Brentwood, MO

James V. O’Brien

Jim was born in western Massachusetts but grew up in Illinois. He clerked for U. S. District Judge James L. Foreman in the Southern District of Illinois. Jim later practiced law with Lewis, Rice & Fingersh in St. Louis, where he was a partner before joining BWO. Jim is a Certified Public Accountant in Missouri and has an LL.M. in Taxation from Washington University School of Law. His legal career has been centered on commercial litigation, for which he has been named a Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyer for many years, and on certain areas of personal injury litigation, including medical malpractice and Jones Act/FELA. Jim has tried many bench and jury cases in Missouri, Illinois, and other states, and has appeared in oral argument in numerous appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court. He has spoken at seminars around the country in areas of his interest. Jim is an avid golfer who claims that a busy law practice keeps his handicap too high and enjoys outdoor and lake-related activities. He is married to the lovely Rita Graham and has five children, all boys, who have kept him young, four of whom are taller, and all of whom are smarter and better looking.

Andrew Buchanan

Andrew specializes in helping people who have been injured. He focuses on medical malpractice, automobile and truck accidents, product liability, premise liability, wrongful death, and work accidents, and also has extensive experience representing clients in stockbroker liability claims and wrongful discharge/discrimination claims. Andrew is the managing partner in BWO’s St. Louis office. Andrew (along with the other attorneys and staff at BWO) focuses on personal service for his clients. Clients have Andrew’s personal cell phone and can call him anytime with questions or concerns. Andrew started his law career with Lewis Rice & Fingersh, LC, which is one of the largest law firms in the St. Louis area. Andrew is married to Kimberly Ulrich Buchanan. Kim is an attorney and partner in the law firm Wegner Buchanan. Andrew and Kim live in St. Louis with their two children.

Charles Buchanan

Charles is a founding member of BWO. He has successfully advocated for the interests of his clients for over forty years. The firm’s clients benefit from his experience of effectively handling numerous legal matters, including wrongful death, product liability, automobile accidents, medical malpractice, unlawful discrimination, and workers injured on the job. Charles’ experience and depth of knowledge has given him a range of skills that he uses to help his clients achieve the best possible result for the legal situation they face. Charles’ has an AV® Preeminent™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings, which is the highest rating certification for legal ability and ethical standards. Charles is a veteran having served in Korea as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army. After his service, Charles attended the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law where he graduated with honors in the top 10% of his class. Before law school, he practiced chemical engineering after receiving his engineering degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Charles was raised in Joplin and returned home upon receiving his degree to practice law there. He is active in the Joplin community, having served as President to the Boys & Girls Club and serving for Habitat for Humanity, Lafayette House, and other civic organizations. Charles continues to live in Joplin with his wife Sherry. He has greatly enjoyed working alongside his son, Andrew, at BWO and building a practice together. He enjoys reading, outdoor activities, and spending time with his family and grandchildren.

Franklin E. Buchanan III

Franklin was born and raised in Joplin, Missouri, graduating from College Heights Christian School. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Missouri Southern State University in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management. Franklin graduated from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 2022. While in law school, Franklin was one of the five students selected to participate in TU Law’s traveling trial team. In less than a year of practice, Franklin recovered an excess of $1,000,000.00 for injured clients. He was named Up & Coming attorney by Missouri Lawyers Media. He is a member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and is a proud National Trial Lawyers (NTL) Top 40 under 40 member. He was dubbed a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers. Franklin is licensed to practice law in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

Andrew Buchanan

Andrew Buchanan is an attorney focusing on personal injury litigation, including medical malpractice, product liability, premise liability, automobile and truck accidents, and wrongful death, as well as workers’ compensation claims for injured truckers. He graduated magna cum laude from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2002 and summa cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1999 with a degree in finance and banking. He started his career at Lewis Rice & Fingersh, LC, handling various litigation types. He is licensed in Missouri and Illinois and is a member of the American Bar Association and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.

James V. O’Brien

Jim O'Brien is an attorney with degrees in business administration and English literature from Illinois State University, a J.D. cum laude from Southern Illinois University School of Law, and an LL.M. in Taxation from Washington University School of Law. He is also a Certified Public Accountant in Missouri. He clerked for U.S. District Judge James L. Foreman and was a partner at Lewis, Rice & Fingersh. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, medical malpractice, Jones Act/FELA, maritime law, and tax controversy work. He has been named a Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyer.

Charles Buchanan

Charles Buchanan is a lead attorney at Hurt Trucker, specializing in personal injury and workers’ compensation for truckers for over 40 years, starting his practice nearly 50 years ago in 1975. He holds a chemical engineering degree from the University of Missouri and a law degree with Honors from the University of Missouri, where he was on the Missouri Law Review board. He served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army in Korea. Charles has the highest AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell for ethics and legal ability and is the Senior Editor of the Hurt Trucker blog.