EARL K. MESSER is co-chair of the firm’s Construction Law Practice Group.

CONSTRUCTION
Mr. Messer has substantial experience handling complex, multi-party delay and defect claims, disputes over insurance coverage and defense, and claims against sureties. He has represented owners, contractors, subcontractors and sureties.

REAL PROPERTY
Mr. Messer also has substantial experience with real property litigation, including commercial foreclosures on offices buildings, hotels, manufacturing facilities, and warehouses, disputes relating to commercial leases, easements, and condominiums, and with receiverships, partitions, and condemnations.

TRIAL EXPERIENCE
Mr. Messer has litigated hundreds of complex commercial cases, many through trial or arbitration, including jury trials.  Besides construction and real estate cases, he has handled many other commercial disputes.

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Mr. Messer utilizes mediation regularly, creatively and successfully to accomplish efficient, economical dispute resolution for clients.

 

EDUCATION

• B.S., summa cum laude, United Wesleyan College, 1977
• M.A., 4.0 GPA and honors, University of Cincinnati, 1984
• J.D.,  magna cum laude,  Chase College of Law, 1991, Law Review. 

PUBLISHED CASES
Kent v. Cincinnati Ins. Co. (Ohio App. 12th Dist. 2001), 2001 WL 1566969

Gordon Constr., Inc. v. Peterbilt of Cincinnati, Inc.(Ohio App. 12th Dist., 2003), 2003 WL 22227380, 2003 -Ohio- 5111

Waste Mgmt., Inc. v. Danis Indus. Corp. (S.D. Ohio 2003), 247 F. Supp. 2d 1076

Gordon Constr., Inc. v. Peterbilt of Cincinnati, Inc. (Ohio App. 12th Dist., 2004), 2004 WL 2849221, 2004 -Ohio- 6662

Waste Mgmt., Inc. v. Danis Indus. Corp. (U.S. District Ct., S.D. Ohio 2004), 2004 WL 5345389

Kohlbrand v. Ranieri (2005), 159 Ohio App.3d 740, 823 N.E.2d 76, 2005 -Ohio- 295 (2005)

Ohio Dept. of Administrative Services v. Design Group, Inc. (Ohio App. 10th Dist. 2007), 2007 WL 4171131, 2007 -Ohio- 6278

Knowlton Const. Co. v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co. (U.S. District Ct., S.D. Ohio 2007), 2007 WL 4365690

RPD Long Beach v. Tranter-Hare Inv. Bldg. Corp. (U.S. District Ct., S.D. Ohio 2008), 2008 WL 269444

Knowlton Const. Co. v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co. (U.S. District Court, S.D. Ohio 2008), 2008 WL 7766874

United States ex rel., Rieck Group, LLC v. Monarch Constr. Co. (U.S. District Court, S.D. Ohio 2009), 2009 WL 3227325

Waste Mgmt. v. Danis Indus. Corp. (U.S. District Court, S.D. Ohio 2009), 2009 WL 347773