At 68, Charlie Weiss is a short, soft-spoken gentleman with spectacles, a good-natured grin and a brisk gait. But though his rural Missouri modesty keeps him from mentioning it, in the world of business and complex litigation, this mild-mannered attorney is a rock star. Now a partner at Bryan Cave, Weiss has appeared in more than 30 jury trials and been inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers — one of the legal sphere's most selective associations. He's won cases for Boeing, KV Pharmaceuticals, Savvis, Maritz, and most notably McDonnell Douglas, on whose behalf he prevailed in suits against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Denmark. One of his proudest moments, though, was the exoneration of Josh Kezer, a Missouri man who served sixteen years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. Weiss led the team that freed him. Richard Callahan, the former Cole County judge and now U.S. Attorney for Missouri's Eastern District, presided over that case. He says he has never socialized with Weiss, but he has watched him argue in court several times. "He was always just very gracious and courtly and respectful toward his opponents," says Callahan. "I wish all lawyers were Charlie Weiss."