Robert's practice includes the defense of professional liability cases, commercial litigation, product liability, personal injury, insurance coverage, and bad faith litigation. He has briefed and argued many appeals in state and federal courts and he has defended major personal injury and wrongful death cases arising from product liability, aircraft, industrial, construction and automobile accidents, explosions, and chemical exposure.
Robert regularly consults professional clients on pre-claim, claim repair, and risk management issues. His deep expertise enables him to also serve as a:
- Level One Coatings Inspector, certified by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers.
- National Coordinating Counsel for a Fortune 500 coating manufacturer defending large loss property damage/commercial loss cases across the country.
- Frequent lecturer on professional liability, commercial law, ethics, and professionalism topics.
Education
J.D., cum laude, The University of Toledo College of Law, 1979
B.A., University of Notre Dame, 1976
Professional Associations
- Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)
- Defense Research Institute
- NACE Certified Coatings Inspector – Level 1 (National Association of Corrosion Engineers).
- Ohio State Bar Association
- Toledo Bar Association
Honors
- AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Best Lawyers in America, 2016, 2018 – 2024
- Ohio Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine, 2004 – 2005
- 2012 Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) “Value Champion”
- Law Clerk to the Honorable William K. Thomas, United Stated District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, 1979-1981
Representative Matters
- Groch v. General Motors Corp.(2008), 117 Ohio St. 3d 192
- Environmental Network Corp. v. Goodman Weiss Miller, L.L.P. (2008), 119 Ohio St. 3d 209
- Ormet Primary Aluminum Corp. v. Employers Ins. of Wausau (2000), 88 Ohio St. 3d 292
- McAuliffe v. Western States Import Co. (1995), 72 Ohio St. 3d 534
- Allen Freight Lines, Inc. v. Consol. Rail Corp. (1992), 64 Ohio St. 3d 274
- Digital & Analog Design Corp. v. North Supply Co. (1992), 63 Ohio St. 3d 657
- Floor Craft Floor Covering, Inc. v. Parma Community General Hosp. Ass'n (1990), 54 Ohio St. 3d 1
- Digital & Analog Design Corp. v. North Supply Co. (1989), 44 Ohio St. 3d 36
- Sanek v. Duracote Corp. (1989), 43 Ohio St. 3d 169
- Dannix Painting, LLC v. The Sherwin-Williams Company, 732 F.3d 902 (8th Cir. 2013)
- Hussein v. City of Perrysburg, 617 F.3d 828 (6th Cir. 2010)
- Gentek Bldg. Prods. v. Sherwin-Williams Co., 491 F.3d 320 (6th Cir. 2007)
- Riddle v. Egensperger, 266 F.3d 542 (6th Cir. 2000)
- Medical Mut. of Ohio v. Denise deSoto, 245 F.3d 561(6th Cir. 2000)
- Austral-Pacific Fertilizers v. Cooper Indus. Inc., 108 F.3d 1376, 1997 WL 124097 (6th Cir. 1997)
- United States v. Moriarty, 8 F.3d 329 (6th Cir. 1993)
- United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. Fireman's Fund Ins. Co., 896 F.2d 200 (6th Cir. 1990)
- Forest City v. Dillon, Inc. v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co., 852 F.2d 168 (6th Cir.1988)
- C&K Indus. Servs. v. McIntyre, Kahn & Kruse Co., L.P.A., 2012 Ohio App. LEXIS 4530, 984 N.E. 2d 45, appeal denied, 134 Ohio St. 3d 1487
- Suder-Benore v. Motorists, 2013-Ohio-3959, 2013 Ohio App. LEXIS 4144
- Peng v. Fink, 2013-Ohio-3063, 2013 Ohio App. LEXIS 3113, appeal denied, 2013 Ohio LEXIS 2867
- Lindsley v. Roe, 196 Ohio App. 3d 596, 964 N.E.2d 1063, 2011 Ohio App. LEXIS 2811
- PR Transp., Inc. v. McClure, 2010-Ohio-1364; 2010 Ohio App. LEXIS 1151
- Clemens v. Katz, 2009-Ohio-1461, 2009 Ohio App. LEXIS 1232, appeal denied, 122 Ohio St. 3d 1481
- Wright v. Portnoy, 2007-Ohio-560; 2007 Ohio App. LEXIS 522
- Miller v. Bassett, 2006-Ohio-3590, 2006 Ohio App. LEXIS 3536
- Fishpaw v. Francisco, 2006-Ohio-3450, 2006 Ohio App. LEXIS 3402