St. Louis trial lawyer assumes leadership of premier international transportation bar association
ST. LOUIS, MO (May 4, 2026) — Lashly & Baer, P.C. is pleased to announce that Patrick E. Foppe, a member of the firm and Co-Chair of its Litigation Group, has been elected President of the Transportation Lawyers Association (TLA), a premier international bar association serving attorneys who counsel motor carriers, freight forwarders, brokers, shippers, insurers, and other participants in the transportation industry. Mr. Foppe assumes the presidency for the 2026 to 2027 term following his service as President-Elect.
Founded in 1929, TLA brings together attorneys from across the United States, Canada, and abroad. As President, Mr. Foppe will lead the association’s executive committee, oversee its educational programming and publications, and represent the membership before regulators, industry stakeholders, and allied bar organizations. He previously served as Editor of the association’s legal journal, The Transportation Lawyer, and as First Vice President, Second Vice President, and Co-Chair of the Membership and Recruiting Committee.
“Patrick’s election to lead TLA reflects what those of us who work alongside him every day already know. He combines deep substantive command of transportation law with the kind of judgment, work ethic, and personal integrity that earns trust at every level of the bar. Our firm is proud to see him recognized in this way, and TLA’s membership will be well served by his leadership.”
— Kevin L. Fritz, Shareholder, Lashly & Baer, P.C.
Mr. Foppe expressed gratitude to the TLA membership and outlined his priorities for the coming year:
“It is a privilege to serve an organization that has shaped my career and introduced me to colleagues who are now lifelong friends. TLA’s strength has always been the personal connections among its members and the substantive quality of its programming. During my term, I will focus on expanding educational offerings on the issues defining modern transportation litigation, including nuclear verdicts, policy limit demands, and the responsible integration of artificial intelligence in defense practice. I also intend to grow the membership through meaningful engagement and to ensure TLA remains the premier forum for transportation lawyers throughout North America and beyond.”
Mr. Foppe represents motor carriers, insurers, and self-insured retailers in catastrophic and high-exposure litigation throughout Missouri and Illinois. He has tried cases to verdict in state and federal court, defended punitive damages claims under Missouri’s 2020 tort reform, and led on-scene investigations of fatal commercial motor vehicle crashes within hours of the incident. As leader of Lashly & Baer’s Rapid Response Team, he directs investigations of serious crashes, working with reconstructionists and engineers to preserve evidence, evaluate exposure, and position matters for resolution. He routinely handles ECM and telematics downloads, video preservation, and chain-of-custody issues for electronic evidence, and he advises clients on safety standards, FMCSR compliance, crash dynamics, and the layered insurance issues that drive trucking litigation outcomes.
In addition to leading TLA, Mr. Foppe serves as Secretary of USLAW NETWORK’s Transportation and Logistics Practice Group, sits on the Defense Research Institute’s Trucking Law Steering Committee, and participates in the USLAW Retail Practice Group. He chairs his firm’s AI Committee and counsels clients on responsible deployment of artificial intelligence tools in document review, deposition preparation, regulatory analysis, and early case assessment, with attention to privilege, work product, and bar ethics requirements. He co-authored “Implementing and Ethically Navigating AI in Legal Practice” for The Transportation Lawyer in 2025 and presented “Harnessing AI for the Defense” at USLAW’s 2025 Transportation Winter Roundtable.
Mr. Foppe holds an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He has been recognized annually by Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers since 2010, first as a Rising Star and then as a Super Lawyer since 2018. In 2021, he received TLA’s Distinguished Service Award, and he has been named to The Missouri Bar’s Pro Bono Wall of Fame. He has authored or co-authored more than 75 articles and presentations on transportation litigation, insurance coverage, and emerging defense issues for DRI, TLA, USLAW, and industry audiences. Mr. Foppe earned his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2004 and his B.S.B.A., summa cum laude, in International Business from Saint Louis University in 2001. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and Missouri and before multiple federal district courts.
About Lashly & Baer, P.C.
Lashly & Baer, P.C. is a full-service law firm with offices in St. Louis, Missouri, and Edwardsville, Illinois, serving clients throughout the United States. The firm’s litigation, transportation, insurance, healthcare, and corporate practices represent businesses, insurers, public entities, and individuals in matters ranging from routine counseling to high-stakes trial work. For more information, visit www.lashlybaer.com.
About the Transportation Lawyers Association
The Transportation Lawyers Association is an independent international bar association of attorneys serving the transportation, transportation logistics, and related industries. Founded in 1929, TLA advances the practice of transportation law through education, publication, professional development, and collegial exchange among its members. For more information, visit www.translaw.org.
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