Sheldon Weinhaus graduated Order of the Coif from Washington University School of Law in 1957. He has litigated cases under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) since ERISA became effective in 1974, resulting in many awards reinstating employee benefits. He successfully obtained a unanimous decision from the U.S. Supreme Court which recognized important ERISA rights. Sheldon has served as class counsel in several ERISA class action claims.

Sheldon is a charter fellow of the American Board of Employee Benefits Counsel and a retired member of the National Employment Lawyers Association. He is a founding member of the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) and the National Patient Advocate Committee (NPAC), not-for-profit organizations dedicated to advocating the rights of medical patients. He previously served on the executive boards of both organizations and now serves on their honorary boards. Sheldon is also a charter member of Cancer Advocates in Research and Related Activities (CARRA). He is a public advocate consultant for the National Institutes of Health’s Cancer Therapies Evaluation Program (CTEP).

Sheldon was recognized by President Bill Clinton as a litigator protecting employee benefit plan participants, and served on President Clinton’s Presidential Advisory Commission. Donna Shalala, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognized Sheldon for his “commitment to patient protections.”

Litigation Highlights:*

• Sheldon Weinhaus received a unanimous verdict from the United States Supreme Court recognizing and enforcing important employee benefit rights. Geissal v. Moore Medical Corp., Case No. 97-689 (U.S. 1998).
• Obtained a court order reinstating the health, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits to a class of disabled persons. Recognizing the value of such reinstatement, the court awarded $454,431.75 in attorney’s fees and $10,689.45 in recovery of litigation costs advanced. Halbach & Schield v. Great-West Life Insurance & Annuity Co., et al., Case No. 4:05CV02399 (ERW) (E.D. Mo. 2007).
• Obtained several orders reinstating the health, disability and retirement benefits of many claimants. See, e.g., Halbach & Schield v. Great-West Life Insurance & Annuity Co., et al., Case No. 4:05CV02399 (ERW) (E.D. Mo. 2009) (class reinstatement); Michael v. AIG, et al., Case No. 4:05CV02400 (ERW) (W.D. Mo. 2008); Wakefield v. Accor Economy Lodging, et al., Case No. 03-309 (S.D. Ill. 2005).
• Obtained millions of dollars for clients through settlements of employment claims. (confidential settlements).

Current efforts include:

• Class action litigation against KV Pharmaceutical and responsible executives for improper investment of employee ownership funds.
• Continued class action efforts to retain the health, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits to members of a class of disabled persons.
• Litigation to recover employee benefits including health insurance and disability income.
• Litigation to redress violations of health insurance notice requirements.

Area of Practice:

• Employee Benefits Litigation including Class Actions

Bar Admissions:

• Missouri
• Arizona
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
• U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Missouri
• U.S. District Court – Arizona
• U.S. Tax Court
• United States Supreme Court

Education:

• Washington University School of Law, Juris Doctorate (J.D.), Order of the Coif, 1957
University of Arizona, B.A. Education, 1954

Selected Cases:*

• Conley v. Pitney Bowes, et al., Case No. 1:92CV00025 (DJS) (E.D. Mo. 1992) (wrongful denial of disability benefits)
• Garfinkel v. BJC Health System, et al., Case No. 4:07CV00005 (CAS) (E.D. Mo.) (wrongful denial of employee death benefits)
• Geissal v. Moore Medical Corp., Case No. 97-689 (U.S. 1998) (wrongful denial of continuing insurance notice rights and rights of decedents’ estate)
• Goodspeed v. CNA Group Life Insurance Co., Case No. 4:02CV01961 (RWS)
(E.D. Mo.) (wrongful denial of disability benefits)
• Halbach & Schield, et al. v. Great-West Life Insurance Co., et al., Case No. 4:05CV02399 (ERW) (E.D. Mo.) (class claim for unlawful elimination of health, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits to disabled plan participants and individual wrongful denial of employee benefits documents)
• Kennedy v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., et al., Case No. 4:02CV00183 (TCM) (E.D. Mo.) (wrongful denial of disability benefits)
• Leonard v. Southwestern Bell Disability Plan, Case No. 4:00CV00923 (ERW) (E.D. Mo. 2000) (class claim for wrongful offsets against disability benefits)
• Menz v. Procter & Gamble Health Care Plan, et al., Case No. 4:04CV00077 (RWS) (E.D. Mo.) (wrongful denial of prosthesis)
• Michael v. AIG, et al., Case No. 4:05CV02400 (ERW) (E.D. Mo.) (wrongful denial of disability benefits)
• Niethammer v. Prudential Insurance Company of America, Case No. 4:06CV01664 (CDP) (E.D. Mo.) (wrongful denial of disability benefits)
• Wakefield v. Accor Economy Lodging, et al., Case No. 03-309 (S.D. Ill. 2005) (wrongful denial of health insurance and failure to provide notice of continuing insurance rights)
• Ward v. Monsanto Co., Case No. 4:04CV670 (ERW) (wrongful denial of disability benefits)
• Watson v. Retirement Plan for Hourly Employees of International Paper Co., Case No. 4:02CV01164 (CEJ) (E.D. Mo.) (wrongful denial of pension)

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• Missouri Bar
• Arizona Bar
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
• Labor Law Committee
• Past Chair of Employee Benefits Committee
• National Employment Lawyers Association
• National Employment Lawyers Association – St. Louis
• American Health Lawyers Association

* Past results afford no guarantee of future results. Every case is different and must be judged on its own merits.

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