Appellate Proceedings Litigation Attorneys: Calfee

Overview

Appellate Litigation Lawyers for State and Federal Appeals

Effective appellate advocacy requires skills different from those needed at the trial court level. Appellate attorneys often must distill a long and complex trial record into the most persuasive and understandable arguments and present them in just one brief and 20 short minutes of oral argument.

Calfee’s litigators have extensive experience doing just that, representing both appellants and appellees in state and federal courts of appeals. While appellate advocacy typically occurs following representation of a company’s interest at trial, clients also retain Calfee’s appellate litigators for the first time when a case is on appeal – either to educate other trial lawyers in the appellate process or simply to assume control of the appeal.

We have, on multiple occasions, accepted cases following adverse results at a court of appeals, successfully argued that the Ohio Supreme Court should accept a discretionary appeal, and then won a reversal of the lower court decision.

Regardless of whether we handled a client's matter in a lower court, we work to bring value to our appellate clients by efficiently and effectively presenting each case in the most persuasive manner in the appellate forum.

Services our Appellate Attorneys Provide:

Our appellate lawyers support clients at every stage of the appellate process, in both state and federal courts.

Appeals for Appellants and Appellees

We handle the full appeal, whether you are seeking to overturn a decision or protect a favorable outcome. Our services include:

Challenging adverse trial verdicts and rulings
Defending trial verdicts on appeal
Assessing the strength of potential appellate issues
Preserving and framing the record for review.

Discretionary and Supreme Court Review

We help clients pursue and oppose discretionary review at the highest courts. Our work includes:

Petitioning the Ohio Supreme Court to accept discretionary appeals
Briefing and arguing cases before state supreme courts
Seeking reversal of unfavorable lower court decisions
Opposing efforts to obtain further review.

Constitutional and Statutory Questions

We raise and defend precedent-setting issues that reach beyond a single case, including:

Constitutional challenges and defenses
Questions of statutory interpretation
Issues of first impression likely to guide future courts.

Mid-Appeal Engagements

When a case is already on appeal, we can:

Assume full control of the appeal
Partner with and educate trial counsel on appellate strategy
Evaluate the record and reshape the argument for a reviewing court.

Noteworthy

Chambers USA Leading Law Firm Rankings

Since 2005, Calfee has been recognized by Chambers USA as a Leading Law Firm in Litigation: General Commercial, most recently in Band 2 in Ohio (2026).

Clients interviewed by Chambers USA researchers provided the following feedback on Calfee's Litigation team, "They're savvy, quick to adapt, and put people at ease in complex commercial litigation. The team is exceptionally responsive. The entire team provides outstanding legal services. We're very pleased with the firm's breadth of expertise and ability to bring together the right people. They are a good balance of practical and strategic, and they're very responsive. It's an excellent firm."

The Legal 500 Rankings

The Legal 500 US City Elite 2026 Guide has recognized Calfee as a Leading Law Firm in Ohio in Commercial Disputes.

Best Lawyers^®“Best Law Firms” Rankings

Calfee was selected for inclusion in the 2026 "Best Law Firms" rankings in Commercial Litigation (National Tier 2, Regional Tier 1 Cleveland, Regional Tier 2 Cincinnati, Regional Tier 1 Columbus).

Benchmark Litigation Rankings

Calfee was selected for inclusion by Benchmark Litigation 2026 as a Highly Recommended Law Firm in Dispute Resolution in Ohio. Additionally, 15 of Calfee's Litigation partners have been ranked by Benchmark Litigation as "Litigation Stars" in the U.S. (National), Midwest, and Ohio and as “40 & Under" and "Future Stars" Honorees.