Ted Wells

Last updated
Ted Wells
Born (1950-04-28) April 28, 1950 (age 74)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Education College of the Holy Cross (BA)
Harvard University (MBA, JD)
OccupationLawyer
Known for Scooter Libby defense
Deflategate investigation
Political party Democratic
Spouse
​
(m. 1971)​
Awards American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2020)

Theodore Von Wells, Jr. (born April 28, 1950) is an American trial lawyer and defense attorney. He is a partner at the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, where he is co-chair of its litigation department. [1] For his practice in white-collar criminal cases, he has been considered one of the most prominent litigators in the United States. [2] [3]

Contents

After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross, where he was a classmate of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Wells attended Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School. He worked in private practice for the law firms of Paul Hastings and Lowenstein Sandler before joining Paul Weiss, during which time he became known for his representation of public and political figures, including Dick Cheney aide Scooter Libby, labor official Raymond Donovan, financier Michael Milken, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, financiers Michael Milken and Frank Quattrone, along with governors Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson. [4]

In 2010, Wells became one of twelve fellows of the Harvard Corporation, the primary governing board of Harvard University. [5] He was previously a chairman of the NAACP. [6] In 2020, Wells was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Early life and education

Wells was born in Washington, D.C., on April 28, 1950, and grew up in a rowhouse. [7] His mother, who was known as "Ma Wells", was a mail clerk at the U.S. Department of the Navy and his father was a taxi-driver. His parents separated when he was young; he was raised by his mother. Wells attended Calvin Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C., where he played football as a center. [8] [9] He performed well academically and received multiple athletic scholarships to college. [10]

Wells was offered scholarships to play football by Morgan State University, Hampton University, North Carolina A&T State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Boston University, Haverford College, and Pennsylvania State University. After deciding to focus more on academics, he chose to attend the College of the Holy Cross instead, retracting his initial commitment to Pittsburgh. Along with running-back Ed Jenkins, Wells was convinced by Tom Boisture, the head coach of Holy Cross. [11]

At Holy Cross, Wells was mentored by John E. Brooks, the college's president, and Edward Bennett Williams. He became the head of the Black Student Union and graduated in 1972. Wells attended Holy Cross at the same time as future Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. [10] Both participated in a walkout based on their beliefs of unfair racially motivated practices on the part of the college. [12] In his senior year, Wells was named a Fenwick Scholar, one of the college's highest honors. [13] He dual enrolled at Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School afterward, obtaining both a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) and Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 1976. At Harvard Law School, he was an editor of the Harvard Civil Rights–Civil Liberties Law Review . [14]

Career

From August 1976 to August 1977, Wells was a law clerk for Judge John Joseph Gibbons of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was Gibbons' second black clerk after Arthur Martin, a fellow classmate at Holy Cross. Gibbons had met Wells when Wells was an undergraduate in 1969, and Gibbons became his close friend and mentor. [15] During his time as a clerk, Wells met Samuel Alito, then a clerk for Judge Leonard I. Garth. Wells described Alito as "one of the smartest lawyers I’ve ever met." [16]

After clerking at the Third Circuit, Wells moved to California to join the law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker in Los Angeles, where he stayed briefly for ten days. [16] He decided to leave the West Coast shortly afterwards and joined Lowenstein Sandler in Roseland, New Jersey. [17] In addition to becoming well-known in New Jersey, Wells' representation of U.S. Secretary of Labor Raymond Donovan while at Lowenstein Sandler gave him national attention as a prominent defense attorney. [16] He stayed at the firm for over 20 years before moving to the white-shoe firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. [1]

Wells was selected by the National Law Journal as one of America's best white-collar defense attorneys. [18] He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020 and serves as a fellow at the Harvard Corporation. [19]

Representation and clients

In 2019, Wells represented ExxonMobil in People of the State of New York v. Exxon Mobil Corp. , a suit alleging that the company misled the company's investors about management of risks posed by climate change. [20]

Wells represented Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Jr., [18] who was convicted on March 6, 2007, in the CIA leak grand jury investigation for perjury, obstruction of justice, and lying to the FBI. Wells filed an appeal of Libby's convictions, [21] but dropped the appeal in December 2007 after President Bush commuted Libby's 30-month prison sentence. [22]

Some of Wells' more notable clients include Michael Espy, Senator Robert Torricelli, [18] and Congressman Floyd Flake. [23] He represented former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer against allegations stemming from his alleged involvement in a prostitution ring. [24]

In 2008 Wells won a $364.2 million verdict for Citigroup in a trial against Parmalat. Parmalat had been asking for $2 billion in damages. The jury found that Citi was not liable, and gave Citi the highest verdict award permissible. [25]

Wells also has represented several major corporations during class action lawsuits including Merck, Philip Morris, and Johnson and Johnson.

In November 2013, the National Football League hired Wells to prepare a report on a bullying incident with the Miami Dolphins involving Richie Incognito. [26] The report, released on February 14, 2014, made headlines for its finding of "a pattern of harassment". [27]

Wells also served as the national Treasurer to Democrat Bill Bradley's presidential campaign.

In 2015, Ted Wells was again hired by the NFL, this time to investigate the New England Patriots' alleged "Deflategate" infractions. His report concluded that it was "more probable than not" that Tom Brady was "generally aware" of tampering with NFL game footballs during the 2015 AFC Championship Game. Ted Wells's independence and impartiality has been called into question in the wake of the report because of his extensive prior business relations with the NFL, his use of a scientific consultancy with a reputation for questionable client-serving results, [28] and because of his track-record of success exculpating high-profile clients and corporations during public scandals. [29] Eventually, Judge Richard Berman overturned Tom Brady's suspension in the Deflategate saga that had been based on Wells's report; however the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated it in 2016.

Personal life

Wells married his high school girlfriend, Nina Mitchell, in 1971. [30] He and his wife reside in Livingston, New Jersey. [31] [32] He has two children: Teresa and Philip.

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Mathews and Wells elected to Harvard Corporation". The Harvard Gazette . Harvard University. September 23, 2012. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  2. ↑ Brady 2012, p. 218.
    "Wells is widely considered to be one of the greatest trial lawyers of his generation, and over the past twenty years various publications have recognized him as one of the most influential lawyers in America".
  3. ↑ Smith, Patrick (November 24, 2020). "Through Decades of Success, Ted Wells Has Been the Essence of a Litigator". The American Lawyer . Retrieved 2024-06-10– via Law.com.
  4. ↑ Brady 2012, p. 1, 218.
  5. ↑ Protess, Ben (2015-05-07). "Report's Author Is Former Football Player Known Best as Trial Lawyer". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  6. ↑ Edmonds, Colbi (2023-12-24). "Who Are the Members of the Harvard Corporation?". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  7. ↑ "Biographical Description for Oral History with Theodore V. Wells, Jr" (PDF). The Historymakers. 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  8. ↑ Grimaldi, James V. (2001-05-07). "On the Densely Populated Legal Teams of the Torricelli Case, Even the Lawyers Have Lawyers". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  9. ↑ Kelly, John (2023-04-11). "The old school spirit is strong in this Calvin Coolidge High alum". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  10. 1 2 Weeks, Linton (2007-02-21). "Ted Wells, Center Of the Defense". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  11. ↑ Brady 2012, p. 42–45.
  12. ↑ Holy Cross Magazine, fall 2005.
  13. ↑ Brady 2012, p. 184.
  14. ↑ Brady 2012, p. 218.
  15. ↑ Wells Jr., Theodore V. (2019). "Dedication to the Honorable John J. Gibbons". Seton Hall Law Review . 49 (4): 987–990.
  16. 1 2 3 Thomason, Katie (November 11, 2005). "Great Lawyer Series: Ted Wells". The Harvard Law Record . Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  17. ↑ Harper, Timothy (July 18, 2006). "Government Problems? Call Ted Wells: Lewis Libby, in big trouble, knew where to turn". Super Lawyers. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 National Law Journal, June 19, 2006.
  19. ↑ "Theodore V. Wells, Jr". American Academy of Arts & Sciences . 2023-08-04. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  20. ↑ Schwartz, John (22 October 2019). "Fossil Fuels on Trial: New York's Lawsuit Against Exxon Begins". The New York Times . Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  21. ↑ CNN.com, March 7, 2007.
  22. ↑ CNN.com, December 10, 2007.
  23. ↑ The New York Times, November 5, 2005.
  24. ↑ The New York Times, March 14, 2008.
  25. ↑ Dash, Eric (20 October 2008). "Jury Finds Parmalat Defrauded Citigroup". The New York Times . World Business Section. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  26. ↑ Pelissero, Tom (2013-11-06). "Roger Goodell picks lawyer Ted Wells to lead Dolphins investigation". USA Today.
  27. ↑ "Incognito, others tormented Martin". ESPN. 2014-02-14.
  28. ↑ Bensinger, Ken and Ralph Vartabedian (2010-02-18). "Toyota Calls in Exponent Inc. as Hired Gun". The Los Angeles Times.
  29. ↑ Grove, Lloyd (2010-03-11). "The Scandal Guru". The Daily Beast.
  30. ↑ "Theodore V. Wells Jr". The Historymakers. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  31. ↑ The Washington Post, February 21, 2007.
  32. ↑ "State of New Jersey biography for Nina Mitchell Wells". Archived from the original on December 31, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), State of New Jersey, backed up by the Internet Archive as of December 31, 2007. Accessed February 24, 2011. "Secretary Wells and her husband, Ted Wells, Esq. reside in Livingston, NJ and have two grown children, Teresa and Phillip."

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