With more than 40 years of experience, Peter serves as an arbitrator and mediator and continues to practice in the areas of commercial litigation and general business counsel. He is outside general counsel to an industry-leading beverage producer and has a long history of representing clients in franchising and distribution matters. In addition to his legal career, Peter is an entrepreneur whose success has been lauded nationally, and he has served his community through multiple elected and appointed positions on the Toledo City Council, Toledo School Board, and the founding Ohio Casino Commission.
Peter has been an active arbitrator since 1986 and a mediator since 1990. He is a fellow of the Commercial College of Arbitrators, a member of the American Arbitration Association Large, Complex Case Arbitration Panel, the CPR arbitration panel, and the Ohio Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. He teaches seminars for lawyers nationwide, teaches a seminar on early dispute resolution as Adjunct Faculty at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and writes widely on alternative dispute resolution. Additionally, he was:
- The first U.S. arbitrator appointed to the Chair/Sole Arbitrator Panel of the European Union-based International Distribution Institute, which offers expedited arbitration for international distribution and franchising disputes
- The founder and a trustee of the Early Dispute Resolution Institute, edrinstitute.org
- The Chair of the Early Dispute Resolution Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution and the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Committee of the American Bar Association Franchising Forum
- From 2013 to 2016, an active partner in the Oasis restaurant chain, which was elected to the Northwest Ohio Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall of Fame in 2014
- From 2004 and 2010, the owner and president of biotechnology company Hi-Genomics.
- Committed to helping entrepreneurial businesses, he received the 1989 Ernst and Young/Inc. Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his work in helping business owners start and grow their businesses
- A member of the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall of Fame
- A member of the Toledo City Council for two terms and the Toledo School Board for two terms
Education
J.D., cum laude, University of Michigan, 1981
B.A., with honors, George Washington University, 1977
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1975-1976
Professional Associations
- Toledo Bar Association
- Ohio State Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- ABA Forum on Franchising
- CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals
- Commercial College of Arbitrators, Fellow
- Early Dispute Resolution Institute, Inc., Trustee
- National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, Ohio Chapter
Honors
- Best Lawyers in America, 2007 – 2025 (Arbitration, Commercial Litigation, Franchise Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Securities, and Mediation)
- Best Lawyers, “Toledo Franchise Law Lawyer of the Year,” 2020
- Chambers USA, Franchising (USA – Nationwide), 2015 – 2024
- Franchise Times®, recognized as one of the Nation’s top 100 franchise lawyers, 2005 – 2022; Legal Eagles Hall of Fame
- Ohio Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine, 2009 – 2011, 2014 – 2025
- Who’s Who Legal: Franchise, 2014 – 2018
- Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall Of Fame, 2014
- Ernst and Young Inc. Magazine, “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award, 1989
- Toledo Business Journal, “Who’s Who in Toledo Area Law”
- AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Representative Matters
- General outside counsel to food-product business expanding manufacturing and distribution worldwide
- Arbitration panel chair of case regarding breach of franchise agreement with potential damages exceeding $10 million
- Resolved class-action consumer fraud action for defendant in class-action-friendly district for de minimis payment
- Represented franchisee association and many individual franchisees in resolving claims in franchisor bankruptcy
- Attained 7-figure settlements for group of franchisees against franchisor