About William S. Ohlemeyer

Professor Ohlemeyer is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.  

After graduation, Ohlemeyer clerked for the Hon. Scott O. Wright in Kansas City and then joined Shook, Hardy & Bacon, where he became partner in 1991, Bill joined the Altria Group in 1999 as Vice President and Associate General Counsel. At Altria, Bill was responsible for managing and coordinating litigation issues facing the Altria Group companies, including Philip Morris USA, Philip Morris International, and Kraft Foods. Upon his departure from Altria in 2008, Bill joined Boies Schiller Flexner as a partner where he practiced until April of 2023. Since then, Bill has been working with Phillips ADR Enterprises as a mediator and arbitrator.

In private practice, he focused on complex civil litigation, with an emphasis on commercial disputes, mass torts, product liability, class actions, and federal multidistrict litigation. Bill obtained defense verdicts in a dozen cases alleging asbestos containing cigarette filters caused mesothelioma, obtained defense verdicts in cases alleging environmental exposures to carcinogens, tried and then settled several multi-billion dollar commercial disputes between major pharmaceutical companies, successfully tried “bellwether” cases in pharmaceutical multi-district litigation proceedings, and in 2023, as lead counsel for the Cherokee Nation in its opioid diversion litigation, Bill litigated, mediated, and negotiated settlements totaling over $130 million to conclude the Cherokee Nation’s litigation against the country’s largest wholesale drug distributors and major retail pharmacies. 

Professor Ohlemeyer teaches Complex Litigation (“Mass Torts”).

Educational Background

• B.A., University of Missouri
• J.D., University of Missouri