Track Record of Success

Over the course of Bob's successful career as a commercial litigator, his experience and commitment to excellence have provided our clients with outstanding client service and winning results, such as:  

• Lead counsel in multiple class actions, including defense of $1.2 billion class-action claim in Ohio state court.
• Lead counsel in $22 million claim involving litigation of design and construction of interceptor sanitary sewer system.
• Successful representation at two-week AAA arbitration of design-build contractor in defense of $6 million claim by a subcontractor for alleged delays and cost overruns arising from the design and construction of a municipal landfill in Florida.
• Lead counsel in a $5.6 million claim involving the construction of a condominium project in Florida.
• Representation of a global engineering services company by successfully resolving a multi-million dollar payment dispute involving environmental contamination at a former U.S. military facility.

Additional Qualifications

• Qualified to testify as an expert witness in various construction and commercial litigation matters
• Cuyahoga County court-appointed mediator available for private mediation proceedings
• AAA-Trained Mediator and Arbitrator

Courts & Bar Associations

• Ohio Bar (1988)
• U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit; US District Court, Northern District of Ohio, and all Ohio State Courts
• Appeared in federal and state courts located in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Illinois, Florida, Utah and California
• American Bar Association (Forum on the Construction Industry; Litigation Section; and Construction Litigation Committee)
• Ohio State Bar Association (Past Chair, Construction Law Committee)
• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and Akron Bar Association

Professional Honors & Awards

• The Best Lawyers in America^®
  • Construction Law (2022-2024)
  • Commercial Litigation (2024)
  • Corporate Law (2024)
  • Real Estate Law (2024)
• Crain's Cleveland 2022 Notables In Law
• Peer Review Rated as AV® Preeminent™, the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards, in Martindale-Hubbell’s peer review rating system (2023)
• Ignatian Spirituality Award Recipient (May 2018 presented by Jesuit Retreat House in Parma, Ohio)
• 2017 Alumni Medal Award, John Carroll University
• Recognized as one of Ohio's Super Lawyers™ in 2004-2024, as voted by his peers
• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for 18 years (2004 through 2023)

Civic & Charitable Board Service

• Jesuit Retreat Center, Chairman and Member, Board of Directors
• John Carroll University, Board of Directors
• Walsh Jesuit High School, Chair and Member, Board of Trustees
• Northeast Ohio Chapter of COGENCE Alliance, Vice President
• John Carroll University, Master Member, Entrepreneurs Association
• Lawyers Guild of Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Member and President
• Ohio Contractors Association, Member
• Construction Lawyers Society of America, Fellow
  • The Construction Lawyers Society of America is an invitation-only construction lawyer honorary society with membership limited to 1,200 practicing Fellows from the United States and internationally.  

Presentations & Publications

• "Effective Construction Litigation Strategies and Summary Judgment Practice", Construction Lawyers Society of America 2022 North American Construction Law Symposium IV, Harvard Club, New York, NY (December 1, 2022)
• "eDiscovery Strategies for Construction Disputes," Construction Lawyers Society of America 2022 West Coast Construction Law Symposium, Los Angeles, CA (May 20, 2022)
• Northeast Ohio Construction Executive Discussion Group, hosted by Sikich, "Potential Impacts and Delays Due to COVID-19", Webinar (June 11, 2020)
• "Risky Business: Know It, See It, Manage It", Ohio Contractor's Association Annual Conference, Maui, Hawaii (January/February 2020)
• "Succession Planning for the Legacy-Driven Business", Ohio Contractor's Association Annual Conference, Maui, Hawaii (January/February 2020)
• "Innovation and Collaborative Trends in the Construction Industry", BMD's Healthcare Leadership Innovation Summit (January 2018)
• "Construction Law: Advanced Issues and Answers", National Business Institute Seminar (December 2017)
• "Lawyer Mentoring and the Spiritual Exercises: Directing with Patience and Care," World Union of Jesuit Alumni (June 29, 2017)
• "Best Practices For Construction Dispute Resolution" (May 16, 2017)
• "Mechanics' Lien Essentials," Webcast for Ohio State Bar Association (April 17, 2014)
• "Fundamentals of Construction Contracts: Ohio's Public Contracting Statutes," Lorman Seminar (January 25, 2013)
• “So You’re Being Sued – Know What to Do to Prepare for a Lawsuit,” Hardwood Floors Magazine (October/November 2007)
• “The Six Stages of Construction Litigation,” Inside the Minds: Construction Law Litigation Strategies, Aspatore Books (2007)
• “Legal Perspectives – Contingent Payment Clauses: If and When – What’s the Difference?” Properties Magazine, Inc. (November 2004)
• “Ohio’s Mechanics’ Lien and Prompt Payment Act: Using the Laws to Your Advantage”
• “Understanding Legal Aspects of Construction Contracts”
• “Construction Payment Remedies in Ohio”