Todd L. Willis

My entire legal career has been dedicated to defending the rights of people and families who have been wronged through the fault of others. The vast majority of my work involves pushing back against powerful insurance and financial interests, to level the playing field and obtain a just result for my clients.

From 2004 to 2009, I served as co-chairperson of the statewide Consumer Protection Committee for the Ohio Association for Justice. For the 2008-2009 term, I served as President of the Summit County Association for Justice and remain on its board of trustees. Both of these organizations are dedicated to preserving and advancing the legal right of injured people to obtain a fair recovery through our civil justice system.

I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to fight on behalf of ordinary Ohioans at every level of our state’s justice system. In 2007, I received the Amicus Curiae Award from the Ohio Association for Justice regarding a friend-of-the-court brief successfully urging the Ohio Supreme Court to reverse a ruling that had restricted the scope of damages available under Ohio’s consumer protection law. I have testified before the legislature and routinely advise Ohio Senate and House members on topics of consumer protection. Most recently, I testified before a Senate committee on a bill intended to punish dishonest contractors and builders who have ripped off homeowners. I have periodically been invited as a radio commentator on these topics in a legal forum and have been an invited lecturer on consumer law topics and insurance litigation throughout Ohio. The Ohio Association for Justice has twice recognized our firm’s service to the community and legal scholarship.

While I enjoy my volunteer work with the state and local bars, nothing is more rewarding than representing my clients. Clients bring real issues to the table that breathe life into the law. Helping a client return his or her life to normal is a satisfying job. Our clients spend their days earning a living and raising their families. The powerful interests we fight spend their days finding ways to shrink the value of legitimate claims. Even when our client’s life can’t be returned to normal, we can still devote ourselves to ensuring a fair recovery.

I have a wonderful wife and two amazing children that are growing up way too fast.  We enjoy traveling the country whenever we can find time to fit a trip in between the kids’ busy schedules.  I also like to unwind playing the piano, guitar, or tinkering in the garage. 

Bar Admissions

• Ohio, 1998
• Pennsylvania, 2009
• U.S. District Court, 1998
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio, 1999
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1999

Education

• University of Akron School of Law, Akron, Ohio
  • Juris Doctorate – 1997
• The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
  • Bachelor of Arts – 1994

Classes/Seminars/Publications

• Speaker, Day in the Life of a Trial Lawyer, University of Akron School of Law, October 2014
• Author, Ford’s Flare for Fighting Fees, Ohio Association for Justice Quarterly, October 2013
• Moderator, Consumer Law Seminar, Ohio Association for Justice, 2010
• Speaker, Legislative Developments in Consumer Law, Ohio Association for Justice, 2009
• Speaker, Pursuing Consumer Fraud Cases, Ohio Association for Justice, 2008
• Moderator, Consumer Law Seminar, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2007
• Speaker, Consumer Law, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Convention, 2007
• Speaker, Consumer Law, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Convention, 2006
• Five year Review of Major Developments in Tort Law, Summit County Trial Lawyers Association, 2006

Professional Associations and Memberships

• American Association for Justice
• National Association of Consumer Advocates
• Ohio Association for Justice (Formerly Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers), Board of Trustees, 2004 – 2009
• Ohio Association for Justice, Consumer Law Section, Chair, 2004 – 2009
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Summit County Association for Justice (Formerly Summit County Trial Lawyers Association), President, 2008 – 2009
• Summit County Association for Justice, Vice President, 2007 – 2008
• Summit County Association for Justice, Secretary, 2006 – 2007
• Summit County Association for Justice, Treasurer, 2005 – 2006
• Summit County Association for Justice, Board of Trustees Member, 2002 – Present
• Summit County Association for Justice, Verdict Reporter, 2000 – 2009
• Akron Bar Association

Pro Bono Activities

• Statewide Voter Referendum Petition Co-Chair, Veto 117 (to fight a bill that drastically weakened consumer protections in Ohio), 2007
• Amicus Brief lead writer, Whitaker v. M.T. Automotive (successfully fighting to uphold consumer remedies in Ohio), 2006
• Occasional invited guest on various radio shows on WKTX, WELW, WERE, Newstalk 1420WHK to discuss current issues in the law and tips for those facing legal problems
• Farmers v. Dillon, Ohio Supreme Court Case No. 2014-0451, Amicus Brief Writer
  • Wrote an Amicus brief on behalf of the Ohio Association for Justice, fighting against the common insurance company practice of forcing body shops to use less tested, less safe, aftermarket crash parts when repairing vehicles in Ohio. Our brief urges affirmance of the lower court’s opinion, which held that Farmers must comply with an Ohio statute that requires written estimates to notify consumers whenever aftermarket crash parts are intended to be used. A broad coalition of groups, including automobile manufacturers, body shops, trial lawyers, and consumer rights groups, are pushing together for greater information to be shared with consumers who are about to authorize repairs. Essentially alone on the other side of this case are the insurance companies, who want to save a few dollars on each claim by using cheaper parts that even the manufacturers themselves don’t trust.
• Westminster Presbyterian Church Session (Board of Trustees), 2014 – 2020
• Westminster Presbyterian Church Finance Committee member, 2014 – present
• Westminster Presbyterian Church Finance Committee Chair, 2015 – present
• Westminster Presbyterian Church Christmas Basket Drive, 2007-present
• Election Day On-Site Poll Observer  2004-2020
• Copley High School Band parent volunteer
• Kylie Rose’s Run donor and participant, 2017 – present
• American Red Cross Blood Donor, 7+ gallons