Complex Litigation

• Construction Disputes
• Product Liability
• Toxic Tort Litigation

Business Litigation

• Contracts and Commercial Disputes
• Copyright/Trademark, Unfair Competition, Trade Secrets Disputes

• Successfully represented construction subcontractor in a $2 million claim of defective window and wall installation. Case settled for less than 1% of amount claimed.
• Currently representing the architect and structural engineer in $25 million collapse of an existing 4-story, 100 year old school building allegedly caused by negligent plans and designs of new, adjacent construction.
• Currently representing civil engineer against allegations of neglect causing allegedly two landslides and over $1 million in damages.
• Successfully represented motor home manufacturer against claims of a defective motor home causing a fire and the deaths of two children.
• Settled on behalf of the plaintiff, a major automobile manufacturer, a multi-million dollar suit during trial for damages caused by fire on its production line.
• Successfully represented architect in a $2 million acceleration and delay claim by subcontractor on a signature design building, resolving the case prior to suite through mediation for a small fraction of the claim.
• Successfully represented architect in allegedly defective construction of a $2 million home by facilitating suit against the home builder and not the architect.
• Successfully represented general contractor against allegations of defective construction of a $3.5 million, 8-story, Florida home, whose construction allowed water and mold to so infiltrate the structure that it was no longer inhabitable. This matter was resolved in pre-suit mediation (that we initiated) involving the owner, the designer, and relevant subcontractors, with general contractor recovering 90% of the loss.
• Successfully represented owner of 10-story, $15 million hotel with defectively installed EFIS panel joints causing the Health Department to close the hotel for almost a year because of moistore and mold contamination.
• Successfully represented structural engineer in a $500,000 claim for defective plans, resulting in a pre-suit mediated settlement for less that 5% of the claimed amount.
• Successfully represented international product manufacturer against a claim that defective electrical equipment had caused fire and more that $1 million of damage and down time in a steel manufacturing facility, settling the suit for less than 5% of the amount claimed.
• Successfully represented international product manufacturer against allegations of defective electrical switch gear causing a major fire in downtown office building, by proving the fire was caused by the installer of the equipment and not by our client, the manufactuer, settling the case for nuisance value.
• Successully represented a burn victim against a national big-box store and others for burn injuries over 70% of her body caused by an explosion of pool chemicals that leaked from their containers during car trip home from the store. This resulted in the "largest, single victim, personal injury settlement in the history of Kentucky or Ohio."
• Successfully represented architect in alleged negligent design and layout of a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant. Case resolved prior to suit for fraction of the amount claimed.
• Successfully represented environmental engineering company in alleged negligent design of a glass manufacturing facility bag house. Case resolved prior to suit through mediation for less that 20% of $2.5 million claim.
• Successfully represented architect in alleged negligent design of 5-story parking structure, resolving the case immediately before trial for a small portion of the $2 million claimed.
• Successfully represented greenhouse designer and builder against $2 million claim alleging negligent design caused five acres of greenhouses to collapse under snow load. Claimant decided not to file suit after being persuaded that our client's design could not have caused the collapse.
• Successfully prosecuted manufacturer of large, industrial sheet metal, automated handling and cutting machine from Finland for defective design and fraud in sale of machine, generating settlement in excess of the million dollar original cost of the machine after five years of use.
• Secured summary judgment for architect in a negligent design of school building claim allegedly allowing pervasive water intrusion and mold contamination.
• Representing building owner in $1.1 million claim against general contractor for defective construction of $3.4 million medical office building.
• Successfully represented debt collector in federal class action suit alleging violation of Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, by obtaining dismissal of all claims on legal grounds.
• Successfully represented national bank in million dollar claim against general contractor for defective construction of a parking garage, by settling in pre-suit mediation.
• Obtained dismissal for civil engineering firm in lawsuit alleging negligent design of an excavation caused settlement of adjacent structures.
  

Named an "Ohio Super Lawyer" in a survey of Ohio lawyers by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines (January 2004-2008)

One of 63 Leading Cincinnati Lawyers named byCincy Business (2005)

AV Rated - Martindale-Hubbell

“Mold, Moisture and Remediation Workshop,” The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygenists (November 2007)

"Establishing Causality: What Constitutes Peer Reviewed and Medically Accepted Standards?" 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Miami Beach, Florida (March 3-7, 2006)

National Business Institute: "The Mold/Construction Challenge in Ohio," (November 2003 and December 2005)

"Solving Construction/Mold Contamination & Water Intrusion Claims," Sterling Education Services, Inc. (November 2004)

"Legal Perspectives of Ohio's Voluntary Action Program," 6th Annual Business & Industry's Environmental Symposium (April 16, 1997)

"How to Avoid the Pitfalls of CERCLA/Superfund," Executive Enterprises, The Environmental Regulation Course (February 1996)

"The Jurisdictional Aspects of Litigation Involving International Clients: Everything You Need to Know About Achieving and Defending Against Jurisdiction, the Hague Convention, Service of Process and Forum Selection Clauses," Speaker at the Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel Mid-Winter Meeting in Scottsdate, Arizona (February 23-28, 1993)

Conducted 1993 in-house seminar for The London Agency convering Ohio law on the recovery of economic damages in product liability.

"Joining Foreign Entities as 3d-Party Defendants," Leader's Products Liability Law and Strategy, Vol. XI, No. (July 1992)

Conducted 1991 in-house seminar for Shelby Insurance Company covering recent developments in Ohio's law.

Frequent speaker at ACGIH Worldwide Mold, Spores & Remediation Workshop: "Construction/Mold Litigation and Risk Management."

Ohio State Bar Association

Cincinnati Bar Association

Kentucky Bar Association

Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel (Vice-Chair, Intellectual Property Practice Section, 1999-present; Participant, Environmental Law and Toxic Tort Practice Section, 1993-present; Participant, Trial Tactics Practice Section, 1991-96)

Defense Research Institute

Children's Dental Care Foundation (President of Board of Trustees)

Cincinnatus Society (Member)

Diversity Committee of Leadership Cincinnati (Member)

Greater Cincinnati Foundation's Future Directors II Human Services Panel