Paul R. Harris

Paul is a partner in Taft’s Commercial Litigation practice. He is a seasoned litigator who has handled a wide variety of complex business disputes in federal and state courts around the country and in arbitration. Paul prioritizes maintaining trusted relationships with clients, and he has obtained both plaintiff and defense verdicts on behalf of his clients, as well as dismissals or other favorable outcomes. He also has significant appellate experience with successful arguments before various courts of appeals.

Paul represents numerous financial institutions and other large to medium-sized businesses. Clients turn to him outside of litigation for advice on best practices to avoid litigation. Before joining Taft, Paul was a partner and practice group leader at a well-known regional law firm in Cleveland for nearly 20 years.

Representative Experience

• Won unanimous reversal from the Supreme Court of Alabama of denial of motions to compel arbitration of claims by seven customers who alleged that their signatures on the account agreements containing the arbitration provisions had been forged. Successfully argued the customers were equitably estopped from avoiding arbitration because their claims depended on the existence of the account agreements containing the arbitration clauses. The Alabama Supreme Court agreed and rejected the plaintiffs’ attempt to avoid arbitration based on their forgery allegations.
• Obtained substantial jury verdict, including an award of punitive damages, as plaintiff’s counsel in matter involving claims of trade secret misappropriation and other tortious activity, and successfully argued to court of appeals to affirm the underlying award.
• Obtained jury and bench verdicts as defense counsel for consumer-oriented businesses facing a range of contractual, tort, and business-related claims.
• Successfully defended multinationals in arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the American Arbitration Association (AAA), including decision in favor of a multinational technology company on all claims brought by a former employee and a decision in favor of a multinational securities firm and its regional management team on all claims seeking over $2.7 million, as well as a finding in favor of the securities firm on its counterclaim. Successfully argued to court of appeals to uphold underlying award in favor of financial services multinational.
• Successfully argued in several hearings before Ohio courts for enforcement of arbitration clauses and dismissal of individual and class action cases to arbitration, and obtained appellate court rulings upholding trial court decisions.
• Extensive experience defending claims brought against suppliers under Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA), including bench trial that resulted in dismissal of certain claims brought against supplier and for those claims upon which the judge found against the supplier, obtained reversal from Court of Appeals.
• Represented former NFL players and obtained dismissal of cases brought against them by another former NFL player.
• Litigated numerous asbestos-related claims from inception through resolution as Special Counsel for the Ohio Attorney General representing the Defendant Administrator, Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

Reported Cases

• Equity Tr. Co., et al. v. Morris, et al., No. 1200551, 2022 WL 3572609 (Ala. Aug. 19, 2022).
• Sophie Tracy v. AXA Equitable Life Ins. Co., et al., No. A-1-CA-39250, 2022 WL 831884 (N.M. Ct. App. Mar. 21, 2022) (affirming the trial court’s summary judgment ruling on all claims asserted against a major insurance company).
• Magnum Steel & Trading, LLC, et al. v. Gerald Mink, et al.,2013-Ohio-2431, 2013 WL 2713268 (9th Dist. 2013) (affirming judgments rendered by the court and the jury in a tortious interference and trade secret misappropriation case).
• UBS Financial Services, Inc. v. Albert V. LaCava, Jr., 2013-Ohio-1669, 2013 WL 1798021 (8th Dist. 2013) (affirming denial of motion for relief from judgment).
• Veltri v .DFS Services, LLC,  2:09-cv-416, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, 2011 WL 3667447, August 22, 2011 (granting summary judgment on disability discrimination claims).
• Wallace, et al. v. Ganley Auto Group, 2011-Ohio-2909, 2011 WL 2434093 (8th Dist. 2011) (affirming granting of motion to stay proceedings pending arbitration in putative class action).
• Olah v. Ganley Chevrolet, Inc.,191 Ohio App.3d 456, 946 N.E.2d 771 (8th Dist. 2010) (reversing rescission and attorneys’ fee award pursuant to the parol evidence rule).
• Bridge v. Midas Auto Experts, #322, 2010-Ohio-4681, 2010 WL 3813962 (8th Dist. 2010) (standing, Consumer Sales Practices Act).
• Osadciw v. Ganley Chrysler Jeep, et al., No. 1:09-cv-00486, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, 2010 WL 3767590, Sept. 24, 2010 (granting summary judgment on age discrimination claims).
• Ingrassia v. Ganley Management Co., 2010-Ohio-3883, 2010 WL 3279191 (8th Dist. 2010) (affirming dismissal of class action claims under the Consumer Sales Practices Act and finding that request for injunctive relief on tax claims belonged before the Court of Claims).
• H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. v. Maxxum Group, LLC,et al., No. 10-1143, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, 2010 WL 2925092, July 21, 2010 (granting motion to dismiss in part).
• Fields v. NCR Corp., 683 F.Supp.2d 980 (S.D. Iowa) (granting motion to compel arbitration).
• Konarzewski v. Ganley, Inc., 2009-Ohio-5827, 2009 WL 3649787 (8th Dist. 2009) (class action, Consumer Sales Practices Act).
• Eppert v. Swank, 3:07-cv-221, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division, 2008 WL 474424, Feb. 14, 2008 (denying motion to remand and dismissing case).
• Seals v. General Motors Corp., 1:06-cv-1592, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, 2007 WL 2579401, Aug. 30, 2007 (granting summary judgment on workplace intentional tort claim and dismissing product liability claim).