Anthony L. Osterlund

Practice Areas

Industries

Education

• University of Cincinnati College of Law, J.D., 1999
  University of Cincinnati Law Review, Editor-in-Chief, 1998–1999
  
• Iowa State University, B.A., 1989

Bar & Court Admissions

• Kentucky
• Ohio
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
• Admitted to practice law only in the states listed above.

Tony is a partner in the Vorys Cincinnati office and a member of the litigation group. He litigates in state and federal courts throughout the country, with a focus on commercial, environmental, product liability, toxic tort, contract, and insurance disputes. He represents governmental entities, oil and gas companies, waste transporters, manufacturers, financial institutions, logistics companies, physicians and physician groups, and other businesses and individuals.

Tony's practice includes disputes involving covenants not to compete, misappropriation of trade secrets, environmental litigation, (CERCLA, RCRA, CWA, OPA, SDWA, and companion state laws), federal and state citizen suits, federal consent decrees, governmental disputes, lender liability, will contests, wrongful death, and employment claims, including race, sex, age, and disability actions.

Career highlights include:

General Litigation

• Serving as general counsel for international product manufacturer and regional transportation company
• Successfully defending employer in wrongful death intentional tort case
• Obtaining dismissal of a variety of OSHA claims in both California and Kentucky
• Achieving trial judgments in favor of employers in non-compete cases
• Preventing unfair competition and theft of trade secrets through dozens of injunction hearings in state and federal courts
• Successfully defending builders/manufacturers in construction-related cases
• Successfully defending a national employer in multiple discrimination cases
• Obtaining several multi-million dollar fraud and embezzlement judgments

• Successfully handling appeals in state and federal courts

Environmental

• Litigating CERCLA/Superfund, RCRA and Clean Water Act (CWA) cases
• Obtaining a multi-million dollar settlement for General Electric in a CERCLA cost-recovery case against the U.S. Air Force
• Successfully blocking municipality from interfering with federal CWA Consent Decree, including briefing to U.S. Supreme Court
• Obtaining multi-million dollar settlement for a water district owner

• Serving as trial and appellate counsel for a sewer district with a multi-billion dollar Clean Water Act Consent Decree, to include Regulator and Operator disputes, and challenges by local jurisdictions

• Successfully defending a wrongful death action against a Hazardous Waste Management and Disposal company

• Serving as trial counsel before the Ohio Environmental Appeals Committee (ERAC) regarding NPDES permit challenges

• Advising on Underground Injection Control disposal oil-field waste issues

Class Action / Toxic Tort

• Serving as in-house counsel to product manufacturer advising on all aspects of toxic tort litigation
• Preventing class certification in multiple state and federal court prescription drug cases
• Obtaining a dismissal of a putative federal class action formaldehyde case
• Successfully defending dozens of clients in thousands of toxic tort cases

Tony is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Kentucky Bar Association, and the Cincinnati Bar Association.

Tony has presented seminars on various topics of trial advocacy, as well as waste fluid disposal, tort reform, medical malpractice, non-competition agreements, physician contracts, UCC Article 2 litigation, and employment litigation.

Tony received his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law where he was the editor-in-chief of the University of Cincinnati Law Review. He received his B.A. from Iowa State University.

Before joining Vorys, Tony served in the United States Marine Corps, obtaining the rank of captain, and served in Operation Desert Storm.

Professional and Community Activities

• Cincinnati Bar Foundation, Member, 2010; Grant Committee Chair, Secretary, 2010 - 2022; President, 2022 - present
• Cincinnati Bar Association, 2000 - present
• Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Health Care Committee, Member, 2009 - present
• University of Cincinnati College of Law Alumni Association, Board of Trustees, 2001-2011
• Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 2003-present
• Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers (CALL) Class XII, 2008
• Barrister's Leadership Program, 2000
• Veterans of Foreign Wars, Member, 1991-present

Honors & Awards

• The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate, 2021-2022

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