Practice areas: Business & Corporate, Business Litigation, Securities & Corporate Finance; view more
Licensed in Ohio since: 1967
Education: New York University School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2023 Call today:
513-817-3478
Free Consultation Cummins Law LLC
Scripps Center312 Walnut Street, Suite 1530
Cincinnati, OH 45202 Visit website
As a founding partner at Cummins Law LLC in Cincinnati, Ohio, James R. Cummins brings deep insight to business litigation and corporate law. Representing clients throughout the Cincinnati metropolitan area, he guides entities through complex business formation and development matters. His extensive practice encompasses high-stakes Securities and Exchange Commission whistleblower actions, securities fraud litigation, trade secret disputes and noncompetition agreement enforcement. He delivers strategic counsel and steadfast representation to protect his clients' vital financial interests and commercial success.
Mr. Cummins earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1967, later obtaining a Master of Laws in international business transactions from New York University. Licensed in Ohio since 1967, he is admitted to practice law in both Ohio and Kentucky state courts. His extensive federal admissions include the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 1st, 4th and 6th Circuits and the U.S. Supreme Court.
In his decades of practice, Mr. Cummins has handled high-profile, complex corporate litigation involving hundreds of millions of dollars. Notably, he played a key role in a securities and subprime mortgage fraud lawsuit against Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which resulted in a massive $410 million settlement. His proven track record in navigating intricate financial disputes makes him a trusted advocate for businesses facing critical, high-stakes legal challenges across regional and national courts.
Mr. Cummins’s extensive experience and thorough preparation have earned him profound respect throughout the legal community. A sought-after speaker for prestigious professional organizations, he regularly shares his deep insight into corporate litigation and securities law. Reflecting his commitment to legal excellence and ethical standards, he holds an AV Preeminent* rating through Martindale-Hubbell, underscoring his standing as a leading authority in complex business dispute resolution.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Business/Corporate, Business Litigation, Securities & Corporate Finance, Securities LitigationFocus areas
Business Formation and Planning, Business Organizations, Securities Law
- 40% Business/Corporate
- 20% Business Litigation
- 20% Securities & Corporate Finance
- 20% Securities Litigation
First Admitted: 1967, Ohio
Professional Webpage: https://www.cumminslaw.us/james_profile.html
Bar / Professional Activity
- Ohio Bar, 1967
- Kentucky Bar, 1999
- United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio, 1970
- United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1995
- United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit, 2008
- United States District Court District of Columbia, 2004
- United States Supreme Court, 2009
- United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 2009
- Kentucky Bar Association, Member
- Ohio State Bar Association, Corporate Counsel Section, Secretary, 2016
- Ohio State Bar Association, Corporate Counsel Section, Chairman 2022-25
- American Bar Association, Subcommittee on Investment Companies and Investment Advisers, Member, 1981
- Cincinnati Bar Association, Long Range Planning Subcommittee, Member, 1989
- American Bar Association, Committee on Federal Regulation of Securities, Member, 1981
- Member, Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline of Supreme Court of Ohio, 1989-1994
- Former Member, Advisory Committee on Local Rules, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Clorox (NYSE:CLX)
- Co-lead trial attorney in securities fraud litigation against DPL Inc. (NYSE:DPL), resulting in a global settlement of $145.5 million, ranking at the time as the 21st largest U.S. securities litigation settlement, 2003
- Structural Dynamics Research Corporation (NASD:SDRC); Defense of Corporate Officer, SEC Enforcement
- Counsel to Class, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, et al. (Freddie Mac II Securities Litigation), United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, Case No. 4:08-cv-160, 2008
- Frisch's Restaurants (AMEX:FRS)
- Class Counsel, In Re DPL Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. C-3-02-355, United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio, 2002
- Class Counsel, ChoiceCare Litigation, United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio, 1984
- Special Counsel, State of Ohio, Milk Antitrust Litigation, United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio
- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
- Co-lead trial counsel in first successful antitrust, RICO, and securities fraud case against an HMO system, resulting in a $108 million jury verdict, 1988
- Principal attorney in 2015: $185 million stock purchase/merger of Frisch’s.
- Special Governance Counsel, Proxy Contest, Professional Bancorp (AMEX:MDB), 2001
- Principal attorney in Frisch’s 2012 sale of its Golden Corral restaurant group for over $50 million, ranked as one of the top 10 largest restaurant sales in the history of Ohio.
- Co-Counsel for Class, In Re Fannie Mae Securities Litigation, Consolidated Civil Action No. 04-cv-01639, United States District Court, District of Columbia, 2004
- Special Settlement Counsel for Fifth Third Bank, David Slone, et al. v. Fifth Third Bancorp, et al., United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio, Western Division, Case No. 1:03-cv-211, 2007
- Derivative Plaintiff Counsel, In Re FirstEnergy Shareholder Derivative Litigation, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 2002
- Special Counsel, Countrywide Credit Industries (NYSE:CCR), 2006
- Co-lead trial attorney in securities fraud litigation against Freddie Mac, resulting in a $410 million settlement, ranking the settlement at the time as the 9th largest securities class action in U.S. federal securities cases, 2006
- Special Securities Defense Counsel, F&C Flavoring Co. (NASD), 2001
- In Re Freddie Mac Securities Litigation, MDL 1584, Lead Case No. 03-cv-4261, United States District Court, Southern District of New York, 2006
- In Re OM Group, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. I:02-cv-2163, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, 2002
- Special Securities Counsel, Austern Trust v. Peter H. Forster, et al., Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, 2008
Educational Background
- New York University, Graduate Law School, LLM (International Business Transactions), 1968
- University of Cincinnati, College of Law
- Princeton University, A.B., 1964
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Invited Speaker, Ethical Issues in Acquisition Transactions (October 2018), Ohio State Bar Association, Corporate Counsel Section
- Lecturer: “The Year 2000 Time Bomb: Legal & Corporate Governance Implications for Board of Directors, Trustees, and Officers,” Cincinnati and Columbus Bar Associations, 1999.
- Lecturer: “Attorney Responses to Accountant Opinion Request Letters,” Cincinnati Bar Association, 1987
- Chairman & Featured Speaker, Corporate Ethics: Can Trust be Rebuilt (2002) with KPMG Forensic, Cincinnati Bar Association.
- Featured Speaker, Sarbanes-Oxley Act Implications for Internal Auditors (2002) with Protiviti (Arthur Andersen’s former Risk Management Practice Group).
- Featured Speaker, Corporate Governance and Internal Controls: What Sarbanes-Oxley Means for Businesses (2005), National Business Institute, Continuing Legal Education Program.
- Invited Presenter, Protecting Shareholders’ Rights from Corporate Wrongdoing (2007), Government Investigations and Shareholder Litigation, University of Dayton School of Law Symposium.
- Featured Speaker, Multi-District Litigation/Class Actions (2007), Southern District of Ohio Federal Bench Bar Conference.
- Featured Speaker, Just Say “No”: Accountants’ Liability in Civil Securities Cases, (2008) American Accounting Association.
- Featured Speaker, The New Whistleblower in Town: SEC’s Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Rules in Litigation (October, 2011), Cincinnati Bar Association.
- Featured Speaker, Advising Corporate Directors and Officers (May, 2012), Ohio State Bar Association.
- “Civil RICO,” Ohio Northern University, 1988
- Featured Speaker, The New Barbarians at the Gate—SEC Whistleblowers and Activist Shareholders: Defenses and Best Practices. (October 2012), Ohio State Bar Association.
- Invited Speaker, Defalcation or Embezzlement: Corporate Governance and Other Legal Issues (October 2017), Ohio State Bar Association Corporate Counsel Section.
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Designed and led an unprecedented proxy contest victory resulting in a change of management of the American Stock Exchange bank holding company. Recognized by U.S. Banker as an "exercise in corporate democracy" 2016
Honors
- The American Lawyer, Corporate General Counsels’ Selection (1 of 2 firms in Tri-State) for Litigation Resource in Ohio.
- Selected as one of 66 U.S. attorneys (236 internationally), recognized by their peers and their clients as leaders in the field of corporate governance, The International Who’s Who of Corporate Governance Lawyers (2002)
- The American Lawyer, Winners Circle, 2006, “Big Suits,” recognizing $410 million record settlement in Freddie Mac Securities Litigation.
- Best Lawyers in America 2015-2017, recognized as top Securities and Corporate counsel.
- Ohio Super Lawyer 2007-2017, recognized as one of the top 20 Securities and Corporate Finance attorneys.
Office location for James R. Cummins
Scripps Center
312 Walnut Street, Suite 1530
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: 513-817-3478
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2023
