Sioux Falls Attorneys

Jeff has an active and eclectic litigation practice. His most notable cases have required creative problem-solving in the face of challenging and complicated facts and legal issues. Jeff’s clients value his strong work ethic, strong oral and written communication skills, his ability to quickly identify the key issues in a case, and his sense of humor.

Jeff is licensed to practice in state and federal courts in South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska. He has extensive courtroom and trial experience, participating in over eight civil jury trials and three appellate arguments in the past six years. His most notable cases have been in the areas of medical malpractice defense, product liability defense, personal injury defense, construction and contract litigation (both plaintiff and defense), insurance law, constitutional law, zoning ordinance disputes, business litigation, and the representation of individuals and businesses in-state sales, use, and excise tax matters, including contested case litigation.

Jeff attended South Dakota State University and earned his law degree from the University of South Dakota in 2000. After completing law school, he spent two years as a law clerk to the Honorable Lyle E. Strom, a Senior U.S. District Court Judge in Omaha, Nebraska.

Jeff joined Bangs McCullen in 2015. Before joining the firm, Jeff was a litigation attorney and partner in an established Sioux Falls law firm. Jeff has civil jury trial experience in state and federal trial and appeal courts. Jeff has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and was recognized as a Great Plains Super Lawyer in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Jeff is grateful to be an attorney and considers it a privilege to represent his clients. His passion, however, is spending time with his family. Jeff lives in Sioux Falls with his wife, Heidi, and son, Sam. He also enjoys running and swimming with Sam and coaching him in baseball.

Kathryn works as a trial lawyer and litigation attorney in the firm’s Sioux Falls Office. She represents clients throughout the State of South Dakota, where she is licensed to practice in State and Federal Courts. Her educational background and training is in Nursing. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Augustana College in Sioux Falls and worked as a full-time critical care nurse both before and during law school. The character traits that made her an excellent nurse (a strong work ethic, compassion and kindness, and meticulous attention to detail) have also provided the foundation for her successful litigation practice that involves defending medical malpractice cases and representing medical professionals in regulatory and professional licensing matters.

Kathryn is specifically sought out by prospective clients due to her significant civil jury trial experience and her background and knowledge of medical issues, and the medical profession in general. Kathryn is still a licensed Registered Nurse but applies her special education and training in representing her clients. She is best known among her peers and her clients for her successful defense of medical malpractice cases, but her practice also includes all areas of the medical profession, including nursing home and home health care liability; medical device product-liability defense; and pharmaceutical defense. Her experience and success in litigating cases involving the medical and healthcare professions have also prompted clients to seek out her services in defending professional liability cases involving architects, accountants, and attorneys, and complex civil litigation cases.

Kathryn is among a group of select trial attorneys elected to membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). She holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is also a member of the Defense Research Institute (DRI), as well as the South Dakota Defense Attorneys Association and the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association.

Outside of work, Kathryn enjoys spending time with her family. Together with her children, Kathryn is also a small business owner and operator of a rental property and self-storage business. Establishing and being part of a family-owned business has given her unique personal insight into the legal issues that challenge small businesses.

Rick’s nearly thirty-year legal career comprises thousands of cases across the entire State of South Dakota in civil, criminal, estate and family law matters in State and Federal courts. With a large breadth of legal experience, Rick strives to relate that experience to the perspectives of each client individually to tailor strategies for success. Rick is a lifelong learner, as each day in the office or courtroom presents new opportunities to research and analyze evolving challenges. Courtroom and appellate litigation have been the focal point of Rick’s professional practice. With parallel military and civilian careers, Rick has been fortunate to receive a combination of training and experience that has allowed him to successfully guide his clients, community, the South Dakota Air National Guard and the United States Air Force, in their legal affairs.

Soon after graduation from law school, Rick served as an elected municipal official. During that time, he led the development of a municipal natural gas system, now a multi-million-dollar public enterprise. Rick went on to serve as a city attorney, representing the municipalities legal interests in matters of daily operations and policy development regarding public safety, land use regulation, acquisition and sale of real property, public bidding law and eminent domain.

In addition to his work in private practice, Rick is an active-duty Air Force veteran and a twenty-seven-year member of the South Dakota Air National Guard. He retired in September of 2019, at the rank of Lt. Colonel. At the time of his retirement, Rick was assigned as the State Staff Judge Advocate for Air (JAG). During his career he also served as a member of a specially trained team, tasked with conducting investigations across the entire National Guard. As the legal advisor to the South Dakota State Adjutant General’s Joint Staff, Rick provided legal advice regarding strategic planning in support of the National Guard’s domestic operations mission.

Rick and his wife Tammy are the parents of four adult children, five grandchildren and two puppies. Together, they enjoy spending time with their family on various outdoor adventures. In his spare time, Rick enjoys woodworking, boating, fishing, hunting, and, occasionally, skiing and sailing.