Practice Areas
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Creditor’s Rights
  • Commercial Restructuring and Workout
  • Banking and Lender Liability
  • Real Estate, Construction and Leasing
  • Insurance Subrogation and Recovery
Academic Credentials
  • University of Akron School of Law, J.D., Law Review, National Moot Court Team, cum laude, 1994
  • Muskingum College, B.S. Chemistry, cum laude, 1990
Bar Admissions
  • Supreme Court of Ohio, 1994
  • United States District Court for Northern District of Ohio, 1999
  • United States District Court for Southern District of Ohio, 2008
Professional Credentials
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Cleveland Metro Bar Association
  • Akron Bar Association
  • National Institute of Trial Attorneys 
  • Akron Executives Association
  • Cleveland Mortgage Bankers Association
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Profile:

Rodd began his practice after graduating from the University of Akron School of Law, in 1994, by working in a judicial clerkship with one of Summit County’s most respected judges.  Rodd then gained invaluable trial experience working as an assistant prosecutor. 

After his public service, Rodd practiced with a respected law firm in Summit County, Ohio, for over fifteen years gaining valuable experience representing clients with commercial litigation, construction law, lender liability, banking, and insurance subrogation recovery actions.  He served as lead trial counsel in cases involving real estate, banking and lender liability, commercial collection/recovery and foreclosure, complex contractual disputes, trade secrets, replevin and insurance subrogation.  Rodd also gained significant experience representing public and private owners, contractors and material suppliers in construction related issues involving mechanics liens, construction defects and prompt payment claims.  He was able to assist a variety of businesses decrease their accounts receivable by implementing terms and conditions and account receivable management processes and pursuing collection of unpaid accounts.

In addition to his litigation experience, Rodd has provided counsel to private businesses and governmental entities on a broad range of commercial transactions including the sale, acquisition and leasing of commercial real estate; general business planning; financing; and business loan workouts.  He has advised business owners regarding growth opportunities and planning disposition/exit strategies; negotiated and drafted leases and lease termination agreements, purchase and sale agreements and ancillary employment and consulting agreements, guarantees and financing documents; and  assisted with account receivable management, collection and asset recovery. 

At Sonkin Koberna, Rodd continues to represent a diverse group of clients in a wide variety commercial litigation ranging from commercial recovery and subrogation actions to shareholder and partnership disputes.  He successfully advocates for our clients in order to obtain favorable outcomes in trials as well as arbitration and mediation proceedings.  He regularly represents lenders, property owners, construction companies and suppliers, insurers and other local and regional business owners and stakeholders in all types of commercial issues, business disputes and bankruptcy matters.

Representative Engagements:
  • Obtained settlement valued in excess of $1,000,000 for a public entity in dispute involving a defectively installed fiber-optic communications network as special counsel for Ohio Attorney General.
  • Obtained defense judgment for lender on claims of employer that sought to recover in excess of $1,600,000 in checks forged by employer’s former employee.
  • Obtained a $1,200,000 judgment enforcing liquidated damages provision of employment contract in landmark action by state university against former university basketball coach and pursued multi-state pursuit of post-judgment proceeds to enforce and collect upon the judgment.
  • Defended area family owned business against a bankruptcy preference action that sought to clawback pre-bankruptcy payments by debtor that exceeded $250,000.
  • Pursued and obtained a settlement of successor liability and fraudulent transfer claims for family business against commercial debtor that attempted to avoid responsibility to creditors through series of transactions whereby debtor attempted to transfer his business operations to a new company. 
  • Obtained an order removing mechanic’s lien from family’s real property and ordering contractor to pay client family’s attorney fees incurred to remove liens from property.
  • Obtained a judgment for a foundation of a public university in a breach of contract and declaratory judgment action brought by private association that claimed to be intended beneficiary of $1,200,000 that was gifted to the foundation pursuant to a gift agreement.
  • Successfully obtained judgment and asserted a creditor’s bill claims on behalf of client materials supplier against unpaid proceeds of contractor on improvement projects in order to avoid potential significant losses for materials supplier.