Focus Areas
Construction Litigation
- Defense of contractor in a matter alleging over $30 million in diminished property value of a luxury apartment complex as a result of various construction and design defects, including improperly specified and installed fire suppression sprinklers and improperly designed and constructed balconies.
- Defense of national home builder against claims including breach of warranty, breach of contract, negligence, construction defect, and personal injury.
- Defense of project management consultant in negligent highway design claim relating to violations of the Clean Water Act and Oil Pollution Act.
- Defense of construction manager and construction engineer in litigation involving the wrongful death of a stainless steel factory worker as a result of exposure to carbon monoxide.
- Defense of a civil engineer in professional negligence claim involving the subsurface failure of a green parking lot.
- Achieved dismissal of civil engineer in class action alleging professional negligence in design of storm water management system resulting in flooding.
- Defense of engineer in claims involving negligent design of a school HVAC system resulting in sick building syndrome.
- Lead of rapid response team for global construction and civil engineering company’s construction of 700 MW natural gas power plant.
- Achieved dismissal of utility contractor in case alleging contraction of Legionnaires’ Disease.
- Defense of construction manager as agent in delay claims litigation.
- Defense of civil engineer in claim involving professional negligence in design of Maintenance of Traffic Plan resulting in accident rendering motorcyclist a paraplegic.
- Achieved dismissal of construction manager in claims stemming from the collapse of HVAC ductwork installed in a school cafeteria that resulting in serious injury to students.
- Achieved dismissal of historic preservation consultant in litigation involving electrocution of demolition laborer.
Mass and Toxic Tort and Environmental Litigation
- Achieved summary judgment for property manager of 1,000+ unit property in mass action alleging exposure to mold and mildew.
- Defense of chemical manufacturer in class action alleging diminution of property value from alleged exposure to hexavalent chromium.
- Counseled national developer and property management company regarding alleged tenant exposure to radon and compliance with regulatory testing and notice requirements.
- Defense of a chemical manufacturer in environmental contamination class action seeking medical monitoring and compensation for alleged diminution of property value as a result of proximity to environmental contamination.
- Defense of chlorine manufacturer in mass tort alleging property diminution of personal injury resulting from exposure to particulates and sulfides.
- Representation of chemical manufacturer in investigation by the National Safety Transportation Board (NTSB) involving chemical leak from ruptured rail car.
- Defense of legacy manufacturer in mass action regarding alleged property diminution and wrongful death involving exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE).
- Defense of chemical manufacturers and trade associations in various state and federal mass and toxic tort suits involving claims of intentional tort, fraud, and civil conspiracy.
- Representation of manufacturers in consumer class actions relating to slack-fill allegations, mislabeling claims, and other misleading claims.
- Defense of wall component manufacturer in various suits alleging product liability and breach of warranty claims stemming from the growth of mold in hotels and nursing homes.
- Defense of appliance manufacturer in negligence suits stemming from the growth of mold in plaintiffs’ workplace.
Defense of Product Liability and Negligence Claims
- Defeated class certification in a putative class action alleging consumer warranty, strict product liability, and consumer protection violations concerning the manufacture and marketing of a wood plastic composite decking product.
- Defense of utility company in litigation alleging utility placement resulted in wrongful death.
- Representation of manufacturer of waste heat recovery boilers and pollution control equipment in dispute alleging defective design and manufacture.
- Defense of exercise equipment manufacturer in class action alleging breach of warranty and consumer protection violations.
- Defense of food manufacturer in class action alleging sale of adulterated food and consumer protection violations.
- Defense of manufacturers of valves and supply lines, in subrogation claims alleging product defect resulting in flood damage.
- Defense of installer and supplier of industrial warehouse racking system in breach of contract and product defect dispute.
- Defense of automobile and other consumer product manufacturers in product liability and breach of warranty suits, including consumer class actions.
- Defense of property owners in premises liability litigation, including oral argument before the 8th Appellate District of Ohio in which summary judgment was affirmed.
Product Warranty and Labeling Counseling
- Advising consumer product manufacturer on potential liability and public statements regarding PFAS product content.
- Advising manufacturer on marketing material compliance with the FTC Green Guides and avoidance of greenwashing claims.
- Advising consumer product manufacturer on warning label compliance with ANSI standards.
- Drafting warranty language and terms and conditions for lighting manufacturer.
- Advising coatings manufacturer on Material Safety Data Sheet language.
- “Budgeting the Unpredictable,” Best Lawyers, September 2022
- “Allbirds’ Defeat of Consumer Class Action Offers Valuable Greenwashing-Avoidance Guideposts,” Washington Legal Foundation, May 2022
- “Ohio Provides Qualified Liability Shield From COVID-19 Claims,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, September 2020
- “Virginia First State to Enact COVID-19 Workplace Safety Standard,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, July 2020
- “Best Practices for Critical Workers Traveling to and from “Hot Spot” States,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, July 16, 2020
- “Ohio Launches ‘Responsible RestartOhio’ Plan,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, April 2020
- “Ohio’s Amended Stay-at-Home Order,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, April 2020
- “Ohio Issues Stay at Home Order,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, March 2020
- “Be Careful What You Wish For: Revised TSCA Process Slower Than Industry Hoped,” Thompson Hine Product Liability Litigation Update
- “TSCA Overhaul Will Have Major Impact on Chemical Manufacture & Use,” Thompson Hine Environmental Update
- “California DTSC Finalizes Green Chemistry Playbook,” Thompson Hine Green Products Update
- “Suit Urges EPA to Regulate Nanosilver, Remove Products from Shelves,” Thompson Hine Product Liability Update
- “Goooaaal,” The Whisper, DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar
- Ohio Construction Law Manual (Baldwin’s Ohio Practice), Eds. Welin, et al., Chapter 5, “Delay, Acceleration, Disruption and the Right to Finish Early” and Chapter 10, “Subcontracting”
- “Cleveland Construction Hot Topics: Tomorrow’s Construction Industry Headlines,” Thompson Hine Webinar, September 2024
- “PFAS Roadmap: Risk Mitigation Strategies for 2024 and Beyond,” Thompson Hine Webinar, February 2024
- “What is PFAS and Why Should I Care?” Thompson Hine Webinar
- “PFAS Regulation, Litigation, Evaluation & Mitigation,” Ohio Chemistry Technology Council
- “Pandora’s Box: Protecting Your Offices and Manufacturing Facilities by Ensuring a Safe Environment in a COVID-19 World,” DRI
- “Regulatory Update: TSCA/Prop 65/ Product Compliance,” Adhesive and Sealant Council
- “Pandora’s Box: Protecting Your Business by Ensuring a Safe Environment for Employees and Customers”
- “Accident Investigations: Bring the Predictable to the Unpredictable,” Ohio Chemistry Technology Council
- “Accident Investigations: Bring the Predictable to the Unpredictable,” Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates.
- “Navigating Protective Construction Contracts,” Construction Management Association of America Ohio Chapter
- “In the Crosshairs: the Targeting of Building Products by California’s Green Chemistry Initiative and Other Regulations Focusing on Environmental Exposure to Toxins,” The Adhesive and Sealant Council, Ohio Chemistry Technology Council
- “Discoverability of Social Media and its Use as Trial Evidence,” The Network of Trial Law Firms
- “It’s All About Protecting the Children: Endocrine Disruptors and Continuing Developments in Causation, Dose, and Epidemiology,” ACI’s Chemical Products Liability & Environmental Litigation
- “Defending the Unintended Claim: Beyond Workers’ Compensation,” ACI’s Chemical Products Liability & Environmental Litigation
- “Regulatory Update: TSCA, REACH, IRIS, and the States,” ACI’s Chemical Products Liability & Environmental Litigation
- “Going Green Safely: Reaping the benefits and avoiding the legal risks of greening your products and services”
- “Regulatory Update: Protecting the Company and Mitigating Risk in the Battle Between EPA, Congress, and the States to Regulate Chemicals”
- “The ‘Master’s Institute’ on Ohio Construction Law … Tools for Success; Negligence and the Economic Loss Doctrine”
- “Risks and Rewards in Green Products and Green Buildings”
- Panelist, “Certified Sustainable Products Forum”
- “Building Information Modeling (BIM): Implications in Defending a Building Product,” Defense Research Institute
- “BIM: Legal Pitfalls for Building Product Manufacturers,” Construction Specifications Institute’s Building Product Manufacturers Alliance
- “Is the Grass Really Greener? Managing the Risks of Greening Your Products”
- “Construction Industry Hot Topics Update: Green Building Risks”
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024, 2025 for Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
- Listed as a Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, 2023, 2024
- Selected to the Ohio Rising Stars list, 2010 to 2015
Professional Associations
- Firm liaison to the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA)
- Ohio Chemistry Technology Council, member
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- Defense Research Institute: Chair, Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee; Building Products Specialized Litigation Group; Construction Law and Product Liability Law Committees
- Manos Inn of Court
- American Bar Association: Litigation Section, Construction Forum
- Ohio State Bar Association
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Community Activities
- Cleveland Restoration Society, Board Secretary and Trustee
- Cleveland Bridge Builders, Class of 2007
Education
- Boston College Law School, J.D., 2003, cum laude
- University of Michigan, M.S., 2000
- College of Wooster, B.A., 1997, with honors,
Phi Beta Kappa
Bar Admissions
- Ohio
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- Chemical Industry Regulatory Update – September 2022,
A newsletter from The Adhesive and Sealant Council and Thompson Hine LLP
, September 12, 2022 - Budgeting the Unpredictable,
Best Lawyers
, September 2, 2022 - Chemical Industry Regulatory Update – August 2022, August 10, 2022
- Chemical Industry Regulatory Update – June 2022,
A Newsletter from The Adhesive and Sealant Council and Thompson Hine LLP
, June 14, 2022 - Allbirds Defeat of Consumer Class Action Offers Valuable Greenwashing-Avoidance Guideposts,
Washington Legal Foundation
, May 20, 2022 - Chemical Industry Regulatory Update – May 2022,
A Newsletter from The Adhesive and Sealant Council and Thompson Hine LLP
, May 16, 2022 - Chemical Industry Regulatory Update – April 2022,
A Newsletter from The Adhesive and Sealant Council and Thompson Hine LLP
, April 11, 2022 - Chemical Industry Regulatory Update – March 2022,
A Newsletter from The Adhesive and Sealant Council and Thompson Hine LLP
, March 14, 2022 - Chemical Industry Regulatory Update – February 2022,
A Newsletter from The Adhesive and Sealant Council and Thompson Hine LLP
, February 8, 2022 - Chemical Industry Regulatory Update – January 2022,
A Newsletter from The Adhesive and Sealant Council and Thompson Hine LLP
, January 18, 2022