Chad D. Cooper
Partner
With nearly 25 years’ experience in litigation and appeals, Chad has significant first-chair jury and bench trial experience in the areas of business torts, commercial litigation, financial services litigation, real estate litigation, trust and fiduciary litigation, and intellectual property litigation. He also has substantial experience handling class action litigation. Over the course of his career, Chad has represented a variety of manufacturers, banks and financial services companies, real estate firms, small businesses, trustees and fiduciaries, insurance companies, medical providers, local governments, and service companies.
Successfully handling many disputes through arbitration, mediation, and interest-based negotiation, Chad also encourages the use of non-litigated dispute resolution when it may be effective. He has a substantial record in appellate courts, and once extensively mediated a case while it was still pending in the Court of Appeals, ultimately securing the practical result desired by the client.
Education & Admissions
Education
- Wheaton College
(B.A., 1992)
- University of Notre Dame Law School
(J.D., 1996)
Admissions
- State of Ohio
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- 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, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Experience
Chad has extensive experience as a first-chair trial lawyer in a wide range of complex civil litigation matters. His experience includes:
- As lead counsel, prevailed at trial defending an industrial company in a commercial land dispute against allegations of fraud.
- Successfully prosecuted an action on behalf of a major national bank to recover funds that were lost as the result of a massive commercial lease fraud scheme.
- Successfully prosecuted a trustee action on behalf of beneficiaries wrongfully deprived of proper distributions of trust assets.
- Successfully prosecuted tortious interference and coercion case on behalf of private equity partners against members of portfolio company.
- Advised trustee of complex trust on compliance with fiduciary responsibilities and avoidance of conflicts of interest.
- As lead counsel, successfully prosecuted action on behalf of former members of manufacturing company in business divorce and defended fraud and business tort counterclaims.
- Prosecuted action on behalf of horse racing association against racetrack for breach of trust and statutory violations to a successful resolution.
- Successfully prosecuted trade secrets case on behalf of major national bank against former employees.
- As lead counsel, favorably resolved a case on behalf of a manufacturer alleging a fraudulent scheme by a transportation broker to escalate rates for transportation services.
- As lead counsel, successfully tried a case defending a motor vehicle dealer against alleged violations of consumer sales protections.
- As lead counsel, on behalf of a major national bank, successfully defeated real property development efforts that would have negatively impacted the bank’s ability to peaceably use its own building.
- Represented a large national bank in multiple class action suits. In those suits, consumers alleged violations of the bank’s statutory obligations to them. One matter for the bank required an appeal to the Supreme Court of Ohio, in which the bank prevailed. The Court’s decision terminated that suit in favor of the bank before class certification proceedings were necessary.
- Represented a pair of securitized lending trusts in class action litigation arising from an alleged fraudulent education lending schedule. The alleged scheme implicated a network of vocational schools, the lenders that facilitated the operations of the schools, and a commercial enterprise related to the schools. The matter ultimately resolved on favorable terms, requiring no out-of-pocket payment by the client.
- Defended real estate developers against business tort claims.
- Successfully mediated a trademark dispute in a case involving the breakup of a joint venture.
Involvement
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- American Bar Association
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- William K. Thomas Inn of Court
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- St. Hubert’s Episcopal Church, Kirtland Hills (Vestry Member)
- Notre Dame Club of Cleveland