A Brief History of Cincinnati’s Oldest Law Firm

Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley Co. was founded in 1860 in Cincinnati as Cleveland & Borer. After its founding, new partners were added to the firm and the name was changed to Waite, Schindel, Bayless & Schneider. Morrison R. Waite, one of the founding partners of the law firm, came from a distinguished legal family. Mr. Waite's grandfather, also named Morrison R. Waite, served as the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1874 to 1888.

Partner Schindel died in 1941 and the last remaining senior partner, Phillip Schneider, died in 1985. At the time of Mr. Schneider's death, changes had already begun in the firm, which was an omen of the history-making career of Stanley M. Chesley.

On May 28, 1977, the Beverly Hills Supper Club in suburban Southgate, adjacent to Cincinnati, burned to the ground killing 165 people and injuring many more. The nightclub was underinsured and the ownership was poorly financed, factors which struck Stan Chesley as being tragically unfair.

Chesley went to work to represent the victims of the fire and in so doing, completely transformed the new law firm of Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley Co., L.P.A. into a  leader in plaintiffs' mass tort litigation. The firm combined litigation against more than 1,000 defendants involved in the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire. This innovative approach resulted in recovery in excess of $40 million through trial and settlement from all defendants.

Since that time, Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley has entered the national forefront of civil litigation, antitrust and securities fraud cases, and other practice areas. Learn more about some of the key cases handled by the firm during the past 30 years. Few firms in the nation today can match Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley’s unique blend of litigation successes and government relations,  antitrust,  and securities law experience.