Ulmer & Berne is one of Ohio’s powerhouse boutiques, spanning the state with a network of offices in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus. The firm is highly regarded for its expertise in the financial services industry. Clients have expressed their appreciation for the firm’s deep focus, describing the team as “extremely knowledgeable.” In addition to business disputes, the firm is equipped with litigators well established in employment-related litigation, as clients note them for being “excellent counsel on restrictive covenants and business litigation.”
A member of the elite list of Top 100 Trial Lawyers and chair of the firm’s litigation group,
Michael Ungar is one of the backbones of the firm’s business litigation practice. He is an all-purpose business and commercial trial lawyer, well known for representing financial institutions, among others. He is lead partner in a shareholder arbitration alleging breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Cleveland’s
Frances Floriano Goins serves as co-leader of the firm’s financial services and securities group, as well as the dedicated cybersecurity and privacy group. She continues to defend the Trustee of certain revenue bonds, Huntington National Bank, in a dispute related to the operation and ownership of a parking garage whose revenues contributed to servicing the bonds. The plaintiffs asserted 22-counts in their First Amended Complaint, naming eight Defendents, and seeking roughly $8 million in damages, fees, and expenses. The plaintiffs have also sought declaratory judgment on the rights of the Trustee, which Floriano Goins prevailed against on a successful motion for judgment on the pleadings in February 2022.
Amanda Martinsek serves clients in the private and public sector. She has previously represented school districts, as well as counties, in litigation. She was brought in to represent county commissioners in a dispute with a city’s Board of Education after the County imposed tax increment financing for districts. Cincinnati-based partner
Jeffrey Peck is a product liability specialist recently involved in matters related to the high-profile opioid litigation. He serves as lead national counsel on numerous cases, including state and federal multidistrict litigations. Peck is handling the pleadings, motion practice, and written and deposition discovery Elevated to the status of Litigation Star this year,
Patrick “PJ” Cosgrove serves as the firm’s product liability practice group leader. He serves as lead national counsel to a large pharmaceutical company in the multidistrict litigation styled In Re Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability Litigation. Vice-chair of the litigation section, Jeffrey Dunlap
is the group’s go-to for employment-related Financial Industry Regulatory Authority arbitrations, as well as disputes before the American Arbitration Association (AAA). He defended one of the largest banks against a whistleblower retaliation claim filed under the Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank acts. After a successful OSHA investigation that the plaintiff appealed, the case was tried before the Department of Labor, which denied all claims and dismissed the case.
