Stigall Whitworth attorneys

Founding Member and Lead Trial Attorney

Phone:  (816) 876-2600

Fax:  (816) 221-8763

E-Mail:  James@StigallWhitworth.com

As a founding member of Stigall Whitworth and Lead Trial Attorney, James F. Stigall believes that his duty is to represent people who have been harmed and help them when they are at their lowest point.  James comes from a long tradition of Kansas City lawyers and is carrying his own torch since founding the law firm of Stigall Whitworth.  As a young child he remembers hearing stories from his grandfather and father about fighting for the rights of victims of terrible tragedies at both the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and in the civil law forum at their own respective firms.  In addition, his mother was an atorney at one of the most distinguished defense firms in the nation.  This has afforded James the opportunity to learn from successful attorneys on both sides of the law and cultivate not only the work ethic, but also the experience and resources needed to vigorously fight for his clients.

 James’ legal career began at the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law where he focused on trial practice and worked for several judges in Jackson County and the Missouri Court of Appeals.  After he graduated from the University of Missouri Kansas City and made the tough decision to join the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, rather than immediately enter the civil law forum.  While at the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office for approximately five years, he handled hundreds of cases that consisted of burglaries, assaults, sex crimes and homicides.  His courtroom experience at the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office consists of over twenty jury trials, ranging from homicides to vehicular fatalities, and handling over two hundred pleas of guilty.  This resulted in him ultimately winning the Patrick B. Trial Attorney of the Year Award in 2015, which is presented to the top trial attorney at the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office.  

 In 2016, James decided to leave the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office and fight for the rights of injured individuals at one of the most respected and prominent personal injury law firms in the United States.  James participated in and received broad training from experienced attorneys that taught him our two main goals, as attorneys, are to help a family or individual through a tragic moment and make sure that nobody ever has to go through that same tragedy again.  Over time he was able to work on multi-million-dollar cases and obtain large, favorable results for his clients that now encourage defendants to settle for sizable amounts rather than roll the dice at trial.

 The lessons and experience James learned from his family, at the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law, at the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and in the civil law forum provided him with the opportunity to found Stigall Whitworth in 2019 with his lifelong friend Luke Whitworth.  Luke had previously developed a prosperous personal injury firm in Kansas City, Whitworth Law Office.  Luke expanded his practice with the addition of James Stigall, a persuasive and successful trial attorney that could capture the respect of clients and jurors alike.  James now uses his pragmatism, charisma and dedication to deliver unparalleled results for Stigall Whitworth’s clients.

Before James became a trial attorney, went to Blue Springs High School with Luke Whitworth.  This allowed Luke and James to develop an unbreakable friendship that is now the backbone of their law practice.  He then attended the University of Missouri Columbia on a full football scholarship and earned spots on the Big 12 All-Academic First Team and Commissioner’s Honor Roll.  When James is not busy working on obtaining results for his clients you can likely find him spending time with his soon-to-be wife at or near their home in Kansas City, golfing (aka looking for his lost golf balls), hunting, fishing, playing with his two dogs or at the Lake of the Ozarks with his family.  Nobody can say that James is not a Missouri boy to his core.