Attorneys in Taft’s Appellate practice advise clients on all issues related to the litigation of appeals. From preservation of error at the trial level to post-trial motions practice and appeals of right and discretionary review, we recognize that appellate issues present unique challenges and require the special expertise that our attorneys possess.
Taft has long recognized that litigation in appellate courts presents unique challenges and requires skills that differ from those that ensure success at trial. Through the years, litigation has become specialized, not only with respect to substantive legal areas, but also with respect to the important distinction between appellate and trial litigation.
Our appellate attorneys have handled numerous cases in:
Ohio appellate courts, including the Ohio Supreme Court.
Indiana appellate courts, including the Indiana Supreme Court.
Other state courts of appeals.
Nearly every federal judicial circuit, with a special emphasis on the Sixth and Seventh Circuits.
U.S. Supreme Court.
Our appellate attorneys have litigated a wide range of civil, criminal and administrative cases. For example, we helped preserve the country's then-largest ever antitrust verdict in the Sixth Circuit, successfully litigated a capital case on behalf of a capital defendant, and helped create a special "settlement privilege" in the Sixth Circuit.
Our success is a reflection of the talent and experience of our appellate attorneys. A number of them have served as judicial clerks for both state and federal judges. Several have participated as founding members of the Ohio State Bar Association's Appellate Practice Committee, and two members currently sit on Ohio's Appellate Practice Specialty Board, the governing body for Ohio's appellate specialty certification. In addition, four attorneys are recognized by Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Law.
Our attorneys have served on the rules advisory committee for the Sixth Circuit, which is headquartered in Cincinnati. Our appellate practice focuses on matters that our attorneys handled at the trial level and on matters in which Taft had no trial-level involvement. In the latter situations, our involvement has ranged from briefing and arguing such cases to serving as consultants to other counsel who may not be familiar with practice and procedure in Ohio appellate courts or the Sixth Circuit.
Our appellate attorneys recognize the need for a fresh perspective in all appellate matters for parties both challenging and defending a lower court result. We recognize that counsel for appellants must be able to winnow a case down to a few important issues for efficient and effective presentation to a court of appeals. On the other side, many hard-fought victories at the trial court level are lost because counsel is content to recycle lower court briefing.
Because Taft recognizes that appellate attorneys must understand all aspects of litigation to be effective, our appellate attorneys do not limit themselves to only regular appellate work. Members of the appellate group participate in a wide range of matters, including standard trial court litigation, proceedings on special writs and administrative proceedings.
