Gregory H. Melick

Gregory Melick is a Shareholder of the firm concentrating his practice exclusively in the area of complex commercial litigation, and is a veteran of more than 33 years as a trial lawyer.

Greg has been successfully litigating a variety of business cases across New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio since 1989. Along the way he has represented some of the region’s most recognized companies in cases involving business "divorces," products liability, intellectual property, commercial and contract disputes, insurance coverage, environmental and toxic injury, and employment disputes including, among other companies, U.S. Steel. Greg has handled hundreds of business litigation matters, including securities and franchise class actions, and has eight (8) and nine (9) figure jury verdicts to his credit. Greg has been named as one of six "Bet-the-Company" litigators in Central Ohio by Columbus CEO Magazine (2022).

Experience

• As a solo practitioner, obtained the highest jury verdict in Ohio state-court history, a $212,340,880.00 verdict in a complex commercial case involving fraud, misrepresentation, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, non-disclosure, merger and acquisition, successor liability, and intellectual property issues (Telxon v. Smart Media, Summit County 2003)
• Orchestrated a trial team that obtained $10,000,000+ jury verdicts in a complex commercial case involving breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, stockholder/shareholder liability issues, and the imposition of a constructive trust against a licensing company’s former CEO, including personally examining the key liability witnesses in the five-week jury trial, and briefing, arguing and obtaining a directed verdict on the largest claim (MD Acquisition LLC v. Martin Designs, Inc., Franklin County, 05 CV 10556) (2011)
• Obtained a six-figure plaintiff’s verdict in a hotly-contested accident case with/against the Ohio Department of Transportation in the Court of Claims. Eagle Transport and Logistics, LLC v. Ohio Department of Transportation (Case No. 2019-01163JD)
• Successfully defended an American global manufacturing partner from a $660,000.00 claim in a Sino-American joint venture business divorce jury trial in Nanjing Great E & M Engineering Company v. IMI International, Inc., Franklin County No. 12-CV-13571
• Successfully defended a global leader in loss prevention and risk management (anti-counterfeiting) against eight-figure claims of trade secret misappropriation and related business torts in the United States Court for the Northern District of California in MMCA Group Ltd. v. Hewlett-Packard Company and Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations, CV 06-07067-MMC
• Obtained the vacation of a preliminary injunction order relating to a client’s contractual noncompete restrictive covenants from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in RECO Equipment, Inc. v. Jeffrey S. Wilson, 2021 WL 5013816 [6th Cir. Oct. 28, 2021).
• Obtained a favorable, precedent-setting decision for a homeowner’s association, successfully enforcing its easement over an adjacent golf course, and preventing the golf course from demolishing half of the course for mixed commercial use and condominiums (Delaware Golf Club, LLC v. Dornoch Estates Homeowners Association, Inc., 2020-Ohio-880 [5th Dist. 2020])
• Obtained a favorable, precedent-setting defense decision in a case involving an unrevoked personal commercial continuing guaranty, relieving the personal guarantor from a purported $5.7 million+ corporate obligation (Keybank Nat’l Ass’n v. Correct Custom Drywall, Inc., 2015 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 22227 (Ohio C.P. Franklin County Dec. 2, 2015)
• Obtained a favorable, precedent-setting appellate decision in a commercial leasing case involving the post-breach issues of a “holdover” tenant equitable assignment, part performance, and statute of frauds exceptions relieving a commercial tenant from further liability (LHPT Columbus The, LLC v. Capitol City Cardiology, Inc., 2014-Ohio-5247 [10th Dist. 2014])
• Obtained a favorable, precedent-setting appellate decision regarding the availability of attorney’s fees in a sexual harassment employment discrimination case under Ohio Revised Code Section 4112.00 (Roberts v. Mike’s Trucking, Ltd. 2014-Ohio-766 [12th Dist. 2014])

Services

• Complex Business & Commercial Litigation
• Employment Litigation
• Intellectual Property Litigation
• Appellate

Industries

• Insurance

1. Temple University Beasley School of Law, J.D.
2. University of Dayton, B.A., Communications
   • cum laude

Bar Admissions

1. Ohio

Court Admissions

1. U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
2. U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
3. U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
4. U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Ohio
5. U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
6. U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan

• "Bet-the-Company Litigator," Columbus CEO Magazine (2022)

Professional Affiliations

• Columbus Bar Association
• Ohio State Bar Association
• MERITAS Law Firms Worldwide (former)
• Defense Research Institute
• Conference of Freight Counsel
• Transportation Lawyers Association
• Ohio Trucking Association

Community Affiliations

• New Albany Presbyterian Church
• New Albany Jeanne B. McCoy Center for the Arts, sponsor & volunteer
• New Albany Youth Theatre, sponsor & volunteer