Find Lawyers in Cincinnati, Ohio for Commercial Litigation
Practice Area Overview
Litigation increasingly occurs in various venues, from state and federal courts to private arbitrations and administrative hearings. Proceedings can involve business-to-business disputes or any number of government agencies. Understanding the motivations and outlook of each of the litigation participants is important for determining weak points to exploit and strong points that will persuade the audience in question. During the past decade, commercial litigators have seen a dramatic uptick in multidistrict and inter-disciplinary litigation, making the stakes higher, the cases more complex, the parties more numerous and the discovery more complicated and unwieldy. Firms that are able to develop and implement a creative legal approach to each individual problem, efficiently focus on the key legal and factual issues, and master and manage the various aspects of these complex matters will be the busiest in the years to come.
In the current challenging economic climate, commercial litigators are under increasing client pressure to keep costs in check, which has both sides testing the efficacy of alternative fee arrangements and the scope of reasonable discovery. Whether the “death of the billable hour” is ultimately realized, the keys to a commercial litigator’s success will continue to be strong client relationships, thought leadership, practical management skills, deep experience, and personal commitment.
Jim Burke helps clients develop sound litigation strategies and execute on those strategies successfully to resolve corporate disputes. Jim’s practice focuses on complex corporate and commercial litigation, including both trial and appellate practice, in state and federal court. He has handled cases before courts in Ohio, Kentucky, California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Colorado and Delaware. He has significant experience in financial and transactional cases, c...
Joe Callow leads litigation matters on a national, regional, and local basis. Joe works primarily on complex litigation. He has experience in class actions/collective actions and multi-district litigation, as well as environmental, securities, IP, antitrust, and commercial litigation. Joe currently represents several state Attorneys General in complex litigation. Joe was one of the lead litigation counsel for the State of Ohio in its litigation against opioid distributors that resulted in an ...
Steve Coffaro is a business lawyer who focuses his practice on commercial litigation matters, including corporate, intellectual property, environmental, employment and real estate related disputes. He represents both public and private companies and individuals and has actively represented clients in litigation matters pending in state and federal courts. He is licensed to practice in the state and federal courts in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Steve has particularized expertise related to the...
Rich Creighton is an AV rated trial attorney. His current practice is concentrated in general civil litigation, with particular emphasis on complex commercial, antitrust and tort litigation, including class actions. Over the past 20 years, he has served as lead plaintiffs class counsel in several class action cases, including antitrust price-fixing, fraud and consumer rights actions. In the business law arena, he has successfully represented a wide variety of clients in business tort, contrac...
Brad’s corporate, business law and mergers and acquisitions practice encompasses every stage in the life cycle of a business. Brad frequently works with clients on matters involving formation, organizational structure, owner/shareholder relationships, employment contracts, customer/supplier contracts, business succession, and related issues. Some of these issues carry through the life of a business, and Brad will assist in addressing those matters as the business grows. This includes gr...
For more than 25 years, Dan Izenson has been providing business and real estate clients superior litigation services, helping to solve their problems, maximize their recovery, and protect their assets. Dan has broad experience in all aspects of civil litigation, with a concentration in complex commercial disputes, shareholder/member derivative actions, and real estate/construction litigation. He has prosecuted and defended clients in nationwide litigation, including class action lawsuits. Dan...
JULIA B. MEISTER is a partner in Taft's Litigation, Health & Life Sciences, and Private Client practice groups and heads the firm's Cincinnati Estates, Trusts and Fiduciary Litigation practice. She counsels clients and represents them in business, commercial, estate, guardianship, trust, and fiduciary matters and professional ethics and discipline matters before courts, administrative tribunals, and arbitrators. Julia advises clients on a variety of health care issues, including privacy, ...
Jill O’Shea specializes in employment law and complex litigation. Jill was previously employed as Associate General Counsel with Duke Energy Corporation and its predecessor company, Cinergy Corporation. While there, she served as the Head of the Employment/HR/Labor Group from 2003 to 2006. Her areas of practice included employment litigation, preventative law work, advisory work on employment issues, policies and procedures, labor work, and training presentations. In addition, from 1999...
John practices in all areas of litigation with particular emphasis on criminal, white collar and DUI/OVI (“drunk driving”) defense; and civil litigation involving municipal law, business law, and serious personal injury and wrongful death claims in both State and Federal Court. John was named to the Super Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers in Ohio for 2013. 2017 and 2018 and the Top 50 Lawyers in Cincinnati for 2012 through 2018. He is The Best Lawyers in America 2015 Cincinnati Criminal Def...
Katz Teller litigator Peter O’Shea grew up in Greater Cincinnati, and when it came time to pick a college, a law school, a judicial clerkship and a law firm, he didn’t travel far. While those local ties may be helpful at any firm, they are especially important at a firm as connected to Greater Cincinnati as Katz Teller. Although Peter has been educated and employed locally, no one would accuse him of being provincial. Between graduating from Thomas More College and starting law sc...
Step into Bob Pitcairn’s office, and you will be greeted by classical music, an uncluttered desk, and a sense of calm not normally associated with litigation (or a litigator’s office). But make no mistake, the business litigation Bob performs with surgical precision often has the highest stakes for his corporate and individual clients. Just as a surgeon would, Bob operates in these cases with a studied approach, a deliberate pace, a steady hand, and no fear of getting a little blo...
Bill Posey’s practice involves all aspects of litigation with particular emphasis in representing both plaintiffs and defendants in personal injury and product liability litigation; insurance coverage; complex and multi-district litigation; and, being a pilot, aviation law, including aircraft accident litigation. He has been admitted pro hac vice to serve as lead trial counsel on behalf of clients in sophisticated litigation in more than thirty jurisdictions. He has lectured on topics r...
Don Rafferty combines his experience in the areas of business restructuring, commercial finance, corporate law, and litigation to provide legal and strategic advice to the firm’s business clients on a wide range of issues. Don frequently counsels clients who either are experiencing financial stress or are dealing with distressed companies. He has advised on sales, acquisitions, and restructurings for numerous middle-market companies. Don has significant experience in transactions, dispu...
Kim, a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rated attorney, is one of the founding Partners of the insurance subrogation firm of Rathbone Group, LLC. Recognized as a National Women in Law Honoree, a Super Lawyer Rising Star for 4 years, as an Inside Business One to Watch, and as one of the Top 25 under 35 in Cleveland, she has focused on insurance subrogation throughout her entire legal career. Kim was elected Managing Partner in 2019. Her responsibilities include supporting the firm’s clie...
Matt Rich has always been most comfortable in a courtroom, and nothing has changed since his mock trials have become actual trials. What has changed is that, in employment law, Matt has discovered a practice area that strives to avoid disputes before they arise. In fact, some of his favorite days in the office are spent on the telephone talking with employers in the Greater Cincinnati area, advising them on important hiring, firing, discipline and personnel policy matters and educating them o...
As a member of the firm’s litigation group, Alex Rodger’s practice focuses on a wide range of complex commercial and business litigation including class action defense. He has extensive trial experience, having tried jury and bench trials involving a variety of legal issues. Alex has been recognized for his advocacy by Super Lawyers and the Ohio State Bar Association. In 2015, Alex was one of two lawyers in the state of Ohio to receive the prestigious Rising Litigator Award presen...
Rachael Rowe is a member of KMK's Litigation and Labor & Employment Practice Groups. She served as Co-Practice Group Leader for Litigation from 2010 to April 2012, when she was named as the firm's Executive Partner. Rachael focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation and mass tort settlement trust and related counseling. On the litigation side, Rachael has defended a number of corporate clients facing employment, securities, financial services and consumer class action lawsuits,...
RUSSELL S. SAYRE is a partner in the Cincinnati, Ohio office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, where he serves as co-chair of the firm's litigation practice group, concentrating his practice on litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution. Since 1990, Mr. Sayre has represented corporate, business and individual clients in federal and state courts, in arbitrations, and before state administrative boards. Mr. Sayre is admitted to practice in all Ohio courts, in the United States Distric...
Mike Scheier is a trial lawyer who also helps our clients manage their litigation risks and achieve cost-effective non-litigation solutions. His practice is concentrated in the defense of ERISA fiduciary duty claims, and defending corporate directors and officers in state law actions alleging breaches of fiduciary duties. Mike also focuses his practice in enforcement of creditor’s rights, and has developed extensive experience in bankruptcy court and state law insolvency and collection ...
R. Guy Taft concentrates his legal practice in Federal and State court litigation and appeals, particularly in the areas of intellectual property litigation (patent, trademark, copyright and counterfeiting), unlawful competition, breach of contract, fraud, partnership and shareholder disputes, advertising and First Amendment law, employment law, product liability, health care and commercial real estate disputes. Guy also serves as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association in comm...
Greg's practice is concentrated in the areas of class action, multi-district litigation, and complex commercial litigation. He has significant trial experience in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Greg has successfully represented plaintiffs and defendants in numerous commercial and class action matters involving employment, shareholder derivative, tort, antitrust and contract disputes. Greg has extensive experience in False Claims Act (qui tam) litigation and has represe...
Richard Wayne concentrates his litigation practice in federal and state court. The types of matters he focuses on involve general business disputes, securities fraud litigation, shareholder derivative litigation, investor/broker disputes, product liability, litigation, healthcare litigation, consumer fraud litigation, construction related litigation, class action and complex multi-district litigation. Rick is actively involved in FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) arbitrations an...
Sarah Vonderbrink Geiger practices in the firm’s Litigation Group, assisting clients in all aspects of litigation and dispute resolution. Sarah’s practice is concentrated in the area of litigation, with a focus on general civil litigation, business and commercial litigation, and personal injury/wrongful death litigation. She has represented clients in a wide variety of litigation and business disputes, including class actions, multidistrict litigation, arbitrations, mediations, ac...
A dedicated advocate for her clients, Jessica Powell works tirelessly to not only achieve the best possible legal outcome on cases, but also to make sure that her clients understand the process every step of the way. Driven by a passion to help others, Jessica focuses her practice on medical malpractice, wrongful death, employment law, business law, personal injury, and mass tort litigation, including lawsuits involving defective pharmaceutical drugs and devices. Additionally, Jessica Powell ...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
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