Maura L. Hughes

Clients in a wide range of industries trust Maura’s litigation and antitrust experience to help them resolve disputes and problems that can adversely impact their businesses. Whether handling corporate or antitrust litigation, counseling a client regarding its pricing or dealer relationships, or advising as to the competition implications of an acquisition, Maura brings a solution-oriented approach to her diverse clients’ benefit.

Maura's experience encompasses all aspects of litigation, including pretrial discovery, depositions, significant trial experience in both Ohio and federal courts as well as international arbitration forums and appellate briefing and argument in Ohio Courts of Appeals, the Ohio Supreme Court, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Maura’s work in the area of antitrust and trade regulation has included both litigation and client counseling on the Sherman Act, Robinson-Patman Act, and state antitrust law. Her antitrust work includes handling federal filings and associated investigations under the Hart-Scott Rodino Act, as well as counseling clients regarding the antitrust implications of potential acquisitions. Maura regularly advises clients with respect to the antitrust and competition law risks associated with minimum resale or advertised pricing programs. She has extensive experience in assisting clients in developing and implementing antitrust compliance programs, including education of executives and employees.

Since 2019, Maura has been ranked by Chambers USA for Antitrust, Band 1 in Ohio. Chambers USA researchers stated, "Maura regularly advises clients on compliance with state and federal antitrust laws and has notable experience handling investigations into alleged price fixing and other anticompetitive behavior." Clients stated, "Maura is excellent, detail-oriented, and incredibly intelligent. Maura is a star. She has a depth of expertise in antitrust law, is pragmatic, and thoroughly responsive. She is well respected in the Antitrust Bar. She provides practical advice and is extremely smart. She is a trusted adviser."

Benchmark Litigation named Maura a "Litigation Star – U.S. (National) and Ohio" in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Competition/Antitrust Litigation (2019-2024). Maura was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^® in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Antitrust (2021-2024) and Antitrust Law (2024). She has been recognized by Ohio Super Lawyers (2012-2024), and she has been named to their "Top 100 Attorneys in Ohio" list, the "Top 50 Women Attorneys in Ohio" list, the "Top 50 Attorneys in Cleveland" list, and the “Top 25 Women Attorneys in Cleveland" list.

Maura was named a 2018 “Notable Woman in Law” by Crain’s Cleveland Business, recognizing her as one of the most influential women leaders practicing in Northeast Ohio law firms. Maura was awarded the “YWCA Woman of Excellence” award in 2011, which recognizes the contributions of exceptional women within their organization. 

Maura is a past Chair of the Antitrust Section Council of the Ohio State Bar Association.

For several years, Maura has served on the Board of Trustees of the Art Therapy Studio in Cleveland, where she is a former President of the Board. Since 2008, she has been a Director of The Music Settlement in Cleveland, where she served as Chair of the Board of Directors from 2014-2017.

Maura often speaks at seminars on the national, state, and local levels on topics of antitrust counseling and litigation and the ethical obligations of attorneys. She has taught as adjunct faculty at Case Western Reserve University School of Law and Arizona State University College of Law in the areas of appellate advocacy and lawyering theory and practice.

Maura served as a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aldrich of the Northern District of Ohio before joining Calfee in 1994.

In 1999, she was awarded a Pegasus Scholarship by the American Inns of Court and spent three months at the Inns of Court in London, England. In 2002, Maura was named as a fellow of the Ohio State Bar Foundation.

Maura serves as Calfee’s General Counsel and ethics partner and counsels colleagues with respect to the Rules of Professional Responsibility and risk management issues. She became a partner at Calfee in 2003, and she was elected to the firm's Management Committee in 2019.

Honors & Recognitions

• Chambers USA, Antitrust, Band 1, Ohio (2019-2023)
• Benchmark Litigation, Litigation Star – U.S. (National) and Ohio, Competition/Antitrust and Commercial Litigation (2019-2024)
• The Best Lawyers in America^®, Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Antitrust (2021-2024), Antitrust Law (2024)
• Ohio Super Lawyers, Business Litigation (2012-2024)
  • Top 100 Attorneys in Ohio List (2022-2024)
  • Top 50 Women Attorneys in Ohio List (2013-2024)
  • Top 50 Attorneys in Cleveland List (2022-2024)
  • Top 25 Women Lawyers in Cleveland List (2013-2024)
• “Notable Woman in Law,” Crain’s Cleveland Business (2018)
• “YWCA Woman of Excellence” Award (2011)
• Pegasus Scholarship, American Inns of Court (1999)

Education

J.D., cum laude, Harvard Law School, 1993

A.B., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Brown University, 1990

Experience

Representative Litigation Matters

• Representing an independent equipment finance and secured lender in litigation pending in Common Pleas Court and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the client’s efforts to gain possession of multiple aircraft and aircraft engines in connection with a loan default. The action has involved prosecuting the client’s complaint and motion for replevin, as well as claims by other lenders. This action implicates international treaties and federal law regarding the priority of security interests in aircraft and engines, which has required presenting multiple complex legal theories to state and federal courts.
• Calfee client, a software manufacturer, brought an arbitration before the American Arbitration Association (AAA) for breach of contract, trade secret misappropriation, tortious interference, and unjust enrichment, arising from a terminated distribution contract with a customer. This private arbitration matter involves challenging and novel damages theories related to the misappropriation of software.
• Representing a mutual health insurance company in several litigation matters, specifically: (1) a class action lawsuit challenging the client's practices in connection with "value-based contracting" with medical providers; (2) a class action lawsuit challenging the client's practices also in connection with "value-based contracting" by medical providers but with a larger putative class; (3) an action alleging the breach of our client's agreements with two national insurance providers.
• Filed a lawsuit against two large national healthcare administrative companies alleging the breach of our client’s contracts permitting countrywide access, at significant discounts, to the defendants’ provider networks. This lawsuit, filed after several years of unsuccessful negotiations among the parties during which Calfee advised the client, asserts claims of breach of contract and tortious interference. 
• Representing as lead counsel U.S. and foreign subsidiaries of a multi-national corporation in a federal MDL class action alleging an international price-fixing cartel.
• Serving as lead counsel in the trial and appeal, and obtaining a multi-million-dollar verdict, for an Ohio municipality seeking the return of overcharges from a state agency.
• Defending a large health insurer in a class action litigation arising from payments made by its plan customers.
• Obtaining for a multi-national corporate client a $10 million judgment before an arbitration panel of the International Chamber of Commerce, successfully asserting contract claims under a foreign supply agreement. 
• Successfully representing the U.S. subsidiary of a multi-national manufacturer in an international arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce on contract claims valued over $50 million arising from the dissolution of a longstanding joint venture. 
• Representing a health insurer in litigation in connection with contract claims and counterclaims of multi-million-dollar healthcare fraud by a provider and obtaining a favorable settlement with no financial liability on the part of the client.
• Acting as lead counsel and successfully defending a financial services client in an action for accountant malpractice.

Representative Antitrust Matters

• Designing and implementing antitrust compliance education programs for several clients in highly concentrated industries.
• Serving as lead counsel during a DOJ merger clearance investigation for an acquiring party purchasing a major competitor in the aviation industry, obtaining clearance for the transaction, and avoiding a Second Request.
• Serving as lead counsel before the FTC in a merger clearance investigation in a billion-dollar transaction in the food industry and obtaining clearance without a Second Request.
• Serving as counsel for individual employees involved as material witnesses in connection with criminal antitrust investigations.
• Counseling clients and reaching out on their behalf to the Agencies with concerns regarding the acquisition activity of competitors.
• Representing many public and private companies in successful Hart-Scott Rodino filings.
• Serving as second-chair trial counsel in a three-month antitrust trial involving an alleged Sherman Act conspiracy. 

Professional & Community

• Art Therapy Studio in Cleveland, Member of the Board of Directors and Former Board President
• The Music Settlement in Cleveland, Member of the Board of Directors and Former Board Chair (2014-2017)
• Antitrust Section Council of the Ohio State Bar Association, Former Chair
• Ohio State Bar Foundation, Fellow (2002-present)

Client Feedback

• "Maura is very understanding of the issues and breaks down complex matters into easy-to-digest chunks." – Chambers USA 2023 Guide
• "Maura is excellent, detail-oriented, and incredibly intelligent. Maura is a star. She has a depth of expertise in antitrust law, is highly pragmatic and thoroughly responsive." – Chambers USA 2022 Guide
• "The 'fantastic' Maura Hughes is a 'very accomplished litigator and counselor,' according to sources, who speak highly of her antitrust expertise. She regularly advises clients on compliance with state and federal antitrust laws and has notable experience in handling investigations into alleged price fixing and other anticompetitive behavior.'" – Chambers USA researchers, as reported in the Chambers USA 2020 Guide
• "Attorney Maura Hughes is well-prepared, smart, and willing to do all the homework required to gain deep knowledge of the client's perspective and needs. She is responsive and always professional." – Calfee client, as reported by U.S. News – Best Lawyers in the 2019 “Best Law Firms” rankings report
• "Maura Hughes at Calfee, Halter & Griswold is my go-to expert for all things Antitrust. She has a unique ability to narrow complex issues into simple concepts and provide practical advice that business leaders can appreciate." – Calfee client, as reported by U.S. News – Best Lawyers in the 2019 “Best Law Firms” rankings report