R. Kyle Tate

R. Kyle Tate is an attorney at Simmons Hanly Conroy in the Complex Litigation Department. He joined the firm in 2019 and has more than 20 years of experience representing clients in complex legal cases. He focuses his practice on mass tort litigation cases that involve healthcare and privacy issues.

Attending to Details

Kyle is a vital member of the complex litigation team. His main responsibilities center around the evidentiary process, with a focus on multijurisdictional and domestic arbitration and federal and state court proceedings.

Kyle reviews defendant custodial files to prepare plaintiffs for depositions and identifies which information and documents will be most beneficial for use in pleadings, motions, depositions, and in the courtroom. He also conducts legal research and analyzes complex claims in multidistrict litigation, consulting with the litigation team regarding any new and existing policies that may affect their ability to adjudicate the matter and see it through to the closure of the case.

“A complex case can turn on one piece of evidence, one claim that is either answered or refuted,” Kyle said. “In many cases we need to reach a critical mass to persuade the judiciary to certify a class, recognize a claim, or reach a settlement.”

He deals with highly sensitive, privileged, and often private information of individuals; that carries a lot of responsibility.

“Technology allows us to focus the lens, but it still needs to be framed with solid legal analysis,” he concluded.

A Client Culture

For Kyle, clients are so much more than a job to be completed; they’re at the center of his consideration. When working a case, he steps into the client’s situation and addresses challenges and obstacles that lie ahead in addition to their present struggles.

“It’s about being efficient with time and addressing the client’s needs in a thoughtful, engaging, and purposeful manner,” he said. “Chairman John Simmons has created a culture where the enthusiasm for cases and clients is contagious, and that is representative in our culture, our firm, down to our families.”

He explains that it starts from the moment clients hire the firm, with a well thought out onboarding experience. Simmons Hanly Conroy has invested in the right tools and is continually seeking to improve, creating the best possible journey for clients and their families.

“The clients we represent — from one individual to the whole class — deserve a team that will work with them around the clock and be responsive to fast-paced procedural matters, the evidentiary process, and conclusions that have solid legal foundations,” Kyle said.

Background and Education

Prior to joining Simmons Hanly Conroy, Kyle headed his own firm for eight years, where he provided legal services to corporations, health care providers and nonprofit agencies regarding regulations and compliance with the PPACA and the ACA.

He also worked as assistant counsel for the St. Louis County Circuit Court and as policy advisor for Rep. Charles Portwood in Jefferson City, where he helped pass Missouri’s “Ticket to Work” bill, helping many with disabilities return to work.

Kyle received a B.A. in History from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1995. He received his J.D. with a Certificate in Health Law from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2002. At SLU, he was named Student of the Year in 2002, served as lead editor for the Journal of Health Law from 2001-2002 and as an editor from 2000-2001.

When he’s not practicing law, Kyle enjoys spending time with his parents, sisters, nephew and niece.

Representative Cases

• $1.7 billion in settlements | In re: Opioid Litigation, case number 400000/2017; County of Suffolk v. Purdue Pharma LP et al., case number 400001/2017; County of Nassau v. Purdue Pharma LP et al., case number 400008/2017; and State of New York v. Purdue Pharma LP et al., case number 400016/2018, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Suffolk.