John Leland Chaney

Jack is an experienced trial attorney with an accomplished background in high-stakes and complex litigation. His practice focuses on representing businesses and individuals in claims involving business disputes, commercial contracts, employment, partnerships, licensing, constitutional issues, health care, insurance, and an array of other matters. Jack’s victories include significant wins at both the trial and appellate level, defending multi-million dollar lawsuits, negotiating multi-million dollar transactions, and obtaining significant settlement results for clients. Jack regularly advises businesses and individuals to help them avoid and mitigate risk, and drafts business and other agreements for their use. Jack has represented some of the world’s largest corporations, assisted in taking depositions of United States Senators and Congressmen, and helped numerous individuals and businesses avoid risk and litigate and resolve disputes.

Jack is an AV Preeminent® rated attorney, which is the gold standard in attorney ratings. This rating is a testament to the fact that lawyers and judges throughout Ohio have confidentially assessed Jack as being among an elite and select group of attorneys who have earned the designation of having the “Highest Level of Professional Excellence” in both ability and ethics. As one judge’s staff attorney remarked in giving Jack 5 out of 5 stars: “Mr. Chaney is a highly reputable lawyer who exudes professionalism and integrity. He is dedicated to all clients, whether they be corporations or individuals. He balances strong legal and analytical skills with pragmatism to achieve practical solutions and ultimately the best result for his clients.”

Jack’s honors also include being named as an Ohio Super Lawyer and being given the “Louisville Slugger” award by the Central Ohio Association for Justice (formerly Franklin County Trial Lawyers Association) for “hitting one out of the park for justice” and for his “tireless efforts and fight” on behalf of his clients. In the case that led to Jack receiving the Louisville Slugger award, he took on 3 of the largest law firms in the state of Ohio, obtained a landmark decision awarding sanctions on his clients’ behalf, and secured an incredible result for his clients. As one of those clients remarked: “From our 1st consult to our concluding settlement, the knowledge, expertise and aggressive representation more than exceeded our expectations. Our case was complex and diverse and required the strategic use of traditional legal process which was masterfully executed…. I would highly recommend consulting with Jack before engaging legal representation in any form of a business or commercial dispute.” Visit the Chaney & Drexel website to learn more about what Jack’s clients are saying.

Before starting Chaney & Drexel, LLC, Jack managed the litigation practice of Gamble Hartshorn, LLC, assuming responsibility for all significant litigation on behalf of the firm’s clients. Jack began his career practicing high-stakes litigation in the Washington, D.C. office of Jones, Day and the Columbus office of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease. Jack graduated With Honors from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2000 after graduating with a B.S. degree in Finance from The Ohio State University in 1997. Jack graduated in the top five percent of his law school class, was an Associate Editor and published member of the Law Journal, and received various honors, including Order of the Coif and several CALI awards given to the highest scoring student in a particular law school class.

Jack’s victories on behalf of his clients include:

Litigating and negotiating a complex settlement on behalf of a general partner in a multi-million dollar partnership dispute.
Obtaining a unanimous jury verdict against an insurer on behalf of an individual and his business.
Successfully representing a business in a “bet the company” litigation that could have ended the company’s business in a particular state.
Litigating six-figure insurance and other disputes on behalf of health care providers.
Successful negotiation of a favorable settlement agreement on behalf of trust beneficiaries in a multi-million dollar dispute with trustee.
Representing financial institutions in multi-million dollar disputes.
Obtaining significant sanctions in federal court for discovery abuses and other misconduct.
Collecting a multi-million dollar debt on behalf of a corporate client.
Successfully moving to dismiss with prejudice a multi-million dollar class-action securities fraud case at the beginning of the case.
Defending a famous religious university’s religious freedom and free speech rights.
Litigating and negotiating a complex settlement on behalf of a member of an LLC against that LLC in a multi-million dollar dispute.
Successfully defending a company and its owner against a copyright infringement lawsuit.
Victories before federal and state courts of appeals.
Contesting an executor’s denial of a substantial will bequest, discovering sizeable assets concealed by the executor, and obtaining the full bequest for the client and the attorney fees incurred by that client in challenging the executor.
Negotiating a contentious multi-million dollar real estate transaction.
Successfully moving to dismiss with prejudice a fraud claim against an LLC and its principal member.
Defending hotel owners in a multi-million dollar lawsuit seeking to hold individual owners personally liable for hotel’s debts while at the same time obtaining an advantageous sale of the property for those owners, saving them millions of dollars.
Filing successful motions with the United States Supreme Court and Ohio Supreme Court.