- Ohio
Shawn Judge
Shawn Judge protects consumer rights through complex litigation matters, including class actions and mass torts, and has frequently been appointed to leadership positions and Special Master duties. Shawn is also an experienced mediator offering private mediation services.
Prior to joining Gibbs Mura, Shawn was a member of a class action practice group of a leading Ohio firm. He has served as a judicial clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the Supreme Court of Ohio, and Ohio’s Ninth District Court of Appeals. Shawn received his J.D. with honors from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and also holds an M.A. in English from Wright State University.
Shawn is admitted to practice law in Ohio.
Shawn and Mark took on our case as if it was their money that was at stake. Their expertise and tenacity brought us the result we were hoping for. Their professionalism and responsiveness are beyond reproach.
- Rick S.
admissions−
awards+
Ohio Super Lawyers, 2021, 2023-2025
Top Rated Class Action/Mass Torts Lawyer
education+
- J.D., with honors, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, 1998
- M.A., Wright State University, 1995
- B.A., with honors, The College of Wooster, 1993
memberships+
- Co-Chair, Class Actions/Consumer Law, Central Ohio Association for Justice
- Ohio Mediation Association
- Ohio Association for Justice
- National Civil Justice Institute
- American Association for Justice
- Columbus Bar Association
- Ohio State Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- American Bar Association
Presentations & Articles+
6 Issues Every Mediator Faces
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio Columbus Mediator Training
March 2021
Co-Author, Anderson’s Ohio Consumer Law Manual
2018, 2019, 2020
Ohio’s Payday Lending Regs May Inform Other State Efforts
Law360
August 16, 2019
Four Things Your Mediator Wishes You Would Do
Columbus Bar Lawyers Quarterly
Winter 2019
Successful Mediations
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio’s 45th Annual Federal Law Seminar
July 2019
Guest Lecturer, Paralegal Legal Writing Class
Capital University Law School
June 2019
Federal Civil Practice
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio/Federal Bar Association Federal Practice Seminar
Biannual, 2003-2019
Secrets to Winning by Writing
Columbus Bar Association CLE
October 2017, 2018, 2019
S.D. Ohio Mediator Ethics
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio Columbus Mediator Training
February 2019
Panelist, Columbus Bar Association Federal Courts Committee
2004, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2017
Method-of-Execution Challenges
The Federal Judicial Center National Conference for Pro Se Law Clerks
September 2015
Guest Lecturer, Ohio Products Liability Practice Class
Capital University Law School
June 2011 and 2012
Constitution Day Speaker
The College of Wooster
September 2010
Guest Lecturer, Pre-Trial Litigation Class
The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
April 2010
Speaker, Legal Writing Class
The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
2005-2010
Judicial Clerkship Panel
The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
Fall 2002
Complex Litigation
Shawn has served as Special Counsel for the Ohio Attorney General litigating claims against five of the country’s largest pharmaceutical companies for their role in the nation’s opioid crisis. He currently serves as co-lead counsel in a class action for lessors of a major oil and gas operator and dozens of class actions nationwide against banks and credit unions litigating over their overdraft fee practices.
Special Master
Shawn is a member of the Academy of Court-Appointed Neutrals. He served as the appointed Chair to two federal court pipeline compensation commissions under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 71.1. Shawn currently serves as Special Master in three federal lawsuits arising from the largest public corruption scandal in Ohio history.
Mediation
Shawn is a leading mediator for those looking to avoid or end costly litigation. He received mediation training at the Harvard Negotiation Institute at Harvard Law School and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law. He mediates civil disputes filed in or heading to federal or state court, excluding domestic relations and juvenile division cases. Shawn offers both in-person and virtual mediation services.
Consultant and Educator
Shawn routinely serves as an invited speaker on civil litigation and mediation. He has also served as an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, and Capital University Law School. Shawn is a former Ohio Bar Examiner and was an editorial consultant to the Ohio Judicial Conference’s Ohio Jury Instructions Committee for twenty years.
Litigation Highlights
State of Ohio ex rel. Dave Yost, Ohio Attorney General v. Purdue Pharma L.P
Represents the State of Ohio in litigation alleging that the six major manufacturers of prescription opioids created a public nuisance, which caused billions of dollars in damages to the state and its citizens. The litigation is ongoing.
Eaton v. Ascent Resources – Utica, LLC
Represents a class and sub-classes of oil and gas lessors with leases with Ascent Resources – Utica, LLC. Plaintiffs claim that Ascent takes improper post-production deductions from their royalty payments that are either not allowed under their contracts or are unreasonable in amount. On August 4, 2021, the Court granted class certification in the case, which marks one of the first cases in which a court has certified an Ohio class action regarding the underpayment of oil and gas royalties. The lawsuit is ongoing.