Terese A. Drew

Terese Drew is the Partner-in-Charge of the firm's St. Louis office. She was the Co-Leader of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP's Personal Injury and Property Damage Practice Group. Ms. Drew is a past co-leader of the firm's Defense Litigation Department and a past member of the firm's Executive Committee.

Ms. Drew concentrates her trial practice in the defense of commercial general liability claims, including medical negligence claims, products liability, premises liability, transportation, employment matters, including age, sex and race/origin discrimination cases, and claims involving enforcement of ADA. In addition, she handles matters including life science cases with a focus on clinical trials.

Her assignments routinely include the representation of manufacturers in products liability claims, commercial transportation companies, municipalities, amusement/leisure industry manufacturers and retailers, as well as professional liability insurers. Her medical negligence matters have an emphasis on emergency physicians.

In January 2009, Ms. Drew was voted a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and served as the President of the Missouri/Southern Illinois Chapter from 2014 – 2015. She was the first woman President in the Chapter's history.

Ms. Drew's work experience began in 1984 with a clerkship at the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Honorable Carl R. Gaertner. She joined Hinshaw in September 1987.

A member of the Missouri State Bar Association, she served for three years on the Board of Governors and for eight years on the Young Lawyers Section Council. Ms. Drew is also a member of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. Her litigation practice is reflected in such professional affiliations as the Defense Research Institute, the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers, the Transportation Lawyers Association, and the International Amusement & Leisure Defense Association.

Since January 2006, Ms. Drew has been an Adjunct Professor at Saint Louis University School of Law teaching trial advocacy.

• American Board of Trial Advocates
  • Membership Committee for the National Board, Co-Chair, 2018 – Present
  • Missouri/Southern Illinois Chapter, President, 2014 – 2015; National Representative, 2015 – Present
• Professional Liability Defense Federation, Member, 2013 – Present
• Defense Research Institute, Member
• International Amusement and Leisure Defense Association, Member
• Missouri Bar Association, Member
• Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers, Member
• Lawyers Association of St. Louis, Member
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, Member

• Selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© for Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, 2015 – 2023
• Recognized on the Super Lawyers list by Missouri Super Lawyers magazine, 2018 – 2022
• Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, Trial Lawyer Honorary Society
• Holds the AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability.
• America Top 100 Lawyers Missouri Lifetime Achievement

Ms. Drew has tried cases throughout the states of Missouri and Illinois, as well as in the federal courts of both states. In addition to her trial practice, Ms. Drew has written and argued appellate briefs before all Appellate Courts in Missouri, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Missouri Supreme Court.

Upon conclusion of a clerkship at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District in 1985, Ms. Drew's civil trial work has focused on litigation for a variety of entities, including AT&T, Stevens Transport, New Prime, Inc., Travelers Insurance Company, National Guardian Risk Retention Group. The Hartford and Bistate Development Agency. In addition to her trial experience, Ms. Drew has written and argued over 30 appellate briefs before all Appellate Courts in Missouri the Missouri Supreme Court and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ms. Drew's representative cases for the past ten years include:

• J.B. v. Missouri Baptist Hospital of Sullivan, et. al. (E.D. Mo.) February 2018. Plaintiff alleged emergency physician failed to properly explore and clean a wound on two separate presentations. Child developed necrotizing fasciitis and underwent a fasciotomy and 16 debridements. Plaintiff sought in excess of $1 million. Defendants verdict.
• Tate v. Bistate Development Agency, et al. (Circuit Court, City of St. Louis) October 2017. Plaintiff alleged Defendants failed to stop at stop sign resulting in collision. Plaintiff's Medical specials were $258,000 (fused spine). Plaintiff asked for 1.2-1.8 million. Jury returned verdict for Plaintiff after comparative fault $399,750 which was less than after settlement.
• Wilkes-Booker v. Dr. Grupas, et al. (Circuit Court, St. Louis County) June 2015. Plaintiff alleged Defendants including emergency physician failed to diagnose an infection of the ankle following surgery. Plaintiff required several surgeries for infected joint. Defense verdict returned as to all Defendants.
• Davis v. Dr. Scott Landry et al. (Circuit Court, St. Charles County, Missouri) September 2013 Plaintiff alleged the Defendants including emergency physician, Dr. Scott Landry, failure of diagnosis and treatment of toxic shock syndrome. Decedent died in hospital with complications, sepsis. Defense verdict. 
• Collins v. Dr. Otha Rains (Circuit Court, Crawford County, Missouri) March 2013 (Failure to Diagnose) Plaintiff alleged failure to diagnose and treat hernia and urinary retention in the emergency department resulting in a bowel obstruction and significant surgical repair. Jury was out less than 30 minutes. Unanimous defense verdict. 
• Dwiggins v. City of Chesterfield, Department of Police, et al. (Circuit Court, St. Louis County, Missouri) June 2008. (Employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation.) Plaintiff, a police officer with the City, alleged that a sergeant had made sexually harassing statements and reported the action to her captain. Following a full internal investigation, there was no conclusive evidence. Plaintiff alleged as a result of her complaint, the sergeant stared and leered at her at work and in the parking lot. She claimed the City gave her difficult assignments, poor reviews, and no raise because of her complaint. A directed verdict was entered for the sergeant and a defense verdict for the City.

Ms. Drew has lectured frequently, speaking on a variety of litigation topics. Among the subjects of her presentations are:

• Defending the Insurer in a Bad Faith Claim
• Managing Risks & Handling Claims
• Slip & Fall Cases in Missouri: New Case Developments
• So You've Been Sued, What to Do About it? (relating to the amusement industry)
• Specialization in Missouri, Past, Present, Future
• Uninsured Motorist Coverage Stacking in Missouri: New Case Update
• Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage (including 1990s Illinois Update)

• Author of Computerized Video Graphics: More Than a Picture, Missouri Bar Journal, Summer 1987