When he was in private practice, Bill Ohlemeyer would remind clients that litigation is a slow, expensive, and inefficient way to resolve a dispute. Nevertheless, Ohlemeyer spent a fair amount of time in courtrooms before judges and juries in high-risk cases, MDL bellwethers, and billion-dollar commercial disputes. Ironically, Ohlemeyer now finds himself telling parties the same thing as they begin a mediation session.
As he said in a recent interview:
“When I participate in a mediation, I can fairly and honestly say that I have been in everybody's seat at the table. I’ve been in the defense lawyer's seat, the plaintiff lawyer's seat, the plaintiff client's seat, and the defendant's client's seat. And I have done so in exceptionally complicated cases that had significant consequences for everyone involved. I have a unique level of shared experience with all the parties to the dispute.”
“That puts me in a position to help everyone involved find a solution they can own and know is a good outcome for their respective clients. I can see a range of acceptable or appropriate outcomes that others without that perspective may not see which can help resolve a dispute. Once I said to a party in a mediation, ‘I've seen this movie before, all the way from the very start to the very end because I've previously written, directed, and acted in one just like it.’”
For Ohlemeyer, moving from trial lawyer to mediator seemed almost inevitable. Over the past 40 years, Ohlemeyer has litigated, managed, arbitrated, mediated, negotiated settlements, and tried to verdict significant cases in state and federal courts across the country. He represented plaintiffs, defendants, and managed litigation in a Fortune 5 law department. In addition, Ohlemeyer has provided advice and counsel to investors and management facing a variety of legal and regulatory challenges. Those experiences have proven invaluable in helping parties find a better and more cost-effective solution to their litigation challenges and successfully mediate to resolution.
Ohlemeyer is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Ohlemeyer graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri Law School and began his career clerking for Chief United States District Judge for the Western District of Missouri, Scott O. Wright.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Lawdragon Announces 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees | 2026 | Litigation |
| The 2016 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2016 | Litigation |
| The 2014-15 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers | 2014-2015 | Litigation |
| The 2013 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers | 2013 | Litigation |
| The 2012 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers | 2012 | Litigation |
After joining Shook, Hardy & Bacon, where he became partner in 1991, Ohlemeyer joined the Altria Group in 1999 as Vice President and Associate General Counsel. At Altria, Ohlemeyer was responsible for managing and coordinating litigation issues facing the Altria Group companies, including Philip Morris USA, Philip Morris International, and Kraft Foods. Ohlemeyer worked closely with management, investors, outside counsel, and the media to successfully manage the variety of legal challenges facing Altria and its operating companies, in particular tobacco products liability litigation. Upon his departure from Altria in 2008, Ohlemeyer joined Boies Schiller Flexner as a partner where he practiced until April of 2023. Having previously mediated dozens of cases before Hon. Layn Phillips, Ohlemeyer was pleased to join Phillips ADR in the spring of 2023.
Ohlemeyer has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Columbia Law School since 2002, teaching an upper level “Mass Torts” class. He has authored multiple articles on trial practice, litigation management, litigation communication, and strategic legal thinking.
Ohlemeyer was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Greenwich Country Day School from 2010 to 2017 and was a member of the Board of Governors of the Little Orchestra Society, New York's oldest teaching orchestra, serving as Co-President/President from 2008 through 2017.