Professional Profile
Representative Matters
Professional Profile
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Ms. Pake is a litigator with emphasis on insurance coverage litigation, business litigation and medical and legal professional liability defense. Other matters have included breach of contract actions, regulatory compliance, constitutional law litigation, and white collar criminal defense. Ms. Pake has tried cases in federal and state court involving employment discrimination, breach of contract, patent infringement, housing discrimination, civil rights, personal injury, and school law. She has also briefed and argued cases on appeal involving insurance coverage issues, breach of contract issues, shareholder class actions, premises liability, civil jurisdictional issues, medical malpractice, and the federal sentencing guidelines.Ms. Pake has been recognized by the Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of Insurance Law, Litigation-Insurance, Appellate Practice, Professional Malpractice Law-Defendants, Legal Malpractice Law-Defendants, Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White-Collar, by Chambers USA in the area of insurance, and as a Missouri – Kansas Super Lawyer in Insurance Coverage matters.
She was also recognized by Best Lawyers in America as the Professional Malpractice Law-Defendants “Lawyer of the Year” in St. Louis (2022) and as the Legal Malpractice Law-Defendants “Lawyer of the Year” in St. Louis (2023).
Ms. Pake is a Fellow and Co-Chair of the Membership Committee of the American College of Coverage Counsel, which includes preeminent lawyers in the field of insurance coverage law. She was recently elected to the Board of Regents of the ACCC and received the Thomas F. Segalla Award in 2024 for dedication and service to the organization.
Representative Matters
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Represented major regional health system in litigating and resolving dispute with Bermuda insurer over coverage of $28 million medical malpractice judgment
- Represented insurer in obtaining enforcement of absolute pollution exclusion in Missouri Supreme Court
- Represented plaintiff in successfully defending on appeal a $25 million jury verdict in a third party premises liability case
- Represented law firm in malicious prosecution action brought by opposing party in underlying lawsuit for rescission of sale of business
- Represented medical school and physician in medical malpractice actions for failure to diagnose child abuse, failure to diagnose cancer
- Represented reseller of telecommunications equipment in breach of contract and lost profits action against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
- Represented international chemical manufacturer in patent infringement suit
- Represented private and public employers in defense of actions by former employees for age, sex and race discrimination, as well as claims of wrongful termination in violation of public policy
- Represented insurer in defending claims of tortious interference with contract and civil conspiracy
- Represented insurer in coverage action by national retailing corporation regarding multimillion dollar claims under pension liability policy
- Represented numerous insurers in coverage actions arising out of environmental and business claims
- Represented retailers association in constitutional challenge to City of St. Louis ordinance related to advertising
- Represented landlord in Fair Housing Act suit brought by Department of Justice
- Represented defendant in action for breach of contract in manufacture and sale of marine products
- Represented heavy equipment lessor in action against public utility for damage to crane
- Represented accounting firm in action by former employee for breach of employment agreement
- Represented outside director of failed savings and loan in class action by purchasers of uninsured securities and in criminal investigation and SEC action
- Represented airline in insurance coverage action arising out of environmental claims
- Represented St. Louis County school district in defending constitutional challenge to Missouri school financing system
- Represented private religious boarding school in civil rights action against state and local officials
PRACTICE AREAS
EDUCATION
Boston College Law School, Juris Doctor, magna cum laude Boston College Law Review President, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity Service on Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau. Wellesley College, Bachelor of Arts with HonorsACTIVE BAR ADMISSIONS
- Missouri
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS & ACTIVITIES
- Barrister, Theodore McMillian American Inns of Court, 2010-2012
- Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- Fellow, American College of Coverage Counsel
- Women’s White Collar Defense Association
- Member of Missouri Bar Region XI Disciplinary Committee
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
- Presenter, ACCC Pop-Up Webinar, “The Intersection of Indemnity and Insurance,” August 2023
- Presenter, Insurance Bad Faith 2023 (NBI)
- Presenter, Advanced Insurance, Bad Faith (NBI St. Louis 2017, 2020)
- “Timely Notice to Legal Malpractice Insurer – Better Safe Than Sorry” St. Louis Bar Journal Fall 2014
- Contributing Author, Materials for National Business Institute Missouri Insurance Coverage Law Seminar, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002
- Co-Speaker, NBI Missouri Insurance Coverage Law Seminar, April 1999, September 2000, July 2002
- Insurance Issues in Environmental Clean-Ups: Insurer’s Duty to Defend and Indemnify Under CGL Policies, Boston Bar Association, April 6, 1988 (with Shotwell)
- Bad Faith: Surety’s Liability Limited to Penal Sum of Bond, International Association of Defense Counsel Fidelity & Surety Committee Newsletter, June 1987 (with Devin)
- Case Comment, Supreme Court Holds Juvenile Preventive Detention Under New York Statute Not Violative of Due Process: Schall v. Martin, 26 Boston College Law Review 1277 (1985)
- “Construction Contracts – Unpaid Materialman’s Right to Recover from General Contractor and Surety – Failure to Comply With Statutory Notice Requirement,” 1984 Annual Survey of Massachusetts Law 223
- “Breathalyzer – Preservation of Breath Samples and Ampules – Radio Frequency Interference – Validity of One-Test System,” 1984 Annual Survey of Massachusetts Law 102
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Board Member, Compton Heights Association, 1992-1995; President, Compton Heights Association, 1994
- President, Wellesley College Club of St. Louis, 1995-1997