Criminal Defense, Government Investigations & Government Enforcement

• Represented the treasurer of a nonprofit organization in a pre-indictment investigation into approximately $40,000 of missing funds, successfully removing the treasurer from a pool of suspects to a witness in any potential prosecution.
• Defended an individual and their various businesses in a civil enforcement action brought by the Ohio Attorney General on behalf of Ohio EPA relating to alleged violations of state laws regulating construction and demolition debris, recovered screen material, solid waste, and other environmental regulations.
• Represented an international company in a pre-indictment investigation involving allegations that its employees defrauded customers and engaged in improper kickback schemes.
• Conducted an internal investigation into an international company relating to allegations of a hostile work environment and potential Title VII claims because of a manager’s alleged improper conduct.
• Conducted an internal investigation into a national vehicle servicer in connection with allegations of improper inventory handling and an executive’s improper conduct.
• Defended a college professor in an NIH investigation into alleged improper use and mishandling of grant funds, resulting in no action by NIH and complete restoration of professorial privileges and salary at the professor’s university.
• Represented a national airport maintenance and transportation company in a pre-indictment investigation and grand jury subpoena response involving allegations of anti-competitive bid rigging.
• Represented a vaping manufacturer and distributor in connection with an ATF investigation for PACT Act compliance.
• Guided clients in responding to numerous subpoenas issued by state and federal grand juries involving investigations being conducted by the FBI, SEC, ATF, FTC, SIGAR, and more.
• Represented a direct-to-consumer retailer of children’s toys relating to allegations of consumer protection violations by a state attorney general.
• Drafted sentencing memoranda for clients facing prison terms, advocating for decreased terms or community control.
• Defended indigent clients against federal charges involving violent crimes, drug offenses, fraud-based offenses, and others pursuant to an appointment to the Criminal Justice Act’s Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
• Represented dozens of indigent clients pro bono relating to various violent offenses in Ohio state courts.

Injunctive Relief

• Acquired emergency relief at trial for an individual seeking to cease his ex-partner’s occupation of the individual’s real property.
• Acquired emergency injunctive relief for a medical communications company seeking to cease an ex-officer’s access to trade secrets and violation of a noncompetition agreement.
• Acquired emergency injunctive relief for a software-as-a-service company seeking to cease two ex-salespersons’ access to and alleged use of trade secrets in operating their own competing company in violation of noncompetition agreements.
• Defended two sales representatives against a request for immediate injunctive relief to prohibit their employment with a competitor and negotiated a separation from their previous employer to permit them to maintain competitive employment.
• Pursued emergency injunctive relief for a bedding supplies manufacturer when top executives resigned and sought employment with a competitor, resulting in an amicable settlement including injunctive relief.
• Defended a minority shareholder against emergency injunctive relief sought by the company she owned.

Breach of Non-competition Agreements & Trade Secret Misappropriation

• Successfully defended a client against allegations of civil contempt for alleged violations of a consent judgment enforcing noncompetition covenants. See LCA-Vision, Inc. d/b/a LASIKPLUS et al. v. Sanjay Desh Goel, M.D., No. 1:19-cv-00818 (S.D. Ohio Nov. 19, 2020) (J. Dlott).
• Asserted claims for breach of a noncompetition covenant and trade secret misappropriation on behalf of a medical communications company against a former sales executive and sought emergency injunctive relief, including briefing appealable issues in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
• Negotiated a separation without litigation between a physician and his employer, dissolving restrictive covenants to which the physician was bound.
• Negotiated the separation of two freight logistics brokers from their prior employer despite their execution of noncompetition and nonsolicitation restrictive covenants, ensuring they remained employed in the freight logistics brokerage field.
• Defended a third-party logistics company through mediation and acquired settlements for its employees in connection with alleged violations of their restrictive covenants with a national third-party logistics company.
• Drafted numerous motions and oppositions to dismiss on various bases and motions for summary judgment on noncompetition and trade secret claims.

Business & Contract Disputes

• Defended a general contractor in a federal court trial involving allegations that they deposited soil at an individual’s property in breach of a license to use that property, reducing millions in claimed damages to nominal damages.
• Acquired summary judgment in favor of a defendant employer against a plaintiff asserting claims for federal and state race discrimination and retaliation and termination in violation of public policy.
• Defended a general contractor in federal court relating to claims for unpaid amounts in a multimillion-dollar construction project, acquiring a dismissal of all claims before the matter proceeded to discovery.
• Represented minority shareholders and members in acquiring relief from majority shareholders and members in closely held businesses for violations of the majority owners’ breaches of fiduciary duty, fraud, conversion, and other claims.
• Acquired an amicable settlement of claims surrounding an improperly imposed deed restriction on a business’ real property by its prior members.
• Negotiated a business divorce between a small business owner and his partner after their business relationship soured.
• Represented a creditor in a multistate matter involving foreclosure of numerous properties to recover on debts owed by a debtor totaling more than $500,000.
• Represented a commercial entity in a commercial lease dispute involving allegations of fraud.
• Negotiated a settlement between a small software development company and a nationally recognized business automation company for claims involving the national company’s alleged breaches of contract and conversion of funds.
• Ongoing representation of a car dealership in all litigation-facing issues, including consumer protection, breach of contract, recovery of amounts on secured loans, collections, and other issues.
• Negotiated a settlement of alleged violations of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act for a construction and roofing company.
• Analyzed culpability related to internationally shipped goods that were late being delivered to consumers and coordinated a response to various public complaints.
• Negotiated numerous settlements on unpaid invoices or similar accounts for parties to whom and from whom payments are owed.

Pro Bono

• Serves as a conflicts panel attorney for state and federal courts in Cincinnati.
• Represented numerous residential tenants in landlord/tenant disputes.
• Drafted terms of use and privacy policies for a local nonprofit STEM learning center.