• U.S. News
  • Lawyers »
  • Legal Topics
  • Legal Advice
  • Find a Lawyer
  • For Lawyers
  • FAQ
  • Best Law Firms
  • Lawyers
  • Legal Topics
  • Find a Lawyer
  • Find Legal Advice
  • For Lawyers
  • FAQ
  • Login

  • More from U.S. News
  • News & Opinion
    • BACK
    • News & Opinion
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Photos
    • Best Countries
    • Best States
    • The Report
  • Education
    • BACK
    • Education
    • Higher Education
      • Rankings
      • Colleges
      • Grad Schools
      • Online Programs
      • Global
      • Advice
    • High Schools
      • Rankings
      • Advice
  • Health
    • BACK
    • Health
    • Wellness
      • Best Diets
      • Food
      • Fitness
      • Family
      • Mind
      • Aging
      • Health Living
    • Healthcare
      • Doctors
      • Hospitals
    • Senior Care
  • Money
    • BACK
    • Money
    • Careers
      • Best Jobs
      • Applying
      • Interviewing
      • Salaries & Benefits
      • Work Culture
    • Investing
      • Rankings
      • Stocks
      • Mutual Funds
      • ETFs
      • Financial Advisors
      • 529s
      • Advice
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate
      • Places
      • Agents
      • Advice
    • Retirement
  • Travel
    • BACK
    • Travel
      • Vacations
      • Hotels
      • Cruises
      • Rewards
      • Advice
  • Cars
    • BACK
    • Cars
      • Rankings
      • New
      • Used
      • Financing
      • Advice
  • Law Firms
    • BACK
    • Law Firms
      • Law Firms
      • Practice Areas
  • Real Estate
  • Contact
  • Employment
  • Advertising
  • Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • Lawyers

Debbie S. Champion

Recognized by Best Lawyers® since 2015.
500 North Broadway, Suite 1550 St. Louis, Missouri 63102
(314) 421-4430
 | 
Firm: Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion L.L.C.
 |  Website
 
Edit Profile
  • Overview
  • Services
  • Bar Admissions
  • Awards
  • Languages
  • Education
  • Contact
  • Client Reviews & Commendations
  • More ▾
  • Overview
  • Services
  • Bar Admissions
  • Awards
  • Languages
  • Education
  • Contact
  • Client Reviews & Commendations
Edit Your Profile
To edit your Lawyer Directory information, please login to your
Best Lawyers® Admin Account.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us at info@bestlawyers.com or 803.648.0300.
Overview
Firm

Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion L.L.C.


Years In Practice

35


Phone Number (314) 421-4430

Debbie Champion is a founding partner in the firm Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch and Champion.  Ms. Champion actively practices in Missouri and Southern Illinois state and federal courts.  She has argued before the Missouri Supreme Court and the Eastern, Western and Southern District Missouri Courts of Appeals, and the Illinois Court of Appeals.  She has also argued in the federal court of the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, and the Eighth Circuit and the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. She is a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court.

 

Ms. Champion has been named to the top 50 attorneys in St Louis.  She is honored to be included in the Best Lawyers in America, and she appears on the Best Lawyers list in Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, Insurance Law, and Litigation-Insurance. Champion was selected 2016 as the only female to hold the designation of Best Women Lawyer in both insurance litigation and in non-litigated insurance matters.  She is one of two women in Missouri to hold the Best Women Lawyer designation in the area of personal injury defense.

Champion was selected to be a member of Litigation Counsel of America, an honorary society honoring the top one-half of one percent of American lawyers.  For a number of years, Ms. Champion has been named as one of the top 50 Women Lawyers in Missouri and Kansas by Superlawyers. Champion achieved the most Defense Verdicts in Missouri in 2012 and 2013 and one of the largest Defense Wins in 2011.  In 2016, Champion received an award for Outstanding Litigation Practitioner by the Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly’s Women Justice Awards.  She was honored as one of Ten Outstanding Young St. Louisans by the St. Louis Junior Chamber of Commerce. She is rated as Superb on AVVO.com.   In 2013, she received the CLMP certification as a certified litigation management professional from her study at the Columbia School of Law in New York.

 

Ms. Champion received the Lawyer's Lawyer Award by the Women's Justice Awards. She is a recipient of the William McAlpin Pro Bono Award, an Outstanding Volunteer Award from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and the Missouri Pro Bono Publico Award from the Missouri Bar Association. She was recently honored by the Women's Law Caucus of Washington University for her commitment to the advancement of women in the law.  She was selected as an Outstanding Young Alumni of Washington University in 2012.

 

Ms. Champion serves on the Board of Lift for Life Academy, the first charter school in St. Louis. She is also on the Board of Seeds of Blessing, the for-profit arm of the Blessing Basket Project.  In the past, she served on the Board of Directors and the Advisory Board of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Directors of Shelter the Children.  She was an active early member of Kids' Inc., a charitable organization for underprivileged children of East St. Louis, Illinois.  Ms. Champion is founder and president of Tools for Schools, a not for profit corporation which distributes school supplies to needy schools and children. 

 

Ms. Champion has authored several published articles and book chapters.  She often presents educational seminars to clients and to the legal community, including several annual conference presentations to industry groups each year.

 

Ms. Champion is an Advocate member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial.  She serves as the Treasurer of the Missouri/Southern Illinois Chapter. She is a member of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, formerly Council for Litigation Management. She serves as the Secretary of the St. Louis CLM chapter.  She is on the Board of Directors for the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers.  She is a Fellow in the American Bar Foundation.

 

Ms. Champion served on the 21st Judicial Circuit Judicial Commission as part of Missouri's non-partisan court plan for a 6 year term.  Ms. Champion has served for the Supreme Court of Missouri as a member of the Ad Hoc Committee to Study Expert Discovery.  In 2013, she acted as the Chairman of the Steering Committee for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.

Litigation Practice Areas:               

Transportation

Premises Liability

Products Liability

Personal Injury

Municipal Law

Employment Law

Fraud and Misrepresentation

Corporate & Commercial Litigation

Subrogation

Insurance Law

Insurance Coverage

Probate & Estate Planning

Pharmacy Liability

Domestic Relations

Education:

Washington University School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 1988

Murray State University, Bachelor of Science, Psychology, 1983

Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, 1983

                Psychology Masters Coursework, 1984, 1985

Licensure:

Missouri Bar

Illinois Bar

United States District Court for the Eastern & Western Districts of Missouri and for Southern Illinois

U. S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Supreme Court of the United States

 

Associations:

Best Lawyers in America

American Board of Trial Advocates

American Bar Association

American Bar Foundation, Fellow

Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Lawyers Association of St. Louis

Defense Research Institute

Volunteer Lawyers' Program

Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers

Fellow, Litigation Council of America

Claims and Litigation Alliance

Women Presidents' Organization

Super Lawyers of Missouri & Kansas

                Top 100 Lawyers in Missouri

  Top 50 Lawyers in St. Louis

                Top 50 Women Lawyers

Commercial Law League of America

Your House Counsel

Litigation Counsel of America

What legal services does this lawyer offer?
Civil Litigation
Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law
Government Relations Practice
Insurance Law
Litigation - Insurance
Municipal Law
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Bar Admissions
United States Supreme Court
Admitted in 2010
Illinois
Admitted in 1989
Missouri
Admitted in 1988
United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
Admitted in 1988
Awards
Lawyer of the Year recognition for Debbie S. Champion
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, St. Louis (2023)
Litigation - Insurance, St. Louis (2020)
  • Most Defense Verdicts in Missouri
  • Largest Defense Verdict in Missouri
  • Lawyers Lawyer Award, Women's Justice Award
  • Outstanding Young St Louisan
  • Distinguished Young Alumni Award, Washington University School of Law
  • Superb Rating on AVVO
  • AV Rating, Highest Rating on Martindale Hubbell
  • Superlawyer of Missouri and Kansas
  • Top 50 St Louis Attorney, Superlawyers
  • Top 50 Women Attorneys in Missouri and Kansas
  • Pro Bono Publico Award, The Missouri Bar
  • Fellow, Litigation Council of America
  • Advocate, American Board of Trial Advocacy
  • Best Lawyers in America, Insurance
  • Best Lawyers in America, Insurance Litigation
  • Best Lawyers in America, Personal Injury Defense Litigation
  • Willliam McAlpin pro bono award, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
  • Outstanding Volunteer Attorney, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
Languages
English
Education
Washington University in St. Louis, J.D.
Graduated 1988
Columbia University in the City of New York, CLMP
Graduated 2011
Murray State University, BA Criminal Justice
Graduated 1983
Murray State University, Psychology
Graduated 1983
Contact Details and Office Locations
Office: (314) 421-4430
500 North Broadway, Suite 1550
St. Louis, Missouri 63102
St. Louis, Missouri 63102
See Location
Address for Debbie S. Champion
Client Reviews & Commendations

Get Legal Advice

What To Do When Someone Dies at Home

Juvenile Court Proceedings: How It Differs from Adult Court

Legality and Usage of Asbestos in the U.S.

Obtaining a Patent: Everything You Need To Know

Can I Sue an Airline for Mistreatment?

How To Write a Will

Write a Client Review
{{ error.Text }}
Your client review was submitted successfully!
We've encountered an error while submitting your client review. Please try again later.
This comment will be sent to the attorney for review prior to publishing.
Disclaimer and a note about Find a Lawyer and Legal Advice »

SEARCH BY STATE

▼
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming
U.S. News
  • About U.S. NewsAbout
  • Contact
  • Best Lawyers
  • Press
  • Advertise
  • Jobs
  • Copyright 2023 © U.S. News & World Report L.P.
  • Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy
Login
Forgot your password?
*If you are having any difficulty accessing your account, please contact us at info@lawyerregister.com.
Premium Profiles
Expand Your Presence
Access Exclusive Tools
And Much More...
Learn More
*If you are having any difficulty accessing your account, please contact us at info@lawyerregister.com.
https://www.bestlawyers.com Best Lawyers Best Lawyers +1-803-648-0300
801 Broad Street, Suite 950 Augusta, GA 30901
  • https://twitter.com/bestlawyers
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/137775
  • https://www.facebook.com/bestlawyersllc