Mr. Balmert is a partner in the Vorys Akron office and practices in the areas of product litigation, employment law, and workers’ compensation.  He focuses on defense of employment and product liability matters in federal and state courts in Ohio and surrounding states as well as litigation of mass tort claims involving alleged manganese exposures from welding fumes.

Career highlights include:

• Serving as Ohio counsel to a welding machine manufacturer in more than 400 product liability cases involving allegations related to welding fumes, manganese and parkinsonism
• Negotiating and securing Industrial Commission of Ohio approval of the first structured settlement of an Ohio workers’ compensation death claim
• Managing and resolving a group of over 270 asbestos-related workers’ compensation claims against an Ohio employer in state court
• Successfully trying to verdict multiple employment discrimination cases and obtaining affirmance on appeal of an employer defamation and wrongful termination claim
• Litigating to resolution multiple consumer product liability cases and workers' compensation jury matters
• Concluding multiple employer intentional tort case involving significant, disabling and disfiguring injuries
• Achieving status as a Life Member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference and of the Eighth Judicial District of Ohio
• Serving on the Advisory Committee to the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio from 1995 to 2008 and presently as an Emeritus member
  

Mr. Balmert is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Akron Bar Association, and is a Master Bencher in the Cleveland Employment American Inn of Court.

Mr. Balmert is a frequent lecturer for both the Self-Insured Group of Ohio and The Ohio Self-Insurers Association on medical and legal issues.  In 2006, he delivered a presentation at the annual meeting of the Association of Legal Administrators in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on the topic of leadership in law firm management.

Mr. Balmert received his J.D. magna cum laude from Capital University Law School where he was a member of the Order of the Curia.  He received his B.A. cum laude from the University of Notre Dame.

Professional and Community Activities

• United Stated District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Advisory Group Member, 1998-2008; Emeritus, 2008-present
• Old Trail School Emeritus, Trustee, 1998-present
• Self-Insurers Group of Ohio, Trustee, 2003-present
• Akron Bar Association, Board of Trustees, 2008-present
• Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, Executive Council, 2006-present
• Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Group to U.S.D.C. N.D., Ohio, Member, 1995-1998
• Bluecoats Incorporated, Member, 2006-present
• Fairlawn Country Club Board of Trustees, President, 1997
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Cleveland Chapter, Board of Trustees, Chairman, 1994

Honors and Awards

• Fellow of the Akron Bar Foundation since 2004
• Fellow of the Ohio State Bar Foundation since 2007
• The Best Lawyers in America, Workers' Compensation Law, 1995-2009
• Ohio Super Lawyers, Employment and Labor, 2004-2008
• Inside Business, Northeastern Ohio's Leading Lawyers, 2001-2008
• Akron Life and Leisure, Top Lawyers in Greater Akron 2007-2008

News

• 67 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2008 Ohio Super Lawyers
• Balmert selected to join the Ohio State Bar Foundation's 2007 Fellows Class.
• Nine Vorys Attorneys Selected as Leading Lawyers
• Vorys named the "2008 Leading Ohio Law Firm" by Best Lawyers

Events

• Maneuvering Through Heightened Regulation