Eric Kennedy passed the Ohio bar in 1980 and has been practicing at Weisman Kennedy & Berris for 30 years. He practices in the areas of pharmaceutical and medical device liability, medical malpractice, and class actions. Eric has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America publication since 1989; in 2000 was listed by the National Law Journal as one of the “10 Best Trial Lawyers in the State of Ohio”. In 2009, he was recognized as the “Personal Injury Litigator of the Year” and in 2010 and 2013, “Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year” for Cleveland by the Best Lawyers in America.

While most of his legal career has been devoted to the representation of individual clients, Eric sat on the National Settlement Committee in the Breast Implant Litigation and was Trial Counsel in the Telectronics pacemaker class action where over 20,000 cases were consolidated into a single federal court. He served as Sub-Class Counsel in the $4.8 billion National Diet Drug Settlement. As Lead and Class Counsel in the Sulzer Prosthetic Hip and Knee Litigation, he was instrumental in its resolution for over $1 billion. Eric also represented the welding industry in over 15,000 cases which addressed the issue of a medical monitoring class action and was lead trial counsel in these bellwether cases. He has also been actively involved as class counsel in a variety of actions addressing issues of insurance coverage, fraud, and mismanagement. Currently, he is involved in the Depuy ASR Litigation, serving as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee and Co-Chair of the Science Committee. He also serves on the Executive Committee in the Stryker ABG Rejuvenate litigation and is a member of the Executive Committee for the national Opioid litigation (In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation).

He is an invited member of the John M. Manos American Inn of Court, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. In 2018 Eric received the Clarence Darrow award for his accomplishments as a trial lawyer and was inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame in 2019.

Bar Admissions

  • Ohio, 1980

  • U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio, 1980

  • U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2002

Education

  • Case Western Reserve University Law School, Cleveland, Ohio – 1980

  • St. Lawrence University – 1977

    • Honors: Dean’s List

Litigation Percentage

  • 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Honors and Awards

  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Art and Science of Advocacy

  • National Law Journal, ”Top 10 Civil Litigators in Ohio”, 2000 – Present

  • Ohio Super Lawyers, 2002 – 2010

  • Best Lawyers in America, 1989 – 2010

  • “Personal Injury Litigator of the Year,” Cleveland, Ohio, Best Lawyers in America, 2009

  • “Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year,” Cleveland, Ohio, Best Lawyers in America, 2010

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • John M. Manos American Inn of Court, Member

  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Member

  • American College of Trial Lawyers, Member

Pro Bono Activities

  • Member, International Society of Barristers