JEFF assists closely-held companies, public corporations, municipalities, and private organizations in resolving lawsuits at both the trial and appellate level. He has represented clients in various state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court and several United States Courts of Appeals.
As part of his practice, Jeff represents employers and insurers in litigation brought under ERISA. His experience includes the defense of claims brought under all subsections of ERISA, including claims for the wrongful denial of benefits, breach of fiduciary duty, and for violations of ERISA’s contribution and notice requirements.
Jeff’s litigation practice also extends to controversies involving IRS and state taxing authorities and to financial disputes requiring the interpretation and litigation of tax statutes.
Jeff’s practice includes the representation of clients involved in civil and criminal investigations and accompanying lawsuits, regulatory prosecutions, and compliance reviews involving issues other than tax. As an attorney engaged in the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations practice, Jeff has defended Calfee clients in lawsuits brought by governmental entities such as the SEC and the Department of Labor. He also regularly counsels clients with respect to voluntary and involuntary government recalls of products from sewing machines to motor vehicle accessories and handles disputes between Calfee clients and regulatory agencies such as the CPSC, the FDA, and NHTSA.
He also represents employers and other clients in lawsuits brought under various federal anti-discrimination laws (including Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, and the ADA), as well as in actions to enforce non-competition and/or non-solicitation agreements. Jeff also defends employers in proceedings brought by the U.S. Department of Labor under OSHA and MSHA (the Federal Mine Safety & Health Act).
As an attorney in the firm’s Tort, Accident and Products Liability Litigation group, Jeff’s experience involves defending employers and other clients against employer intentional tort, negligence, premises liability, products liability, toxic tort, and other related claims in state and federal courts. As part of this practice, and in conjunction with his experience in disputes against regulatory agencies, Jeff also counsels clients with regard to the drafting and preparation of liability waivers and the design of product warnings.
An author and commentator on litigation-related issues, Jeff has published several articles in national and local publications, including “A New Trend in the Law of Privilege: The Federal Settlement Privilege and the Proper Use of Federal Rule of Evidence 501 for the Recognition of New Privileges” in the University of Memphis Law Review; “What You Say Can and Will Be Held Against You,” in the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal; “When Outdoors Becomes Indoors” in the Workers’ Compensation Journal of Ohio; and “Close Calls: How the Supreme Court's Decision in Conkright v. Frommert Re-established a Plan Administrator’s Discretion on Judgment Calls,” in Managed Healthcare Executive. Jeff has also regularly contributed to the ABA’s annual Mid-Winter Report of the Subcommittee on Benefit Claims and Individual Rights.
Prior to joining Calfee in 2003, Jeff served as a law clerk to the Honorable Richard F. Suhrheinrich on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, where he advised the Judge in dozens of groundbreaking cases, including Taubman Co. v. Webfeats, 319 F.3d 770 (6th Cir. 2003) (establishing constitutionality of internet “gripe” sites), Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. v. Chiles Power Supply, Inc., 332 F.3d 976 (6th Cir. 2003) (creating federal settlement privilege), U.S. v. Dailide, 316 F.3d 611 (6th Cir. 2003) (setting standards for revocation of naturalization of alleged war criminals), and U.S. v. Galloway, 316 F.3d 624 (6th Cir. 2003) (establishing constitutionality of secondary customs searches).
Jeff became a partner in 2012.