Independence, MO — Humphrey, Farrington & McClain is proud to announce that attorneys Lauren McClain, Tim Kingsbury, Ken McClain and Andrew Smith have been recognized by Missouri Lawyers Media for securing one of the Top Settlements of 2025 in the state of Missouri.
The honor stems from the team’s $30 million product liability settlement on behalf of two salon workers who developed cancer after years of occupational exposure to formaldehyde concealed in a professional hair-smoothing product. One plaintiff was diagnosed with uterine and ovarian cancer. The other was pregnant during the exposure window, and her child was later diagnosed with leukemia.
The attorneys were honored at the 2026 Missouri Lawyers Awards ceremony held February 12 at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, where Missouri Lawyers Media recognized the largest verdicts, settlements, and defense wins finalized in Missouri courts during the 2025 calendar year.
“This case was about corporate accountability,” said Lauren McClain. “The manufacturer denied the chemical was even present in its product while workers were being exposed every day. That conduct was egregious and outrageous, and this result reflects that.”
This recognition adds to the firm’s decades-long track record of landmark results. Since 1984, HFM attorneys have recovered more than $2 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients across Missouri, Kansas, and the United States in cases involving product liability, toxic exposure, medical malpractice, and catastrophic personal injury.
