Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP

What Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP does

Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP is a Cleveland-based plaintiff-side law firm founded in 1946 by Craig Spangenberg, structured as a Limited Liability Partnership and operating exclusively on a contingency fee basis. The firm employs approximately 12 attorneys organized into eight core practice areas: personal injury, medical malpractice, vehicle collisions, police misconduct, nursing home abuse, business litigation, class actions, and unsafe drugs and products, with newer additions including Camp Lejeune and Iraq War Fund mass tort matters. Its client base consists entirely of individuals and families who have suffered catastrophic injury or wrongful death, and the firm handles cases on a statewide and nationwide basis from its single Cleveland office at 1001 Lakeside Avenue East.

The firm invests in content marketing through a 500+ article blog, video center, newsletter, and community sponsorships (Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, among others) to generate inbound leads, supplemented by attorney referrals and a direct phone intake line. It maintains U.S. News Tier 1 rankings in medical malpractice and personal injury and has secured over $1 billion in cumulative verdicts and settlements since 1946, including recent results of $28 million (Hamilton County wrongful death), $18.5 million (2026 medical malpractice settlement), $17.675 million (2025 nursing home verdict), $17.5 million (civil rights settlement), $11.75 million (2025 carbon monoxide poisoning), $9.5 million (2025 MRI-related malpractice), $7 million (2025 appellate defense of malpractice verdict), and $5 million (2026 nursing home neglect verdict).

The firm's revenue mechanics center on contingency fees: clients pay no upfront costs and the firm receives a percentage of recovery only upon winning. Technology infrastructure is limited to standard trial presentation tools (TrialPad for iPad); no AI/ML capabilities, proprietary platforms, or technology products are disclosed. The firm competes on its 78-year brand, peer-recognized attorney talent (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, American College of Trial Lawyers membership), and a willingness to take cases to trial rather than settle.

Name

Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP

Legal name

Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP

Website

https://spanglaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP is a Cleveland-based plaintiff-side law firm founded in 1946 that represents individuals and families in personal injury, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, and civil rights matters on a contingency fee basis nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Injury Law

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare Professional Liability (Med Mal) (FSAJAGAE), Medical Malpractice Liability (FSAJADAK)

Keywords

• Personal injury law
• Medical malpractice
• Wrongful death litigation
• Product liability law
• Contingency fee representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Representation - Contingency Fees: The firm operates exclusively on a contingency fee basis for personal injury and medical malpractice cases. Clients pay no upfront fees; the firm receives a percentage of the recovery only if the case is won. This aligns firm incentives with client outcomes and provides access to justice for clients who cannot afford hourly legal fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP is a Cleveland-based trial law firm that represents individuals and families in personal injury, medical malpractice, vehicle collision, police misconduct, nursing home abuse, product liability, class action, and business litigation matters. The firm operates on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay no upfront fees and the firm is only compensated as a percentage of recovery if the case is won. Since 1946, the firm has recovered over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients.

Product overview

Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP is a Cleveland-based personal injury and medical malpractice law firm offering comprehensive legal services through multiple practice areas. The firm operates as a unified legal services practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, providing specialized representation across personal injury, medical malpractice, vehicle collisions, police misconduct, business litigation, nursing home abuse, class actions, and unsafe drugs/products. The core service model centers on contingency fee representation where no fees are charged unless the firm wins the case. The firm has recovered over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients since 1946.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Injury Legal Services Comprehensive legal representation for individuals and families who have suffered injuries due to negligence, covering car accidents, catastrophic injuries, premises liability, and wrongful death. The service is delivered on a contingency fee basis with free initial consultations.
• Medical Malpractice Legal Services Legal representation for victims of medical negligence including birth injuries, surgical errors, failure to diagnose, and emergency room mistakes, delivered on a contingency fee basis.
• Vehicle Collisions Legal Services Legal services for victims of motor vehicle accidents including car, truck, motorcycle, and rideshare accidents, as well as drunk driver and distracted driver incidents.
• Police Misconduct Legal Services Civil rights representation for victims of police misconduct including excessive force, wrongful imprisonment, unlawful search, and death in custody.
• Business Litigation Services Commercial dispute resolution including contract breach litigation, bank and lender liability claims, business bankruptcy actions, and professional malpractice cases.
• Nursing Home Abuse Legal Services Legal representation for elderly and disabled individuals who have suffered abuse or neglect in nursing home or elder care facilities.
• Class Action Litigation Group litigation services representing multiple plaintiffs who have suffered similar harm from defective products, unsafe drugs, or institutional negligence.
• Unsafe Drugs & Products Legal Services Product liability representation for injuries caused by dangerous pharmaceutical drugs (including Ozempic, Zantac, Zofran, opioids) and defective medical devices (IVC filters, Bair Hugger, hip replacements, transvaginal mesh).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients since 1946
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Legal Aid Society of ClevelandcoreOthersSpangenberg Shibley & Liber is pleased to support the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Founded in 1905, it is the fifth oldest legal aid society in the world. 100% of registration proceeds from the Spangenberg Litigation Institute benefit the Legal Aid Society. To date, the firm has raised nearly $52,000 for Legal Aid.
• The City Club of ClevelandminorOthersThrough a special contribution in memory of Craig Spangenberg's service and commitment, the Craig Spangenberg Memorial Forum is one of several Forum Foundation programs creating civil civic dialogue on community issues. Established in 1912, the City Club is the oldest continuously operating free speech forum in the United States.
• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar AssociationcoreOthersContributes to pro bono and public service programs supported by CMBA. Partner Peter J. Brodhead serves on the board and plays keyboard for No Name Band at Rock the Foundation events. Firm helped sponsor the Halloween Bench-Bar Run for Justice.
• Cleveland Rape Crisis CenterminorOthersProud sponsor of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center's biennial chorale benefit performance, Sing Out!, which raises funds to support survivors of sexual abuse, promote healing and prevention, and advocate for social change.
• Cleveland-Marshall College of LawminorOthersProvides financial support to the Trial Courtroom Project Fund at Cleveland State University's Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Partner Peter J. Brodhead is an emeritus member of the Cleveland-Marshall Visiting Committee.
• Case Comprehensive Cancer CenterminorOthersFirm sponsors the Case CCC team in the annual VeloSano Bike to Cure cycling event, which raises money for cancer research. Managing Partner Peter H. Weinberger serves as Chair of the Leadership Council of the Case CCC.
• Hattie LarlhamminorOthersGold-level supporter of the 9th Annual Rudolph H. Garfield Circle of Caring gala honoring Bruce G. Hearey. Hattie Larlham provides healthcare and social programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
• Beck Center for the ArtsminorOthersPartner Dennis R. Lansdowne volunteers on the Beck Center Board of Directors. The nonprofit performing arts and arts education organization serves over 100,000 annually in Northeastern Ohio.
• American Association for JusticeminorOthersProud sponsor of the American Association for Justice's annual Student Trial Advocacy Competition (AAJ STAC) in Northeast Ohio, providing law students opportunity to practice trial advocacy skills.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lowe Scott Fisher Co., LPA: Cleveland plaintiff firm focused on personal injury, medical malpractice, and product liability. Direct competitor in the same local market and practice mix.
• Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & Murphy: Cleveland-based plaintiff personal injury and medical malpractice firm. Closest geographic and practice-area peer, competing head-to-head for Ohio med-mal and PI cases on a contingency basis.
• Elk & Elk Co., Ltd. Ohio-based plaintiff personal injury and medical malpractice firm with a contingency model and multi-office statewide presence. Direct peer competing for the same Ohio PI/med-mal docket.
• Kisling, Nestico & Redick: Ohio personal injury firm handling car accidents, med mal, and insurance disputes on contingency. Regional plaintiff-side peer with overlapping practice areas.
• Levin Papantonio Rafferty: Florida-based plaintiff mass-tort and personal injury firm with a national docket (opioids, tobacco, Camp Lejeune). Comparable contingency-based mass-tort practice competing for similar plaintiffs.

Broad incumbents

• Morgan & Morgan: Largest U.S. plaintiff personal injury firm with national mass-tort operations. Sets the competitive ceiling on contingency PI/med-mal economics and frequently out-resources regional firms.
• Simmons Hanly Conroy: National plaintiff mass-tort firm with leadership roles in opioids, Camp Lejeune, and other product-liability dockets. Competes for the same national mass-tort case flow.
• Weitz & Luxenberg: Established New York plaintiff mass-tort and personal injury firm with leadership in asbestos, pharmaceutical, and consumer-product litigation. Comparable contingency-based mass-tort platform.
• The Cochran Firm: National plaintiff personal injury and civil rights firm with a strong police-misconduct and catastrophic-injury practice, overlapping with Spangenberg's civil-rights and PI docket.

Emerging players

• Napoli Shkolnik: National plaintiff mass-tort and complex litigation firm with active pharmaceutical and environmental dockets. Overlaps with Spangenberg's unsafe-drugs and product-liability work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spangenberglaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/spangenberg.law.firm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP