(314) 296-4000

Timothy Belz

Of Counsel

tbelz@TrueNorthLawGroup.com
Office: 314.296.4000

Timothy Belz specializes in litigation, including appeals, and has handled a variety of commercial, probate dispute and constitutional cases.

Previous Work

Has been a partner for 24 years in the firm Ottsen, Leggat & Belz, LC. (formerly Ottsen, Mauzé, Leggat & Belz, L.C.). Prior to entering private practice, he was a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division.

Litigation Highlights

  • Wieland v. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Serv., 793 F.3d 949 (8th Cir. 2015).  Lead counsel in case establishing that individual Missouri state employees have standing to challenge the contraceptive mandate contained in the Affordable Care Act and implementing regulations.
  • Heartland Academy Community Church v. Waddle, 595 F.3d 798 (8th Cir. 2010).  Lead counsel on appeal in damage case denying immunity to Missouri juvenile officers and social workers accused of violating the constitutional rights of private religious school, its students and their parents.
  • Heartland Academy Community Church v. Waddle, 427 F.3d 525 (8th Cir. 2005).  Lead counsel on appeal, successfully defending permanent injunction of district court (317 F.Supp.2d 984 (E.D.Mo. 2004)) against state juvenile officer who had violated constitutional rights of private religious school, its students and their parents.  Obtained $775,000 payment by State of Missouri for legal fees and expenses related to securing the injunction.
  • Heartland Academy Community Church v. Waddle, 335 F.3d 684 (8th Cir. 2003).  Lead counsel on appeal, successfully defending preliminary injunction of district court against state juvenile officer for violation of constitutional rights of private religious school, its students and their parents.
  • Good News/Good Sports Club v. School Dist. Of the City of Ladue, 28 F.3d 1501 (8th Cir. 1994), cert. denied, 515 U.S. 1173 (1995).  Lead counsel at trial and active co-counsel on successful appeal of case establishing rights of student to meet in public school facilities.  Section 1983 case involving complex free speech and other First Amendment issues.  Also succeeded in obtaining more than $275,000.00 in court-ordered attorney fees and expenses.
  • Eva Hummel-Jones, et ux. v. Strope, et al., 25 F.3d 647 (8th Cir. 1994).  Active co-counsel (wrote brief) on successful appeal of Section 1983 case between Missouri family and law enforcement officials involving complex Fourth Amendment issues.
  • U.S. v. Cargo Service Stations, 657 F.2d 676 (5th Cir. Unit B 1981), cert.denied, 455 U.S. 1017 (1982).  Active co-counsel in investigating and trying this statewide (Florida) price-fixing case.
  • Jamison v. Missouri Dept. of Soc. Serv., 218 S.W.3d 399 (Mo. banc 2007).  Lead counsel on appeal in case in which he successfully argued before the Missouri Supreme Court that teachers and child-care workers should not be blacklisted by the state prior to a meaningful due process hearing, thus striking down substantial portions of Missouri law as unconstitutional.
  • Presbytery of Elijah Parish Lovejoy v. Jaeggi, 682 S.W.2d 465 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 471 U.S. 1117 (1985).  Lead counsel in church property case involving complex First Amendment issues.  Convinced Missouri Supreme Court to substantially change, if not reverse, approach it had taken in such cases since 1914.
  • Gibson v. Brewer, 952 S.W.2d 239 (Mo. banc 1997).  Was active co-counsel on amicus curiae brief that was followed by Missouri Supreme Court in restricting supervisor liability (legal responsibility of supervising bishop, etc.) in child molestation cases by parish priests.
  • Conservatorship Estate of Moehlenpah, 763 S.W.2d 249 (Mo. App. E.D. 1988).  Lead counsel for respondents in intra-family probate dispute involving competency.
  • Pasta House Co. v. Williams, et al., 833 S.W.2d 460 (Mo. App. E.D. 1992).  Lead counsel for respondent in case involving duties of professional surveyor.
  • NOW, et al. v. Scheidler, et al., 968 F.2d 612 (7th Cir. 1992), affirming 765 F. Supp. 937 (N.D. Ill. 1991).  Active co-counsel in pro bono case establishing that federal antitrust statutes cannot be used against social protestors who lack economic motivation.
  • Webster, et al., v. RHS, et al., 492 U.S. 490 (1989).  Lead counsel in preparation and filing of amici curiae brief filed on behalf of 127 members of the Missouri legislature.

Bar and Court Admissions

Admitted to Practice in Missouri, Georgia and Iowa, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Supreme Court

Recognitions

  • Earned the Special Achievement Award, awarded by United States Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti in 1980.
  • Member of a 10-15 lawyer field office of the Antitrust Division with responsibility for prosecuting price-fixing and bid-rigging cases in Southeastern United States.  He was actively involved in investigating and trying a variety of such cases, including but not limited to gasoline price fixing, contract hardware bid rigging, highway construction bid rigging and customer allocation, and other per se violations of the Sherman Act.
  • Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 (highest rating possible for competence and ethics).
  • Influential Appellate Advocate Award, 2017, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, for representing CNS Int’l Ministries, Inc. and Heartland Christian College in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2015.
  • Missouri Attorney of the Year (one of ten), 2004, Missouri Lawyers Weekly
  • Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers
  • Board Member, Christian Legal Society, Springfield, Virginia, 2001-2010
  • Committee Member, Center for Law and Religious Freedom, Christian Legal Society, Springfield, Virginia, 1999-present

Education

  • University of Iowa College of Law, JD, 1976
  • Order of the Coif; with high distinction; top ten percent
Social Share Buttons and Icons powered by Ultimatelysocial