About Our Firm
The Law Office of Cline, Braddock & Basinger provides personalized, quality representation to every client.
Cline, Braddock & Basinger, LLC is one of Mid-Missouri’s most trusted general practice law firms. Our attorneys have decades of combined experience providing skilled representation including the areas of Family Law, Criminal Law, Estate Planning, Probate, Personal Injury and Appellate practice.
When you retain our firm to represent you, Christopher Braddock, Jeffrey K. Basinger, and Nicole Smith will be handling your case from start to finish. You do not need to worry about your legal issue being delegated to an inexperienced attorney, paralegal or legal secretary. Whether you have a contentious trial, want a fair settlement or just need a simple question answered, Mr. Braddock, Mr. Basinger and Ms. Smith will be ready to provide you with the legal representation that you expect and deserve. Our firm cares about getting positive results for each of our clients. This is why our attorneys handle their cases from start to finish.
Jeffrey K. Basinger
It has been my goal to become an attorney since I was in high school, when I joined the debate team. I loved competing to persuade judges to view things my way.
After I graduated from the University of Missouri, I passed both the Kansas and Missouri bar exams. I knew I wanted to help people as attorney. I joined legal aid in Columbia and specialized in family law. I was trusted with a tremendous caseload, including our Boone County litigation.
I quickly became a seasoned attorney. I realized that helping a client with their problems means starting at the beginning of the case. Each person needs to understand how the judicial process works and what our plan is to make things better. I learned to efficiently finalize fair settlements for my clients. I also became accustomed to appearing in Court for contentious hearings, and found ways to help my clients regardless of how difficult the facts were.
In 2015 I decided to enter private practice. I wanted to expand my range of experience and help build a law firm that would be a cornerstone of the community. I joined with attorneys that I respected and trusted: Chris Braddock and Cullen Cline. I enjoyed quickly gaining experience alongside them in criminal law, estates/trusts, personal injury, worker’s compensation and contracts. In 2016 it was my honor to become a partner at our firm.
Cline, Braddock & Basinger, LLC’s roster of clients continues to grow. I believe this is because of the values that our attorneys and staff honor. We want to help each client with their problems, no matter how difficult they may seem. We promptly and directly respond to our clients’ concerns, instead of hiding behind clerical workers. We charge a fair price. We are never afraid to put up a fight if one is needed. I love the opportunity to win custody of a child, obtain an acquittal of a criminal charge, compensate the victim of an injury, or help an individual regardless of the difficulty of the problem.
Jeff is a member of the Missouri and Kansas bars. He has practiced in the Missouri Western District Court of Appeals, the Missouri Eastern District Court of Appeals and the U.S. Eastern District Court of Missouri. Jeff has served on the Board of Directors for Mid-Missouri Legal Services (legal aid) and the Boone County Bar Executive Committee. He is a lifelong Missouri resident and lives in Columbia with his wife, daughter and son.
Christopher L. Braddock
From a young age, I desired to help those suffering from injustice and unfair treatment. I went to the Missouri School of Law to further this goal.
While in law school, I had the opportunity to work as a law clerk for a respected long time Boone County attorney, Cullen Cline. As a law clerk, my exposure to all areas of the law gave me the skills to make sure that all of my client’s legal needs are met. When I have a personal injury case, I want to make sure my client’s estate plans are not adversely affected. When I have a criminal law client, I want to prevent their case from affecting a family law matter.
In 2010 I graduated from MU and passed the Missouri Bar. I began working with Cullen Cline as an attorney, and was eventually made a partner in the firm. Following graduation I was immediately entrusted with handling clients’ cases. I regularly appeared in court, and had my first trial as lead attorney within my first year. Since then I have appeared in court thousands of times, and have successfully represented clients before both judges and juries.
I believe that my years of courtroom experience combined with my early mentoring in many areas of the law provides me with the skills and experience to uniquely and professionally analyze and present a case. I want to help each client with their problems, no matter how difficult they may seem. I enjoy meeting personally with my clients, and believe that such one on one contact is critically to addressing client concerns. I would be happy to schedule a free consultation with you to discuss your possible personal injury, criminal charges, civil or contract litigation, or wills and estates. We make it our mission to help an individual regardless of the difficulty of the problem.
Chris is a member of the Missouri Bar and Boone County Bar Association. He has practiced in the Western District Court of Appeals, U.S. 8th Circuit, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and U.S. Tax Court. He is a lifelong Missouri resident and lives in Columbia with his wife, daughter, and dog Floyd.
Nicole M. Smith
Since I was in high school, I desired to become an attorney to help those who are facing difficult times and don’t have the ability to fight for themselves.
In 2019, I graduated from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, with a Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies, summa cum laude, with criminal justice and legal studies honors. While I attended Washburn, I worked for a small firm that concentrated on wills, trusts, and estate planning. I quickly learned how to assist clients in creating a comprehensive plan to avoid the time-consuming and complex probate process.
Immediately after graduation, I was accepted and attended the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law. While in law school, I have an opportunity to intern for the Midwest Innocence Project and the Missouri State Public Defender’s Office. These experiences allowed me to work first-hand with clients at various types of legal matters. Additionally, I was able to regularly appear in court on behalf of clients, under the supervision of Chris Braddock and Jeffrey Basinger.
In 2022, I graduated with my Juris Doctor degree from Mizzou and passed the Missouri Bar, allowing me to officially begin my career practicing law. I am committed to treating every client as an individual and staying focused on the client’s needs throughout their case. I believe that with me legal experience, I can find practical and creative solutions to each client’s legal matter.
Nicole is a member of the Missouri Bar. She is a lifelong Missouri resident and lives in Columbia with her dog Hank.
Cullen Cline
Mr. Cline is of counsel with Cline, Braddock & Basinger, LLC. Cullen is a veteran and retired Air Force officer. He began practicing law in 1965 and built a reputation in Mid-Missouri as a knowledgeable attorney for nearly any area of the law. Cullen’s career has included roles a city attorney, public defender, prosecutor, city attorney and private practitioner. Cullen hired Christopher Braddock in 2008, and the two become law partners in 2010. Mr. Cline occasionally takes up a legal matter, but mainly enjoys his retirement spending time with his family, vacationing and flying planes.