Nick Hergott, trial lawyer, discusses winning Young Lawyer of the Year, inventing the ‘crazy sandwich’ and more in The Pitch questionnaire
Hometown: Overland Park
Current neighborhood: River Market
What I do: I’m part owner of a personal-injury law firm, Meyerkord, Russell and Hergott, and I’m married to Stina, my best friend for more than 15 years.
What’s your addiction? Reddit — everything from breaking news to cute pictures of cats.
What’s your game? Camping. I’ve both won and lost, and the losses hurt the most.
What’s your drink? I enjoy experimenting with new bourbons and scotches, but Jim Beam is a nice fix to get the job done quickly.
Where’s dinner? The Farmhouse is our go-to joint, but we head to Lutfi’s Fried Fish every Sunday; the blackened catfish with greens is a fine way to end the week. And I know it isn’t dinner, but I’ve got to plug Le Monde Bakery. I’m good for a few 9 a.m. visits each week for the amazing chicken curry soup.
What’s on your KC postcard? I really hope it’s not traffic cones and road-closed signs. We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Finish this sentence: “Kansas City got it right when …” They supported the Westside Community Action Network and the Westside CAN Center. The power of this neighborhood and community-policing model on crime reduction, quality-of-life improvements, and basic human dignity is exceptional.
“Kansas City screwed up when …” Selfishly, I’d say not putting the stadiums downtown.
“Kansas City needs …” To continue expanding the Berkley Riverfront.
“In five years, I’ll be…” All grown up … maybe.
“I always laugh at …” After every dinner that my mom makes, she says, “Takes longer to make it than it does to eat it.”
“I’ve been known to binge-watch …” Anything.
“I can’t stop listening to …” Waylon Jennings and Master P. “Make ’em Say Uhh.”
“I just read …” A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, an excellent novel that brought me into a world of which I had little prior experience or understanding.
The best advice I ever got: “Brevity is key,” from Jim Conlon, a great mentor who passed a few years back. I’ll admit that brevity is not my best strength. Or maybe “work hard, play hard” — I’m good at that.
Worst advice: April Fools Day, sixth grade. Being told it was a good idea to pour white powder into the teacher’s coffee (turning it into a solid), and leaving her a note saying she just activated the explosives. Apparently that is not allowed.
My sidekick: My cats, Jack and Mary (and my wife, Stina).
My dating triumph: Holding Stina’s notebook in eighth grade.
My brush with fame: Inventing the “crazy sandwich” — white bread, peanut butter, jelly, ham, American cheese. Ham on the jelly side, cheese on the peanut butter side.
My 140-character soapbox: Just a theory? So is gravity. Stop for people in crosswalks. Stop littering. You’re doing well, not good. And where is my courtesy wave?
What was the last thing you had to apologize for? I probably made a mess. Sorry, Stina.
Who’s sorry now? All the defense firms that didn’t hire me.
My recent triumph: I was honored to receive this year’s Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year award.
