James E. Arnold

Top rated Business Litigation attorney in Columbus, Ohio

Arnold & Clifford LLP
James E. Arnold
Arnold & Clifford LLP
614-460-1600
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Practice Areas: Business Litigation, General Litigation, Personal Injury; view more

Licensed in Ohio since: 1987

Education: Capital University Law School

Selected to Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2025

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Arnold & Clifford LLP

115 West Main Street
Suite 400
Columbus, OH 43215 Visit website

Founding attorney at Arnold & Clifford LLP, James E. Arnold represents clients in across the state of Ohio, with a focus on general litigation, business litigation and personal injury. His practice areas include medical malpractice, complex personal injury, wrongful death claims, partnership disputes, business torts and stockholder disputes. A hard-working attorney with an impeccable reputation, he has been recognized in six different categories in The Best Lawyers in America (Bet-The-Company Litigation, Securities Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation for both plaintiffs and defendants).  He is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers (by invitation only and limited to the top 1% of trial lawyers in America) as well as the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (invitation only and limited to the top 500 trial lawyers in America under the age of 70).  Mr. Arnold has also been recognized by Columbus Business First as one of the Top 5 lawyers in Columbus, Ohio. For his high ethical standards and long list of successful results, he holds the highest peer rating possible of AV Preeminent* from Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Arnold is admitted to practice in Ohio and before several federal courts. These include the United States Tax Court, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

* 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 Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.

Practice areas

Business Litigation, General Litigation, Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff

Focus areas

Litigation, Non-Compete Agreements, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Trade Secret, Wrongful Death

  • 80% Business Litigation
  • 10% General Litigation
  • 10% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff

First Admitted: 1986, Illinois

Professional Webpage: https://www.arnlaw.com/attorney/arnold-james-e/

Bar/Professional Activity:
  • U.S. Tax Court
  • Franklin County Trial Lawyers Association, Member
  • Member, Columbus Bar Association
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio, 1987
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1991
  • Ohio, 1987
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1989
  • United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, 2011
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio, 1988
  • Member, Ohio State Bar Association
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
  • Prosper Business Development Co. v. MarketStar. Lead counsel in business dispute involving non-circumvent agreement. Award of $4,750,000. The highest pre-arbitration settlement offer was $70,000
  • Zanke v. Village Green Management Corp. Represented plaintiff against apartment complex owner and management company for injuries received by tenant who slipped and fell on ice caused by removal of gutters and downspouts during winter renovation project. Three-week jury trial resulted in verdict in favor of plaintiff for $5,156,168, consisting of $4,223,438 compensatory damages and $932,730 for prejudgment interest. Pretrial settlement offer of $60,000
  • Shirley K. Barnhart v. Hanlin Rainaldi Construction Corp. Employer intentional tort case, representing plaintiff. Jury trial resulting in verdict of $473,693, representing the second-highest jury verdict for an intentional tort case in Franklin County, Ohio as reported by the Columbus Bar Association
  • Bench Billboard v. City of Columbus. City of Columbus illegally confiscated hundreds of properly licensed and located bus stop benches, represented plaintiff. Bench trial resulted in City being enjoined from removing any further benches, returning the benches taken and award of damages including attorneys' fees. Kessel v. Pharmacy Associates, Inc.  Dispute among shareholders involving a buy-sell agreement, representing plaintiff. Jury trial lasted for a week after which the defense conceded liability and settled the case, including payment of a portion of the plaintiff's attorney's fees. Englehaupt v. Eaton Construction Co., Inc.  Business dispute involving the failed sale of a company, representing plaintiff. Jury trial lasting several days. Jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendant.
  • Goldsmith v. Lechiara. Medical malpractice wrongful death case, representing plaintiff. Seventeen-day jury trial resulting in plaintiff's verdict of $6,691,420, constituting the largest wrongful death verdict in Franklin County, Ohio history. There was no pretrial settlement offer. 
  • Griffith v. Wausau Business Ins. Co. Motor vehicle crash, underinsured motorist case, representing plaintiff. Award of $901,046, consisting of jury verdict of $738,046, with an additional $163,000 of prejudgment interest awarded. No pretrial settlement offer.
  • Value Behavioral Health v. Ohio Dept. of Mental Health , 966 F. Supp. 557 (U.S.D.C. S.D. Ohio, 1997), representing intervening party. Claim involved the alleged improper award of a $177,459,000 state contract for the provision of mental health services. Issues included whether or not the federal courts had jurisdiction to enjoin the state from making an award because of the 11th amendment to the United States Constitution, and whether a civil rights action could be maintained under 28 USC 1983. Court ordered the injunction, which order was vacated at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals when the plaintiff was acquired by the intervenor.  Kingseed v. O'Leary.  Medical negligence case representing plaintiff. Jury held in favor of the plaintiff for several hundred thousand dollars. Prejudgment interest was also awarded.
  • Brookover v. Flexmag Industries, Inc. Co-lead counsel for plaintiff whose hand was amputated in an industrial machine. Two-week jury trial resulting in award of $7,482,000, consisting of $4,000,000 compensatory damages, $2,000,000 punitive damages and $1,482,000 of attorneys' fees and prejudgment interest. The highest pretrial settlement offer was $650,000.
  • Borror v. MarineMax of Ohio, Inc. Represented plaintiff against boat dealer alleging claims of violations of the Consumer Sales Practices Act and fraud in connection with the sale of vessel costing approximately $780,000. Boat was sold for $350,000 and, following bench trial, plaintiff obtained the highest Consumer Sales Practices Act award rendered in Ohio, consisting of $2,545,369 for fraud, violation of state's consumer protection statute, attorneys' fees and prejudgment interest. Pretrial settlement offer of $35,000
  • Borror v. Buckeye Union Ins. Co. Motor vehicle accident, underinsured motorist case representing plaintiff. Jury trial resulting in verdict of $814,000, representing the largest underinsured motorist's case verdict in Franklin County, OH as reported by the Columbus Bar Assn. (One higher verdict during this time period was reversed on appeal by the Ohio Supreme Court). Post-trial motions resulted in a further award of prejudgment interest and attorneys fees.
Representative Clients:
  • Penn Gaming, Abercrombie & Fitch, Franklin Publications, Inc., M/I Homes, Inc., Dominion Homes, Inc., Business First of Columbus, Retail Ventures, Inc., Gilligan Oil Company, Diamond Hill Investments, Basic Media Productions
Pro bono/Community Service:
  • Columbus Bar Foundation, Board Member
Honors/Awards:
  • The Best Lawyers in America (Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation)
  • National Moot Court Team, Order of the Barristers, Order of the Curia & Oralist, Capital University Law School
  • Ohio Securities Litigation Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America
  • Top 5, Columbus’ Business First
  • One of Ohio’s Top Trial Lawyers
  • AV 5.0 Preeminent Rating, Martindale Hubbell
  • Best Lawyers
  • Top 5, Columbus Super Lawyers
  • Top 10, Ohio Super Lawyers
  • 500 Leading Plaintiffs' Lawyers in America
  • Columbus' Top 100 Lawyers
  • Top lists, Ohio Super Lawyers
  • Best in the U.S. (Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation)
Educational Background:
  • The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, B.S. in Business Administration, 1979
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
  • Cross-Examination of Economists, Ohio State Bar Association, 1996 to 1996
  • Advanced Trial Skills, Ohio State Bar Association, 1996 to 1996
Other Outstanding Achievements:
  • Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers; Fellow, Ohio State Bar Foundation; Trustee, Columbus Bar Foundation. AV rating, Martindale-Hubbell, 2005
  • Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2017

Office location for James E. Arnold

115 West Main Street
Suite 400
Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: 614-460-1600

Selections

22 Years Super Lawyers
  • Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2025

Top Lists

Top 50: Columbus Super Lawyers: 2010 - 2025
Top 100: Ohio Super Lawyers: 2009 - 2025
Top 5: Columbus Super Lawyers: 2012 - 2017, 2019, 2024
Top 10: Ohio Super Lawyers: 2009, 2011 - 2014

Certificates and credentials

American College of Trial Lawyers
National Board of Trial Advocacy
National Board of Trial Advocacy logo

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