About Geoffrey J. Ritts
Practice Areas
- Securities
- Business Law
- ERISA
- Class Actions
- Science & Technology Law
Education
- Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut, 1993J.D.
- Yale University, 1989B.A.
- Honors: summa cum laude
Representative Cases
- Actuarial firm resolves complex actuarial malpractice claim (2009)
- Albertson's and its directors defend shareholder action
- Axsys Technologies defeats motion in shareholder class action to enjoin merger with General Dynamics (2009)
- Board of Directors represented in responding to shareholder demand letter regarding ESOP transactions (2012)
- Boykin Lodging resolves shareholder action (2009)
- Brantley Capital resolves securities class action (2009)
- Brush Wellman dismissal affirmed on appeal (2009)
- Cardinal Health involved in shareholder derivative lawsuits relating to compliance with Drug Enforcement Administration regulations (2012)
- Cardinal Health resolves securities class action, ERISA class action and shareholder derivative actions (2009)
- Catholic Healthcare Partners in putative class action litigation (2009)
- Catholic Healthcare Partners wins dismissal of class action relating to billing and collections practices
- Catholic Healthcare reaches settlement in wage and hour lawsuit in Northern District of Ohio
- Consumer products company conducts internal investigation (2009)
- Corrpro Companies obtains dismissal of action alleging securities disclosure violations (2009)
- Cyro-Cell's board of directors successful in defense of dissident shareholders attempt to remove incumbent directors (2009)
- Diebold involved in shareholder class action suit (2012)
- Diebold resolves ERISA stock drop action (2009)
- Diebold securities litigation dismissal upheld by Sixth Circuit (2009)
- Diebold involved in shareholder derivative action relating to company's restatement of its financial results (2010)
- Eaton seeks advice on litigation concerning pharmacy benefits manager for client health benefits plans (2009)
- Federated Department Stores obtains dismissal of shareholder derivative action
- Federated Department Stores obtains dismissal of securities litigation (2009)
- FirstMerit involved in shareholder derivative lawsuits relating to compensation and adverse say-on-pay vote (2012)
- Florida Board of Regents prevails in Supreme Court case involving States' 11th Amendment immunity from suit under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (2009)
- For-profit educational company conducts internal investigation (2009)
- GenCorp defends against toxic tort suit alleging concerted industry action to conceal dangers of exposure to vinyl chloride (2009)
- Goodrich and its board of directors involved in shareholder class-action litigation suit
- Hawk Corporation defends class-action litigation alleging breach of fiduciary duties in approving proposed sale of company (2010)
- J.M. Smucker defends shareholder actions seeking injunction against Smucker-Multifoods merger (2009)
- KeyCorp defends class actions alleging securities fraud and ERISA violations arising out of investments related to Bernard Madoff (2010)
- KeyCorp defends two shareholder derivative actions, one relating to excessive compensation paid to certain officers in 2009, and second alleging breach of fiduciary duty relating to liabilities incurred as result of litigation with IRS (2010)
- KeyCorp obtains dismissal of shareholder derivative complaint (2011)
- Lincoln Electric defends against class action alleging breach of incentive stock award contracts
- Lubrizol Corporation and its directors involved in class-action and derivative litigation challenging the company's merger with Berkshire Hathaway
- Macy's obtains dismissal of shareholder derivative action (2009)
- Macy's obtains dismissal of securities class action
- May Department Stores defeats plaintiff's motion for class certification and obtains dismissal of shareholder litigation (2009)
- May Department Stores defends shareholder action claiming breach of fiduciary duty (2009)
- Mesa Airlines obtains dismissal of derivative action (2009)
- Mining company conducts internal investigation of alleged accounting fraud (2009)
- MTC Technologies defends fiduciary duty claims arising from merger with BAE Systems (2009)
- MTC Technologies obtains dismissal in action claiming short-swing trading (2009)
- NatCity wins summary judgment in breach of contract action related to marketing for sale of closely-held company (2009)
- National City Bank defends against claims by plan fiduciary of breaches of ERISA fiduciary duties
- National City Bank defends against class action relating to recording of mortgage releases (2009)
- National City Bank defends ERISA action (2009)
- National City Bank defends securities, derivative and ERISA litigation arising from dislocations in credit and real-estate markets (2009)
- National City Bank obtains dismissal of class action alleging defective ERISA plan amendment and breach of fiduciary duties
- National City Bank summary judgment affirmed on appeal (2009)
- North American Manufacturing pursues declaratory judgment action regarding product warranties for equipment installed in petrochemical refinery (2009)
- OIS Optical Imaging Systems successfully defends against injunctive proceeding by defense contractor seeking to go out of business (2009)
- Omnicom Group resolves shareholder litigation (2009)
- PageNet defends against nationwide class action alleging unreasonable rates under Communications Act of 1934
- PageNet defends against nationwide class action arising out of Galaxy IV satellite malfunction (2009)
- PageNet successfully defends against class action challenging collection of late payment charges
- Quantum Health Resources obtains summary judgment in shareholder class action
- Sherwin-Williams defends shareholder derivative action stet
- Special Committee of Board of Directors represented in response to shareholder demand letter arising out of FDA inspections
- Sprint Nextel obtains complete defense verdict on all claims in litigation alleging that the Sprint Nextel merger resulted in a breach of contract (2009)
- TechTeam Global and its directors involved in putative shareholder class action
- Triarc Companies defends shareholder action (2009)
- TRW defends action alleging breach of joint venture agreement (2009)
- TRW defends against claims brought by the federal government under the False Claims Act (2009)
- World Plan Executive Council wins 6th Circuit reversal of adverse $2 million judgment in bankruptcy/real estate dispute (2009)
- Xcel Energy obtains dismissal of securities fraud, derivative and ERISA actions
- Xcel Energy resolves shareholder derivative action
- Zimmer Holdings obtains dismissal of shareholder derivative action (2009)
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
- Ohio
Past Positions
- Judge David A. Nelson, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, Law Clerk, - 1993
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Adjunct Professor
Office Info
Other Colleagues
- Partner
- Partner
- Partner
- Partner
Nearby Lawyers
- Securities
- Business Law
- ERISA
- Class Actions
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The power of the lawyer is in the uncertainty of the law.