Joseph Siprut

Joseph J. Siprut is a dynamic attorney with a fast-growing boutique law firm, Siprut PC, focusing on class action and plaintiff-side complex litigation.

In just over three years, Siprut, 36, has grown his firm to ten lawyers in three cities.

Richard Miller, of D’Orazio Capital Management, Inc., met Siprut when both men worked at Novack and Macey LLP. Miller said Siprut joined the firm in 2003 straight out of law school. Miller, a partner at the firm for many years, worked extensively with Siprut. “Joe jumped right in and immediately impressed me as a razor-sharp guy with an unbelievable learning curve. Throughout his time at the firm and working with me, he did great work and also showed very unusual – and impressive – business development instincts, even as a young lawyer,” Miller said.

After a subsequent stint at top litigation boutique Schopf & Weiss, LLP, Siprut made the move to start his own firm and focus on high-stakes plaintiffs’ work. “He and his firm have literally taken the class action world by storm,” Miller said.

Siprut was lead counsel in a class action against Southwest Airlines over Southwest’s revocation of drink vouchers for alcoholic beverages. Tens of millions of consumers were included in the class. After two years of litigation, Siprut and his firm settled the case with Southwest in a deal valued in excess of $30 million. The case and settlement received extensive media coverage.

Siprut also prosecuted and settled a large class action related to Banana Boat and UltraMist sunscreens valued at $200 million. The suit was filed after reports surfaced that users of those sunscreens were suffering burn injuries from sunbathing.

Siprut is also co-lead counsel in the seminal NCAA Concussion Litigation, which Siprut pioneered over three years ago. Siprut and the NCAA just recently reached a ground-breaking settlement of $75 million. “Aside from medical monitoring for students, the settlement requires implementation of return-to-play guidelines, which has never happened in the history of the NCAA,” Miller said. “This case has been written about extensively in the press and now will change college sports forever.”

Siprut also consistently earns the respect of his adversaries. Mark Mester, senior partner at Latham & Watkins, was opposing counsel to Siprut in the Banana Boat sunscreen case and the NCAA concussion litigation. “Joe is an able and committed advocate, but equally important is the fact that he is consistently forthright and honest, which I very much appreciate,” Mester said. “He doesn’t pick fights for the sake of picking fights, and he tends to focus instead on the bigger picture.”

Martin Jaczwyk is a partner at Locke Lord and the head of the firm’s TCPA class action defense practice. He has squared off against Siprut repeatedly. “Joe is simply fearless and is willing to bring any case and make any argument that he feels is in the best interest of his client, no matter what anyone else might think. It is his fearless nature, coupled with his intelligence and his ability to think outside the box, that make him a most formidable foe in the courtroom.” Glen Amundsen, managing partner of GlenAmundsen, echoes these sentiments: “Joe is the kind of lawyer who brings a gun to a knife fight. He is always ready for anything.”