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Chris generally represents companies and corporate officers and directors in business litigation arising from contract, fiduciary duty, lender liability, professional consultant and ERISA disputes. Chris heads the Cleveland office’s Employee Benefits Litigation practice, and has prevailed as first-chair trial lawyer in multi-million dollar jury and bench trials in and out of Ohio. Recent examples of Chris’ accomplishments as lead counsel include the following cases: In February 2008, following an evidentiary arbitration hearing, obtained an award in favor of Calfee’s client in a contractual compensation dispute with one of its former officers relating to the sale of the client’s assets to a third-party public company. In October 2007 asserted a counterclaim and succeeded in obtaining, on behalf of a former owner, officer and director of an Ohio engineering company, a preliminary injunction prohibiting the plaintiff-former employer from interfering in the client’s prospective business ventures and ongoing professional relationships. Obtained summary judgment in September 2007 for a bank defendant in a novel case relating to lending practices, loan administration, collection efforts, and common law invasion of privacy issues. In 2007, settled at a 97% discount from the plaintiff’s alleged damages, fiduciary duty, RICO and contract claims against Calfee’s client, an Ohio-based publicly held bank. Achieved in 2007 a dismissal of a $400,000 claim against Calfee’s financial services client arising from allegations of negligence and undue influence. During 2006 and 2007, defended an Ohio-based national health insurer in lawsuits brought against it in Ohio, North Carolina, California, Texas and Louisiana in which outright dismissals were obtained without any settlement monies being paid. In December 2006, on the eve of trial in New Orleans federal court, settled for greater than a 99.9% discount employment practices and discrimination claims against Calfee’s publicly-held client. In September 2006, in a Cleveland federal court action, successfully represented a national retailer, which commenced preemptive litigation against its commercial landlord who sought to preclude the large retailer from shuttering operations in one location in order to open a new store two miles away. In March 2006, judgment was entered for Calfee’s Ohio client by a Boston federal court in a $3 million trade secret and breach of contract case. Arguing ERISA preemption and standing issues before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in November 2005, Chris obtained judgment affirming the Louisiana district court’s summary judgment on behalf of three clients. The companies had been sued in Louisiana state court for $2.4 million, arising from their alleged violations of Louisiana’s bad faith insurance statute. In August 2005, following a two-week federal court trial in Hartford, Connecticut, Chris obtained judgment in favor of Calfee’s clients-- a Cleveland biotech company and six of its directors and officers -- arising from the Connecticut plaintiff’s $7 million lawsuit for breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair trade practices, and breach of good faith and fair dealing. The lawsuit arose from the plaintiff’s investment in, and contractual investment banking relationship with, the Calfee clients. In May 2005 Chris obtained, on behalf of a public company defendant, summary judgment from the Eastern District of Louisiana federal court with respect to the plaintiff’s $3 million employment discrimination claims. This judgment was affirmed on appeal by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in May 2006. In April 2005, Chris mediated in Dayton federal court and reached an agreement to settle on favorable terms ERISA and RICO class action claims arising from pension plan consulting and actuarial services. In March 2005, Chris obtained an American Arbitration Association judgment on behalf of Ohio’s largest Medicaid healthcare provider following state court litigation and a multi-day arbitration hearing arising from Medicaid billing fraud and breach of contract allegations against the client. Chris is a member of the American, Federal, Ohio and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Associations and was elected in 2005 to serve a three-year term on the Executive Council of the Cleveland Bar Association’s Litigation Section. Over the years, he has spoken at various conferences and seminars regarding corporate and ERISA litigation. Since joining Calfee in 1989, Chris has regularly served as pro bono legal counsel for the Cleveland Legal Aid Society. He became a partner in the firm in 1999. | 