Criminal Defense, Government Investigations & Government Enforcement

• Represented an international company in a pre-indictment investigation involving allegations that its employees defrauded customers and engaged in improper kickback schemes.
• Represented the treasurer of a non-profit 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 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.
• Defended a national airport maintenance and transportation company in a pre-indictment investigation and grand jury subpoena response involving allegations of anti-competitive bid rigging.
• 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.
• Defended a small business owner in a False Claims Act investigation by DOJ Main Justice into the alleged improper use of PPP Loan funds.
• Defended a government contractor investigated for misuse of government funds and improper employment practices by the Office of Inspector General.
• Defended a non-profit entity investigated for fraud and misuse of PPP Loan funds based on a whistleblower complaint to a local United States Attorney’s Office.
• Defended an individual investigated by the SEC for improper oversight of a mutual fund.
• Defended an individual facing allegations of illegal shipments of goods into Russia.
• Defended a manufacturing facility investigated by EPA for compliance with emission unit standards under the Clean Air Act.
• Represented a vaping manufacturer and distributor in connection with an ATF investigation for PACT Act compliance.
• Defended various Electronic Nicotine Delivery Device manufacturers and sellers against claims aimed at closing their businesses instituted by a state attorney general.
• Conducted an internal investigation into an international company regarding 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 involving allegations of improper inventory handling and an executive’s improper conduct.
• Conducted an internal investigation into a company specializing in COVID-19 testing for potential allegations of Medicare/Medicaid fraud.
• 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

• Defeated a request for injunctive relief to prohibit an individual from working in a sector of the construction industry after a full evidentiary hearing.
• Defended a religious organization from injunctive relief relating to its decision to remove certain congregants from its premises.
• Acquired emergency relief at trial for an individual seeking to cease his former partner’s occupation of the individual’s real property.
• Acquired emergency injunctive relief for a medical communications company seeking to cease a former officer’s access to trade secrets and violation of a non-competition agreement.
• Acquired emergency injunctive relief for a software-as-a-service company seeking to cease two former salespersons’ access to and alleged use of trade secrets in operating their own competing company in violation of non-competition 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 Restrictive Covenants & Trade Secret Misappropriation

• Successfully defended a client against allegations of civil contempt for alleged violations of a consent judgment enforcing non-competition 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 non-competition 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 executing non-competition and non-solicitation 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 regarding alleged violations of their restrictive covenants with a national third-party logistics company.

Member & Shareholder Litigation of Closely Held Companies

• Acquired a near-complete defense verdict for a general contractor involving allegations that the company deposited contaminated soil at an individual’s property, reducing millions in claimed damages to nominal damages.
• Represented two minority members asserting derivative and direct claims against the majority member in several LLCs for numerous breaches of fiduciary duty, fraud, breach of operating agreements, and other claims.
• Represented shareholders of a national media company in their attempt to sell the company for shareholder profit and defended them from allegations from another shareholder that the sale breached fiduciary duties.
• Negotiated the separation of two members in a closely held company after their business relationship soured.

Pro Bono

• Serves as a conflicts panel attorney for state courts in Cincinnati.
• Serves on the CJA Panel for the Southern District of Ohio.
• Represented numerous residential tenants in landlord/tenant disputes.
• Drafted terms of use and privacy policies for a local non-profit STEM learning center.