James M. McHugh

Jim McHugh is a partner with our firm. Mr. McHugh has been in practice since 1990.

Admitted to practice:

• United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
• All Ohio Courts
• Previous appearances pro hac vice in the State of New York, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Florida

Practice Areas:

• Business Litigation: All aspects of litigation from issues associated with breach of contract; construction litigation (breach of warranties and workmanlike performance); business torts (misappropriation of trade secrets, litigation concerning restrictive covenants, business defamation); intellectual property related issues; shareholder derivative litigation; fiduciary duty and associated litigation; class action litigation.
• Commercial Law: All areas of litigation and negotiation concerning the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) in Ohio and other States, Commercial Paper.
• Zoning Law: Representation for property owners and developers in areas of Zoning, representation before boards of zoning appeals, trustees and other local governmental entities, appellate representation before Common Pleas Courts and Appellate Courts.
• Bankrupcty: Creditors issues including filing of claims and adversary litigation.
• Corporate Law: Drafting and preparing documentation (Articles of Incorporation and Organization, By-Laws, Regulations, Shareholder/Member Agreements) and providing legal counsel for corporations, limited liability companies, sole proprietorships, partnerships, and other forms of businesses in Ohio.
• Sports Law: Representation of sports entities.
• Consumer Law: Prosecuting and Defending matters related to the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act and associated Federal Acts.
• Franchise Law: Assist businesses in evaluating potential franchise issues.

Professional Associations / Honors:

• American Association for Justice (1990-present)
• Ohio Association for Justice (1990-present)
• Stark County Association for Justice (1990-present)
• American Bar Association (1990-present)
• Ohio State Bar Association (1990-present)
• Stark County Bar Association (1990-present)
• Commercial Law League of America (1998-present)
• Martindale Hubble BV Rating
• National Registry of Who’s Who in America, 1990

Education:

• Undergraduate: Asbury College, 1978-1982; B.A, cum laude, History.
• Graduate School: The Ohio State University, 1982-1986; M.A., Russian History.
• Law School: University of Akron, School of Law, 1986-1990; magna cum laude, J.D.

Selected Cases:

• Enberg v. Canton Township Board of Zoning Appeals (1992), 78 Ohio App.3d 828. 605 N.E.2d 1365 (Zoning Issues).
• Fritz v. Bruner Cox, LLP (2001), 142 Ohio App.3d 664 (Professional malpractice and applicable statute of limitations).
• Tammac Corp. v. Norch, Stark App. No. 2002-CA-00402, 2003-Ohio-2724 (Class Action litigation).
• American Indoor Soccer Association, Inc. v. Capital District Sports & Entertainment, Inc., et al., 64 F.3d 663, 1995 WL 501944 (6th Cir., Ohio 1995) (Sports Law and Business Litigation).

Community / Civic Associations:

• Asbury College Alumni Board of Directors: 1991-1994
• Chapel Hill Church: Elder Board: 1993-present
• Chapel Hill Church: Governing Board: 2000-present
• Summit Christian Board of Education: Board Member/President, 1988-1998