Stan Chesley

(c) 2011 F. Bruce Abel

There are two huge stories in my lifetime eminating from Cincinnati impacting my interests and crossing my practice: the law and business. One of them is Stan Chesley and what he accomplished/accomplishes. Being a trial lawyer I am jealous. For large cases there just wasn't anybody else on the plaintiff's side and the world knew it.

But give the man his due! I was discussing the case yesterday with a co-counsel and he said: "I saw him argue in federal court in favor of class action status and without any written legal authority all he did was say, 'Well in Utah I caused the court to do this and in New Jersey [I caused the court] did that.'"
And I said, "Yeah that's the point. When he spoke the judge knew that he was the master of this field and that he could rely on what Stan said."

The man just took the air out of the room for the rest of the plaintiffs' trial bar. So be it. I wish I were he.

And his wife is the best federal judge around.

The other story: Carl Lindner.