Bartlit Beck LLP

During fifteen years at Bartlit Beck and two years as a public defender, Sean Grimsley has spent thousands of hours in court and arbitrations trying cases, presenting motions, and arguing appeals. In the past five years, Sean has first-chaired a $100+ million CPR arbitration; second-chaired a ten-week trial in a $1 billion+ antitrust matter in S.D.N.Y.; co-first-chaired the AAA arbitration defense of an independent oil company in a $25+ million securities fraud dispute; and co-first-chaired a damages-only trial for defendant Sonitrol, including successfully arguing the appeal affirming the verdict. Sean is currently serving as lead counsel for Arconic Inc. regarding wrongful death and products liability claims arising out of the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. In recent years, Sean has focused his practice on energy, mass torts, intellectual property, and antitrust.

In 2010, Sean was appointed to serve as Deputy Chief Counsel to the President's Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill where he and his colleagues investigated the root causes of the spill. Sean has since developed a robust energy practice, including representing ConocoPhillips in major litigation such as the pending climate change cases.

Prior to joining the firm in 2004, Sean served as law clerk to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor of the U.S. Supreme Court and Chief Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Sean also spent two years as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Washington, D.C., serving as lead counsel in over 100 matters. He graduated summa cum laude from Michigan Law School in 2000 after obtaining B.A.s in Plan II Honors and Biology from the University of Texas.

Board of Trustees, Minds Matter of Denver

Chair's Roundtable, Colorado Lawyers Committee

University of Michigan Law School, 2000, J.D., summa cum laude

Articles Editor, Michigan Law Review

Darrow Scholar & Bates Memorial Award

University of Texas, 1994, B.A., with Highest Honors, Biology and Plan II Honors Liberal Arts