Robert J. Tucker

Partner

Columbus
T +1.614.462.2680
F +1.614.462.2616

Overview

Robert Tucker is a commercial and political law litigator with an array of experience in various practice areas, including class actions, redistricting and election law, real estate, healthcare and general commercial litigation. As a member of the firm’s E-Discovery and Advocacy Management team, he assists clients in developing case-specific plans for e-discovery that can significantly lower or limit e-discovery costs.

Keeping his focus on clients' long-term business goals, Robert approaches representation with efficiency in mind, determining practical goals and working with clients to develop a cost-effective strategy. He brings a determined and thorough approach to his practice and can handle all aspects of a matter from initial investigation and discovery through trials and appeals.

Robert has been recognized by Ohio Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star" from 2013 to 2021. He is also the Columbus office Unassigned Associate Coordinator.

Select Experience

Insurance Class Actions

  • Represented numerous insurers in class actions relating to payment for value of windshield damage, payment for damage to roofs following a hailstorm, and claims challenging practices for payment of overhead and profit and labor depreciation.

Real Estate

  • Obtained summary judgment for a nationwide real estate broker on claims for wrongful termination of a listing agreement, and successfully argued for affirmance of the decision in the Ohio Court of Appeals.

Healthcare

  • Represented a major Fortune 500 healthcare company in managing strategy for all discovery in thousands of lawsuits filed against the company over the opioid epidemic. Managed and developed strategy for a team of over 60 attorneys and production of millions of pages of documents to dozens of jurisdictions. Assisted in preparation of witnesses for depositions.

Election Law

  • Successfully represented 10 members of Congress and several other voters in intervening to defend Ohio’s congressional districts against claims for violation of the First Amendment, Equal Protection and the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution, including a two-week trial and appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Experience

Insurance Class Actions

  • Represented numerous insurers in class actions relating to payment for value of windshield damage, payment for damage to roofs following a hailstorm, and claims challenging practices for payment of overhead and profit and labor depreciation.
  • Assisted clients at all levels including drafting motions to dismiss, taking and defending depositions, briefing class certification and assisting with e-discovery, which included collecting, culling, searching and reviewing hundreds of thousand documents and responding to discovery requests.
  • Assisted in obtaining reversal of the trial court’s class certification decisions before both the Seventh Circuit and the Ohio Supreme Court.

Real Estate

  • Obtained summary judgment for a nationwide real estate broker on claims for wrongful termination of a listing agreement, and successfully argued for affirmance of the decision in the Ohio Court of Appeals.
  • Represented a nationwide real estate broker defending against claims for breach of the listing agreement and breach of fiduciarily duties stemming from the sale of a multimillion-dollar property.
  • Represented the Multiple Listing Service of the Columbus Board of Realtors and MLS Now in responding to third-party subpoenas in high stakes antitrust litigation over buyer broker commissions.
  • Represented real estate appraisers in complaints filed with state licensing boards or agencies and the Appraisal Institute in obtaining decisions of no further action by both entities.
  • Counsel for the Ohio Association of Realtors representing them in submitting numerous amicus briefs on important property rights issues and Board attorney for the Columbus Board of Realtors during ethics and arbitration hearings.

Healthcare

  • Represented a major Fortune 500 healthcare company in managing strategy for all discovery in thousands of lawsuits filed against the company over the opioid epidemic. Managed and developed strategy for a team of over 60 attorneys and production of millions of pages of documents to dozens of jurisdictions. Assisted in preparation of witnesses for depositions.
  • Represented a major Fortune 500 healthcare company in lawsuit seeking preliminary and permanent injunction following decision to terminate distribution of controlled substances to the customer.
  • Represented clients in the healthcare industry defending claims of wrongful death, negligence, strict liability for failure to warn and strict liability for design defects. Obtained early dismissal of matters through settlement and dispositive or other motions.

Election Law

  • Successfully represented 10 members of Congress and several other voters in intervening to defend Ohio’s congressional districts against claims for violation of the First Amendment, Equal Protection and the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution, including a two-week trial and appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
  • Represented the Pennsylvania Speaker of the House in a state court challenge to the state’s congressional redistricting plan under the state constitution, including a five-day trial and appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
  • Represented three of five members of the Ohio Apportionment Board, including the governor, state auditor and president of the Ohio Senate, as outside counsel for the Ohio Attorney General’s office in defending constitutional attacks to newly drawn Ohio House and Senate districts following the 2010 census, filed as a direct action in the Ohio Supreme Court under Article XI of the Ohio Constitution. Obtained a ruling from the Ohio Supreme Court upholding the adopted apportionment plan. Wilson v. Kasich, 2012-Ohio-5367

Other Trial Experience

  • Obtained a jury verdict in favor of a large automobile manufacturer on claims for violation of Ohio’s lemon law statute and breach of implied warranty relating to claims of a defective sunroof. Munyan v. Ford Motor Co., Perry County, Ohio Common Pleas Court, Case No. 10-CV-0035
  • Obtained favorable verdict for an automobile manufacturer following a bench trial against claims by an existing Iowa dealership that Hyundai was not permitted to place a new dealership in Illinois, but only within the existing Iowa dealership’s previous market area. Leep HYU v. Hyundai Motors America, D. la. No. 3:11-cv-81
  • Obtained favorable verdict for a food distribution business on claims for fraudulent conveyance in seeking to collect on outstanding balance owed by customer.

Recognitions and Memberships

Recognitions

  • Ohio Super Lawyers "Rising Star" (2013 to 2022)

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Columbus Bar Association
  • Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer American Inn of Court: Former Member

Community

  • Ohio University College of Business Society of Alumni and Friends: Former President and Board Member
  • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum: "It's Only Rock and Roll" Spring Benefit Committee (2011)
  • Upper Arlington Civic Association: Director

Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, 2016
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 2014
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 2014
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 2017
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2016
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, 2008
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 2009
  • Ohio, 2007

Education

  • J.D., The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law, 2007, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
  • B.A., Finance and Business Pre-Law, Ohio University, 2004, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Blog

In The Blogs

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Class Action Lawsuit Defense
BakerHostetler's 2023 Q1 Insurance Class Action Quarterly Report Released
By Mathew G. Drocton, Mark A. Johnson
May 9, 2023
BakerHostetler released its 2023 Q1 Insurance Class Action Quarterly Report, which summarizes a variety of insurance class action themes. Total loss class actions kept going around the country, and labor depreciation class actions...
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Class Action Lawsuit Defense
The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules Proposes a New Rule to Address Early Case Management in Multidistrict Litigation
By Kyle T. Cutts
March 30, 2023
On March 28, 2023, the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules (Committee) convened in West Palm Beach, Florida, to discuss a variety of proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, including a new rule that would provide...
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Class Action Lawsuit Defense
New Challenges to Incentive Awards for Class Representatives Invite Supreme Court Review
By Nicholas A. Cordova, Julie Singer Brady
March 28, 2023
Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a decision that highlights a growing disagreement among federal appellate courts as to whether class action settlements may include a cash incentive award to named...
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Class Action Lawsuit Defense
BakerHostetler Releases Insurance Class Action Quarterly Report – 2022 Q4
March 8, 2023
BakerHostetler released its Insurance Class Action Quarterly Report for 2022 Quarter 4, devolving trends in the insurance class action space from the past quarter. We witnessed further development of total loss, uninsured/underinsured...
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Class Action Lawsuit Defense
BakerHostetler Files Amicus Brief on Behalf of Ohio Chamber of Commerce
January 19, 2023
As predicted back in March 2022, class litigation related to Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of man-made chemicals that have been widely used in various industrial and consumer products, have skyrocketed over the last...
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