Eric H. Zagrans - Columbus, OH

Overview

Awards and Honors

Super Lawyers® Selectees

Super Lawyers® is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The patented selection process includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. The number provided represents the number of attorneys at the firm that have been selected to the Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists.

Eric H. Zagrans included in a Super Lawyers® list

Education

• Legal Education

  • Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1977
    J.D.
    Honors: (national champion and winner of "Best Advocate" award, National Mock Trial Competition, Houston, 1976

• Non Legal Education

  • University of Notre Dame, 1974
    A.B.
    Honors: magna cum laude
    Major: English Literature

Current Employment Position(s)

• Managing Partner

Representative Cases

• Grable & Sons Metal Products v. Darue Engineering, 545 U.S. 308 (2005) (oral argument in case establishing removal jurisdiction for federal questions arising under Internal Revenue Code
• DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Cuno, 547 U.S. 332 (2006) (amici curiae brief on behalf of four Ohio municipalities in support of constitutionality of Ohio's investment tax credit)
• Winkelman v. Parma City School District, 550 U.S. 516 (2007) (amici curiae brief on behalf of the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities and the Autism Society of Ohio in support of parental right to represent autistic child in litigation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
• Local No. 93 Int’l Ass’n of Firefighters v. City of Cleveland, 478 U.S. 501 (1986) (merit brief on behalf of City of Cleveland seeking to uphold affirmative action plan as part of collective bargaining agreement with union of municipal workers)
• Leimkuehler v. American United Life Ins. Co.
  • Citation: 713 F.3d 905
  • Court: 7th Circuit
  • Year: 2013
• Mell v. Anthem, Inc.
  • Citation: 688 F.3d 280
  • Court: 6th Circuit
  • Year: 2012
• G.G. Marck and Associates, Inc. v. James Peng
  • Citation: 2012 WL 695628
  • Court: 6th Circuit
  • Year: 2012
• G.G. Marck and Associates, Inc. v. James Peng
  • Citation: 309 Fed. Appx. 928
  • Court: 6th Circuit
  • Year: 2009
• Molina Crespo v. United States Merit System Protection Board
  • Citation: 547 F.3d 651
  • Court: 6th Circuit
  • Year: 2008
• Weitzel vs. SMS Acquisition Inc.
  • Citation: 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 24278
  • Court: 2nd Circuit
  • Year: 2008
• Mikulski v. Centerior Energy Corp., 501 F.3d 555 (6th Circuit 2007) (en banc)
• Mikulski v. Centerior Energy Corp.
  • Citation: 435 F.3d 666
  • Court: 6th Circuit
  • Year: 2006
• North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation v. FCC
  • Citation: 437 F.3d 1206
  • Court: D.C. Circuit
  • Year: 2006
• Keller v. Central Bank of Nigeria
  • Citation: 277 F.3d 811
  • Court: 6th Circuit
  • Year: 2002
• Rybarczyk v. TRW Inc.
  • Citation: 235 F.3d 975
  • Court: 6th Circuit
  • Year: 2000
• Costantino v. TRW, Inc.
  • Citation: 13 F .3d 969
  • Court: 6th Circuit
  • Year: 1994
• In re: Garver
  • Citation: 116 F.3d 176
  • Court: 6th Circuit
  • Year: 1997
• Simiele v. Cleveland Board of Education
  • Citation: 57 F.3d 1070
  • Court: 6th Circuit
  • Year: 1995
• City of Cleveland v. Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, 734 F.2d 1157 (6th Circuit 1984), aff'g
• 538 F. Supp. 1240
  • Court: N.D. Ohio
  • Year: 1981
• 538 F. Supp. 1227
  • Court: N.D. Ohio
  • Year: 1980
• Record Revolution No. 6 v. City of Parma, Ohio, 709 F.2d 534 (6th Circuit), rev'g 638 F.2d 916 (6th Circuit 1980), and aff'd 492 F. Supp. 1157 (N.D. Ohio 1980)
• Phelps v. Sgt. Anderson, 700 F.2d 147, (4th Circuit 1983) (appointed by Fourth Circuit)
• Hanna v. Toner, 630 F.2d 442 (6th Circuit 1980) (amicus brief)
• Ormond v. Anthem, Inc.
  • Citation: 799 F. Supp.2d 910
  • Court: (S.D. Ind. 2011)
• Leimkuehler v. American United Life Ins. Co.
  • Citation: 2012 WL 28608
  • Court: (S.D. Ind. Jan. 5, 2012)
• Jorling v. Anthem, Inc.
  • Citation: No. 1:09-cv-798-TWP, 2011 WL 6755157
  • Court: (S.D. Ind., Dec. 23, 2011)
• Leimkuehler v. AUL
  • Citation: 752 F. Supp.2d 974
  • Court: (S.D. Ind. 2010)
• Mell v. Anthem, Inc.
  • Citation: No. 1:08-cv-715-SAS, 2010 WL 796751
  • Court: (S.D. Ohio March 3, 2010)
• Mell v. Anthem, Inc
  • Citation: 264 F.R.D. 312
  • Court: (S.D. Ohio 2009)
• Ormond v Anthem, Inc.
  • Citation: No. 1:05-cv-1908-DFH, 2009 WL 3163117
  • Court: (S.D. Ind. Sept. 29, 2009)
• In re Extended Stay, Inc.
  • Citation: 418 B.R. 49 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2009) (Consol. Case No. 09-13764-JMP)
• Ormond v. Anthem, Inc
  • Citation: 1:05-cv-1908-DFH, 2008 WL 906157
  • Court: (S.D. Ohio March 31, 2008)
• Molina Crespo v. United States Merit System Protection Board
  • Citation: 486 F. Supp.2d 680
  • Court: N.D. Ohio 2007)
• In re: International Total Services, Inc.
  • Citation: 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66798
  • Court: (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 10, 2007)
• Schick v. Ernst & Young
  • Citation: 141 F.R.D. 23
  • Court: (S.D.N.Y. 1992)
• The Erie Dock Company v. Erie Lackawanna, Inc.
  • Citation: 688 F. Supp. 1556
  • Court: (Sp. Ct. R.R.R.A. 1988)
• The Erie Dock Company v. Erie Lackawanna, Inc
  • Citation: 635 F. Supp. 875
  • Court: (Sp. Ct. RRRA 1986)
• White Consolidated Industries, Inc. v. Whirlpool Corp.
  • Citation: 619 F. Supp. 1022
  • Court: (N.D. Ohio 1985), mod'y 612 F. Supp. 1009 (N.D. Ohio 1985), aff'd 781 F.2d 1224 (6th Circuit 1986)
• City of Elyria v. Lorain County Budget Comm.
  • Citation: 128 Ohio St.3d 485, 2011-Ohio-1482
• City of Elyria v Lorain County Budget Comm.
  • Citation: 117 Ohio St.3d 403, 2008-Ohio-940
• In re All Kelley & Ferraro Asbestos Cases
  • Citation: 104 Ohio St.3d 605, 2004-Ohio-7104
• In re All Kelley & Ferraro Asbestos Cases v. Amchem Products
  • Citation: 105 Ohio St.3d 287, 2005-Ohio-1650
• State ex rel. Committee v. Norris
  • Citation: 99 Ohio St.3d 336, 2003-Ohio-3887
• State ex rel. Crobaugh v. White (2001)
  • Citation: 91 Ohio St.3d 470
• LaCourse v. Fleitz (1986)
  • Citation: 28 Ohio St.3d 209 (amicus brief)
• Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co. v. Marsh (1984)
  • Citation: 15 Ohio St.3d 107
• Navarro v. LaMusga (2004)
  • Citation: 32 Cal.4th 1072, 12 Cal.Rptr.3d 356, 88 P.3d 81
• Recovered over $200 million in damages for clients in which I have served as lead trial and/or appellate counsel, and I have also successfully defended clients in other cases from damage claims aggregating in excess of $5 billion, including:
• Ormond v. Anthem, S.D. Indiana No. 1:05-cv-01908-TWP ($90 million settlement, one of the largest recoveries in the history of the Southern District of Indiana).
• Rybarczyk v. TRW Inc., 235 F.3d 975 (6th Circuit 2001) (settled for over $50 million - largest recovery in any labor, employment or ERISA case in the country for that year, as reported by Corporate Counsel magazine, July 2001)
• Lowe v. Sun Refining & Marketing, Lucas Cty. [Ohio] C.P. No. 88-0630 (major toxic tort class action arising from an underground pipeline spill in western Ohio, settles for over $30 million); see Lowe v. Sun Refining & Marketing Co. (Lucas Cty. 1992), 73 Ohio App.3d 563
• Costantino v. TRW, Inc.
  • Citation: 773 F. Supp. 34
  • Court: (N.D. Ohio 1991), aff'd as mod., 13 F.3d 969 (6th Circuit 1994)
• Taylor v. Amerifoods Companies
  • Citation: N.D. Ohio No. 1:92CV1715
• Schick v Ernst & Young
  • Citation: 141 F.R.D. 23
  • Court: (S.D.N.Y. 1992)
• Schick v. Ernst & Whinney
  • Citation: WL 8543
  • Court: (S.D.N.Y. 1991)
• In re: Bay Financial Securities Litigation (Bay Financial v. Ernst & Young)
  • Court: District of Massachusetts
• Estate of Mikulski v. Centerior Energy Corp., Cuya. Cty. (Ohio)
  • Citation: C.P. No. CV-01-457866 (J. Sutula)
• Estate of Mikulski v. Cleve. Elec. Illumin. Co., Cuya Cty. (Ohio)
  • Citation: C.P. No. CV-02-490019 (J. Ambrose)
• Estate of Mikulski v. Centerior Energy Corp, Cuya. Cty. (Ohio)
  • Citation: C.P. No. CV-02-490020 (J. Mason) 8th Dist. No. 94536, 2011-Ohio-696, rev'g 2010-Ohio-6167
• Estate of Mikulski v. Toledo Edison Co., Lucas Cty. (Ohio)
  • Citation: C.P. No. G-4801-CI-200206364 (J. Bessey)

Published Works

Articles

• Under Color of What Law: A Reconstructed Model of Section 1983 Liability, 71 Virginia Law Review 499 (1985)
  
• “Successfully Defending the White-Collar Client”, Aspatore Books BEST PRACTICES FOR WHITE COLLAR LITIGATION (Inside the Minds Series)(2006)
  
• “Civil Rights Actions Against State and Local Governments, Agencies and Officials”, Cleve. Bar Ass’n (1985)
  
• KOYKKA’S OHIO APPELLATE PRACTICE, Anderson Publishing Co., 2nd ed. (1988)
  
• “Federal Civil Rights Liability of Local Governments and Their Employees Under Section 1983”, OHIO MUNICIPAL LAW, Chap. 41A, Gotherman and Babbit, ed. (1986) (co-author)
  
• “Liability of Council Members Under 42 U.S.C. 1983”, 33 THE PRACTICAL LAWYER, 83-88 (Mar. 1987) (co-author)
• “Liability of City Council Members,” TRIAL, July 1986 (co-author)
• “Councilmanic Liability: Highlights of the Law”, OHIO CITIES AND VILLAGES, July 1986 (co-author)
• ANTITRUST CONSENT DECREE MANUAL, American Bar Association, (1980) (contributor)
• Book Review, Trial Techniques with Irving Younger, Litigation News, July 1980

Bar Admissions

• Ohio, 1977
• District of Columbia, 1978
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1981
• U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit, 1978
• U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 2003
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1978
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1980
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 2012
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1999
• U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, 1978
• U.S. District Court District of Maryland, 1978
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio, 1978
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio, 2006
• U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1990
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 2002
• U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1996
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Tennessee, 1997
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, 2006
• U.S. District Court District of Colorado, 2012

Other Affiliations

• American Bar Association, 1978-present (Sections of Litigation, Business Law, Antitrust Law and Tort & Insurance Practice) (Section of Litigation Committees on Appellate Practice, Corporate Counsel, Federal Procedure, Professional Liability, Trial Evidence, Trial Practice and Class Actions)
• Ohio State Bar Association, 1978-1992, 2006-present
• District of Columbia Bar Association, 1978-present
• Cleveland Bar Association, 1978-present
• Member, Advisory Committee on Local Rules for the Northern District of Ohio under the Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 1991-1994
• Approved ADR panelist, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 1992-1998
• American Corporate Counsel Association, 1988-1992
• Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys, 1981-1988
• Fellow, American Bar Foundation, 1987 - Present
• American Law Institute, 1987 - 1998 (Member)