Cory N. Barnes

Associate

Cleveland
T +1.216.861.6031
F +1.216.696.0740

Overview

Cory Barnes’s practice is litigation focused, working across a range of commercial, environmental and intellectual property disputes. He also collaborates frequently with transactional attorneys to conduct environmental due diligence and analysis for corporate and real estate transactions.

Cory’s diverse background includes federal externships at both the trial and appellate court levels, as well as experience in commercial real estate, where he advised clients on zoning, land use and regulatory permitting. As a former student-athlete, Cory is a driven and reliable team member who seeks to promote successful and efficient outcomes for clients.

Select Experience

  • Defended a national accounting and financial services firm against professional negligence and negligent misrepresentation claims in a month-long trial in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
  • Drafted amici curiae briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court  on behalf of a trade association of petroleum refiners concerning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s administration of small refinery hardship waivers from the Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standards program. The Court issued a favorable ruling to the refineries and reversed the decision below.
  • Member of trial team that prosecuted a client’s mineral property rights, resulting in $5.5 million jury verdict in favor of client.
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Experience

  • Defended a national accounting and financial services firm against professional negligence and negligent misrepresentation claims in a month-long trial in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
  • Drafted amici curiae briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court  on behalf of a trade association of petroleum refiners concerning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s administration of small refinery hardship waivers from the Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standards program. The Court issued a favorable ruling to the refineries and reversed the decision below.
  • Member of trial team that prosecuted a client’s mineral property rights, resulting in $5.5 million jury verdict in favor of client.
  • Represented a major coal company in a contested administrative hearing challenging the State of Montana’s issuance of environmental permit amendments under the Montana Major Facility Siting Act, including a related lawsuit pursuant to the Montana Environmental Policy Act.
  • Counsels industrial and manufacturing clients on state and federal environmental compliance and remediation programs.
  • Conducts environmental due diligence and analysis for corporate acquisitions and real estate transactions.
  • Member of trial team that defended a global finance and retail client accused of trademark infringement. Court ruled favorably for client on all claims.
  • Received a favorable fair use ruling and case dismissal for a newspaper defendant on summary judgment in a copyright infringement suit in the Eastern District of Tennessee.
  • Member of team that litigated liability and damage estimation against Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) on behalf of 75,000 victims of the 2017 and 2018 California wildfires pursuant to Baker’s representation of the Official Committee of Tort Claimants in PG&E’s historic bankruptcy, which resulted in a $13.5 billion settlement on behalf of wildfire victims.

Recognitions and Memberships

Prior Positions

  • The Honorable R. Guy Cole Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit: Judicial Extern (2017)
  • The Honorable Algenon L. Marbley, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio: Judicial Extern (2017)
  • The Sherwin-Williams Company: Law Clerk (2016)
  • Sbarro LLC: Legal Intern (2016)

Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  • Ohio

Education

  • J.D., The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law, 2018, magna cum laude; Ohio State Law Journal, Articles Editor; Order of the Coif
  • B.A., The Ohio State University, 2014, summa cum laude

Blog

In The Blogs

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IP Intelligence: Insight on Intellectual Property
A Recent Entrance to Copyright Protection: Can AI Qualify as an Author Under U.S. Copyright Law?
By Cory N. Barnes
June 10, 2022
Should copyright protection be given for AI-generated inventions? Stephen Thaler, the president and CEO of Imagination Engines, thinks so. The Complaint In 2018, Thaler filed an application to register a copyright for an AI-generated work...
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Pillar and Post: Energy Law in the 21st Century
IRS Provides Initial and Limited Guidance on Newly Reinstated ‘Superfund Tax'
By Cory N. Barnes, Thomas E. Hogan, Nicholas C. Mowbray
January 20, 2022
Last month, the IRS published Notice 2021-66, issued in response to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s (Jobs Act) reinstatement of the previously expired “Superfund Tax”—an excise tax imposed on manufacturers, producers, and...
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IP Intelligence: Insight on Intellectual Property
Monitoring IP Developments in 2022
By Cory N. Barnes
January 5, 2022
In addition to another year of the pandemic, 2021 brought with it several key developments in the realm of intellectual property (IP) that BakerHostetler has covered in this blog series. We hope readers have found these posts informative...
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Pillar and Post: Energy Law in the 21st Century
State of Play on Clean Water Act "Waters of the United States" Jurisdiction
By Cory N. Barnes
October 15, 2021
On August 30, 2021, in Pasqua Yaqui Tribe et al. v. EPA et al. (Case No. 4:20-cv-00266-RM, Dkt. 99), the U.S. District Court in Arizona vacated the Trump administration’s 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule (“NWPR”), which significantly...
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IP Intelligence: Insight on Intellectual Property
Federal Circuit Hints at Easier Service of Process on Foreign Defendants
By Cory N. Barnes
October 8, 2021
In a recent decision, In re: OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Case. No. 21-165, Dkt. 20, the Federal Circuit denied China-based smartphone maker OnePlus’ petition for mandamus seeking to direct a Western District of Texas court...
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