Steve W. Berman

Title:: Managing Partner
Office:: Seattle, Washington
Phone:: (206) 623-7292
Email:: reed@hbsslaw.com

CONNECT

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
34

PRACTICE AREAS
Antitrust/Trade Law
Consumer Protection
Securities/Investment Fraud
Whistleblower/Qui Tam
Patent Litigation

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
Automotive Defect and Product Liability
Pharmaceutical Fraud – Off-label Marketing and Pricing Fraud

BAR ADMISSIONS
Washington
Illinois

EDUCATION
University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 1980
University of Michigan, B.A., 1976

Steve Berman represents consumers, investors and employees in large, complex litigation held in state and federal courts. Berman’s trial experience has earned him significant recognition and led The National Law Journal to name him one of the 100 most powerful lawyers in the nation, and to repeatedly name Hagens Berman one of the top 10 plaintiffs’ firms in the country.

Berman co-founded Hagens Berman in 1993 after his prior firm refused to represent several young children who consumed fast food contaminated with E. coli—Steve knew he had to help. In that case, Steve proved that the poisoning was the result of Jack in the Box’s cost cutting measures along with gross negligence. He was further inspired to build a firm that vociferously fought for the rights of those unable to fight for themselves. Berman’s innovative approach, tenacious conviction and impeccable track record have earned him an excellent reputation and numerous historic legal victories. He is considered one of the most successful class-action attorneys in the nation.

CURRENT ROLE

»	Managing Partner, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro

RECENT SUCCESS

Toyota

-	$1.6 billion settlement with 20 million class members.

Big Oil

-	Represented clients against Exxon Mobil affected by the 10 million gallons of oil spilled off the coast of Alaska by the Exxon Valdez (multi-million dollar award)

Big Pharma

-	Represented clients against Big Pharma in various actions ranging from price-fixing schemes to antitrust activities (more than $1 billion in aggregate settlements)

Wall Street

-	Class-action securities case against Charles Schwab ($235 million settlement)
-	Represented Enron employees who had their retirement accounts wiped out by Enron’s fraud (largest ERISA settlement in U.S. history)
-	Represented Bernard L. Madoff investors in a suit filed against JPMorgan Chase Bank, one of the largest banks in the world (approved $218 million settlement)

RECOGNITION

»	Voted one of the 100 most influential attorneys in America by The National Law Journal three times
»	Voted most powerful lawyer in the state of Washington by The National Law Journal
»	Hagens Berman named one of the top 10 plaintiffs’ firms in the country, The National Law Journal
»	Selected as a Finalist for Public Justice’s 2014 Trial Lawyer of the Year

NOTABLE CASES

»	State Tobacco Litigation Lead counsel for 13 states in cases that led to the largest settlement in world history.
»	WPPSS Securities Litigation Member of trial team that led to the then largest securities case settlement.
»	McKesson Drug Litigation Lead counsel in an action that led to a rollback of benchmark prices of hundreds of brand name drugs, and a $350 million settlement for third-party payers and insurers.
»	Average Wholesale Price Litigation Steve served as lead trial counsel, securing trial verdicts against three drug companies that paved the way for a settlement of $338 million.
»	McKesson Governmental Entity Litigation Steve was lead counsel for a nationwide class of local governments that resulted in an $82 million settlement for drug price-fixing claims.
»	State and Governmental Drug Litigation Steve served as outside counsel for the state of New York for its Vioxx claims, several states for AWP claims and several states for claims against McKesson.
»	E-Books Antitrust Litigation Serving as lead counsel in a challenge to Apple and publishers alleged price-fixing of e-books.
»	Optical-Disc Price Fixing Litigation Lead counsel in action on behalf of consumers in more than two dozen states against the manufacturers of optical disk drives. The plaintiffs allege defendants conspired to increase the price of ODDs that were sold to original equipment manufacturers. Defendants’ conduct allegedly caused millions of consumer electronics products, such as computers, to be sold at illegally inflated prices.
»	Electronic Arts Video Games Litigation Nationwide certified class of consumers who bought interactive football video games. Plaintiffs allege Electronic Arts entered into a series of exclusive licenses with football intellectual property owners, such as the NFL, in order to lock up the market, brought on behalf of a national class of consumers who purchased the football video games. A $27 million settlement in the case has been agreed to by the parties, but awaits approval by the court.
»	Bank of America Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) Contract Litigation Berman served as lead counsel in action on behalf of homeowners to whom the defendant allegedly promised mortgage modifications as part of a federal program but failed to provide.
»	Toyota Unintended Acceleration Litigation Lead counsel in the largest automobile defect case in U.S. history, returning $1.6 billion to Toyota drivers after a spate of unintended acceleration cases were reported by drivers across the country.
»	Boeing Securities Litigation Berman served as lead counsel in a $92 million settlement of a securities action concerning Boeing’s merger with McDonald Douglas.
»	Charles Schwab Securities Litigation Lead counsel in securities case resulting in $235 million settlement and 45 percent and 82 percent recoveries for the class, high percentages for securities cases.
»	Enron Pension Protection Litigation Lead counsel for Enron employees whose retirement accounts were wiped out by Enron’s fraud. Settlement was the largest ERISA settlement in U.S. history.
»	Thalidomide Litigation Steve is leading the case for U.S. based thalidomide victims who have recently discovered that their injuries were caused by their mother’s exposure to thalidomide and the role of certain drug companies in the distribution of thalidomide in the U.S.
»	NCAA Concussions Steve is lead counsel in a class action seeking to protect NCAA student athletes in all sports.
»	NCAA Grant-In-Aid Litigation Steve is lead counsel in a case challenging the NCAA’s collusion in refusing to allow student athletes to receive the full cost of attending school.
»	Orange County and Santa Clara County Opioid Litigation Opioid abuse is one of our nation’s leading health disasters. Steve is leading the first litigation seeking to recover public costs resulting from the opioid manufacturer’s deceptive marketing.
»	General Motors Steve is actively involved in seeking to obtain compensation from the millions of GM car owners whose cars have diminished in value.