Lisa Esser-Weidenfeller

Lisa Esser-Weidenfeller

Lisa Esser-Weidenfeller has dedicated her legal career to representing survivors – survivors of sexual abuse, survivors of medical malpractice, and survivors of corporate greed.  Most of these survivors have suffered so much trauma that they have lost their voice and oftentimes their will to fight, but that is when Lisa is able to step in and lend them the strength and support they need until they are able to regain their voices.  Lisa is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and has successfully litigated cases in both state and federal courts and in several states across our great nation.  

Lisa is a senior shareholder in one of the largest personal injury firms in the State of Michigan, Sommers Schwartz, P.C., and currently serves on the Board of Directors. She has represented sexual abuse survivors against small and large institutions alike, including Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, the USA Gymnastics (USAG), United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and various school districts, participating in over $1 Billion dollars in sexual abuse settlements.  Together, our coalition of attorneys worked together to reach a $500 million dollar settlement with Michigan State University for 332 survivors of Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse, a $380 million dollar settlement with USAG and USOPC over the abuse by Nassar, and a $490 million dollar settlement with the University of Michigan Board of Regents for over 1,000 survivors of Robert Anderson’s sexual abuse.  

Lisa also represents several hundred combat veterans against the 3M Corporation over defective combat arms earplugs they knowingly manufactured and sold to the U.S. military that led to significant and permanent hearing loss for thousands of veterans.  The 3M litigation is the largest single piece of litigation in U.S. history.  She also represents veterans that have suffered from cancers secondary to their exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, which the U.S. government was aware of for decades.  Lisa also currently represents several Michigan communities against the manufacturers and distributors of addictive opioids which have led to opioid epidemics in our communities.  The opioid litigation has resulted in over $40 Billion dollars in settlements to date. 

Lisa has earned the respect of the legal community. She has been named Super Lawyer for over a decade.  She was recognized as a Michigan “Up & Coming Lawyer” in 2015, she received the Women in the Law award in 2021 from Michigan Lawyers Weekly, and has been recognized by National Trial Lawyers as a Top 100 litigator. Outside the office, Lisa is active in the Michigan Association for Justice, the American Association for Justice, and National Trial Lawyers.