John Colman Fickes

John belongs to the firm's Litigation practice group, and focuses on business litigation. In his twenty-four years of practice with Brouse McDowell, John has conducted many contract and commercial actions, but also injury, family law, and fraud litigation. His work ranges from legal counseling and advocacy for individuals and small companies to participating on teams handling complex cases for large enterprises. John handles all aspects of dispute resolution, from pretrial negotiations through post-trial proceedings and appeals.

Professional & Civic Activities

· John works actively in the greater Akron community. He presently serves as chairman of the board of trustees of the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority. John is the immediate past president of the board of directors of the Humane Society of Greater Akron. John is a member of the Leadership Akron Alumni Association (Class XVI).

· He is the founding president and a past board member of the Summit County Community Partnership, as well as a past president and trustee of Loyola of the Lakes Jesuit Retreat House. He is a former trustee of The Akron Area Volunteer Center and of Friends of Hower House. John has been a Democratic Party precinct committeeman and is a member of its Finance Committee. In 2008, he won nomination as a Democratic candidate for the Court of Common Pleas of Summit County, Ohio.

· John is a member of the Akron Bar Association and serves as the vice-chair of the Grievance Investigative Subcommittee. He has served on the association's Common Pleas & Appellate Courts Committee (chair, 2004-2006), the Federal Courts Committee, the Commission on Judicial Candidates, the Judicial Evaluation Committee, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (chair), the Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Scholarship Committee (vice-chair).

· John is a member of the American Bar Association's Litigation Section, Family Law Section, and the Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development. He is an active member in the Ohio State Bar Association, the Akron Bar Foundation and the Charles F. Scanlon Inn of Court. John also sat on the Summit County Common Pleas Court Mediation Advisory Council.

Representative Engagements

· Pamela Utley v. M.T. Automotive, Inc. (defense of action under CSPA)

· Copeland Corporation LLC v. Insurance Company of North America (action for recovery against insurers arising from asbestos claims)

· Mark Huntsman v. Akron Tower Housing Partnership (defense of class-action discrimination claims)

· Rockwood Equity Partners LLC v. Gruber Holdings, Inc. (defense of action on environmental indemnity agreement)

· Sue Pluck v. BP America Inc. (defense of action based on chemical-exposure)

· Aaron M. Brant v. Stocker Sand Gravel Co. (defense of intentional tort action)

· Margie B. Simon v. Nadler, Nadler and Burdman Co., LPA (action arising from legal malpractice)

· William T. Wuliger, Receiver v. Morris A. Bird (defense of action based on marketing viatical contracts)

· Diebold Credit Corp. v. Pay-Ease, Inc. (action arising from leases of pay-stations)

· BP Exploration & Oil Co. v. Maintenance Services, Inc. (action arising from damage to fuel storage tank)