve as special prosecutor in Clay County, Missouri, where he grew up, on several occasions when the prosecutors office had a conflict of interest.  Trey has also been sworn in and served as a District Court Judge Pro Tem several times each year, and presided over a jury trial last year, giving him a chance to see the process from every side and giving him the invaluable experience of watching other terrific trial attorneys work.

Trey has also been selected as a "Super Lawyer".  Read more about the process of designating the top attorneys in Kansas and Missouri at www.Superlawyers.com.  Trey has earned several other prestigious nominations including "top 100 attorneys in Kansas" in 2007.  Trey is also very proud of the fact that he was the third-ever Lifetime Member of the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 4-7.4 (2002).

Serious Motor Vehicle Accidents
Serious Personal Injuries
Wrongful Death
Explosions & Burns

Areas of Practice:
Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff
Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
Wrongful Death -- Plaintiff
Computer Crimes
Criminal Fraud
DUI/DWI
Drug Violations
Federal
Juvenile Crimes
Felonies
Misdemeanor
Traffic Violations
Sex Offenses
White Collar Crimes
Criminal Law
Litigation Percentage:
100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions:
Missouri, 1991
Kansas, 1992
Education:
Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, 1991
J.D.
Honors: Moot Court - 1988 to 1991
Honors: Moot Court Council - Secretary - 1991


University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 1988
B.A.
Major:  Political Science


Published Works:
Strategies in Handling DUI Cases in Kansas, Lorman Education Services, Jury Trial Considerations, 2005


Published Case: State of Kansas v. Grissom, 225 Kan. 851, 840 P.2d 1142, 1992


Classes/Seminars Taught:
How to Try a DUI Jury Trial, Lorman Education, 2005


The 4th Amendment and DUI Defense, Lorman Education, 2005


Juvenile Law, Johnson County Juvenile Court Services, 1992 - 2005


Defending a Criminal Case in Johnson County, Border's Book Store, 2001


Juvenile Law, Ottawa University, 1995 - 2006


Honors and Awards:
Qualified for finals of National Moot Court Competition. Argued Before Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in the final round of the prestigious Prince Evidence Competition in Manhattan, New York, 1990


Super Lawyer, 2006


Professional Associations and Memberships:
National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys


Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
Lifetime Member


Clay County Bar Association, 2001 - Present


Johnson County Bar Association, 1991 - Present


Johnson County Bar Foundation, 2003 - Present
Fellow


Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
Sustaining Member


American Trial Lawyers Association


Past Employment Positions:
Johnson County District Attorneys Office, Assistant District Attorney, 1991 - 1994


Shawnee County District Attorney's Office, Internship, 1990 - 1991


Washburn Law Library, Clerk, 1989 - 1990


Pro Bono Activities:
Civil Rights Case - Fair Housing, 2005
Indigent Defense for Adults and Juveniles - Select Cases, 1994 - Present
Fraternities/Sororities:
Phi Alpha Delta