Louis Chaiten's practice focuses on class action defense, appellate matters, and financial institutions litigation. He has successfully defended scores of class actions and other high-stakes matters collectively seeking hundreds of billions of dollars in alleged damages. He has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and numerous federal and state trial and appellate courts. Louis is co-leader of Professional Services for the Firm.
Recent representative matters include: defeating class certification in a multibillion dollar putative class action brought by investors in mortgage-backed securities; successfully defending an international manufacturer in multijurisdictional, multibillion dollar class action litigation without any class being certified; successfully defending a financial services company and accounting firm in a $900 million investor class action; and obtaining dismissal of claims against multiple financial institutions in litigation seeking hundreds of millions of dollars over their securitization activities. Louis also commits substantial time to pro bono work, including winning an appeal on behalf of an Ohio man wrongfully convicted of murder, leading to the man's release after more than a decade in prison.
Louis previously clerked on the U.S. Supreme Court (for Justice Antonin Scalia) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (for Judge Jeffrey Sutton). He also served in the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice, which is responsible for advising the president, the attorney general, and other executive branch officials on complex issues of constitutional, statutory, and international law. Louis serves on the board of directors of The City Club of Cleveland, one of the nation's oldest non-partisan free speech forums.
Experience
Additional Publications
- Jan/Feb 2013
Receding Advancements: Legal Fees And Ohio's Corporate Directors, Ohio Lawyer
Speaking Engagements
- June 11, 2019
Recent Trends in Consumer-Fraud Class Actions - February 5, 2018
Emerging Trends in Consumer Fraud Class-Action Arbitration - November 29, 2017
2017 Supreme Court Review - June 15, 2017
Legal Implications of Justice Gorsuch's Confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court - April 4, 2017
Emerging Trends in Consumer Fraud Class Action Litigation - November 29, 2016
Supreme Court Review - October 26, 2016
Supreme Court Update: A Look at Significant Cases in the New Term - December 1, 2015
U.S. Supreme Court Review
- Northwestern University (J.D. 1998; Order of the Coif; Articles Editor, Law Review); University of Rochester (B.A. 1993, cum laude and with distinction)
- Ohio, U.S. Supreme Court, and multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals and District Courts
- Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice (2004-2005)
The Legal 500 — recommended for dispute resolution / general commercial disputes
Benchmark Litigation — named a "litigation star" for commercial litigation
Life Member, Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference
- Justice Antonin Scalia, U.S. Supreme Court; Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit