About Us
Our law firm traces its beginnings to 1950 when Thaine Blumer began practicing law in Kansas City following his graduation from the University of Missouri at Kansas City Law School. Beginning in 1950, Thaine practiced law continuously in Kansas City as a trial lawyer representing seriously injured persons, first as a partner in the firm of Blumer & Speers, from 1951-1955, then Blumer, Wright, Bittiker & Rocha, from 1957 to 1972, and finally after he was joined by Jude Nally, in the law firm of Blumer & Nally from 1975 until his untimely death in 1991.
Beginning in September of 1975, Thaine and Jude formed Blumer & Nally and focused their practice exclusively on personal injury trial work, representing injured individuals and their families in cases involving motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, dangerous products, drugs, and medical devices, and dangerous premises.
Thaine and Jude initially practiced law from their offices at the historic Traders Bank Building at 1125 Grand Avenue, the first high-rise building erected in downtown Kansas City after the Great Depression.
1621 Baltimore Avenue: 1984 and 2024
Then in 1984, they purchased and renovated the building the firm still occupies today, at 1621 Baltimore Avenue in the Kansas City Crossroads neighborhood.
Thaine Blumer
Thaine specialized as a trial lawyer for injured plaintiffs beginning in the days when it was common to try a civil jury case once a week or even more frequently. Thaine was a legendary trial lawyer, successfully handling serious injury cases in numerous states including Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, Utah, California, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, New York, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona. He was a member of the Missouri Bar Association, the Kansas City Bar Association, the American Judicature Society, the American Bar Association, the American Trial Lawyers Association, and the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys. Thaine was elected President of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys in 1966 , and in 1990 he was named Dean of the Trial Bar by the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.
Jude Nally
Jude joined Thaine and formed Blumer & Nally in 1975. Jude graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a BA in speech/communications in 1971, and from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law in 1975. Jude specialized in complex civil litigation and jury trials on behalf of seriously injured plaintiffs. His practice principally involved cases tried in the Kansas City area, but also included cases tried or resolved successfully in Illinois, Texas, Kansas and in various parts of Missouri. Jude was a member of the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, a member of The Missouri Bar, the American Bar Association, the Kansas City Bar Association, and the American Trial Lawyers Association.
Jude was an exceptional trial lawyer with a passion for justice and for helping injured people. Unfortunately, Jude passed away in 1998 at the age of 48, following a battle with cancer. Jude’s approach towards his life and practice is reflected by the Jack London quote: “I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live. . . not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”
Rik Siro joined Thaine and Jude in the firm in 1985, having previously practiced at large defense firms and gained trial experience in medical malpractice and personal injury cases. The firm later became Blumer Nally & Siro after Thaine passed away in 1991. Rik has continued to lead the firm’s traditional practice of representing plaintiffs in serious personal injury actions, and he also developed the firm’s practice in plaintiffs’ employment law, representing executives, managers and front-line workers in discrimination and wrongful termination cases against their employers. For many years, Rik has also devoted substantial time and energy to important non-profit leadership roles, including as a long-time board member and President of the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City, and as long-time board member and President of the Center for Conflict Resolution. Like the firm’s founding partners, Rik is also an exceptional jury trial lawyer. In 2023, Rik was named Dean of the Trial Bar by the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.
Athena Dickson joined the firm in 2003, and she practices in the areas of personal injury and employment law. Athena has developed a very successful employment and personal injury trial practice. She recently obtained one of the Top 5 Plaintiffs’ Verdicts in the State of Missouri in a whistle-blower retaliation case. Athena is also a highly accomplished Bar and community leader, and she presently serves as the 2025-26 President of the Missouri Bar Association. Among her many other significant leadership roles, Athena has served as President of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.
Eric Smith joined the firm in 2008, principally representing plaintiffs in employment law disputes, following nearly 15 years of practice, including as a partner at a large national defense firm. Eric has over thirty years of experience successfully trying complex lawsuits in courts across the United States including cases involving age, sex, race, and disability discrimination, whistleblowing, harassment, and retaliation claims, employee benefits and wage and hour class actions, executive contract disputes, fraud and other tort claims, and victims of serious personal injuries. In recent years, Eric has also focused on developing the firm’s practice in qui tam whistle-blower cases, representing plaintiff- relators who report and prosecute fraud on behalf of the United States government. Eric has served as the firm’s Managing Partner since 2024.
When Eric and Athena became partners in the firm in 2010, we changed our name to Siro Smith Dickson PC. Today, Siro Smith Dickson remains focused on the core mission first established by Thaine and Jude beginning more than 75 years ago: serving as trial counsel for victims of serious personal injuries and workplace harms, while being good leaders and contributors to the Kansas City Bar and community.
