O. Judson Scheaf

O. Judson Scheaf III

Partner

65 East State Street
Suite 2500
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Primary Practices

O. Judson Scheaf III is a partner in Hahn Loeser’s Columbus office with 30 years of experience in civil litigation, including trial and appellate work. He handles complex commercial litigation matters, including construction, antitrust, oil and gas, unfair competition, patent, copyright, trade secret, investment banker malpractice, and land use disputes. Prior to joining Hahn Loeser, Jud was a founding member of Welin, O’Shaughnessy & Scheaf LLC, a Columbus-based boutique law firm specializing in complex business and oil and gas litigation.

Jud previously practiced commercial litigation and energy law at an Am Law 200 law firm, where he was vice chair of the business litigation practice group and focused on construction law, complex business and oil and gas litigation. In addition, Jud worked at CGAS Exploration, Inc. as vice president and general counsel. Earlier, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Alan E. Norris, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Jud has been named one of The Best Lawyers in America^® for Litigation, Construction, Intellectual Property Litigation, and Land Use Litigation for the past 12 years. He also maintains an AV Preeminent^® rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Accolades

Unanimous jury verdict for $2.1 million dollars in favor of a construction contractor for fraud against a design professional in its capacity as a project manager for a municipality.
Unanimous jury verdict for $2.4 million dollars on behalf of a client involving claims between partners under a partnership agreement.
Prosecuted and defended numerous actions for injunctive relief relating to trade secrets, restrictive covenants and noncompetition agreements.
Ongoing defense of clients accused of patent infringement, including changes to patent validity and enforceability.
Architect of ongoing process patent litigation combining numerous nationwide proceedings into a single consolidated Multi-District Litigation venue for purposes of claim construction and validity issues.
Multiple representations of clients in opposing class action certifications; obtaining decertification of classes previously certified.
Regularly represents local governments in complex zoning, annexation, and intragovernmental disputes.
Represents clients in respect to oil and gas producing interests, and related litigation.
Represented patent holder and inventor in successful prosecution of patent infringement claim relating to plastic corrugated pipe technologies.
Participated in representing a Fortune 500 company for claims against investment banking firm for breaches of fiduciary duties.
Represented numerous clients with interests in closely-held companies in relation to ownership disputes.
Represented large closely-held company in pursuing and defending against claims involving false advertising and unfair competition.
Participated in the representation of an insurance company defending against claims totaling in excess of $50 million in relation to spinoff liability brought by its former parent company.
Represented large construction contractor in relation to claims in excess of $16 million for the installation of equipment in a steel processing plant.
Participated in the successful prosecution of claims by the owner of a retail shopping mall for environmental contamination against one of its former tenants.
Defended against differing site condition claims brought against a city in relation to the construction of a water treatment facility.

Credentials

Education

Capital University Law School, J.D., valedictorian, summa cum laude, 1988

Utah State University/Franklin University, B.P.A., summa cum laude, 1985

Awards & Distinctions

AV Preeminent^®, Martindale-Hubbell

Ohio Super Lawyers^®, 2004-07, 2009-23; Top 50 Columbus, 2014-18, 2022

The Best Lawyers in America^®, Commercial Litigation, 2010-23; Litigation-Construction, 2011-23; Construction Law, 2021-23; Litigation-Intellectual Property, 2011-23; Litigation-Land Use and Zoning, 2011-23, Oil and Gas Law, 2023; Columbus Lawyer of the Year, Litigation-Land Use and Zoning, 2019, 2022

Who’s Who In Energy Columbus, Columbus Business First, 2013-14

Central Ohio’s Best Lawyers, Columbus Business First

Bar Admissions

State of Ohio

U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio and the Eastern District of Wisconsin

U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Sixth and Federal Circuits

U.S. Supreme Court

Memberships & Affiliations

Ohio Oil and Gas Association

Energy & Mineral Law Foundation

Independent Petroleum Association of America

Ohio State Bar Association

Columbus Bar Association

Delaware County Bar Association