U.S. SC removes Chesley from its rolls

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) -- Prominent plaintiffs lawyer Stanley Chesley can no longer practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In June, the nation's high court suspended Chesley from practicing law before it for 40 days.

During that time, he was required to show cause why he should not be disbarred.

In an order list released Monday, the Supreme Court accepted Chesley's resignation and dropped the hearing.

"Stanley M. Chesley, of Cincinnati, Ohio, having requested to resign as a member of the Bar of this Court, it is ordered that his name be stricken from the roll of attorneys permitted to the practice of law before this Court," the justices wrote.

"The Rule to Show Cause, issued on June 17, 2013, is discharged."

The Kentucky Supreme Court disbarred Chesley in March. He retired from practice in Ohio in April.

The state's "Master of Disaster" also stepped down from his position on the University of Cincinnati's Board of Trustees -- at the behest of his fellow trustees.

Chesley maintained he was not co-counsel for the plaintiffs in a controversial class action lawsuit over the diet drug fen-phen. He also said he was not aware that other attorneys were deceiving their clients. He argued he was simply brought in to negotiate the 2001 settlement.

From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at jessica@legalnewsline.com.