Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP

A company's very survival can depend on its choice of a qualified antitrust and trade regulation lawyer. These laws are complex, ambiguous, and subject to constant changes in enforcement policy. Antitrust issues frequently are so fundamental to the strategic goals of our clients that the risk of being overly cautious is frequently as great as the risk of violating the legal requirements. The key is a lawyer who combines detailed legal knowledge and practical experience. Our antitrust and trade regulation lawyers provide advocacy on behalf of our clients before courts and regulatory agencies, as well as counseling that is provided with the perspective of their litigation experience.

We routinely represent clients in litigation involving issues such as price fixing, group boycotts, market leveraging, price discrimination and dealer relations (including dealer termination cases). Since this type of litigation is expensive and time consuming, it is our philosophy to try to resolve these disputes early through mediation or other alternative dispute resolution vehicles. If, however, we are unable to achieve a reasonable result in this manner for our clients, we have well-trained and experienced trial lawyers capable of successfully litigating any such case to its conclusion.

Our agency practice includes the representation of clients in merger and acquisition cases, handling of investigations by federal and state regulatory agencies, and obtaining advisory "business review letters" concerning prospective transactions.

We are frequently involved in the business planning process, which helps our clients minimize the risks of legal challenges and their long-term costs. In addition to routinely counseling clients concerning antitrust issues, our lawyers actively assist clients to establish and maintain compliance and risk management programs. By working directly with our clients and tailoring our services to coordinate with their internal staffs, we help structure these programs in the manner best suited to economically and effectively reduce risks in this area.

Our Commitment to Diversity

Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting individuals of diverse backgrounds to ensure that our firm reflects the clients we represent and our values of inclusion.  We believe that embracing differences in ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, religion, and other characteristics, helps us consider the full range of perspectives our clients face and the goals they seek to achieve, allowing us to provide more creative, insightful, and complete guidance and counsel.  By affirmatively embracing and appreciating those differences, we create a supportive working environment at Shumaker for all individuals of the firm.

Diversity in Action

Shumaker's commitment to diversity is reflected in the following measures:

1. Creation of a Diversity & Inclusion Committee to coordinate and direct our diversity initiatives. Our committee is made up of partners (including at least one member of the Firm’s management committee), associates and administrative personnel.
2. Recipient of the 2013 Gold Standard Certification by Women in Law Empowerment Forum, which is given only to firms that have demonstrated that women represent a meaningful percentage of their equity partners, are involved in the highest leadership positions and have meaningful representation in the ranks of the firm’s most highly compensated partners. Shumaker was one of only 42 firms in the country to have received this prestigious award in 2013.
3. Creation of Shumaker’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, a firm-sponsored group dedicated to promoting, developing and fostering the potential of our female attorneys, helping them to navigate a path to a successful and satisfying legal career at the Firm, and to serve as leaders within the legal and business communities.
4. Membership and active participation in organizations that support diversity initiatives in our communities. Such organizations include, without limitation, racial, ethnic, disability, gender/LGBT and age initiatives.
5. Diversity in our hiring, advancement and leadership practices, for attorneys as well as staff members, including our Summer Associate Program.
6. Annual participation in the Toledo Bar Association’s Minority Clerkship Program.
7. Annual participation in the Ohio State Bar Foundation Law and Leadership Program, a program to establish a pipeline into the legal profession for disadvantaged students from underserved schools.
8. Membership in Partners in Education, a program in which our employees serve as tutors and mentors and provide ongoing financial support to area schools and students in need.
9. Cultivation of leadership opportunities among all attorneys and staff, recognizing the importance and benefit of diversity in leadership.
10. Firm-wide participation in periodic diversity education seminars or training programs.
11. Informal programs implemented firm-wide to enhance our awareness and understanding of the importance and benefits of diversity among our workforce and promote inclusion.