Ted M. Warshafsky

Ted M. Warshafsky (December 6, 1926 – October 14, 2012) was a personal injury lawyer and activist best known for establishing the successful Warshafsky Law Firm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and nominating Julian Bond as the first African American major-party candidate for Vice President of the United States.

Early life The son of two immigrants, Ted Warshafsky was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Ida and Israel Warshafsky. His parents divorced by the time he turned 4 years old. When Warshafsky turned 18, he joined the Marines and later attended the University of Wisconsin Law School on the GI Bill. Warshafsky later lived on the upper east side of Milwaukee in the Murray Hill neighborhood after graduating from college. He went on to build a reputation for winning multi-million dollar lawsuits, mostly against big name drug companies. During his professional career, he spent his time in both local and national politics.

Politics

1967 – Warshafsky encouraged his children to be actively involved in the protests of segregation in Milwaukee schools and would have them join him on a march with Father James Groppi in support of an open housing ordinance. to support his push for an end to poverty, providing universal health care, ending the war in Iraq, and fighting global warming.

Warshafsky Law Firm After leaving law school, Ted M. Warshafsky struggled to find footing in the legal world until he founded the Warshafsky Law Firm. In competition with firms such as Foley and Lardner LLP and Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Warshafsky Law Firm has a history of specializing in personal injury and medical malpractice cases.

Lawsuits 1976 – Warshafsky Law Firm wins the biggest personal injury lawsuit settlement in Wisconsin history, up to this point in time. General Motors was sued after a young girl suffered brain damage as the result of a faulty GM part in a car crash. General Motors made an appeal, which Warshafsky followed by accepting a $3 million agreement. 2009 – Continuing to seek justice, Warshafsky fought for the release of medical records from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons following a $2.9 million malpractice payout, made without a confidentiality agreement. In this case, Warshafsky believed secrecy would put the public at risk and actively worked to spread the word about the payout.

Book Series While developing his professional career with Warshafsky Law Firm, Ted M. Warshafsky wrote a book series with his colleague called The Trial Handbook for Wisconsin Lawyers. This collection contained multiple volumes of information regarding issues of Wisconsin civil and criminal law. Printed by Lawyers Cooperative Publishing, the series of guides gives readers instruction, information, and advice for legal cases and trials, including how lawyers should conduct themselves during trials, how to handle circumstantial evidence, and the course of actions one should take once a final judgement has been made by the court.

Philanthropy The Warshafsky Law Firm reflects the advocacy and passion Ted M. Warshafsky has always had for helping communities. The Warshafsky Law Firm formed a charitable foundation, known as Venice Arts, to distribute scholarships to young people in Milwaukee who are needy and deserving. Many groups are supported through donations made by Warshafsky Law Firm, including the Holton Street YMCA, Pearls for Girls, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Acknowledgements In 2008, Ted M. Warshafsky was included in the Wisconsin Super Lawyers

During his lifetime, Warshafsky served as a member and diplomat for a number of professional associations, including the American Board of Trial Lawyers, the American College of Trial Lawyers, and the International Society of Barristers.

Illness and death After suffering from a stroke in November 2011, Warshafsky died on October 14, 2012, at the age of 85, in his Jefferson County home.