Areas Of Expertise
Education
- J.D., Temple University Beasley School of Law
- B.A., Communications, University of Dayton
Professional Associations
- Ohio State Bar Association
- Dayton Bar Association
- Columbus Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute
- Conference of Freight Counsel
- Transportation Lawyers Association
- Ohio Trucking Association
ShareholderGregory H. Melick
Overview
Gregory is a Shareholder in SS+D’s Litigation Department who focuses exclusively on complex commercial litigation. For over three decades, he has successfully litigated business disputes across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, representing some of the region’s most prominent companies. Greg is known for his ability to navigate the most high-stakes disputes.
Greg’s work spans business “divorces,” products liability, intellectual property, contract disputes, insurance coverage, environmental and toxic injury matters, and employment litigation. His clients have included industry leaders such as U.S. Steel. He has handled hundreds of business litigation matters, including securities and franchise class actions, and has secured jury verdicts in the eight- and nine-figure range.
Professional Experience
- As a solo practitioner, obtained the highest jury verdict in Ohio state-court history, a $212,340,880.00 verdict in a complex commercial case involving fraud, misrepresentation, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, non-disclosure, merger and acquisition, successor liability, and intellectual property issues (Telxon v. Smart Media, Summit County 2003). This jury verdict was the ninth (9th) largest in the country in 2003. (link)
- Orchestrated a trial team that obtained $10,000,000+ jury verdicts in a complex commercial case involving breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, stockholder/shareholder liability issues, and the imposition of a constructive trust against a licensing company’s former CEO, including personally examining the key liability witnesses in the five-week jury trial, and briefing, arguing and obtaining a directed verdict on the largest claim (MD Acquisition LLC v. Martin Designs, Inc., Franklin County, 05 CV 10556) (2011)
- Obtained a six-figure plaintiff’s verdict in a hotly contested accident case with/against the Ohio Department of Transportation in the Court of Claims. Eagle Transport and Logistics, LLC v. Ohio Department of Transportation (Case No. 2019-01163JD)
- Successfully defended an American global manufacturing partner from a $660,000.00 claim in a Sino-American joint venture business divorce jury trial in Nanjing Great E & M Engineering Company v. IMI International, Inc., Franklin County No. 12-CV-13571
- Successfully defended a global leader in loss prevention and risk management (anti-counterfeiting) against eight-figure claims of trade secret misappropriation and related business torts in the United States Court for the Northern District of California in MMCA Group Ltd. v. Hewlett-Packard Company and Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations, CV 06-07067-MMC
- Obtained the vacation of a preliminary injunction order relating to a client’s contractual noncompete restrictive covenants from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in RECO Equipment, Inc. v. Jeffrey S. Wilson, 2021 WL 5013816 (6th Cir. Oct. 28, 2021).
- Obtained a favorable, precedent-setting decision for a homeowner’s association, successfully enforcing its easement over an adjacent golf course, and preventing the golf course from demolishing half of the course for mixed commercial use and condominiums in Delaware Golf Club, LLC v. Dornoch Estates Homeowners Association, Inc., 2020-Ohio-880 [5th Dist. 2020]
- Obtained a favorable, precedent-setting defense decision in a case involving an unrevoked personal commercial continuing guaranty, relieving the personal guarantor from a purported $5.7 million+ corporate obligation in Keybank Nat’l Ass’n v. Correct Custom Drywall, Inc., 2015 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 22227 (Ohio C.P. Franklin County Dec. 2, 2015)
- Obtained a favorable, precedent-setting appellate decision in a commercial leasing case involving the post-breach issues of a “holdover” tenant equitable
assignment, part performance, and statute of frauds exceptions relieving a commercial tenant from further liability (LHPT Columbus The, LLC v. Capitol
City Cardiology, Inc., 2014-Ohio-5247 [10th Dist. 2014]) - Obtained a favorable, precedent-setting appellate decision regarding the availability of attorney’s fees in a sexual harassment employment discrimination case under Ohio Revised Code Section 4112.00 (Roberts v.
Mike’s Trucking, Ltd., 2014-Ohio-766 [12th Dist. 2014])
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
Personal
Greg was born in Montclair, New Jersey. He and his wife Heather (also an attorney, Registered Nurse and MBA holder) have four sons (Michael, Jack, William and Samuel) and one daughter (Logan).
Greg’s interests include golfing, fishing, weight training, and playing music (guitar). He is active in his community, having served as a youth athletic coach (soccer, basketball, and golf), and holding positions of leadership and education in his church. Greg has been invited as a guest lecturer to paralegal studies classes at Kent State University and has mentored several young litigation attorneys in the Cleveland and Columbus areas.
Awards
- Named The Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation (2025-2026)
- "Bet-the-Company Litigator," Columbus CEO Magazine (2022)
Community Board Affiliations
- New Albany Presbyterian Church
- New Albany Jeanne B. McCoy Center for the Arts (sponsor and volunteer)
- New Albany Youth Theatre (sponsor and volunteer)