Phil Calabrese focuses his practice on complex business litigation, product liability litigation, defense of securities fraud and antitrust class actions, toxic tort litigation, contract disputes, trade secret disputes and the defense of professional malpractice claims. His practice regularly involves serving as national trial counsel in complex multidistrict or multijurisdiction litigation involving multiple parties. He has also handled arbitrations under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution and the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France.

Prior to joining Squire Sanders, Phil was a law clerk to The Honorable Alice M. Batchelder, US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He also worked for three years in the Wisconsin legislature, serving ultimately as the chief of staff to Senator Lynn Adelman, who now serves on the US District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Phil appears in The Best Lawyers in America 2012, which recognizes lawyers who are leaders in their fields based on an exhaustive peer-review process. Phil is also named in Ohio Super Lawyers.

Phil was appointed by then-Chief Judge Danny Boggs of the Sixth Circuit as a public member of the Sixth Circuit Advisory Committee on Rules and in 2012 Phil was named chair of the Committee. He is also a life member of the Judicial Conference of the Sixth Circuit.

Phil serves on the Ohio Advisory Board of the Trust for Public Land; the Board of Directors for The Birchwood School (serving as vice chair in 2009-2011); the Board of Governors of The Club at Key Center, an affiliate of ClubCorp. (serving as chair in 2009, and vice chair in 2008); programming committee of the City Club of Cleveland; and the City of Shaker Heights Housing Committee. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, the Litigation Section of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Justinian Forum. He is a member of the 2011 Fellows Class of the Ohio State Bar Foundation. Phil also serves on the Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Association, Northern District of Ohio Chapter and is a member of the John Manos Inn of Court.

Phil is a frequent speaker and author, locally and nationally, on issues relating to the management of complex civil litigation, and class actions and mass torts in particular, and on emerging torts and litigation in fields such as nanotechnology.

Representative Experience

• Defending a pharmaceutical company in multidistrict product liability litigation alleging serious personal injuries from use of a product used in MRIs.
• Obtaining a complete defense verdict in arbitration on behalf of the US research and development subsidiary of a Spain-based company in arbitration accused of trade secret misappropriation by a Canada-based company in the emerging cellulosic ethanol field.
• Representing the US affiliate of a Belgium-based meatpacking company in a Commerce Clause challenge to a state statute including obtaining injunctive relief to allow the company to operate during the litigation.
• Obtaining reversal by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals of a district court’s order certifying a 29-jurisdiction class action alleging consumer fraud by a Fortune 50 retailer.
• Winning dismissal of a federal antitrust lawsuit brought by the competitor of a Fortune 500 manufacturing company in the coated adhesives market.
• Representing the US subsidiary of an international flavor company against claims that its products were responsible for workplace injuries.
• Obtaining summary affirmance from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals of a district court order finding federal jurisdiction following de-certification of a class and dismissal after rejection of an offer of judgment.
• Defending a major international tire manufacturer against securities fraud class action and related product liability claims.
• Defending a federally chartered financial institution in consumer class action.
• Achieving a favorable settlement for a global performance chemicals company in an international arbitration arising out of the acquisition of certain assets from a Germany-based company.
• Representing an international oil company in arbitration of a pipeline dispute involving in excess of US$6 million.
• Representing a Fortune 1000 manufacturing company in antitrust class action alleging price fixing in certain chemical markets in the United States, Europe and East Asia.
• Defending a steering gear manufacturer in products liability litigation alleging design defects.
• Achieving a favorable result for an individual and corporations targeted in a federal grand jury investigation of certain pricing practices in the steel industry (no charges were brought).
• Successfully defending contract actions arising out of raw material cost increases in the steel industry.