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Kevin E. Griffith practices primarily in the areas of business competition litigation and employment litigation. He has extensive litigation experience in cases involving corporate raiding and interference with contract claims, and enforcing and defending employment contracts, trade secrets and covenants-not-to-compete. He has defended hundreds of employment discrimination and wrongful termination cases, including several seminal cases before the Ohio Supreme Court. In addition, Kevin counsel...
Brigid E. Heid regularly advises her clients on matters involving employment and how to cost effectively solve problems that arise. Her practice focuses on the protection of intellectual property and trade secrets from unfair competition, often by utilizing restrictive covenants (including agreements like noncompetition, non-disclosure/confidentiality, non-solicitation and work-for-hire). Resolving employment disputes encompasses matters faced by businesses such as employee discipline, discri...
David DeVillers is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Compliance Law and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. David, who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jennifer McDaniel represents employers in workers’ compensation matters. Jennifer has extensive experience handling every aspect of a workers’ compensation claim. She advises clients on how to improve their safety and risk management programs to help avoid workers’ compensation claims. When litigation is unavoidable, Jennifer works closely with clients and their Third Party Administrators to develop the right defense strategy that is best for the client and helps to reduce t...
James E. Arnold is recognized as one of Ohio's top trial lawyers. He was recognized by Best Lawyers as Central Ohio's "Securities Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2012, as the "Bet-The-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2013, 2016, 2021, 2024 and 2026, and as the "Intellectual Property Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2014. Since 2001 he has consistently been recognized by Best Lawyers in multiple fields, including bet-the-company, personal injury (plaintiffs and defense), commercial...
Bill Nolan serves as managing partner of the firm’s Ohio office, which he opened in 2009. Bill works to bring attentiveness and clarity to bear on employment, contract and other disputes, but is most passionate about helping clients build teams, policies and processes to minimize the frequency, cost and severity of disputes. Bill's litigation and trial work includes covenant not to compete and trade secret cases in many states. He regularly represents employers in discrimination and dis...
Greg Foliano has been defending professionals for his entire career. He has represented physicians, nurses, hospitals, lawyers and nursing homes throughout Ohio. Greg's career began in 1990 with a law firm dedicated exclusively to the defense of professional malpractice lawsuits. He tried his first case to verdict within months after receiving his law license and had his first solo case tried to verdict within a year of practice. Since that time, Greg has continued to try lawsuits throughout ...
Ms. McKinlay received her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the Capital University Law School, Columbus, Ohio, in 1996. While in law school, Ms. McKinlay was a Member of Order of the Curia and the Capital University Law School Law Review, and finished in the top ten percent of her graduating class. She also served as a judicial extern in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations. Ms. McKinlay was admitted to the practice of law in the State of Ohio in 1996 an...
David J. Butler is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. David J., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2014. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Caryn A. Boyer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Health Care Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Caryn A., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Caryn A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Lawyers {{Geolocation}}
Marc J. Kessler is an experienced trial lawyer who is widely regarded as one of the nation’s preeminent business litigators. He has extensive experience with large scale, “bet-the-company” matters and is widely recognized for his ability to handle the most complex and critical litigation issues . Marc’s expertise includes complex commercial transactions, procurement, healthcare, trade secrets and non-competition, product liability, business torts, real estate, intellec...
Eric B. Kjellander is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law. Eric B., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Eric B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Alex Brown is a member of Dickinson Wright in Columbus, Ohio. He practices business transactional law, with an emphasis on advising privately-held and venture-capital backed companies in capital raising, mergers & acquisitions, and transactions involving technology, software, outsourcing, electronic commerce and intellectual property. He serves as outside counsel to a number of companies, from startup software businesses to national healthcare technology companies. Other areas of his prac...
Angela Kirk joined Kaman & Cusimano LLC in 2025 as Director of Assessment Recovery. She brings substantial experience in foreclosure litigation, having represented financial institutions in Columbus, Ohio and throughout the state in both litigated and non-litigated foreclosure matters. Her work has involved all stages of the foreclosure process, with a focus on compliance, risk management, and efficient resolution of mortgage-related disputes. Angela’s recognized practice areas incl...
Bryan is an experienced trial attorney and shareholder in Roetzel's Litigation Practice Group. He focuses his practice on complex, commercial litigation, business disputes, construction disputes, and probate litigation. He has extensive experience counseling and representing individual and corporate clients in business, partnership, and shareholder disputes and severance; negotiations; breaches of contract; breach of fiduciary duties; fraud; statutory and regulatory compliance; restrictive co...
Jack Butler is a Partner at Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP, and he concentrates on business matters and tax law. He focuses on company representation (corporate, LLC, and joint venture), including establishment, venture structuring, business relationship agreements, governance, and ongoing services; M&A transactions; debt and equity financings; captive insurance companies; business advisory; transaction planning and structuring; syndications; business succession planning; tax planning; ...
Joseph M. Patchen is a Partner at Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP, representing businesses, financial institutions, owners, and professionals in business and real estate matters. His business law practice emphasizes corporation and limited liability company formation, mergers, and succession planning. His commercial real estate representation focuses on finance, construction, leasing, and acquisition. Joe joined CPM in June 1987. He serves as Chair of CPM’s Real Estate Practice Group.
An experienced and accomplished legal advocate, Benjamin L. Luftman is a founding partner at Luftman, Heck & Associates and has practiced law for thirteen years. His sole practice areas are in criminal law and traffic violations , having represented clients in cases ranging from serious felony charges , such as sexual battery and assault charges , to minor drug possession charges and other misdemeanors, with a particular concentration in the area of Ohio OVI law . In every case he takes o...
Samuel Lillard is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Samuel, who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Samuel is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Bob Robenalt is a partner in the firm's Columbus office. He represents management in a variety of labor and employment issues, including workers' compensation, employment litigation and traditional labor matters. Bob has defended numerous wrongful discharge, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), workers' compensation and employment discrimination actions in state and federal courts, and has argued in defense of employment actions before the 4th and 6th Circuit Federal Courts. He ha...
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