Benjamin F. Westhoff

Benjamin F. Westhoff focuses his practice on employment law and personal injury law on behalf of individuals. Ben began his career as an employment lawyer for a large St. Louis corporate law firm, but decided in 2006 that he wanted to represent individuals faced with employment problems and serious personal injuries.

Since then, Ben has recovered millions of dollars in compensation for injured persons, victims of discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination and other unfair employment practices.

His results include:

• $3.9 Million settlement in a Breach of Contract case for an executive/founder
• $3.75 Million settlement in a Race Discrimination and Worker’s Compensation Retaliation case
• $3.5 Million Wrongful Death settlement for the family of a man who suffered a heart attack at the scene of a wheel-off crash caused by negligent service on his car
• $2.7 Million verdict in a Sex Harassment and Race Discrimination case
• $2 Million verdict in an Invasion of Privacy claim
• $1.5 Million settlement in a Breach of Contract and Fraud lawsuit for an executive terminated in violation of his employment contract
• $1.5 Million settlement in an Age Discrimination case
• $1.1 million for a disabled man who was seriously injured when he was struck by a pizza delivery driver while crossing the street in his wheelchair
• $950,000 settlement of a Sex Discrimination and Retaliation case
• $900,000 settlement in an Unpaid Overtime Collective Action under the FLSA
• $828,436 judgment after a jury verdict in a National Origin Discrimination case
• $750,000 settlement in a Whistleblower case

Ben says “I knew early on in my legal career that I wanted to focus on helping people facing serious problems, such as getting injured because of another’s carelessness or losing their job because of discrimination. It is really gratifying to help people in their hour of need while holding wrongdoers accountable for their misconduct.”

EDUCATION

• B.A., St. Louis University, magna cum laude, 1999
• J.D., St. Louis University, cum laude, 2003

AWARDS/ACTIVITIES

• American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, 2023-present
• Subcommittee on Model Civil Jury Instructions, Eighth Circuit, 2023-present
• Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law - Individuals, 2013-present
• Board of Governors, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, 2018-present
• President, St. Louis Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2015-2017
• Eighth Circuit National Employment Lawyers Association Conference Board Member, 2014-present
• Barrister, Theodore McMillian Inns of Court, 2014-2017
• Lawyer of the Year Award, Employment--Employees, 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®

PRESENTATIONS

• Speaker, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Technical Assistance Program Seminar, Mediation Makes Sense, Successful Strategies for Everyone to Claim Victory, 2019
• Speaker, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Technical Assistance Program Seminar, Sexual Harassment Update, 2018
• Speaker, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Technical Assistance Program Seminar, Best HR Practice Tips, Successful Strategies for Everyone to Claim Victory, 2017
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis Presentation, “Arbitration and Class Actions” 2018
• Missouri Bar Employment Law Presentation, “Plaintiff’s Perspectives on Large Verdicts” 2016
• St. Louis Lawyers Association, “Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure” 2016
• Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys CLE, Screening and Winning Employment Cases, 2016
• Ogletree Deakins Employment Law Briefing – “My Favorite Mistake” – Perspectives from the Plaintiff’s Bar, 2016
• The Lawyers Association of St. Louis – The 2015 FRCP Amendments, What You Need to Know, 2016
• Presenter, 8^th Circuit NELA Conference, The 2015 FRCP Amendments, 2016
• Presenter, 8^th Circuit NELA Conference, Dealing with Abusive Discovery Techniques, 2016
• Moderator/Presenter, 8^th Circuit NELA Conference, Update on Missouri Employment Law, 2018
• Missouri Bar Employment Law Committee Presentation - Ethical Considerations in Employment Litigation, 2013
• Missouri Bar Employment Law Committee Presentation – Effective Employment Litigation Depositions, 2013
• Missouri Bar Employment Law Committee Presentation – Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Perspectives on Trying Cases Before Juries, 2015
• Missouri Bar Employment Law Committee Presentation – How Plaintiffs and Their Counsel Think, 2017
• American Inns of Court, St. Louis Chapter – Missouri Grand Juries, 2015
• American Inns of Court, St. Louis Chapter – Election Law, 2016
• American Inns of Court, St. Louis Chapter – Sexual Harassment in the #MeToo Era, 2018
• Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys CLE, COVID and Related Issues for Employees, 2020
• Presenter, Missouri Bar CLE, Non-compete and Separation Agreements, 2021
• Presenter, 8^th Circuit NELA Conference, Winning Themes and Narratives in Sex Discrimination and Harassment Cases, 2022
• Presenter, Ogletree Deakins Managing a Workforce in 2023 Conference, “Mediation Techniques,” 2023