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At a Glance
An experienced trial lawyer, Jeff represents clients in a wide range of commercial and employment disputes. Clients benefit from his experience in complex business and securities litigation, employment discrimination cases and unfair competition matters. In addition to handling matters in trial and appellate courts, Jeff has extensive experience in arbitration and mediation. A frequent speaker on a number of legal topics, Jeff also drafts employment contracts and counsels clients regarding employment policies and procedures.
Education
Cornell University (B.S., with distinction, 1986)

Harvard Law School (J.D., 1989)
Practices/Industries
Areas of Concentration
  • Business Litigation
  • Complex Litigation
  • Employment Law
  • Non-Competition/Trade Secrets Litigation
  • Securities/Broker-Dealer Defense
Representative Experience
  • Representation of national broker-dealers in non-solicitation, trade secrets and employee raiding litigation.
  • Representation of major national companies in non-competition/non-solicitation, trade secrets and employee raiding litigation.
  • Representation of a national insurance company in employment discrimination and wrongful termination litigation.
  • Representation of a national publisher of classified advertising in employment discrimination, wrongful termination and unfair competition litigation.
  • Counseling of numerous clients with respect to employment agreements, employment policies, termination decisions and compliance with federal and state discrimination laws.
Reported Cases

Century Business Services, et al. v. Thomas L. Barton, et al., 2011-Ohio-5917 (8th Dist. 2011) (affirming judgments rendered by the court and the jury in restrictive covenant case)

Century Business Services v. Bryant, No. 1:01-CV-02166, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30899, March 31, 2010 (breach of contract, Lanham Act)

Sollitt. v. KeyCorp, No. 1:09-CV-43, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 74217, August 21, 2009 (public policy tort claim)

Schemmer v. Chartone, Inc., No. 1:05CV2923, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35020, April 29, 2008

Dobbins v. NASD, No. 5:06CV2968, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, 2007 U. S. Dist. LEXIS 61767, August 22, 2007

Hilliard v. Saul, No. 3:06-0454, United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division, 2007 U. S. Dist. LEXIS 12456, February 2, 2007

Kaz Co. v. Esselte Corp., No. 5:05CV814, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28299, November 17, 2005

Sullivan v. Kodsi, No. 1-04-1508, Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, Fourth Division, 359 Ill. App. 3d 1005; 836 N.E. 2d 125; 2005 Ill. App. LEXIS 901; 296 Ill. Dec. 710, September 8, 2005

Century Business Services v. William Urban, 179 Ohio App. 3d 111, 2008-Ohio-5744 (8th Dist. 2008) (enforceability of restrictive covenants)

Margulies v. Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, 2007-Ohio-1601 (class certification)

Rucker v. Everen Securities, Inc., 102 Ohio St.3d 1247, 2004-Ohio-3719 (promissory estoppel)

Rucker v. Everen Securities, Inc., 2003-Ohio-1166 (promissory estoppel)

Century Business Services v. Moore, No. 82378, Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth Appellate District, Cuyahoga County, 2003-Ohio-3809; 2003 Ohio App. Lexis 3438, July 17, 2003

Century Business Services v. Bryant, No. 01-4142, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 69 Fed. Appx. 306; 2003 U.S. App. Lexis 13877, July 8, 2003

Margulies v. Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, No. 81737, Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth Appellate District, Cuyahoga County, 2003 Ohio 1959; 2003 Ohio App. Lexis 1870, April 17, 2003

Century Business Services v. Bryant, No. 80508, Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth Appellate District, Cuyahoga County, 2002 Ohio 2967; Ohio App. Lexis 2932, June 13, 2002

Mortgage Information Services v. Kitchens, No. 3:01-CV-106-V, United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Charlotte Division, 210 F.R.D. 562; 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20358; 52 Fed. R. Serv. 3d, May 15, 2002

Ormond v. City of Solon, No. 79223, Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth Appellate District, Cuyahoga County, 2001 Ohio App. Lexis 4654, October 18, 2001

George v. Realty One Property Management, No. 78929, Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth Appellate District, Cuyahoga County, 2001 Ohio App. Lexis 3960, September 6, 2001

Mundell v. Landstyles, No. 78829, Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth Appellate District, Cuyahoga County, 2001 Ohio App. Lexis 3961, September 6, 2001

Ormond v. Rollinbrook Estates Homeowners Association, Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth Appellate District, Cuyahoga County, 2000 Ohio App. Lexis 5731, December  7, 2001

Kassouf v. White, No. 75446, Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth Appellate District, Cuyahoga County, 2000 Ohio App. Lexis 751, March 2, 2000

Fleet Business Credit Corporation v. National City Leasing Corporation, No. 99 C 5501, United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, 191 F.R.D. 568; 1999 U.S. Dist. Lexis 19849, December 20, 1999

Richardson Electronics. v. Arius, Inc., No. 95-525, Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District, 674 So. 2d 143; 1996 Fla. App. LEXIS 4990, April 30, 1996

Metz v. Independent Trust Corporation, 994 F.2d 395 (7th Cir. 1993) (breach of trust agreement)

McNamee v. Federated Equipment & Supply Company, 286 Ill. App.3d 806 (1st Dist. 1997) (contribution claim in product liability action)

Honors/Distinctions

Named to The Best Lawyers in America®, Labor and Employment Law, Woodward/White (2010-2012)

Named an "Ohio Super Lawyer" in a survey of Ohio lawyers by Law & Politics  magazine (2007-2012)

Recognized as one of the top 100 lawyers in the State of Ohio in connection with “Ohio Super Lawyers” (2011)

Publications/Presentations

Publications
"How to Select a Business Litigator," Columbus CEO Magazine (August 2004)

"Reference Checks and the Law," Council on Education and Management Newsletter (April 2004)

Employment Discrimination Law, Contributor (1998, 2001)

"Employment Practices Liability Insurance: You Better Shop Around," The Employment Law Strategist (April 1999)

Presentations
“What Should the Boss Know About You?” The Sound of Ideas Cleveland Public Radio [WCPN / WVIZ / Ideastream] (November 2011)

“Reductions in Force: Age, WARN Act and Other Considerations,” OSBA Midwest Labor and Employment Seminar (October 2011)

“Career Panel: A Career In The Law,” Hudson Community First and The Burton D. Morgan Foundation (January 2011)

"Resolving Non-Competition Cases Before a Breach, With Views from the Bench" Ohio State Bar Association’s 47th Annual Midwest Labor and Employment Law Seminar (Fall 2010)

“Controlling the Costs of Arbitration and Effective Presentation at Arbitration,” Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (November 2008)

“Employment Contracts: Drafting Critical Provisions, Including Executive Compensation, Noncompete and Proprietary Information Provisions,” 45th Annual Midwest Labor and Employment Law Seminar, (October 2008)

"Employment Agreement Basics and Restrictive Covenants,"  OSBA Midwest Labor and Employment Seminar (October 2008)

"FINRA:  A New Era of Securities Arbitration and Litigation," KeyCorp Law Group Attorneys Meeting (October 2007)

“The Top Ten Legal Developments Affecting HR in the Past Year and What to Watch in 2008,” HRACO Fall Legal Update (September 2007)

“Orientation Essentials” (October 2006)

"Non-Competes: Do They Work?" Rockwell Automation (August 2006)

"FMLA: Intermittent Leaves and Reduced Leave Schedules" (July 2006)

"Winning Trade Secret Cases," PriceWaterhouseCoopers General Counsel  Forum (August 2005)

"What to Do When Employees Leave for a Competitor: Protecting Valuable Business Interests," Council on Education in Management (August 2005)

"The Family and Medical Leave Act: The Basics and Beyond" (July 2005)

"Non-Compete Agreements: Do They Work?" (October 2004)

"Hiring and Firing Guidelines" (June 2004)

"Saying Goodbye & Meaning It - How to Terminate Employees the Right Way" (February 2003)

"Injunctive Relief in Unfair Competition Matters" (December 2002)

"Cross-Examining the Plaintiff's Economic Expert" (May 2002)

"New Developments in State and Federal Employment Law: Business Immigration Issues, HIPAA, OFCCP, NLRB, and More" (March 2002)

"When All Else Fails - Anatomy of a Court Action" (December 2001)

"Employment Agreements" (May 2001)

"What to Do When the Friday Afternoon Call Comes in From the Client Who Wants You to Seek an Injunction Against a Departing Employee First Thing Monday Morning: DON'T PANIC ... PREPARE" (April 2001)

"How to Avoid Discrimination Charges Based on the Latest Title VII Decisions" (Summer 2000)

"Handling Non-Competes in the Insurance Industry" (Spring 2000)

"Safeguarding Your Company's Trade Secrets" (Spring 2000)

"Workplace Violence: Training Managers; Minimizing Supervisor Liability when Implementing Terminations" (Winter 2000)

"Litigating Employee Restrictive Covenants Under Ohio Law" (Spring 1999)

"Protecting the (Trade) Secrets to Your Success" (Winter 1998)

"Raiding or Recruiting; Protecting or Defending: Finding the Balance in Employee Recruiting, Customer Solicitation and Trade Secret Management" (Spring 1996)

"Pirates, Prisoners, and Spies -- Covenants Not To Compete and Trade Secrets" (Fall 1994)

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)

Ohio State Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

American Inns of Court (William K. Thomas Chapter) (Master of the Bench, President 2010-2011)

8th District Judicial Conference (Life Member)

The Lawyers Guild

Community Involvement
Country Club of Hudson (Member, Board of Trustees 2005-2011, President 2009-2010)

American Cancer Society - Cuyahoga Area (Member, Board of Trustees 2005-2008)
Admissions
State of Ohio

State of Illinois

U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. District Court, District of Arizona