Stuart E. Scott

Stuart Scott has been a lawyer with Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP since graduating from Ohio State Law School in 1995. He has dedicated his entire legal career to Spangenberg because it uniquely combines the prestige and resources of a respected trial firm with the personalized attention that comes from being a smaller practice.

Stuart represents individuals and families who have been catastrophically injured or killed as a result of negligence, medical malpractice, dangerous products, or defective drugs. Since becoming a partner in 2005, Stuart has expanded his practice into Consumer Rights cases. A few examples include class actions on behalf of consumers, unfair bank overdraft fees, diapers that increased skin infection rather than decreasing it as claimed by the manufacturer, breach of warranty against a company that refused to honor its warranty contract for defectively manufactured residential hot water tanks that leaked, and false advertising by “flushable” wipe manufacturers that cost consumers and communities millions of dollars in repair and replacement of sewer and septic equipment.

Stuart became passionate about consumer rights issues after his own encounters with unscrupulous businesses and experiencing firsthand the frustration that consumers can feel. He believes that Consumer Class Actions protect both the consumer and the honest business by identifying and punishing the bad business practices that harm the free market system.

"Consumer Class Action lawsuits are an important judicial mechanism for leveling the playing field against businesses that mislead, deceive, and otherwise view customers as prey,” Stuart said. “Class actions play a vital part in our free market checks and balances scheme that stops bad businesses from succeeding at the expense of the consumer and those businesses that play by the rules and deal with their customers fairly. Without these cases, dishonest businesses would profit through deception rather than by delivering a superior service or product."

• 2005–Present: Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP, Partner
• 1995–2005: Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP, Associate

• 1995: The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
• 1990: Ball State University
• 1986: Upper Arlington High School

• Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, Board of Directors, 2006–Present
• Ohio Association for Justice, Board of Directors, 2002–Present
• American Association for Justice
• Lakepointe Townhouse Association, Secretary

• Medical Malpractice Nuts and Bolts From the Plaintiff's Perspective, 2005 Seminar, Cleveland, Ohio
• Maximizing Economic Damages in Tort Cases, 2003 Ohio Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, Columbus, Ohio
• Voir Dire, 2003 Cleveland Academy Trial Attorney Luncheon Series, Cleveland, Ohio
• Scott Ponzer Seminar, 2001 Ohio Trial Lawyers Association, Columbus, Ohio
• Preparing the Client for Deposition, 2000 Cleveland Bar Association New Lawyers Seminar, Cleveland, Ohio

• Recognized by Best Lawyers (2023)
• Best Lawyers®, Consumer Protection Law and Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs (2021)
• Ohio Super Lawyers General Plaintiff (2017)
• Ohio Super Lawyers (2009-2011)
• Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star (2005-2008)
• Order of the Coif (top 10% of law school class)

• $28 million verdict in a wrongful death case for Duke Energy Lineman in 2017 (top 100 verdict 2017)
• $5.6 million verdict on behalf of a client who was paralyzed from a misdiagnosed spinal abscess caused by MRSA
• $7 million verdict on behalf of client’s husband who died from misdiagnosed upper GI Bleed (top 50 med-mal verdict in the US 2023)
• $1.5 million verdict on behalf of client who had a below-the-knee amputation
• $15 million settlement for improper overdraft fees
• $3.6 settlement for failure to treat clotting disorder resulting in pulmonary embolism and death

When Stuart is not litigating cases and representing his clients, he can usually be found competing in tennis, golf, or sailboat racing. Stuart's mixed doubles tennis team competed for the USTA National Championship and came in 4th place. He has also traveled to San Diego and Newport to learn more about sailboat racing techniques to bring back to Lake Erie.

"I have actually used my knowledge of sailing and boating in my law practice," he says. "I have twice represented families who lost a loved one in Lake Erie because of the negligence of the skipper who was responsible for the safety of the people on the boat."

One of Stuart's most interesting experiences was a weekend course learning how to drive and race Formula 2000 race cars at the Bertil Roos Racing School at Pocono International Raceway.

"Of course, driving the car at race speeds was thrilling, but the technical aspect of properly driving the course was even more interesting," Stuart says. "It was also surprisingly physically and mentally demanding. I have a much greater respect and appreciation for physical and mental conditioning that professional drivers possess."

An avid baseball fan, Stuart played four years of intercollegiate baseball at Ball State University and one year in the minor leagues as a pitcher. Without question, his career highlight was striking out Ken Griffey, Jr., in the Connie Mack World Series. Of course, back then nobody knew he was heading to the Hall of Fame.