Introducing Dennis R. Lansdowne ...
Dennis R. Lansdowne has been with the Spangenberg firm since 1985 and has been a partner since 1990. During that time he has represented individuals in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases as well as large corporations. "My background and training have allowed me to pursue cases for both people and businesses that have suffered harm. It is an interesting and exciting practice." Dennis graduated summa cum laude from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review. Following graduation he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert B. Krupansky at both the Northern District of Ohio and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. "Working in both the trial and appellate courts gave me a unique opportunity to see the litigation process and I was fortunate to observe many fine lawyers from Ohio and other parts of the country. I knew I wanted to devote myself to that process and practice at the highest level."
BIOGRAPHY
Dennis R. Lansdowne has been with the Spangenberg firm since 1985 and has been a partner since 1990. During that time he has represented individuals in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases as well as large corporations. "My background and training have allowed me to pursue cases for both people and businesses that have suffered harm. It is an interesting and exciting practice." Dennis graduated summa cum laude from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review. Following graduation he served as
a law clerk to the Honorable Robert B. Krupansky at both the Northern District of Ohio and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. "Working in both the trial and appellate courts gave me a unique opportunity to see the litigation process and I was fortunate to observe many fine lawyers from Ohio and other parts of the country. I knew I wanted to devote myself to that process and practice at the highest level."
PURSUING JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
Dennis has represented hundreds of people who have been seriously injured or lost a loved one because of the negligence of a doctor, nurse, nursing home or other healthcare worker. He is well-known for being able to make complex medicine easy for a jury to understand. The National Institute of Medicine has estimated that 98,000 Americans are killed in hospitals because of negligence every year. That is double the number killed in automobile crashes. The vast majority of these deaths do not result in a lawsuit, many times because the families aren't aware that negligence has occurred. "The sad fact is, we don't have too many malpractice lawsuits. We have too few." Dennis' passion about medical negligence led him to create and teach a course on the subject for several years at his alma mater, Cleveland Marshall College of Law. He has remained involved with the law school and is a past president of the alumni association and a current member of the school's advisory council for the health law and policy center. He has also had the distinguished honor of being the recipient of the 2013 Alumnus of the Year Award given by Cleveland-Marshall College of law for outstanding professional achievement, leadership and service to the community.
INSURANCE COMPANIES - AN INDUSTRY IN NEED OF REFORM
When an insured pays premiums, sometimes year after year, they expect the coverage they paid for. Too often the claim is met with delay and denial. Dennis has represented insureds, from individuals to large corporations, in order to force the insurance company to honor its promises. All of the insurance cases handled by the Spangenberg firm are done on a contingency fee basis. "The contingency fee is attractive for individual clients, but we have found that businesses can also benefit from this type of fee arrangement."
CURRICULUM VITAE
EMPLOYMENT
1985 - Present Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP, Partner
1983 - 1985 Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, Associate
1980 – 1983 Honorable Robert B. Krupansky, Sixth Circuit
Court of Appeals, Law Clerk
EDUCATION
1981 Cleveland Marshall College of Law, J.D.
(summa cum laude)
University of San Francisco
1977 Cleveland State University, B.A.
Ohio University
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Association for Justice
American Bar Association
American Board of Trial Advocates
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys
Fellow, International Society of Barristers
Life Member, Eighth Judicial Conference
Life Member, U.S. Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference
Ohio Association for Justice
Ohio State Bar Association
The Court of Nisi Prius
Master, William K. Thomas Inns of Court
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS/BAR ACTIVITIES/SPEAKING
Past President, Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys
Chairman of the Executive Council of the Young Lawyers Section, Cleveland BarAssociation, 1989-1990
Member of the Executive Council of the Young Lawyers Section, Cleveland BarAssociation, 1985-1991
Founder of the Cleveland Aids Project ("CAP")
Co-chair of the first seminar to instruct and recruit lawyers to represent people with AIDS
Former co-chairmen of the Committee on the Homeless
Former chairman of the Practice and Procedure Clinic
Vice Chairman of the Juvenile Justice Committee Chair of the Nominating Committee
Executive Committee, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
Adjunct Faculty, Cleveland Marshall College of Law(Medical Malpractice)
Past President, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Alumni Association
Board of Directors, Beck Center for Arts
Frequent lecturer at local and national legal education seminars
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Listed in “The Best Lawyers in America”
Selected to Super Lawers: 2004-2015
Named as one of Ohio’s“Super Lawyers” – Nominated and Published by Thomson Reutersand Cincinnati Magazine
Selected by The American Trial Lawyers Association as one of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Ohio”
Named as one of Ohio’s “Leading Lawyers” by Inside Business Magazine