Kent A. Britt
Practice Areas
- Government Relations
- Labor and Employment
- Litigation
- Trusts, Estates, and Wealth Transfer
Industries
Education
- University of Cincinnati College of Law, J.D., 1997
- Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, B.S., 1994
Bar & Court Admissions
Kent is a partner in the Vorys Cincinnati office and a member of the litigation practice group. His practice is focused on business and commercial litigation. Kent has significant experience representing clients in complex commercial, banking, insurance, construction, employment, ERISA, and shareholder derivative and fiduciary duty litigation.
Career Highlights Include:
- Obtaining summary judgment on behalf of outside directors against claims for breach of fiduciary duty, with claimed damages in excess of $30 million
- Successfully defending former executives against claims for breach of fiduciary duty, violation of non-compete agreements, tortious interference, trademark infringement and conversion
- Serving as co-counsel in successful defense to jury of multimillion-dollar will contest
- Defeating class certification on behalf of large automobile parts supplier in sexual harassment lawsuit
- Prosecuting claims to enforce rights in chattel paper and obtaining a multimillion-dollar settlement
- Successfully defending a large financial institution in multi-million dollar and multi-jurisdictional litigation involving more than 12 separate actions
- Obtaining multi-million dollar judgment on behalf of large financial institution on breach of contract claims
- Successfully defending large financial institution on lender liability claims on multiple occasions
- Obtaining dismissal on behalf of large financial institution in an action alleging losses over $100 million as a result of alleged breach of contract
- Successfully defending large financial institution and outside board of director against claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and unjust enrichment
- Obtaining dismissal on behalf of large gasoline distributor of claims for fraud, conversion and breach of contract
- Successfully defending large health insurer against ERISA claims on multiple occasions
- Successfully defending large municipality against construction bid protests on multiple occasions
- Successfully defending large life insurer in various putative class actions in state and federal court against claims for bad faith
- Successfully defending Fortune 100 company against breach of contract claims with alleged damages in excess of $1 million
Kent received his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law and his B.S. from Indiana University, Kelley School of Business
Kent has presented on the issues of alternative dispute resolution, law for design professionals in Ohio, fundamentals of construction law, construction contracts, public competitive bidding and contracting in Ohio, ESI and e-discovery, lender liability, and consumer financial services law.
Professional and Community Activities
- Cincinnati Bar Association, Member
- Cincinnati Bar Association, Board of Trustees (2014-present)
- Cincinnati Bar Association, Character and Fitness Committee, Member, Chair (2010-2009), Chair-Elect (2009-2008); Vice-Chair (2008-2007); Secretary (2007-2006); Nominating Committee (2014-present)
- Federal Bar Association, Member
- American Bar Association, Litigation and Construction Sections, Member
- Potter Stewart American Inn of Court – Master of the Bench
- Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers (CALL) Class X, 2006
- Street Law, Corporate Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, Teacher
- Cincinnati Friends of e-discovery, Member
- St. Mary (Hyde Park), Member; St. Mary Athletic Commission President (2008-2011, 2015), Vice President (2014); Member, Long Range Planning Committee; Chair, Facilities Task Force Subcommittee; Head Football Coach (2011-2013), Head Girls Basketball Coach (2005-2011)
- Vorys ArtsWave Campaign Chair, Cincinnati Office (2011-present)
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, Cincinnati Litigation - ERISA “Lawyer of the Year,” 2019
- The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2008-2022
- The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - ERISA, 2012-2022
- The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Construction, 2012-2018
- Ohio Super Lawyers, General Litigation, 2014-2022
- Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars, General Litigation, 2005-2007, 2010-2011
- Leading Lawyer Business Litigation, Cincy Magazine, 2009-2014
- Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers, Class X, 2006
News
- 1/4/2022Vorys is pleased to announce that 42 attorneys from the firm have been named either 2022 Ohio Super Lawyers or Rising Stars.
- 8/19/2021One hundred and sixteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2022 edition. In addition, 34 Vorys attorneys were named to the 2022 Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 4/9/2021Vorys is proud to announce that nine attorneys have been named to the Cincy Magazine Leading Lawyers List for 2021.
- 12/17/2020Vorys is pleased to announce that 31 attorneys from the firm have been named 2021 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/20/2020One hundred and twelve lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2021 edition. In addition, 26 Vorys attorneys were named to the inaugural Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 12/9/2019Vorys is pleased to announce that 39 attorneys from the firm have been named 2020 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/15/2019One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020.
- 2/4/2019Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP is proud to announce 10 attorneys from the Cincinnati office have been named “2019 Leading Lawyers” by Cincy Magazine.
- 12/5/2018Vorys is pleased to announce that 48 attorneys from the firm have been named 2019 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/15/2018One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019.
- 8/15/2018Nine lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently named 2019 Lawyers of the Year by Best Lawyers.
- 12/5/2017Vorys is pleased to announce that 56 attorneys from the firm have been named 2018 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/17/2017One hundred and eight lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018.
- 2/8/2017Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP is proud to announce nine attorneys from the Cincinnati office have been named “2017 Leading Lawyers” by Cincy Magazine.
- 12/2/2016Vorys is pleased to announce that 58 attorneys from the firm have been named 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/15/2016One-hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017.
- 12/2/2015Vorys is pleased to announce that 63 attorneys from the firm have been named 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/17/2015One-hundred and eighteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016.
- 12/3/2014Vorys is pleased to announce that 74 attorneys from the firm have been named 2015 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/18/2014One-hundred and ten lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015.
- 2/3/2014Vorys is proud to announce nine attorneys from the Cincinnati office have been named “2014 Leading Lawyers” by Cincy Magazine.
- 12/4/2013Eighty-one attorneys from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP have been named 2014 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. 57 Vorys attorneys were named 2014 Ohio Super Lawyer and 24 Vorys attorneys were named 2014 Ohio Rising Stars.
- 8/14/2013One hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2014.
- 2/1/2013Vorys announced that nine attorneys from the firm's Cincinnati office have been named “2013 Leading Lawyers” by Cincy Magazine. The Leading Lawyers survey is conducted annually by the magazine. Winners are nominated by colleagues outside their firm and chosen by a panel of their peers.
- 8/31/2012Kent Britt, a partner in the Vorys Cincinnati office, was quoted in a Cincinnati Business Courier story titled “Tower Place Mall headed to auction block?” According to the story, a Cincinnati mall and an adjacent parking garage are the subject of a foreclosure dispute in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
- 8/23/2012One hundred and twenty-six lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013.
- 2/1/2012Vorys announced that nine attorneys from the firm's Cincinnati office have been named “2012 Leading Lawyers” by Cincy Magazine.
- 9/6/2011
- 3/17/2011
- 8/9/2010
- 12/22/2009
- 8/4/2009
- 2/1/2009
- 1/8/2009
- 10/29/2008
- 9/19/2007
- 6/26/2007
Events
- 9/11/2019The Vorys benefits team hosted the inaugural Vorys Benefits Conferences in Cincinnati on September 11, 2019 and in Columbus on October 16, 2019. These conferences were designed and developed specifically for in-house benefits professionals.
- 4/11/2019Vorys Partner Kent Britt spoke at the Transportation Intermediaries Association 2019 Capital Ideas Conference & Exhibition on April 11, 2019.
- 9/13/2018Vorys and the Transportation Intermediaries Association co-hosted the 3PL Briefing and Reception on September 13, 2018 in Houston, Texas.
- 10/26/2017The Vorys Consumer Financial Services Summit was held on October 26, 2017, in Vorys' Cincinnati office.
- 6/15/2017Several Vorys attorneys were speakers at the 2017 Consumer Financial Services Summit on June 15, 2017.
- 6/22/2016Several Vorys attorneys were speakers at the 2016 Consumer Financial Services Summit on June 22, 2016 in Columbus, Ohio.
- 2/25/2016Several Vorys attorneys were speakers at the Vorys Consumer Financial Services Summit on February 25, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
- 10/28/2015Vorys presented a Consumer Financial Services Summit on October 28, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio.
- 5/3/2012Vorys attorneys Terri Abare, Eric Richardson, Kim Schaefer, Kent Britt, and Jason Hodges participated in the seminar, The Best Defense is a Good Offense: How to Manage Litigation in the Workplace on May 3.
Insights
- 11/12/2020On November 9, 2020, the Supreme Court announced that it would not reconsider the case of Retirement Plans Committee of IBM v. Jander, which the Court remanded to the Second Circuit in its last term.
- 10/21/2020Last week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended its deadline for public comment regarding the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association’s (OOIDA) rule-making petition that requested FMCSA implement new regulations to require brokers to automatically disclose their rates to their carriers
- 8/25/2020This is the second part of our three-part series reviewing ERISA cases decided this term by the U.S. Supreme Court.
- 6/25/2020Earlier this month, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in the case of Thole v. U.S. Bank, holding that participants in defined benefit pension plans do not have standing to bring breaches of fiduciary duty claims under ERISA unless and until their own benefit has actually been impacted.
- 4/9/2020The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has extended and expanded its emergency declaration that was set to expire on April 12.
- 4/8/2020Federally available, potentially fully forgivable loans are available to eligible 3PLs, carriers, and shippers alike.
- 3/27/2020As 3PLs adapt to the impact that COVID-19 continues to have on their business and as employers and employees adjust to teleworking, there are myriad employment issues and new laws that must be considered.
- 3/27/2020The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) issued updated guidance on drug and alcohol testing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 3/25/20203PLs must exercise caution when considering FMSCA’s National Emergency Declaration to provide hours-of-service relief to commercial drivers transporting emergency relief in response to COVID-19. First, emergency relief is specific to certain kinds of freight.
- 3/24/2020State "Stay at Home" and "Shelter in Place" orders related to COVID-19 have, thus far, deemed 3PLs and their carrier partners as essential businesses, whose work is necessary.
- 6/15/2017This week a federal judge in Florida passed down one of the most historic ADA website accessibility decisions to date, finding that Winn-Dixie was liable under Title III of the ADA because its website was inaccessible.