• University of Missouri – Kansas City, J.D., with distinction, 1974
• Rockhurst College, B.S., 1971

• Missouri Supreme Court Rule 17 List of Neutrals
• American Bar Association, Construction Industry Forum (former Member of Division Steering Committee)
• The Missouri Bar, Construction Law Committee
• Kansas Bar Association, Construction Law Committee
• Johnson County, Kansas, Bar Association (former Director and Treasurer)
• Johnson County Bar Foundation (former Trustee)
• Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Construction Law Committee (former Chair)

Mr. Bales has over 50 years of experience handling commercial litigation and construction claims, litigation, risk management, and contract drafting/negotiation. Mr. Bales also has extensive experience with personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, premises liability, insurance coverage, arson and fraud.

Jerome frequently serves as a mediator or arbitrator in commercial, construction, insurance, and other disputes. He has tried more than one hundred cases (jury trial, bench trial, and arbitration) and participated in hundreds of mediations and settlement conferences. In the construction industry, Mr. Bales has represented design professionals, owners, contractors, sureties, and suppliers and has handled virtually every type of claim arising from a commercial project, i.e., defects in all design disciplines, delay and impact, job site safety, wrongful termination, liquidated damages, cardinal change, differing site conditions, and other contract disputes.

$450 per hour; 50% of hourly rate plus expenses for travel; no cancellation fee, but minimum of 8 hours per day for out-of town proceeding.