Seth H. Wamelink

An experienced trial attorney, Seth practices in the areas of product liability, personal injury, commercial litigation, environmental litigation, and construction litigation. He represents clients in a variety of industries, including plumbing products, elevators, cranes and aerial work platforms, telecommunications, and construction. Seth has taken numerous cases to verdict and routinely advises clients on pre-suit matters and risk management. By gaining a deep understanding of each client’s business, he is able to effectively collaborate with clients to develop winning strategies.

Seth is particularly experienced in the areas of product liability and personal injury, and he is regularly retained to handle high-stakes product liability and personal injury claims. Seth serves as national counsel for a leading elevator manufacturer and maintenance company’s personal injury cases, and he is national panel counsel for a leading manufacturer of plumbing products. Seth is also lead counsel for a Fortune 500 company in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) litigation, namely the Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) MDL in South Carolina.

In every engagement, Seth focuses on gaining a deep understanding of the science and medicine underlying the liability and damage claims in order to develop and execute the most effective legal strategy. In his role as national and coordinating counsel, he ensures that a comprehensive and aggressive strategy is in place – starting with pre-suit claims all the way through to trial – in order to ensure successful outcomes and identify any trends or issues before they become a larger problem.

Seth also represents clients in complex commercial litigation and class actions in a broad spectrum of industries, most notably telecommunications, manufacturers, and small to medium-sized business owners. He recognizes that developing an effective commercial litigation strategy requires not only a thorough legal analysis, but also a detailed understanding of how the dispute will affect a client’s business and its business relationships. Seth collaborates with each client’s legal and business teams to develop an aggressive litigation strategy that achieves the client’s legal and business goals – while recognizing that some of the most successful outcomes often result from finding a “business solution” before incurring significant legal expense and souring lucrative business relationships.

As chair of the Tucker Ellis Construction Group, Seth understands that, to achieve our clients’ goals, each dispute requires a wholesale strategy to address both the legal issues and business needs. Having grown up in a construction family, Seth has been on job sites since childhood and worked as a laborer during college – invaluable experience that has given him a firsthand understanding of the unique issues facing contractors and construction owners. In representing Fortune 500 companies and contractors large and small, he regularly assists in risk management, contract drafting, project management, negotiating project claims, change orders and requests for equitable adjustment, and litigation.

Seth devotes time to pro bono and civic activities as well. He has represented pro bono clients in housing matters and prosecuted attorneys accused of ethical violations. He serves on the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Certified Grievance Committee, and he is a mentor for the CollegeNow, Greater Cleveland Chapter, which provides mentorship to first-generation college students.

Seth and his wife Jennifer live in Bay Village, Ohio, with their three children Kellen, Connor, and Brooklyn. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, coaching soccer, playing the occasional round of golf, and cheering on Cleveland’s sports teams.