Ritter and Robertson were members of the Missouri Tobacco Trial Team that negotiated a $6.7 billion state settlement with the major U.S. tobacco companies.

Missouri will receive payments from the settlement, the largest in the state's history, over the next 25 years. In the tobacco litigation nationally, states sought reimbursement for the costs of treating smoking-related illnesses through the Medicaid program. Legislators now are determining how the settlement money will be used.

Ritter was one of five lead trial counsel in the case of State of Missouri, ex. rel. Jeremiah (Jay) W. Nixon, Attorney General v. American Tobacco Company, et al. He was responsible for guiding written and testimonial discovery, marshaling and coding documents, participating in development of the medical evidence and planning with other lead counsel in the trial strategy.

Ritter currently is senior principal at Gray, Ritter & Graham P.C. in St. Louis and is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He serves on the board of directors of the International Society of Barristers and holds the rank of diplomate in the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Robertson led the group charged with drafting pleadings, preparing and presenting motions and preparation of briefs in the Missouri Trial Court, Missouri Court of Appeals and the Missouri Supreme Court for the settlement case. He was also a member of the trial strategy group for the Missouri trial team.

In 1985, Robertson, at age 33, became the youngest state Supreme Court judge in the United States at that time. He served as chief justice of the court from 1991-93.

He stepped down from the bench in 1998 to join the Missouri Tobacco Trial Team. He is now a partner at Bartimus, Frickleton, Robertson & Obetz P.C. in Kansas City, Mo.