Stewart Weltman, Principal
For over thirty years Mr. Weltman has been a lead and trial counsel in numerous complex litigation matters for both plaintiffs and defendants, ranging from antitrust, accounting malpractice, legal malpractice, securities fraud, patent issues, contract actions, and consumer fraud. He has first and second chaired numerous multi-million dollar jury and bench trials.
While much of his practice has centered on pursuing claims on behalf of individuals and classes who have been injured as the result of fraud or antitrust violations, Mr. Weltman has also successfully defended complex matters. For example, he obtained summary judgment on behalf of his clients in an antitrust class action before Judge Wayne Anderson of the N.D. Ill. where seven other defendants, similarly situated, were denied summary judgment. Alexander v. Phoenix Bond & Indem. Co., 149 F. Supp. 2d 989 (N.D. Ill. 2001).
Mr. Weltman was one of the lead trial counsel in In re Carbon Black Antitrust Litigation ( D.C. Mass.), which settled for $20 million. He was a lead counsel and one of the members of the trial preparation team In Re EPDM Antitrust Litigation (D.C. Conn.), in which three defendants have settled claims for a total of $81 million.
He served as lead counsel In re PCP Antitrust Litigation (D.C. Conn.), which settled for $80 million and was lead counsel in In Re Pressure Sensitive Labelstock Antitrust Litigation (M.D. Pa.). Mr. Weltman was a member of the trial team in In re Vitamins Antitrust Litigation (D.D.C.), along with David Boies and Susman Godfrey. The trial resulted in a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs and the class of $148.5 million after trebling.
In addition to his antitrust experience, Mr. Weltman also acted as lead attorney or lead counsel in several securities fraud matters. He was the lead attorney for his client Pacific Life Insurance Company in its individual action brought against various underwriter defendants arising out of the WorldCom frauds. He served as Derivative Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel in a securities fraud and derivative/breach of fiduciary duty case in which a $33 million settlement was reached with the former directors and officers of the Public Service Company of New Mexico. He was co-lead counsel with Susman Godfrey in a securities fraud class action that resulted in a combined settlement of $31 million against a law firm and a national accounting firm
He served as co-lead counsel in Benfield v. Steindler and General Electric Co. (S.D. Ohio), a derivative action in which a settlement of $21 million was reached. He was lead counsel for a class of 1500 homeowners in South Florida and obtained a $15 million settlement arising out of defective construction claims.
Mr. Weltman is admitted to practice in Illinois, the District of Columbia, the Third, Fifth, Seventh and Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal and the United States Supreme Court. He has argued before the Illinois Appellate Court, the Seventh, Fifth and Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals. He has appeared before the United States Supreme Court as both counsel of record and as amicus counsel.
In January 2007, perceiving a market demand, Mr. Weltman formed the Weltman Law Firm - a firm dedicated to assisting companies and in-house counsel better manage their complex litigation matters. In Augusst 2009 he joined the Futteman Howard firm. He was formerly a partner with Much Shelist and an Antitrust and Securities litigation partner with the nationally known Washington D.C. based litigation boutique, Cohen Milstein Hausfeld & Toll P.L.L.C..
He is on the Board of Editors the Corporate Counselor Newsletter published by ALM, and over the course of the summer and fall of 2008 authored a five part series in Corporate Counselor regarding how in-house counsel can better manage litigation costs.
Mr. Weltman is a frequent author and lecturer on the subject of lean litigation practices and lowering litigation costs and an Adjunct Instructor in complex litigation at The John Marshall Law School where he teaches complex litigation. He has served as a lecturer and panel member for numerous FDIC and RTC investigator training seminars and AICPA Litigation Support Section seminars. Mr. Weltman has been a lecturer for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the Chicago Bar Association, and he co-authored an article for the American Bar Association Antitrust magazine, analyzing the Chicago School's influence on the Seventh Circuit's antitrust jurisprudence as of 1989.
He is the author of the Lean and Mean Litigation Blog
Education
J. D., (with High Distinction - 4TH in class of 207) The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Member, Law Review (1978)
B. A., Roosevelt University (1975)
Contact Info:
312. 427.3600