Av. John M. Challis
John Challis is the Managing Partner at Kembell Woods & Martinsen, where he advocates for individuals and businesses in a wide range of contested matters. With a focus on fiduciary litigation and administration, John is recognized for delivering outstanding results for his clients through negotiation, mediation, and litigation. He counsels clients on fiduciary relationships, disputed administration, will and trust contests, and asset transfer disputes, drawing on substantial trial and appellate experience in Missouri courts.
Profile Summary
About John M. Challis at a glance
John M. Challis is a trusts, business, and litigation attorney based in St. Louis, Missouri, practicing at Kembell Woods & Martinsen LLP. Admitted to practice in Missouri, The Missouri Bar and Illinois, Illinois State Bar Association. Educated at Saint Louis University (JD, 2004) and Truman State University (BS, 2000). Recognitions include Lawyer of the Year — Litigation - Trusts and Estates (St. Louis) (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Commercial Litigation (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Trusts and Estates (2026). Serands clients in St. Louis, MO and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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Hakkında
- John Challis is the Managing Partner at Kembell Woods & Martinsen, where he advocates for individuals and businesses in a wide range of contested matters
- With a focus on fiduciary litigation and administration, John is recognized for delivering outstanding results for his clients through negotiation, mediation, and litigation. He counsels clients on fiduciary relationships, disputed administration, will and trust contests, and asset transfer disputes, drawing on substantial trial and appellate experience in Missouri courts
- Understanding that the best resolution is not always found at trial, John is highly trained in alternative dispute resolution
- He completed the University of Missouri’s Mediation Training, meets all requirements under Rule 17 to serve as a mediator or arbitrator, and frequently mediates trust and estate disputes. John is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, the Litigation Counsel of America, and The American Bar Foundation
- He currently serves as Chair of the Probate and Trust Division of The Missouri Bar and is distinguished as a “Band One” attorney for Private Wealth Disputes by Chambers
- His accolades also include “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for Trust & Estates Litigation and a “Top 100 Lawyer” recognition in Missouri and Kansas by SuperLawyers
- An active thought leader, John regularly writes and speaks on fiduciary topics, including keynote presentations at national conferences on fiduciary litigation, estate and trust administration, and ethics topics
Practice Areas Explained
John M. Challis's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases John M. Challis handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
John M. Challis is one of 104,172 trusts attorneys indexed nationally. Browse trusts attorneys in Missouri →
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
John M. Challis is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Missouri →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
John M. Challis is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Missouri →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Missouri
Practicing law in Missouri. Legal matters in Missouri are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in St. Louis are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Missouri state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Missouri brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Missouri courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Missouri attorneys? Browse all attorneys in St. Louis or all attorneys in Missouri.
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