Professional Experience
Formerly Chief of the White Collar Crime Section of the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, a major portion of Ralph's practice involves complex commercial disputes, environmental litigation matters and advice to lawyers and law firms involving separation and dissolution of practices, including defense of professional negligence claims. Ralph also has extensive experience in construction and real estate disputes.
Ralph represents individuals and corporations in white-collar criminal investigations by governmental agencies encompassing environmental, health care, securities fraud, antitrust, tax and government procurement matters.
A respected speaker, having addressed both legal and community organizations, Ralph was recently named as one of Ohio's Super Litigation Attorneys and was also named as one of Cleveland's leading white collar defense attorneys by Chambers USA.
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Areas Of Emphasis
Environmental Law
Ralph's recent environmental and toxic torts law experience includes the following:
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Negotiated USEPA project agreement and related private party and governmental agreements to implement the Ashtabula River and Harbor Dredging Project under the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002, including supplemental funding under the Water Resources Development Act with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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Served as common counsel for several defense groups in large, multi-party cost recovery actions where he has negotiated favorable settlements and site-specific apportionment of response costs among a majority of the parties, including related natural resource damage settlements.
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Represented numerous industrial clients as well as a defense group made up of potentially responsible parties in a government-initiated cost-recovery action under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.
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Obtained several favorable arbitration results for a Fortune-500 company utilizing a detailed and technical evaluation of the site and the client's activities in relation to the clean-up work ordered by U.S. EPA.
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Litigated a State of Ohio enforcement action involving allegations of an illegal treatment, storage and disposal facility resulting from the improper use of a floor drain and solid waste disposal facility.
Presentations
- "Negotiations 101: Plea Agreements, Sentencing, Attorney-Client Privilege, Pre-Trial Diversion (1.0)," panel discussion in seminar on "White Collar Crime: Latest Trends and Best Practices," sponsored by the CMBA and Federal Bar Association, Northern District of Ohio Chapter, December 17, 2010
Professional & Community Associations
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, The Trial Lawyer Honorary Society
- American, Ohio and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Associations
- Master Bencher, A.J. Celebrezze Inn of Court
- Life Member, Conference of the Eighth Judicial District of Ohio
- Member, Judicial Advisory Committee to the U.S. District Court (Northern District of Ohio)
- Member of Panel of Mediators for Commercial Disputes - Cuyahoga County, Ohio Common Pleas Court
- Member, U.S. Attorney's Advisory Council
- Leadership Cleveland, Class of 2006
Education
T.M. Cooley School of Law, J.D., 1976
University of Notre Dame, B.A., 1971
Licensed to Practice
- U.S., Ohio and Florida Supreme Courts
- Numerous Federal district and appellate courts
Awards & Recognitions2010 - Selected for inclusion in Inside Business magazine's current listing of Northeast Ohio's "Leading Lawyers," an honor bestowed upon only one percent of the region's practicing attorneys - Civil LitigationAV rated by Martindale-Hubbell 2008-2009 - Recognized as a leading practitioner in the field of criminal law by the London-based publications, The International Who's Who of Business Crime Lawyers, 2008 and The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, 2009 2006-2007 - Recognized in the 2006 & 2007 editions of Corporate Counsel Magazine: Best Lawyers - Environmental Law 2006-2012 - Selected for inclusion in the 2006-2012 editions of The Best Lawyers in America. Listed in current edition for Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Litigation - Construction; Litigation - Environmental. 2005-2011 - Selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Ohio) 2004-2012 - Selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyers magazine. Areas of practice: Business Litigation; Criminal Defense: White Collar; Environmental Litigation. |
Articles by Ralph E. CascarillaJune 2005 - Client Alert on Environmental Law: Toxic Release Inventory Data Due July 1 |
