Porter Wright attorneys Hughes, Augustine, Calabrese and Nocar appointed to leadership positions

Porter Wright is pleased to announce new leadership for the firm’s Litigation Department in its Appellate & Supreme Court, Class Action, Construction, and Transportation & Logistics Practice Groups.

Brad Hughes has been appointed as chair of the firm’s Appellate & Supreme Court Practice Group. Hughes, a Columbus-based litigation partner, represents clients in appeals, original actions and complex commercial litigation. Porter Wright’s appellate practitioners represent clients at every level of state and federal appellate jurisdiction. Since 2007, the firm has appeared more than 150 times in Ohio’s District Courts of Appeal, and more than 100 times before the Sixth Circuit.

Brian Augustine, a Cincinnati-based partner has been appointed as chair to the firm’s Transportation & Logistics Practice Group. Brian focuses his practice on transportation law, commercial litigation, Carmack Amendment litigation and the defense of catastrophic injury claims. The firm’s Transportation & Logistics team provides legal counsel to motor carriers, third-party logistics providers, rail, air, maritime, pipeline, and telecommunications transportation and logistics firms across a range of legal disciplines including regulatory compliance, litigation, licensing, environmental issues, corporate law, and labor and employment.

J. Philip Calabrese, a Cleveland-based litigation partner, joins Caroline Gentry as co-chair of the firm’s Class Action Practice Group. Calabrese focuses his practice on defending class actions in state and federal court, both at the trial level and in state and federal appellate courts. He has successfully defended class actions, mass actions and other matters in a range of industries, including financial services, specialty chemical, consumer products, medical device, pharmaceuticals, automotive and telecommunications. During the past several years, the firm’s class action attorneys have defended more than 50 class actions in state and federal courts in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. They have substantial experience defending antitrust, consumer, employment, ERISA, insurance, mass/toxic tort, product liability and securities class actions.

Tom Nocar, a Columbus-based attorney joins Ryan Sherman as co-chair of the firm’s Construction Practice Group. Nocar’s first-hand experience in construction management and real estate development coupled with his technical knowledge of the construction industry are well suited to help guide the future of the practice area. Members of the firm’s Construction Practice group assist owners and builders with construction business and employment issues, drafting construction contracts and change order management, defective and deficient construction claims, delay claims, non-payment claims and mechanic’s liens, alternative dispute resolution, and litigation. They work with building owners, general contractors, subcontractors, engineers and architects to protect their contractual interests.

“We are pleased to see the knowledge, experience and leadership these attorneys will bring to their new roles,” said Jim Curphey, Chair of the Litigation Department. “Their consistent ability to help clients resolve tough legal problems paired with their strong commitment to the practice are an ideal combination for the role of Practice Group Leader.”