MATTHEW J. STRETZ

Originally from Sedalia, Missouri, Mr. Stretz obtained his Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Mr. Stretz then obtained his law degree from the same university in 1982. Upon graduation, he began working with the firm of Gould & Moore, P.C., a south Kansas City law firm which specialized in general and civil practice. There, he immediately began developing litigation experience which he carried with him as an associate with the law firm of Gordon N. Myerson, P.C. Mr. Stretz began working with the Myerson firm in 1985 and initiated an expertise in workers' compensation defense, while continuing to work in the area of civil insurance defense.

His experience includes civil jury trials in both Missouri and Kansas, as well as appellate arguments before the United States Court of Appeals in the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Circuits. In 1989, Mr. Stretz became "Of Counsel" to Armstrong, Teasdale, Schlafly, Davis & Dicus in Overland Park, Kansas, joining that firm as a partner in 1991. While with Armstrong, Teasdale, Mr. Stretz expanded his workers' compensation practice to include Kansas and presented many lectures and seminars on workers' compensation for legal and non-legal associations. He is a member of the Missouri Workers' Compensation Committee. Mr. Stretz joined the law firm of Merrick, Baker, Fox, Hufft & Strauss, P.C. as a partner in 1992. With FOX, STRETZ & QUINN, P.C., his practice continues to consist almost exclusively of insurance defense litigation, with a primary emphasis in workers' compensation in both Missouri and Kansas. Mr. Stretz is a frequent lecturer in Missouri and Kansas on workers' compensation law and has published annual articles on the subject. He authored the chapter on Kansas Workers' Compensation Law for the Missouri practitioner for the latest edition of the Missouri Bar CLE Workers' Compensation Law Handbook.

Matt may be reached at mstretz@fsqlaw.com.