Coolidge Wall Receives 2024 Best Law Firms First-tier Ranking

In Business Law, Employment Law, Labor, Litigation, News, Real Estate, Tax by Coolidge Wall

Dayton, Ohio – Coolidge Wall Co., L.P.A. has received first-tier metropolitan ranking in 10 practice areas by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers in the 2024 “Best Law Firms” list. Achieving a top tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise among ranked law firms. The 10 areas for which the firm received Tier 1 ranking are Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Employment Law-Management, Labor Law-Management, Litigation-Labor & Employment, Litigation-Real Estate, Real Estate Law, Tax Law, Trusts & Estates Law, and Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers. To be eligible for a ranking, a firm …

New Associate Dina Cary Joins Coolidge Wall

In General, Litigation, News by Coolidge Wall

Dayton, Ohio – Coolidge Wall Co., L.P.A. is pleased to announce that Dina Cary has joined the firm as of counsel in Litigation Department. Specializing in commercial litigation, Dina’s focuses her practice in the areas of Labor and Employment, Construction, and Creditors’ Rights. Before joining Coolidge, Dina worked for a Springfield-based law firm, where she practiced Commercial Litigation with an emphasis on Creditors’ Rights.  Dina previously worked at Coolidge Wall for 10 years earlier in her legal career. An active member of both local and state bar associations, Dina is a committed community volunteer where she sits on the Board …

Do’s and Don’ts When Your Company is Sued

In Litigation by Coolidge Wall

Even in the age of tort reform, lawsuits are prevalent and an inherent cost of doing business. For most companies, it is not a question of if you will be sued, but when. Preparing for inevitable and arming yourself when that time comes are vital to protecting your interests and ensuring the longevity of your company’s success. To assist in that process, below are a few general do’s and don’ts for litigation success. Do: (1) Take any lawsuit filed against you seriously: By far one of the biggest mistakes businesses make when they are sued is not taking the complaint …

Corporate Landlords: Why You Must Have an Attorney File and Handle Your Eviction Actions

In Litigation by Coolidge Wall

The statute governing forcible entry and detainer claims, often referred to as evictions, allows landlords to file complaints against their tenants for a number of different reasons, including breaching a lease agreement, failing to pay rent, or engaging in illegal drug activity. If the landlord is a corporation, that corporation is required to be represented by an attorney in filing complaints for eviction and appearing before the Court. Non-lawyers are not permitted to file legal papers or represent the interests of a corporation before a Court except under very limited circumstances which do not apply to eviction actions. See /blog/2016/09/claim-limits-in-ohio-small-claims-court-increase-to-6000–.shtml. …

Claim Limits in Ohio Small Claims Court Increase to $6,000 – How to Protect Your Business

In Litigation by Coolidge Wall

Beginning September 27, 2016, small claims courts throughout Ohio will be able to hear cases with damage claims of up to $6,000. For decades, access to small claims courts has been limited to those cases with damages of $3,000 or less. The notable 100% increase marks the first increase seen in Ohio in nearly twenty years and puts the Buckeye State more on track with the national average for small claims courts nationwide. Sponsors of the increase believe it will allow small businesses to cost effectively recover debts owed. This could be attributable to the relatively minimal filing fees, expedited …

Electing to Use Arbitration for your Business – What you can learn from Brady v. Goodell

In Litigation by Coolidge Wall

Did Tom Brady cheat? Is he guilty? Is Commissioner Roger Goodell a power mad dictator? I am just as curious as most sports fans to see how this soap opera plays out. Recently a local radio station asked me to “guest” on a sports talk show to give my legal thoughts on a possible Brady v. Goodell Federal Court lawsuit. Ultimately I didn’t get my 4 minutes of local radio fame, and not because I would have been shy in front of the microphone. I was nixed after telling the station’s sports director that his viewers might not think that …

Think Twice Before You Delete: How “Cleaning-Up” Your Internet Presence During or Pending Litigation Can “Clean-Out” Your Bank Account

In Litigation by Coolidge Wall

As if the lasting effects of your digital footprint were not deterrent enough, the possibility you could be destroying evidence and subjecting yourself to hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines if you delete material during existing or probable litigation should cause you pause before posting questionable material on social media outlets. Ohio Courts recognize civil claims for destruction of evidence, or what is commonly referred to as “spoliation” of evidence. You are guilty of destruction of evidence if: 1. There is pending or probable litigation; 2. You have knowledge that the litigation exists or is probable; 3. You willfully …

Changes in Ohio Law to Prevent Opiate Overdose Deaths

In General, Litigation by Coolidge Wall

On March 11 2014, Governor Kasich signed House Bill 170 into law. HB 170 made sweeping changes to the law in Ohio with regard to a drug known as Naxolone, used to prevent or reverse the effects of opiate overdose, including difficulty breathing, sleepiness, low blood pressure, and even death. Naxolone, brand name Narcan, can be administered as an injection or as a nasal spray. Naloxone does not reverse overdoses that are caused by non-opioid drugs, such as cocaine, benzodiazepines (e.g. Xanex, Klonopin and Valium), methamphetamines, or alcohol. According to the bill’s sponsors, per statistics kept by the Ohio Department …

When Settlement Isn’t the End: the EEOC’s War on Certainty in Severance Agreements

In Business Law, Litigation by Coolidge Wall

Imagine this scenario faced by many employers with exiting employees: the employer gives the exiting employee the option to contractually waive any future right to sue the employer in exchange for a lump sum, a golden (or silver) parachute. The employee has signed the severance agreement, cashed the check, and that chapter of the company’s life is closed. Or is it? Recently, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has sued national pharmacy chain CVS for provisions CVS included in severance agreements with employees. The EEOC claims that the severance agreements condition severance benefits on a variety of “fine print” clauses …

Blankenship co-authors article for Dayton Bar Briefs

In Litigation by Coolidge Wall

Coolidge Wall attorney Amy Blankenship and Dawn Frick of Surdyk, Dowd & Turner recently co-authored an article entitled The Techno-Savvy Deposition, which was featured in the December 2013 issue of the Dayton Bar Briefs. Ms. Frick and Ms. Blankenship are the Chair and Co-Chair, respectively, of the Civil Trial Practice Group of the Dayton Bar Association. To view the article, click here: Techno-Savvy Deposition.