Michael McGinness
Of Counsel

Michael earned a Bachelor of Art’s Degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 1969 and received a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia Law School in 1972. After law school, Michael served a brief stint at the City Attorney’s Office in St. Joseph, Missouri as an Assistant City Attorney prior to moving to Platte City, Missouri in late 1973 to engage in the private practice of law. In 1988, Michael began his partnership with Robert H. Shaw in the law firm of McGinness & Shaw, LLC in Platte City, Missouri, and remained in that partnership until October of 2023, when Michael joined Witt, Hicklin, Snider & Fain, P.C. in an Of Counsel role. Michael and his wife Cheryl, a former remedial reading teacher for the Platte County R-III School District, reside in Platte City, Missouri.

Bar Admissions

• Missouri, 1973

• United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 2000

Education

• University of Missouri – Columbia, Columbia, Missouri

  • J.D. – 1972

• University of Missouri – Columbia, Columbia, Missouri

  • B.A. - 1969

Representative Clients

• Riverside-Quindaro Bend Levee District of Platte County, Missouri

• Connections Bank (formerly Wells Bank)

• Public Water Supply District No. 9 of Platte County, Missouri

• Farley-Beverly Drainage District, Platte County, Missouri

• Waldron Levee District, Platte County, Missouri

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Missouri Bar Association, 1973 to present

• Platte County Missouri Judicial Nominating Committee, 1984 to 1989

• Platte County Bar Association, Member, 1973 to present

Past Employment Positions

• St. Joseph, Missouri - City Attorney’s Office, Assistant City Attorney, 1973 to 1973

• Fickle & McGinness Law Office, Partner, 1974-1988

• McGinness & Shaw, LLC, Partner, 1988 to 2023

• U.S. Armed Forces (Army National Guard for five years and Air National Guard for one year), Honorable Discharge, 1970 to 1976

• McGinness Truck Lines, Inc., President, 1991 to 2001