Debbie S Champion

Debbie S. Champion centers her leadership on three attributes:

1. Think young. “The first one really means keep your eye on progress,” she said. “What you have done in the past does not mean that (it) will work for you in the future.”

2. Service. “Service is a lost art in the 21st century. Clients have needs and wants. They often want your product, but they need support.They need attention.They need to feel respected. If your client needs something, you gain loyalty and trust if you provide service to get your client what they need when they need it.”

3. Never stop learning. “Every single day, a leader should learn something new about the world, about their industry or about how to make their company better.”

Champion is a member/partner at Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion LLC (RSSC LLC). The law firm represents clients in civil litigation matters, and the firm's partners represent over 300 years of litigation experience.

In her leadership role, Champion focuses on two overriding business goals: increasing her firm in size and increasing the trial experience of her team. She has tried a number of jury and nonjury trials in the past year and helped her associates and junior partners try cases. She has added four to five new attorneys to her group count, numerous clients and companies, and two paralegals.

“I want my company to far exceed my ability and my level of intelligence,” Champion said. “Every single day, a leader should learn something new about the world, about their industry or about how to make their company better. Never stop learning.”

RSSC is listed as a Tier 1 Best Lawyers Law Firm, a 2022 Best Law Firm by the St. Louis Small Business Monthly, and a top 20 Largest Law Firm and Largest Employment Law Firm in Missouri by the St. Louis Business Journal.

Champion was named Lawyer of the Year in personal injury litigation in Missouri in 2022 by Best Lawyers, the oldest peer-review publication company in the legal profession. In addition, Champion was recently inducted into the American College of Trial Attorneys. She also was honored on the Power List of St. Louis Attorneys in the area of defense litigation. Champion was named to the latest edition of the Power 30 List, published by Missouri Lawyers Media, recognizing the 30 most powerful litigation attorneys in Missouri.

Giving back is an important pillar of Champion’s work. She devotes time to providing free legal services to people who cannot afford them, supporting several volunteer platforms for legal service in the St. Louis area. She has given up to 400 hours of her time each year to assist indigent clients in various legal areas. She also serves on the school board of Lift for Life Academy (LFLA), the first independent charter middle school to open in the City of St. Louis.