James B. Deutsch
Member - Jefferson CityJames Deutsch is a founding Member of the Firm and Member of the Jefferson City office with over 30 years of experience representing businesses and individuals in disputes with the state, federal and local governments. His focus is on legislative and rulemaking practice, challenging agency regulatory action, issues of state and federal constitutional law, litigation and appellate practice, on all areas of administrative law with an emphasis on gaming and wagering law.
Jim has been listed for ten years in “Best Lawyers in America” in the field of gaming law and he has appeared and argued before the United States Supreme Court.
Prior to that he was a partner in a major Saint Louis, Missouri law firm practicing in Jefferson City. He spent 12 years working in government, including as: Deputy Director and General Counsel of the Missouri Department of Revenue; Commissioner, Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission; and Chief Deputy Attorney General for Missouri.
Jim has acquired a number of awards and honors over his career. He is rated A/V by Martindale-Hubbell. He has been listed in “Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers” in the field of administrative law. He is a founding member and officer of the International Masters of Gaming Law and is a graduate of the National Judicial College. He has written and lectured frequently on the subject of professional responsibility and ethics in the practice of licensed professions as a result of having been named by the Engineering News Record as “Man of the Year” and made an Honorary Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers for his work in deciding the 1981 collapse of walkways at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. He is a former United States Marine and Vietnam Veteran. He is active in working with military veterans and veterans’ issues.
Honors
2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2017, 2016 and 2015 Best Lawyers in America2025 “Lawyer of the Year” in Columbia, MO for Administrative / Regulatory Law
Education
J.D., University of Missouri, Kansas City, 1978, with distinctionB.A., Southeast Missouri State University, 1974, Cum Laude
Admissions
MissouriUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
United States Supreme Court
Recent News
- Twelve BB&D Attorneys Selected as 2025 Best Lawyers in America; Jim Deutsch Selected as Lawyer of the Year
- Eight BB&D Attorneys Selected as 2023 Best Lawyers in America
- Eight BB&D Attorneys Selected as 2022 Best Lawyers in America
- Seven BB&D Attorneys Selected as 2021 Best Lawyers in America
- Three BB&D Attorneys Selected as 2020 Best Lawyers in America
- James Deutsch Presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who
- Three BB&D Attorneys Selected as 2019 Best Lawyers in America
- James Deutsch Selected as an “Icon Award” Honoree by the Missouri Lawyers Weekly
- Two BB&D Litigation Attorneys Selected as 2018 Best Lawyers in America
- Litigation Attorneys Bob Blitz and Jim Deutsch Selected as 2017 Best Lawyers in America