Litigation

Related Services and Industries

Overview

Walter | Haverfield represents individuals in business as well as family-owned, mid-market businesses and Fortune 500 companies. This wide range of experience allows us to tailor our services to fit a client’s specific needs and strategic objectives and effectively represent their interests in forums that span the country, including:

  • Administrative agencies
  • Arbitration and mediation panels
  • Federal and state trial and appellate courts

We are engaged from the first sign of involvement up to and including trial and appeal.  We are sensitive to the costs of litigation, both financial and otherwise.  As we prepare for trial, we continually evaluate whether there is an alternative means to resolution.

Professionals

Experience

Our team’s experience includes:

  • Lead trial counsel in a week-long jury trial in trade secrets theft case.
  • Lead trial counsel in a 10-day federal jury trial in favor of employer in ADA lawsuit.
  • Lead trial counsel in a four-day federal jury trial in favor of employer in a race discrimination lawsuit.
  • Representation of an Ohio manufacturer and three of its employees in the defense of a complaint alleging the theft of trade secrets and other business torts.
  • Defended a local accountant in multiple federal lawsuits and threatened actions arising out of the misconduct of former Cleveland stock broker.
  • Lead defense counsel for an international distributor of telecommunications products in a breach of contract case. Conceived strategy to limit potential liability that led to favorable pre-trial settlement.
  • Defended a law firm in litigation brought by the United States Trustee alleging self-dealing and malfeasance in management of a prior firm.
  • Representation of borrowers and lending institutions in loan participation agreement disputes.
  • Litigates real estate, title, zoning, and construction contract disputes relating to major office building projects, abandoned industrial facilities, and residential properties.
  • Representation of lawyers and law firms in disputes arising from separation of practices and termination of employment, including dissolution of a law firm under bankruptcy court supervision.
  • National Coordinating Counsel, through trial, of high-exposure commercial claims involving several lawsuits including a Colorado state class action arising from mass sales of construction components, leading to the creation of a $300 million settlement fund.
  • Forced settlement of a $54 million extra-contractual insurance liability matter against a major Ohio commercial claims insurer at a fraction of the original claim amount.
  • Obtained a judgment on behalf of a manufacturing client against two former employees to recoup the cost of specialized training.
  • Obtained summary judgment for an automobile dealer in a dispute with a commercial customer who claimed lost profit due to excessive delays in the repair of its vehicle.
  • Representation of clients in claims where a tenant was obligated to transfer a liquor permit to a new tenant, but refused to comply with the contract.
  • Representation of clients in regard to a municipality’s objection to the renewal of a business’s liquor permit.

Articles

Recognition

U.S. NEWS – BEST LAWYERS® 2021 “BEST LAW FIRMS” RANKINGS
  • Metropolitan Tier 1 (Cleveland): Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Land Use & Zoning; Litigation – Real Estate
  • Metropolitan Tier 2 (Cleveland): Litigation – Environmental; Litigation – Labor & Employment
  • Metropolitan Tier 3 (Cleveland): Bet-the-Company Litigation; Litigation – Construction; Litigation – ERISA, Litigation – Insurance; Litigation – Trusts & Estates
2020 RANKINGS
  • Metropolitan Tier 1 (Cleveland): Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Land Use & Zoning
  • Metropolitan Tier 2 (Cleveland): Litigation – Environmental; Litigation – Insurance
  • Metropolitan Tier 3 (Cleveland): Bet-the-Company Litigation; Litigation – ERISA; Litigation – Labor & Employment; Litigation – Construction
2019 RANKINGS
  • Metropolitan Tier 1 (Cleveland): Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Land Use & Zoning; Litigation – Municipal
  • Metropolitan Tier 2 (Cleveland): Litigation – Construction; Litigation – Environmental
  • Metropolitan Tier 3 (Cleveland): Litigation – ERISA; Litigation – Labor & Employment
2018 RANKINGS
  • Metropolitan Tier 1 (Cleveland): Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Land Use & Zoning; Litigation – Municipal
  • Metropolitan Tier 2 (Cleveland): Litigation – Construction; Litigation – Environmental
  • Metropolitan Tier 3 (Cleveland): Litigation – ERISA; Litigation – Labor & Employment
2017 RANKINGS
  • Metropolitan Tier 1 (Cleveland): Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Land Use & Zoning; Litigation – Municipal
  • Metropolitan Tier 2 (Cleveland): Litigation – Environmental
  • Metropolitan Tier 3 (Cleveland): Litigation – Construction; Litigation – ERISA; Litigation – Labor & Employment
2016 RANKINGS
  • Metropolitan Tier 1 (Cleveland): Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Land Use & Zoning; Litigation – Municipal
  • Metropolitan Tier 2 (Cleveland): Litigation – Environmental
  • Metropolitan Tier 3 (Cleveland): Litigation – Construction; Litigation – ERISA; Litigation – Labor & Employment
2015 RANKINGS
  • Metropolitan Tier 1 (Cleveland): Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Land Use & Zoning; Litigation – Municipal
  • Metropolitan Tier 2 (Cleveland): Litigation – Environmental; Litigation – ERISA
  • Metropolitan Tier 3 (Cleveland): Litigation – Construction
  • National Tier 3: Litigation – ERISA
2014 RANKINGS
  • Metropolitan Tier 1: Environmental Litigation; Land Use & Zoning Litigation; Municipal Litigation
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Commercial Litigation; Construction Litigation; ERISA Litigation
  • National Tier 3: ERISA Litigation
2013 RANKINGS
  • Metropolitan Tier 1: Land Use & Zoning Litigation
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Commercial Litigation; Environmental Litigation; ERISA Litigation
  • Metropolitan Tier 3: Construction Litigation
  • National Tier 3: ERISA Litigation
2012 RANKINGS
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Litigation: Commercial, Construction, Eminent Domain, Environmental, ERISA, Labor & Employment, Land Use & Zoning