Noah Garcia Lays New Tracks in Law

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As Noah Garcia left the courtroom shortly after being sworn in to the United States Supreme Court alongside 140 other lawyers, a Hispanic college student stopped him to express her heartfelt delight and pride in witnessing him take the oath.

“She said, ‘It was great to see you. I think you were the only Hispanic attorney sworn in today. Thanks for doing this. I appreciate it.’ It’s the first time I remember being admired. It was a cool experience,” says Garcia, senior legal counsel of litigation for the US at Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).

Garcia has since gained the admiration of many colleagues and enjoys a sterling reputation in his field. “Noah possesses the innate ability to assess quickly the crux of the legal issue, and he is wise and precise in his advice,” says Mitchell Smith, principal at Germer, PLLC. “I always enjoy working with Noah because he is a confident leader and a team player. His litigation background provides him the unique skills and opportunities to engage in the courtroom as co-counsel with outside counsel, which is a real plus. Noah is an outstanding advocate and very effective in the courtroom.”

Still, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Over his thirteen years practicing law in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Montana, and Texas, Garcia has experienced his share of both professional and personal microaggressions. “I didn’t know that you were the lawyer” and “You don’t sound like a Garcia” are a couple examples, says Garcia, who was the first person in his family to attend college.

Garcia’s resilience in the face of these challenges has been a cornerstone of his legal journey, shaping his approach to advocacy and leadership. This perseverance has served him well throughout his career in the rail transportation industry, where he has spent his entire professional legal career—first in private practice, then with BNSF and CPKC. He signed on with Kansas City Southern in 2019. Four years later, the railway transportation company merged with Canadian Pacific, creating CPKC, the first and only transnational rail network in North America boasting a 20,000-mile network.

Since the merger in April 2023, Garcia has been advising and counseling CPKC’s various business units on employment matters. “I’m trying to be a good business partner for our leaders as they make personnel decisions and take pride in the work we do and focus on safety,” he says.

Naturally, Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern operated under different leadership as separate entities premerger, but good leadership resulted in a smooth merger and a positive experience for Garcia. “(They got) everybody bought in,” Garcia recalls.

After earning his JD from the University of Kansas, Garcia was recruited by his trial advocacy professor—who described him as “unflappable”—for a position in a small litigation firm. His clients were quick to place him in situations for which he was well suited.

“I appreciated their dedication to developing young and diverse talent,” Garcia says. While there, Garcia became a subject matter expert on whistleblower railroad law.

He moved to Fort Worth, Texas, to work at BNSF in 2016. He first-chaired trials in Kansas City, Portland, Davenport, Chicago, and Houston; was responsible for drafting successful dispositive motions; investigated and responded to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) complaints and received favorable findings in dozens of OSHA complaints.

“In-house, I liked working with the business, working with the stakeholders directly, being the first one they come to with their questions and problems,” Garcia says.

While Garcia takes pride in the legal work he performs with CPKC and finds it rewarding, he also finds satisfaction in the pro bono services he provides to members of the US military. “What I enjoy most about being a lawyer is helping people,” Garcia says. Organizations like the Kansas City Missouri Bar Association, Military Matters, and the American Bar Association (ABA) Military Pro Bono Project, give Garcia opportunities to represent current and former military personnel.

As part of his pro bono work, Garcia assisted in creating new Kansas case law that prevents active-duty service members from being served at their former residence. “They have to be served where they are stationed,” he says.

Over an eight-month period, Garcia argued the case at the district level and before an appellate court. He received the case from the ABA shortly after a previous judgement.

“The case was a mess,” Garcia says. The previous appointed attorney failed to argue that the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act, which prevents a service member from being sued while in service, was relevant to the case. “I got the judgement vacated,” he says.

The district judge originally denied Garcia’s argument, but the Kansas Court of Appeals found in Garcia’s favor. “When the Court of Appeals rules on something, it becomes law in the state,” Garcia says.

“What I enjoy most about being a lawyer is helping people.”

Noah Garcia

Currently, Garcia reports to CPKC’s general counsel of litigation and has one paralegal reporting to him directly, but he’s found that an individual need not be above another employee on the organization chart to lead. “You can lead by example,” he says.

His personal leadership style has evolved since the merger because CPKC’s leadership provides clear, specific feedback and clear, specific expectations—an approach he has since adopted in his dealings with outside counsel. “It’s as simple as saying, ‘I need this by noon Central Standard Time tomorrow.’ Clear expectations help,” he says.

When Garcia is not litigating railroad transportation cases or defending military personnel, he works with several organizations to advance DEI and mentors students at his alma mater.

“A lot of these people are also first-generation college students. Not knowing what that next step looks like and not having resources for that next step causes fear and anxiety,” Garcia says. “I want to be a resource for people who might not have a legal connection.”

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