Chris serves as Chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group. He represents private and public clients in all aspects of civil litigation, including employment and labor litigation; restrictive covenant and trade secret litigation; commercial litigation; contract and shareholder disputes and products defense liability in state and federal courts throughout Ohio, as well as in administrative tribunals. Chris also advises private and public clients on labor and employment compliance issues involving discrimination and harassment under federal and state law (Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)); personnel matters (drug testing, privacy, appropriate discipline and termination procedures); restrictive covenant and trade secret issues, wage and hour and family leave compliance; and safety and health compliance.
Chris is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated through Martindale-Hubbell.
Professional/Civic Activities
Chris is a member of the American, Ohio State, Federal and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Litigation and Labor Employment Sections. In addition, Chris was on the Board of the Federal Bar Association for the Northern District of Ohio and was the editor of its quarterly newsletter, Inter Alia. A Martindale-Hubbell AV-rated attorney, Chris is also certified by the Ohio State Bar Association as a Labor and Employment Specialist. He was also recognized as an Ohio Super Lawyer and Super Lawyer Corporate Counsel from 2008 through 2012 as a part of a peer-and-achievement-based review conducted by Law & Politics Media, Inc.
Chris was a Youth Challenge Board and Executive Committee Member for over ten years and is a former alumni board member for Case Western University School of Law.
Representative Engagements
· Ongoing representation of a national broker-dealer in restrictive covenant and promissory note recovery litigation.
· Successful representation in recent engagements:
· Regional nursing home in a sexual harassment and retaliation case in Knox County, Ohio Common Pleas Court.
· International company in workers' compensation retaliation matter.
· National grocery store and supervisory employees in national origin discrimination and harassment case in U.S. District Court.
· Large physicians practice group in shareholder derivative action.
Articles/Presentations
Chris is also author of "OSHA and Wage & Hour Issues - How Small Businesses Are Affected," General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section of the American Bar Association's quarterly publication, July/August 2000, Vol. 17, No. 5.