cincinnati Attorney Stan chesley, Known for Landmark Cases and Ethics Controversy, Dies at 88
CINCINNATI – Stan chesley, a prominent Ohio class-action lawyer who gained national recognition for his work on behalf of victims in mass tort cases but later faced disbarment over ethical violations, has died, the Associated Press reported.He was 88. Chesley passed away in Cincinnati, leaving behind a complex legacy as a champion for plaintiffs and a figure embroiled in legal controversy.
Chesley built a career representing plaintiffs in major product liability lawsuits, including those involving aluminum wiring and the diet drug combination fen-phen. He was a prolific fundraiser for Democratic politicians, notably Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, and a well-known philanthropist in the Cincinnati area. However, his career ended in disgrace following an ethics inquiry and subsequent disbarment in Kentucky.
In a 2010 interview with the University of CincinnatiS magazine, Chesley famously stated, “the bigger they are, the harder they fall. I don’t deal from a position of fear.” This sentiment reflected a career marked by aggressive litigation and a willingness to take on large corporations.
Born to Jewish Ukrainian immigrants, Chesley worked as a shoe salesperson to finance his law school education, beginning his practice in 1960. He rose to prominence representing victims of the 1977 Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, a case he later said led to critically important safety reforms. “Because of Beverly Hills, we have safer standards,” Chesley said in 2010. “I feel good about that.”
His career began to unravel with scrutiny over a 2001 settlement of a $200 million lawsuit involving fen-phen manufacturers. The Kentucky Supreme court disbarred him in March 2013, finding he had crossed ethical lines in the case. he was later ordered to pay $42 million to settle allegations of overbilling – $20 million in fees instead of the required $14 million. Chesley consistently denied any wrongdoing and was never criminally charged.
Kentucky Chief Justice John D. Minton, during the 2013 disbarment proceedings, acknowledged Chesley’s past generosity but stated, “While the good reputation he has enjoyed and his generosity services to exacerbate the tragedy of his fall, they cannot atone for the serious misconduct he has committed in connection with this matter.”
Chesley preemptively retired from practice in Ohio to avoid disbarment there, with his affidavit sworn before his wife, U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.
“The idea that Stan Chesley has had such a distinguished legal career, that it should end this way, I just find appalling,” said Kenneth Feinberg, a Washington D.C. attorney and friend, calling it “a personal tragedy.”
Dan sewell,a retired Associated Press journalist,was the principal writer of this obituary.
