Commercial Litigation & Disputes

Representing companies in high-stakes complex commercial disputes in and out of court, Benesch’s award-winning litigators have secured multibillion-dollar wins for plaintiffs and defendants in precedent-setting cases. We take the time to understand your business, anticipate changes and fight smart, relentlessly pursuing success with strategies that align with your business objectives.

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Overview

Benesch litigators have represented clients in nine-figure trade secret and defamation cases, one of the most significant auditor liability cases ever tried, multibillion-dollar securities fraud cases, large-scale product liability cases, bet-the-company contract disputes and every type of commercial litigation matter in between.

Our clients include some of the largest companies in the world, spanning a diverse spectrum of industries. Bringing extensive trial experience and an uncompromising commitment, we have successfully represented public and private corporations, family-owned businesses, nonprofits, boards of directors, government entities, lenders, insurers and individuals.  

We run litigation like our clients run their businesses — with discipline, strategy and an unwavering focus on outcomes. Whether confronting bet-the-company litigation or navigating complex, sensitive business challenges, we operate as an extension of our clients, always aligning our approach with their goals, values and long-term success.

Our litigators have delivered winning results in some of the most consequential, precedent-setting cases across various industries, in areas including:

Prosecuting some of the largest, headline-making cases in the country.

Prevailing for plaintiffs and defendants in nine-figure disputes.

Defending directors, executives and companies in claims worth over $30 billion.

Advising companies across a wide variety of industries through more than 300 cases over the last five years.

Finding quick resolutions, through motions and settlements, for some of the best-known brands in the world.

How We Work

Our client relationships are centered on exceptional service. Partnering with clients at every stage, we maintain an open and candid line of communication with you from start to finish, which enables us to develop a deep understanding of your needs and devise winning strategies that accomplish your individual goals.

From pre-litigation maneuvers through trial, we draw on deep experience, unsurpassed work ethic and exceptional creativity to achieve outstanding results. We listen, develop the right approach, adjust as needed and execute a strategy best suited to each client. We deftly solve both legal and broader business challenges with customized solutions and a multidisciplinary team approach.

Related Practices

Litigation

Our work in action

Representative Examples

Representing Smartmatic,

the election technology company, in defamation actions against Fox News, Newsmax, OANN and others who published false claims that Smartmatic participated in a scheme to rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Defeated motions to dismiss as to each defendant and obtained favorable settlement awards from OANN and Newsmax.

Obtained a unanimous jury verdict of no liability on behalf of Feit Electric

following six-year litigation brought by a multibillion-dollar Japanese LED lighting company claiming patent infringement and seeking tens of millions of dollars.

Achieved a resounding pretrial victory for Ohio University

in a case stemming from the death of a student at an off-campus property. The academic institution faced claims for negligence, wrongful death, pain and suffering and damages for allegedly violating an anti-hazing statute.

Representing Cisco

in a $1 billion+ dispute with its largest semiconductor supplier, litigating across multiple forums. The dispute involves highly complex commercial claims stemming from various supply agreements.

Obtained a defense verdict on behalf of Gould Electronics

following a federal bench trial in a complex environmental case where the government sought nearly a billion dollars in remediation costs allegedly arising out of the operation of a secondary smelter ($136 million in historical expenditures and up to $700 million in future costs).

Represented Flextronics

in a bench trial and obtained a sanctions order dismissing claims alleging more than $280 million in damages where an opposing party fabricated evidence that could have voided the limitation of liability clause in the governing contract.

Defended federal and state litigation cases on behalf of Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)

concerning advertising representations made in relation to REI’s waterproof products and the presence of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS). Obtained motion to dismiss entire action against REI.

Representing First Energy

in administrative litigation involving an estimated $1.4 billion in rate increases. The case is being litigated by 26 parties, including advocates for residential customers, business customers, environmentalists, competitive retail suppliers, governmental aggregators, wind energy advocates and others.