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Clayton graduated with honors from the University of Missouri School of Law in 2012.  He was elected to the Order of the Coif, an honor given to the top 10 percent of students in a graduating class.   During law school, Clayton served as a Note and Comment Editor for the Missouri Law Review.  After his first year of law school, Clayton interned for Judge William Ray Price of the Missouri Supreme Court.  He later clerked for nearly two years and gained valuable experience at Harper, Evans, Wade & Netemeyer.  After law school, Clayton practiced at Rogers Ehrhardt.

Clayton joined Ford, Parshall & Baker in June of 2014.  He became a partner of the firm in January of 2019.

At Ford, Parshall & Baker, Clayton represents individuals and businesses throughout Missouri in both state and federal courts.  He has successfully argued cases on appeal, upholding judgments in favor of his clients.  While the bulk of his practice focuses on defending nurses and doctors facing malpractice lawsuits, Clayton regularly represents clients in lawsuits involving automobile accidents, business, construction and homeowners’ association disputes and employment discrimination.

Clayton is a Columbia native.  Along with spending time with his wife Elizabeth and his children Lehr, Huck and Margot, Clayton enjoys supporting Mizzou football and Liverpool Football Club.

Practice areas

  • Insurance Defense
  • Nursing Home Defense
  • Homeowners’ Association Disputes
  • Professional Malpractice Defense
  • Business Litigation
  • Employment Discrimination

Representative Cases

  • Maly Commer. Realty, Inc. v. Maher, 582 S.W.3d 905 (Mo. App. W.D. 2019)
  • Smith v. Vollmer, 611 S.W.3d 780 (Mo. App. W.D. 2020)
  • Boone Cty. Fire Prot. Dist. v. City of Columbia, 638 S.W.3d 555 (Mo. App. W.D. 2021)
  • Bestgen v. Haile, 643 S.W.3d 647 (Mo. App. W.D. 2022)
Education
  • J.D., magna cum laude, University of Missouri School of Law, 2012
  • B.A., cum laude, University of Missouri, 2009
Bar admissions
  • Missouri, 2012
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 2012
  • United States Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, 2012
Professional associations and memberships
  • The Missouri Bar
  • Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers, Member of Board of Directors
  • Boone County Bar Association
  • The Crossing Church
Honors & awards
  • Order of the Coif
  • Roy E. Harper Prize for Best Work in Constitutional Law
  • J. Lewis Parks Prize for Best Work in Antitrust Law
  • City of Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Columbia Class of 2014
  • The Missouri Bar Leadership Academy Class of 2017