Ohio - Jurisdiction Review | Benchmark Litigation

DiCello Levitt

Firm overview

DiCello Levitt was founded in 2017 as a new kind of law firm—one that starts with a basic philosophy: that everyone at the firm is a vital team member, with voices and talents that add value in any situation. The firm was founded to advance the law at regulatory, legislative, and policy levels, and to serve as a first of its kind law firm providing tireless advocacy with a steadfast commitment to justice for victims of injustice, ranging from institutional investors to individuals, businesses, and public clients in the nation’s largest and most consequential matters. The firm pursues complex litigation and arbitration matters with a vigor and dedication that is unparalleled in the legal industry.

DiCello Levitt combines excellence in commercial litigation, class action litigation, mass tort litigation, catastrophic injury litigation, medical malpractice litigation, environmental justice, and civil rights litigation. Representing institutional investors, individuals, businesses, and public clients, the firm’s attorneys have successfully prosecuted and settled numerous complex cases and class actions, resulting in billions of dollars in recoveries for their clients and other class members.

Co-Founding Partners Mark DiCello and Adam Levitt lead a top-notch team of recognized leaders who share a collective depth of experience and steadfast commitment to justice. Their tireless advocacy on behalf of their clients is well-known, led Mike Bowers, Georgia’s former Attorney General, to characterize a settlement obtained by partners Adam Levitt and Amy Keller on behalf of small business owners against a major credit card processor as a “work of art,” and “one of the best pieces of legal work I have ever observed.” Champs Sports Bar & Grill v. Mercury Payment Systems, LLC, No. 16-cv-00012 (N.D. Ga.).

Today’s Environment: The firm has been in the headlines recently as it remains at the forefront of unearthing “what’s next” in the marketplace and tirelessly pursuing meaningful and lasting change. Many of our cases have involved aggressive corporate governance reforms that have changed the way companies—and even industries—operate.

Venture Partner With Its Clients: DiCello Levitt has recovered more than $16 billion for our clients. The firm delivers results in innovative ways by venturing cases with our clients as venture partners. It aligns our collective interests and enhances our clients’ management of litigation risk.

Based on our successful track record, we have forged a reputation for success in complex litigation and arbitration—most recently being named “Trial Lawyers of the Year” by Public Justice. Because we venture cases with our clients, they can be confident that our interests are aligned with theirs and that we will assess their mission-critical needs as we would for ourselves. In our case analysis and preparation, we focus on the end result—a successful settlement or trial verdict. Our singular focus delivers cohesive and compelling thematic and evidentiary foundations. We don’t use a set playbook; rather, we adapt our broad toolkit to each client’s unique goals and needs. Correspondingly, our flexible billing arrangements demonstrate our commitment to every client’s particular circumstances and allow us to align incentives in joint venture relationships.

The firm’s attorneys have successfully led—and are presently leading—many large class and multidistrict actions, including against industry titans such as Boeing, Zurich, Coca-Cola, ADM, Apple, Intel, Abbott Labs, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Equifax, and representing businesses and investors in arbitrations and litigation in courts across the United States and internationally. In the past five years alone, the firm has been appointed to lead close to twenty multidistrict litigations.

DiCello Levitt is powered by experience, values, and commitment to client service. Our firm is built on the experience of some of the nation’s most prominent and successful plaintiffs’ attorneys, and unified in our collective devotion to justice through winning massive recoveries on behalf of individuals and companies at home and abroad.

Trial-First Focus: DiCello Levitt’s proven ability to try cases further distinguishes the firm from competitors. Through our trial-first approach—including more than 100 focus groups and several major trials since the firm’s inception—the firm crafts practical and effective legal and business solutions for our clients. Our thematic approach drives all strategic decisions to deliver optimal results. The firm’s in-house focus group and mock-jury practice—a unique and primary differentiator from other plaintiffs’ law firms—allows its attorneys to streamline cases by identifying case themes early on, ensuring that discovery is geared toward those themes and the individual elements that the firm will have to prove in any case. This distinctive focus group practice also assists the attorneys in preparing for trial, allowing the firm to capture the jury’s attention on issues that matter as they continuously hone oral and closing arguments, and simulate trials and oral arguments in a courtroom setting. The firm’s in-house operations allow for dramatic cost and resource savings in the cases that the firm’s attorneys handle and ensures that each case the firm takes on is “trial-ready.” These dramatic cost and resource savings benefit the firm’s clients (and, in class cases, the other class members), leaving additional funds to be distributed to them from any recoveries.

If an action advances to trial, Bobby DiCello and Chris Stombaugh, one of the leading trial lawyers in the United States, joins the trial team. Bobby and Chris are invaluable additions with unparalleled trial experience and savviness in working with focus groups to prepare for trial. Powerful storytellers and trial lawyers, Bobby and Chris have secured multiple multi-million-dollar recoveries for victims, across a variety of fields. Other members of the firm’s trial team are consistent thought leaders on applying cognitive neuroscience techniques to trial advocacy, both as trial lawyers and as frequent instructors to other trial lawyers across the country.

Areas of Practice:

Agriculture and Biotechnology
Antitrust and Competition Litigation
Class Action Litigation
Civil and Human Rights Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Environmental Justice
ERISA Litigation
Insurance Litigation
Labor and Employment Litigation
Personal Injury
Pharmaceutical Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
Product Liability
Public Client
Securities and Financial Services
Privacy, Technology, and Cybersecurity
Whistleblower, Qui Tam, and False Claims Act

Updated Aug 2022

Ulmer & Berne

Firm overview

Click here for L&E profile

Ulmer & Berne LLP takes pride in understanding its clients’ businesses from the ground up, and the firm provides comprehensive legal services to an international client base from our locations in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, Columbus, New York, Washington D.C., and Boca Raton. Our attorneys represent dynamic companies of all sizes across a wide spectrum of industries, including publicly traded and privately held companies, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, emerging businesses, and nonprofits. Since the firm’s founding in 1908, Ulmer has had just four managing partners, which speaks to the consistency of our mission — solving our clients’ issues with pragmatic counsel of the highest quality.

Our firm is built on understanding our clients’ legal and business objectives and helping them achieve their goals. We are a leader in the legal industry, providing the competency and breadth of larger firms infused with the client-centric service and efficiency of smaller firms. We work tirelessly to create unique and innovative solutions to address our clients’ ever-changing needs. We are passionate client advocates who deliver practical, effective legal strategies while never losing sight of our clients’ goals. Our objective is to deliver exceptional value and exceed expectations.

Litigation Overview: With more than 100 attorneys dedicated to litigation matters, Ulmer’s Litigation Department is the largest group in the firm. Our significant litigation resources, which are comparable to those of larger firms, are augmented by our efficient staffing practices, flexibility, and unwavering focus on delivering top-tier services. Our unique positioning allows us to direct attorneys with the right mix of substantive expertise to each matter, customizing our service to fit the particular needs of each client. In addition to class actions, complex commercial litigation, mass torts, and regulatory proceedings, Ulmer regularly represents clients in internal investigations, white collar matters, bankruptcies, and ADR proceedings. The firm maintains nationally respected practices in multiple areas, including:

Business Litigation: We recognize the amount of distraction and dislocation that can result from complex business litigation, and we work with our clients to minimize such effects. Ulmer’s business litigators are problem solvers and accomplished trial lawyers adept at successfully handling business disputes of all kinds including complex commercial cases, M&A, shareholder and investor disputes, contract, business torts, cybersecurity and privacy, business ownership, accountant and attorney malpractice, property disputes, insurance coverage, restrictive covenants, and trade secret-related matters.

Construction Litigation: Our construction litigation team starts by understanding our clients’ vision for success and then draws on its significant experience and expertise in the construction industry to turn that vision into a reality. Throughout the country, our attorneys partner with owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and developers to create smart solutions to complex problems, including managing disputes through mediation, arbitration, and litigation. We assist clients with a variety of claims including but not limited to construction defect, delay, and lien claims, and defend against construction site accidents and workers’ compensation claims.

Employment and Labor Litigation: We understand human capital is one of the most valuable resources and biggest expenses for businesses. We provide the full spectrum of employment and labor representation, ranging from strategic counseling to the defense of complex litigation matters. We have substantial experience in: employee discipline and termination; unlawful discrimination; unfair labor practice allegations; extensive internal investigations; affirmative action plan development and implementation; wage and hour issues; employment contracts; FLSA, OSHA, and ERISA compliance and defense; collective bargaining negotiations; immigration challenges; and workers’ compensation claims.

Financial Services and Securities Litigation: Ulmer attorneys have the deep knowledge and broad experience required to guide clients safely through an evolving regulatory and economic landscape. The group represents financial institutions of all sizes nationwide in complex court and arbitration actions and in regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings brought by regulatory agencies including FINRA, the CFTC, the OCC, and the SEC. We routinely litigate claims involving breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, common law and statutory consumer violations, UCC, lending violations, unsuitable investments, and churning and other securities claims.

Intellectual Property Litigation: In the high-stakes world of intellectual property, industry disputes involving business critical technology can threaten the viability of businesses. Ulmer attorneys use their technically diverse backgrounds to provide counsel in complex cases concerning a wide variety of technologies and scientific processes. We provide core IP litigation services to clients in cases involving: patent infringement, ownership, and validity; copyright, trademark, and trade dress infringement; unfair competition and false advertising claims; software and licensing disagreements; and disputes regarding e-commerce and internet domain names, disclosure or theft of trade secrets, and breaches of confidentiality agreements.

Product Liability Defense: Ulmer is a leader in defending class action, multidistrict, and mass tort litigation involving drugs, medical devices, and dietary supplements. Our attorneys have served as lead national defense counsel in high-impact litigation matters involving: antidepressants; contraceptives; testosterone replacement therapy; ADHD, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, oncology, and pain medications; cardiovascular and diabetes management devices; biologic products; weight management products; and performance training supplements. They also counsel pharmaceutical, medical device, and dietary supplement companies on regulatory and risk management matters. The practice is strengthened by its many attorneys who have degrees in various scientific disciplines.

Every day, we put our clients first. We are committed to providing practical, meaningful solutions that make sense for you, and focus on delivering outstanding results.

Updated Aug 2021

Benesch

Firm overview

Using our unique “first-in-service” client-centric model, Benesch’s Litigation Practice Group litigates our clients’ matters to deliver an unmatched experience in terms of results and value. Our approach, along with our clients’ trust in our skills, work ethic, and breadth, has made Benesch a “go to” firm for our clients’ most complex, sophisticated commercial litigation across the categorical spectrum of matters. Over the last year, we delivered victories for our clients in the appellate arena, in the trial courts, in arbitrations and mediations, and in dispositive motions.

Our approach and results have earned our group national accolades for client service. In 2022, Benesch was named a “Recommended Firm” by Benchmark Litigation for the sixth consecutive year and was listed in Chambers USA. Additionally, 2022 U.S. News & World Report/Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” ranked Benesch a first-tier firm for Commercial Litigation in Chicago and Cleveland. Further, individual members of the group have been named State and Local Litigation Stars by Benchmark Litigation and have also been ranked by Chambers USA. For the ninth consecutive year (2014-2022), Benesch has received a national first-tier ranking in Transportation Law by U.S. News & World Report/Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms.” Benesch also received the distinction of being named Transportation Law Firm of the Year by Best Lawyers in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022. Only one law firm per practice area in the U.S. receives this recognition each year, making this award a particularly significant achievement.

At Benesch, experience makes up only half of what we offer to our clients. We take advantage of our industry exposure to also give fully customized service. Our attorneys immerse themselves in their client’s business and take the time to understand their needs. Then, using their industry knowledge and legal skills and a multi-disciplinary team approach, our attorneys develop a customized solution for each client.

Review

Dispute resolution

Benesch

Offering a diverse set of litigation services, the Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff team holds practice area expertise in commercial, product liability, construction & real estate, securities, and unfair competition litigation. Despite the firm’s presence in offices around the country, it is Benesch’s Ohio locations in Cleveland and Columbus that stand out as its most formidable.

From the firm’s Cleveland office, executive chair of litigation and vice chairman of Benesch Joseph Castrodale litigates complex commercial and securities matters on the behalf of corporate clients – including, inter alia, class actions, business torts, product liability matters, contract disputes, and shareholder derivative suits. Also from the Cleveland office, Gregory Phillips is recognized for his complex commercial abilities both at trial and on appeal.

Ciano & Goldwasser

Cleveland litigation boutique Ciano & Goldwasser is a team of four attorneys well versed in handling a variety of health care, general commercial and personal injury matters. A client who hired the firm for a dispute resolution describes the partners as “good big-picture thinkers, clear communicators, diligent workers, [and] results-oriented,” all while operating in a timely manner. Phillip Ciano is name partner at the firm and is highly regarded for his work in sports law, representing player agents in baseball, basketball, football and golf. A new addition to this year’s list is Brent Silverman, who has over 20 years of experience in high stakes business litigation. Ciano and Silverman recently served as lead counsel for a sports agency in a dispute with another agency over a former employee’s use of contacts and business opportunities. Fellow name partner Andrew Goldwasser focuses his practice on complex civil litigation, focused on serious injury and wrongful death claims. In addition, Goldwasser also takes on a number of specialty torts involving a variety of irregular business disputes. Among his recent cases, Goldwasser is leading the team representing the estate of a late painter in a matter determining the rightful ownership of artwork.

DiCello Levitt

In the five short years since its inception in 2017, plaintiff shop DiCello Levitt has for three years in a row been recognized by Benchmark as a Top Plaintiff firm. With offices in New York, Chicago, Birmingham, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C., DiCello Levitt may bear the formal features of a boutique but its team of litigators continues to outpace the competition within its supposed weight class year after year. The firm, staffed by a broad range of area specialists, is recognized for its diverse arsenal of litigation capabilities across numerous practice areas, a unique trait among firms of its size. DiCello Levitt’s practitioners are applauded by clients for their “strong, enthusiastic, and dedicated approach to representation,” and for “going the extra step to present the best solutions possible.” The firm recently made a push in the antitrust area, with the auspicious addition of New York's Greg Asciolla to the firm from plaintiff shop Labaton Sucharow, which made a strategic decision to return to its core areas of securities class actions.

Firm mainstays and founding partners Adam Levitt of Chicago and Cleveland’s Mark DiCello continue to serve at the firm’s helm in pivotal regards. Levitt, a complex commercial and securities specialist, is identified by a client as “exceptionally bright and creative,” the same client also noting that, “He gets along well with people and is committed to the highest ethical standards. His work is first rate.” Levitt’s practice centralizes complex multidistrict commercial matters, public client representation, and class-action representation across industries. DiCello, on the other hand, is recognized for his personal injury and mass tort expertise.

In Chicago, Amy Keller serves as DiCello Levitt’s privacy, technology, and cybersecurity practice chair, her focuses accordingly lying on data security and consumer privacy matters. Notably active in the class actions space, a client recalls that, “She was very patient with me, explaining everything in non-legal language. She was always accessible.” Keller is additionally a central figure in the maintenance of the firm’s foothold in the Midwestern market and is recognized by Benchmark as one of the nation’s Top 250 Women in Litigation.

Faruki PLL

Litigation boutique Faruki has an established presence in the Buckeye state, with two locations in Cincinnati and Dayton. In particular, the firm has a growing reputation for handling complex business litigation as well as contentious matters involving data privacy, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and class actions.
Based in Dayton, Erin Rhinehart is a star practitioner and leads the firm’s media and communications practice. Rhinehart, who is also recognized in Benchmark Litigation’s 40 and Under Hot List, handles a variety of disputes regarding the First Amendment, defamation, intellectual property, in addition to defending a number of companies in class action suits at both the state and federal level. Notable clients of hers include Cox Media Group, Procter & Gamble, and Cargill. D Jeffrey Ireland also operates out of the firm’s Dayton office and has over 40 years of experience litigating complex business disputes in Ohio as well as across the country. Ireland, who serves as managing partner at the firm, worked alongside Rhinehart in defending Procter & Gamble in a consumer class action case as well as another dispute involving breach of contract claims. Highly respected partner Jeffrey Cox has a comprehensive litigation practice that has recently focused on data privacy and intellectual property disputes. Among his recent matters, Cox represented Procter & Gamble in a patent infringement case the company brought against Coca-Cola regarding the chemical composition of its beverage products. In addition, Cox defended British information conglomerate Reed Elsevier in front of the Federal Trade Commission in an investigation involving federal data protection compliance.

Thompson Hine

Full-service law firm Thompson Hine is equipped with a team of litigators who routinely represent clients in some of the most complex product liability and business disputes. With offices in Georgia, Illinois, DC, and New York, along with a significant footprint in Ohio via four distinct locations, Thompson Hine has developed a reputation of obtaining favorable results throughout the region.

Cleveland-based product liability litigator Elizabeth ‘Missy’ Wright is national counsel for a major commercial food equipment manufacturer, a major power tool manufacturer, an aviation component manufacturer, and an automotive manufacturer, and also serves as national lead trial counsel for a pharmaceutical manufacturer in hormone replacement therapy litigation. Timothy Coughlin is a fellow Cleveland partner who chairs the mass & toxic tort group and leads chemical industry group. He is lead counsel to BASF Corporation in a product liability litigation related to a railcar release of a chemical compound toluene diisocyanate, allegedly causing pulmonary issues in a claim brought by a vendor employee. New to the litigation star list is Jennifer Roach who, along with Robert Ware, make up the lead counsel team representing a manufacturing company in a business litigation originally filed back in November 2020 in Delaware.

Dayton-based Christine Haaker serves as the vice-chair of the group for the office. Haaker serves as defense counsel to several high-profile entities in numerous business disputes. Fellow Dayton partner Scott King focuses on representing financial corporations and institutions in a wide range of actions. He most recently represents a private investment company in an ongoing consumer finance dispute that has garnered national attention.

In the group’s DC office, Eric Heyer has emerged as one of that office’s brightest younger stars. Heyer represented Vapor Technology Association, for whom Heyer triumphed in obtaining a temporary restraining order after, in September 2019, New York then-Governor Cuomo directed his Department of Public Health to publish an emergency rule banning the possession and sale of flavored vaping products. The restraining order was granted one day before the ban was due to take effect and was entered in January 2020.

Ulmer & Berne

Ulmer & Berne offers a wide array of litigation services throughout Ohio, with offices in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus. The firm is highly regarded for its team of experienced litigators, especially in thefinancial services industry. Clients have expressed their appreciation for the firm’s expertise in the business and finance field; one describes the team as “extremely knowledgeable” and another highlights the firm for its “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. Recently, he has led a high-stakes commercial arbitration, defended a whistleblower action in Arizona federal court, and represented several trustees in various commercial actions. In one such case, he leads the team alongside Frances Floriano Goins, who serves as co-leader of the firm’s financial services and securities group, as well as the dedicated cybersecurity and privacy group.In recent litigation, she successfully defended thetrustee of certain revenue bonds, Huntington National Bank, in a declaratory judgment action, in which the plaintiffs sought judgment regarding the rights of the client and bondholders versus the rights of the plaintiff to manage and operate a parking garage now owned by the issuer of the bonds. Floriano Goins obtained a judgment on the pleadings which dismissed the case. Amanda Martinsek serves clients in the private and public sector. She has previously represented school districts, as well as counties, in litigation. She has recently been engaged in representing county commissioners in financial disputes. Cincinnati-based partner Jeffrey Peck is a product liability specialist recently involved in matters related to the high-profile opioid litigation.

Labor and employment

Ulmer & Berne

While Ulmer & Berne is especially known for its business and commercial litigation, the firm maintains an exceptional labor and employment practice that is seasoned in complex disputes. The practice is especially wellsuited to handling disputes that encompass elements of business, commercial and employment litigation.The Cleveland office houses the firm’s largest concentration of employment lawyers. William Edwards leads the group and dedicates his practice to representing clients in employment litigation from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission through federal courts. Jeffrey Dunlap is the group’s go-to for employment-related Financial Industry Regulatory Authority arbitrations, as well as American Arbitration Association (AAA), including one alleging Title VII discrimination, hostile work environment, defamation, and Family and Medical Leave Act interference. He also recently represented a client in a whistleblower matter on appeal before the Department of Labor Office of Administrative Law in New Jersey. Stephanie Harley maintains a practice entirely dedicated to labor and employment, with experience in handling allegations of wrongful termination, discrimination, and sexual harassment for clients operating in a variety of industries.