John R. Climaco

Founder of the Firm, Mr. Climaco, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, graduated from Ohio State University in 1964 and Case Western Reserve University Law School in Cleveland in 1967. Mr. Climaco has in 30 years developed from a single subject, sole practitioner to one of the most respected problem resolving trial and business lawyers in the country. He devotes the majority of his time to General and Complex Litigation, including Mass Tort, Environmental, Toxic Tort, Health Care, White Collar Criminal RICO, Employment, Labor and Public Law matters. The National Law Journal named him one of the 100 most powerful lawyers in the United States.

On September 16, 2003, the Honorable Kathleen M. O'Malley appointed him nationwide Liaison Counsel in In Re: Welding Rod Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1535, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division. He also serves on the Class Action Committee and Discovery & Trial Preparation Committees for the Welding Rod litigation. On September 25, 2002, the Honorable James S. Gwin appointed him Co-Lead Counsel in In Re: Meridia Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1481, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division. On July 25, 2002, the Honorable Kathleen M. O'Malley appointed him a member of the Executive Committee in In Re: Scrap Metal Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 1:02CV0844 and, on July 6, 2001, Judge O'Malley appointed him Co-Lead and Class Counsel in In Re: Inter-Op Hip Prosthesis Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1401, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division. On February 1, 2001, he was appointed a member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee and Co-Chairman of the Discovery Committee in In Re: Baycol Litigation Products, MDL 1431, U.S. District Court of Minnesota. Mr. Climaco presently serves on the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee Trial Team in Baycol. On March 22, 1992, he was appointed by Thomas Lambros, former Chief Judge of the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio as a member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee and one of the trial counsel in a case against USAir arising out of the crash of Flight 405 at LaGuardia Airport in March, 1992, In Re: Air Disaster at New York LaGuardia Airport on March 22, 1992, MDL Docket No. 936. Since 1994, he has been a member of the Castano Plaintiff's Legal Committee ("PLC") serving as Acting Chairman of the PLC and Co-Chairman of various committees, including the Discovery and Fee Committees. In 2000, he and the other 50 Castano law firms received the "Breath of Life Award" from the American Lung Association for their work in representing millions of claimants against the tobacco industry. In 1999, he filed an action against the handgun industry on behalf of the City of Cleveland, Mayor Michael R. White, et al., v. Smith & Wesson, et al., Case No. 1: 99 CV 1134, United States District Court for the Northern District Of Ohio, Eastern Division, as well as the cities of New Orleans, Atlanta and Cincinnati. He is a member of the trial team in Scott, et al. vs. The American Tobacco Company, Inc., et al., Class Action Claim No. 96-8461 in the Civil District Court of Louisiana, Parish of Orleans and the Coordination Proceeding Special Title (Rule 1550(b)) In Re: Tobacco Cases II in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of San Diego, Case No. 711400. He served as one of the Class Counsel in Brack, et al. vs. General Motors Corporation, Case No. CV 98 04046, Superior Court of New Mexico, County of Bernalillo. He serves on the Discovery and Scientific Committees In Re: Propulsid Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1355, U. S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. He was also involved as a PSC "Common Benefit" attorney In Re: Diet Drugs Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1203, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

John has represented police officers for over thirty (30) years. He is currently General Counsel to the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association comprised of 6000 police officers in 35 counties throughout the State of Ohio and Civil Counsel to the Cleveland Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 8.

John has lectured on trial preparation and practice, RICO, ERISA and Labor and Employment Law throughout the country including the Stetson University College of Law's Annual Conference; the New York City Bar Association; the Aspen, Colorado Advanced Criminal Law Institute; the Case Western Reserve College of Law-CLE Program; the Health Care Section Conference of the Cleveland Bar Association; the Columbus Bar Association's Annual Litigation Institute; the Institute of Business Law of California State University, Los Angeles and the Ohio CLE Institute. In January and May 2001, he was a panel member in the Mealey's Baycol Seminar in San Diego, California. He has also appeared on local and national radio and television, including The Phil Donahue Show, Larry King Live, Night Line, Good Morning America, and The Greta Van Susteren Show discussing various legal issues.

He is a Life Member of the Judicial Conference of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, as well as a Charter and Life Member of the Judicial Conference of the Eighth Judicial District of Ohio. Recently, Paul R. Matia, Chief Judge United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio appointed him as a Member of the Advisory Group to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

He is a former Trustee and current Advisory Board Member of the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; the Center for Mental Retardation, which selected him to receive the 1992 and the 1997/98 Service to the Center Award; and member of the Justinian Forum which serves as a professional organization for attorneys and judges of Italian heritage in Northern Ohio. On May 6, 2000 he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.