Education

• John Carroll University

  (B.A., magna cum laude, 1986)

• The Ohio State University School of Public Policy and Management

  (M.A., Public Administration with Specialty in Law, 1988)

• The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

  (J.D., 1989)

Admissions

• State of Ohio
• State of New York
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth 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, Southern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

• Currently acting as national defense counsel for generic pharmaceutical manufacturers in personal injury litigation throughout the United States.
• Acted as national defense counsel for a dietary supplement manufacturer and dietary supplement retailer in litigation throughout the United States.
• Previously served as court-appointed Defendants’ Liaison Counsel and as a member of Defendants’ Coordinating Counsel in the Ephedra MDL in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
• Previously served as court-appointed Indemnitees’ Liaison Counsel in global mediation of more than 100 ephedra-personal injury cases in ephedra products manufacturer’s bankruptcy proceedings before U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.
• Currently serves as a court-appointed member of 505(b)(2) Defendants’ Settlement Committee in the Taxotere (Docetaxel) MDL in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
• Previously served as court-appointed Defendants’ Liaison Counsel in the Reglan/Metoclopramide MDL in the Superior Court of San Francisco County, California.
• Coordinated and led defense mediation negotiations in multiple global mass tort mediations involving settlements of hundreds of personal injury cases.
• Developed and coordinated efforts to transfer hundreds of personal injury and wrongful death tort actions in numerous states and federal courts to one consolidated federal court following the bankruptcy of a product manufacturer.
• Served as outside counsel for a manufactured housing trade organization, retailers, and community operators in federal and state zoning and federal preemption litigation, consumer complaint and commercial litigation, and taxation appeals.
• Extensive experience drafting and negotiating legislation and testifying before the Ohio General Assembly.
• Prior regional counsel for multistate home improvement company in litigation involving sex discrimination, race discrimination, federal and state consumer finance statutes, unfair competition issues, covenant-not-to-compete, and customer complaint matters.

Publications

• “Lessons from Ephedra: The Twinlab ADR Model,”  DRI ADR Choices Newsletter (April 2009)

Presentations

Manufactured Housing Seminars 

• “Best Practices for People Coming and Going from [Manufactured Home] Communities” (October 2007)
• “Best Practices in Handling Abandoned Manufactured Homes and Common Challenges When Handling Land Home Deals” (March 2007)
• “Modular Home Taxation in Ohio” (September 2006)
• “The Ten Most Common Mistakes Community Operators Make…and How to Avoid Them” (September 2006)
• “OMHA Best Legal Practices Seminar” (March 2006)
• “The New World of Manufactured Home Installation” (November 2005)
• “2005 Update on Legal Developments in the Manufactured Housing Industry” (September 2005)
• “2004 Update on Legal Developments in the Manufactured Housing Industry” (September 2004)
• “Overcoming the Fear Factor in Running Your Community” (October 2003)
• “OMHA Community Operator Seminar” (May 2003)
• “Abandoned Manufactured Homes Legislations” (March 2003)
• “Top Ten Legal Do’s and Don’ts for Retailers” (October 2002)

Council on Education in Management 

• “FMLA Update 2003,” Moderator (December 2003)
• “How to Conduct a Public Sector Workplace Investigation,” Moderator (June 2003)
• “Untangling the FMLA, ADA and Workers’ Comp Overlap in Ohio,” Moderator (April 2003)
• “Managing Employee Discipline, Discharge and Documentation in Ohio,” Moderator (January 2003)
• “FMLA Update 2002 and Best Practice in FMLA Administration,” Moderator (June 2002)
• “Ohio State and Federal Leave Law Update 2002,” Moderator (May 2002)
• “FMLA Update 2001,” Moderator (September 2001)
• “ADA Workshop: Mastering the Challenges of the ADA Overlap” (November 2000; September 2001)
• “ADA Update 2000, Recent Developments: How the Latest Supreme Court, State and Federal Court Decisions Impact Your Policies and Procedures” (November 2000)
• “Public Sector Workplace Harassment Mock Trial” (September 2000)
• “How to Investigate and Remedy a Sexual Harassment or Discrimination Complaint” (June 2000)
• “Successfully Using Modified Duty, Return-To-Work and Reasonable Accommodations Without Running Afoul of The ADA, FMLA, or Workers’ Compensation Laws” (May 2000)
• Frequent speaker at seminars for human resources professionals regarding employment law issues.
• Frequent speaker to government and trade organizations regarding legislative matters and trade organization issues.

Other

• “Winning Without Fighting:  Not All Disputes Are Created Equal,” PriceWaterhouseCoopers General Counsel Forum (August 2007)
•  “Ortho-Evra Litigation Update, Defense Perspectives,” Mealey’s Teleconference (July 2007)

• American Bar Association
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Columbus Bar Association (ADR Committee)
• Defense Research Institute (ADR Committee & Drug and Medical Device Committee)
• Mealey’s Pharmaceutical Defense Advisory Council member (2007)

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program (Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem)
• Kitsmiller’s Crossing Homeowners Association (President)
• Metro Music Theatre (Former Board Member)

• Partner-in-Charge, Columbus Office
• Management Committee
• General Counsel Committee

HONORS

• Named to The Best Lawyers in America^®, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2022-2023)
• BV Distinguished® Peer Review Rated – Martindale-Hubbell®
• Outstanding Leadership Award, Ohio Manufactured Homes Association (November 2000)

Rex volunteers for a church organization providing services to individuals with learning disabilities.

Rex is an avid Abraham Lincoln buff. He has collected close to two hundred books regarding Lincoln and amazingly has read most of them. Rex also collects various Lincoln memorabilia, from the silly (Lincoln bobble-heads) to more serious (paintings and rare books).

• Ulmer Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© 2023 Report
• Ulmer Partner Rex A. Littrell Named Columbus Partner-in-Charge
• Ulmer Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© 2022 Report