Scott Hessell represents clients in complex business disputes throughout the country in both state and federal courts, as well as before arbitration tribunals. He leads the firm’s Tax Shelter Professional Liability Practice, which has recovered more than $100 million for the firm’s clients from promoters, marketers, and implementers of sham tax strategies.
Scott is a trial lawyer, serving as lead counsel in jury trials, bench trials, and arbitration hearings, achieving a long history of wins that goes back to his early days as a lawyer. A skilled oral advocate and critical thinker, he has prevailed in high-stakes cases and game-changing litigation, including two 2023 trials that resulted in 8-figure jury verdicts for his clients. In 2023, Scott led teams in jury trials resulting in a $20 million verdict against Walmart in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and a $65 million verdict against PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Portland, Oregon. Both cases were two-week jury trials against highly regarded defense attorneys. They were 90 days apart, on opposite coasts, in two parts of the country that could not be more different. Both verdicts were the largest plaintiffs’ verdicts of their kind in those courts.
Before joining Sperling Kenny Nachwalter, Scott spent four years as a litigation associate at the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis where he gained valuable trial experience, including in helping the Conseco Bankruptcy Estate obtain an arbitration award against Donald Trump over ownership of the GM Building in New York. Before that, Scott served as a law clerk to the Honorable Karen LeCraft Henderson of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Honors & Awards
Illinois Super Lawyer, Top Rated for Business Litigation Attorney, 2025
Illinois Rising Star, 2010-2015
Representative Matters
Served as lead trial counsel, secured a $65.5 million jury verdict against PwC in Multnomah County Circuit Court in July 2023. This win was listed among Law.com’s top 50 verdicts of 2023.
Served as co-lead trial counsel in obtaining a $20 million jury verdict against Walmart in Washington County Circuit Court, Arkansas.
Obtained a favorable recovery on behalf of public pension funds on negligence and gross mismanagement claims against Allianz Global arising out of Structured Alpha investment funds.
Briefed, argued, and obtained two separate appellate court decisions, reinstating tax shelter liability claims against a law firm and a Big 4 accounting firm, creating law on the statute of repose.
Recovered in excess of $20 million on behalf of a tax shelter liability client against an international law firm and large accounting firm.
Recovered in excess of $30 million for two Florida tax shelter liability clients against a Big 4 accounting firm, law firm, and global bank for complicity in tax shelter fraud.
Recovered $10 million on behalf of a tax shelter client against a global bank and law firm.
Achieved an outsized recovery in Enron Litigation for a Canadian investment fund against the country’s largest investment banks who participated in the Enron fraud. Based on the firm’s opposition papers, the New York federal court denied the bank defendants’ motions for summary judgment on almost all grounds, succeeding where other Enron plaintiffs had failed. See “Banks Exposure to Enron Fraud Lives” https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=cce3c592-dab6-4c0d-b58c-19ce272a0571.
Newsroom
Publications
Co-Author, “Attempting to Put the Genie Back in the Bottle – Is ‘Selective’ Waiver of Attorney-Client and Work-Product Privileges Dead?,” 18 Journal of Tax Practice & Procedure, Issue 5, p.37 (2016).
Author, “Limited Scope Tax Engagements – Not as Limited as You Think,” Tax Notes (April 4, 2016).
Professional Activities
Community Involvement
Latin School of Chicago
National Urban Debate League (Chicago Debate Commission)
University of Michigan Debate Alumni Association
Professional Memberships
Chicago Bar Association
Speaking Engagements
Panelist, “How to Protect You and Your Firm from Malpractice,” International Tax Conference in Miami, 2024.
Practice Areas
Education
J.D., University of Chicago Law School, with honors, 2001
B.A., University of Michigan, 1997
- Intercollegiate Debate: two-time semifinalist at National Tournament and Copeland Award Winner
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 2001
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Trial Bar, 2008
