Elizabeth S. Lenivy

Liz is a dedicated advocate for those who have been injured due to medical malpractice, dangerous products, and motor vehicle accidents. With a passion for plaintiffs’ advocacy, Liz gained valuable experience as a law student while clerking at Simon Law. After graduating, she worked as an associate at a local firm, where she focused on insurance defense in product liability, premises liability, and personal injury claims. This experience provided her with unique insight into the strategies employed by defendants and insurance companies.

Driven by personal experiences of loss and injustice, Liz is committed to fighting for her clients and telling their stories to help them achieve the justice they deserve. Since joining Simon Law in 2016, Liz has successfully tried multiple cases to verdict, including complex medical malpractice and product liability cases. She has also argued before the Missouri Court of Appeals and submitted briefs to the Missouri Supreme Court and Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Liz actively participates in the St. Louis legal community, holding leadership positions on various boards and bar organizations, and providing pro bono services. 

Outside of her legal practice, Liz is involved in the Korean American community of St. Louis as a board member of the Gateway Korea Foundation. As a first-generation American and the first attorney in her family, she takes pride in using her legal skills to celebrate her Korean and American heritage. In her free time, Liz enjoys spending time with her husband Steve, exploring St. Louis’ vibrant food scene, and cheering on CITY SC.

I’m passionate about these kinds of cases, because the fight for me really is personal. In 2010, my dad was diagnosed with late stage lung cancer. And we learned through his doctors that there was a possibility he could have been diagnosed several months earlier and his prognosis could have been different.

I was in college at the time and I asked my dad whether or not he was thinking about hiring an attorney to investigate this potential negligence. And he told me he didn’t want to, because he didn’t want to go through the hassle of an attorney. And this was before I had even thought about pursuing this career, but my dad’s words still resonate with me. And it’s how I try to approach all of my cases.

I try to think about how I would want an attorney to treat my family and that in turn affects how I think or how I want clients to think about me. I don’t want clients to view me as a hassle. I should be an asset. I should be an advocate. I should be a benefit for their family. And that is why this fight is so personal for me and why I am so passionate about taking on these cases and taking on these types of clients.

• The Simon Law Firm, P.C., St. Louis, Missouri
  • Attorney (April 2016 – Present)
  • Law Clerk (May 2014 – May 2015)
• Brown and James, P.C., St. Louis, Missouri
  • Associate Attorney (June 2015 – April 2016)
• Saint Louis University Legal Clinic, St. Louis, Missouri
  • Rule 13 Certified Student Attorney, Civil Litigation Unit (Jan. 2015 – May 2015)
• The Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, St. Louis, Missouri
  • Judicial Intern for the Honorable Mary Hoff (Jan. 2014 – April 2014)
• Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri
  • Legal Intern – Lasting Solutions Program (June 2013 – Aug. 2013)

• Young Friends of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
  • Board Member (2017 – Present)
  • Social Chair (2017 – 2021)
  • Nominating Chair (2023 – 2024)
  • Vice Chair (2024 – Present)
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
  • Public Outreach and Education Committee (2017 – 2020)
• The Missouri Bar Association
  • Special Committee on Lawyers of Color (2021 – 2022)
• Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Member (2016 – Present)
• Women Lawyers Association, Member (2016 – Present)
• Missouri Asian American Bar Association, Member (2017 – Present)
• American Association for Justice, Member (2017 – Present)
• The Theodore McMillian Inns of Court, Member (2017 – 2020)

• “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” (2021 – 2024)
• Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, “Rising Star” (2018-2023)
• Missouri Lawyers Media, “Top Plaintiff’s Verdicts” (2021)
• Missouri Lawyers Media, “Women’s Justice Award – Pro Bono Honoree” (2019)
• Missouri Lawyers Media, “Influential Appellate Advocate” (2018)
• Missouri Lawyers Media, “Up & Coming Attorney” (2018)
• SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY LAW JOURNAL, “Editor of the Year” (2015)
• SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY LAW JOURNAL, “Best Student Comment” (2014)

• State of Missouri (2015)
• State of Illinois (2016)
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (2015)
• United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri (2015)
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (2022)

“Annual Update on the Law”, Presenter, The Missouri Association of Trial  Attorneys Annual Seminar (Aug. 2020, June 2021, June 2022, June 2023, June 2024)

“A Candid Conversation with the Bench”, Moderator, National Business Institute (May 2024)

“If the Heels Fit, Wear Them Well: Loving Your Career at Every Stage”, Keynote Speaker, Arizona Women Lawyers Association 43rd Annual Convention (Oct. 2022)

“Free Chol Soo Lee” Attorneys and Journalists Panel Discussion, Moderator, The Gateway Korea Foundation, (Nov. 2022)

“Panel Discussion CLE: Building Blocks for a Fulfilling and Successful Career”, Panelist, The Federal Bar Association (Nov. 2022)

“What it Means to Be Asian in the Workplace and How to be an Ally”, Panelist, Association of Corporate Counsel-St. Louis Chapter (June 2021)

“Demystifying Medical Malpractice”, Presenter, Marquette High School HOSA Future Professionals (Jan. 2021)

“Update on the Law”, Presenter, The Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys Paralegals Seminar (Oct. 2020)

“Ethics Review”, Presenter, The Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, New Lawyers Committee (June 2019)

“Plaintiff/Defense Panel: Daubert & Collateral Source”, Moderator, The Simon Law Firm Hon. Richard B. Teitelman Memorial Seminar to Benefit Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (June 2019)

“Daubert: Yes! No! Maybe?”, Presenter, The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis CLE Seminar on Expert Witnesses (Oct. 2018)

“The Right to Jury Trials and Why They Matter”, Presenter, The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis Public Outreach Initiative (May 2019, Festus High School and Oct. 2018, Cor Jesu High School)

Print

• Damages for Dummies: How to Effectively Prepare and Present Damages, 69 THE ST. LOUIS BAR J. 5, (2022)
• Reasonably Uncertain: Can Defense Experts Give Alternative Causation Theories That They Are Not Reasonably Certain Of?, AIEGVoice Magazine (Winter 2021)
• Hospitals Off the Hook, Patients Out of Luck, AIEGVoice Magazine (Winter 2020)
• Danger Ahead: The Risks of Truck Platooning and Status of State Legislation, The American Association for Justice, Trial Magazine (2019)
• Daubert: Yes! No! Maybe?, 65 THE ST. LOUIS BAR J. 1, 22 (2018)
• Diffusing Dangerous Situations: How Missouri Could Effectively Remove Firearms from the Hands of Domestic Abusers, 59 ST. LOUIS U.L.J. 1221 (2015)

Audio

• “Heels in the Courtroom”, Podcast Co-Host, The Simon Law Firm, P.C. (2020 – Present)
• “St. Louis on the Air: Legal Roundtable”, St. Louis Public Radio, Guest Panelist (April 30, 2024)

• Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Volunteer Attorney (2016 – Present)
• St. Louis Survivors Legal Support, Volunteer Attorney (2024 – Present)
• The Gateway Korea Foundation, Board Member and Secretary (2020 – Present)
• Missouri Coalition for Right to Counsel, Volunteer Attorney (2017 – 2018)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, “Big Sister” (2017 – 2019)