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^®, Recognized in Construction Law, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law (2022-2025)
• Notables In Law, Crain's Cleveland (2022) 
• 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, Jesuit Retreat House (2018)
• Alumni Medal Award, John Carroll University (2017)
• Super Lawyer, Ohio Super Lawyers® (2004-2024)
• The Best Lawyers in America® (2004-2023)

Civic & Charitable Board Service

• Chairman and Member, Board of Directors, Jesuit Retreat Center
• Board of Directors, John Carroll University
• Chair and Member, Board of Trustees, Walsh Jesuit High School
• Vice President, Northeast Ohio Chapter of COGENCE Alliance
• Master Member, Entrepreneurs Association, John Carroll University
• Member and President, Lawyers Guild of Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
• Member, Ohio Contractors Association
• Fellow, Construction Lawyers Society of America
  • 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 2022
• eDiscovery Strategies for Construction Disputes, Construction Lawyers Society of America 2022 West Coast Construction Law Symposium, May 2022
• Potential Impacts and Delays Due to COVID-19, Northeast Ohio Construction Executive Discussion Group, hosted by Sikich, Webinar, June 2020
• Risky Business: Know It, See It, Manage It, Ohio Contractor's Association Annual Conference, January/February 2020
• Succession Planning for the Legacy-Driven Business, Ohio Contractor's Association Annual Conference, 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 2017
• Best Practices For Construction Dispute Resolution, May 2017
• Mechanics' Lien Essentials, Webcast for Ohio State Bar Association, April 2014
• Fundamentals of Construction Contracts: Ohio's Public Contracting Statutes, Lorman Seminar, January 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