Appellate and Supreme Court practice

The end of a trial or administrative proceeding often marks the start of an appeal. Whether defending or challenging a judgment, we work with clients to help them understand the appellate playing field and efficiently maximize the opportunity for a satisfactory outcome. Our attorneys represent clients at every level of state and federal appellate jurisdiction.

With a significant Ohio presence, the firm is able to offer particular insight into appellate advocacy before the Ohio Supreme Court, Ohio’s district courts of appeal and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. At the Ohio Supreme Court alone, our firm has appeared on more than 150 cases since 2000. Our roster of appellate advocates includes one of the few Ohio attorneys certified as a specialist in appellate practice by the Ohio State Bar Association, who has orally argued cases in all 12 of Ohio’s district courts of appeal.

The firm’s presence in Chicago and Pittsburgh has added a number of seasoned appellate attorneys who share decades of experience before the state courts of appeal in Illinois and Pennsylvania, the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Third and Seventh Circuits, and other state appellate courts from California to Connecticut, New York and beyond. We regularly craft amicus briefs on behalf of local, state and national trade groups. Our practice includes former judicial law clerks who served at the Ohio Supreme Court, Third Circuit, Sixth Circuit, Seventh Circuit and Eleventh Circuit.

Our appellate advocates:

  • Assess prospects for success on appeal;
  • Craft arguments that engage busy appellate judges;
  • Develop arguments that resonate with the bench;
  • Formulate and pursue settlement strategies, where appropriate;
  • Forge strategic coalitions and submit amicus briefs; and
  • Control costs and use resources efficiently.

Because we ground our appellate practice in the trial experience and substantive knowledge of our attorneys, the practice encompasses a wide range of significant areas. From 2019 through 2022, for example, we appeared in the Ohio Supreme Court, Third Circuit and Sixth Circuit in an array of matters including enforcement actions against international automobile manufacturers, antitrust cases against the country’s largest shell egg producers, elections matters, rulemakings for the net metering of electricity and tort claims against online retailers.

Our appellate practice team manages the Ohio Appellate Insights blog, which provides practice pointers, tips, best practices, case summaries and strategic thinking guides to maximize outcomes within the Ohio appellate courts.