Albert J. Lucas

Al has represented clients in complex commercial litigation, contract disputes, trade secret, and non-compete matters, insurance, e-commerce and data privacy issues, construction litigation, corporate and securities issues, employment and ERISA claims, and product liability actions. He also handles Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement issues and has filed numerous cases before the Provider Reimbursement Review Board.

Al counsels both public and privately held clients including Fortune 500 companies, significant privately held businesses, hospitals, and other business associations.

He has appeared on behalf of clients before numerous federal and state courts as well as regulatory bodies including the Ohio Public Utilities Commission, Ohio Department of Commerce, Ohio Department of Insurance, Ohio Department of Health, and the Provider Reimbursement Review Board.

Al also has significant experience in conducting internal corporate fraud investigations in connection with government probes.

He serves as a mediator for Franklin County.

Al is a member of the Federal, Ohio, Franklin County, and Columbus Bar Associations.

Previously with Jones Day, Al joined Calfee as a Partner in 1994.

Honors & Recognitions

• Benchmark Litigation, "Litigation Star" – U.S. (National) and Ohio: White-Collar Crime, Appellate,  Commercial, and Healthcare Litigation  (2016, 2018-2025)
• The Best Lawyers in America^®, Commercial Litigation (2010-2025)
• The BTI Consulting Group, Inc., Client Service All-Star (2012 and 2014)

Education

J.D., Order of the Coif, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 1984

B.S. and B.A., magna cum laude, John Carroll University, Outstanding Finance Graduate, 1981

Experience

• Served as lead litigation counsel for one of the nation’s premier retirement systems. The client issued an RFP for the administration of its Medicare and non-Medicare healthcare benefits plans beginning January 1, 2024. After a thorough evaluation of the applicants, the client selected a healthcare services provider as a single provider for both the Medicare and non-Medicare benefits. An unrelated private health insurer challenged the selection process and filed a TRO to prevent the client from executing the contract with the selected provider and from proceeding with the selected provider as a single provider of medical benefits for the over 110,000 retirees. The unrelated private health insurer’s main arguments were that the client did not follow the state’s public procurement statutes and that the client violated the RFP in numerous ways, including, but not limited to, relying on unannounced criteria, communicating directly with applicants outside the RFP process, ignoring certain federal standards pertaining to the administration of Medicare plans, and by rejecting the recommendation of a third-party hired to assist the client with the RFP process. Because of the TRO, and because the client had limited time to complete contract negotiations before the January 1, 2024 go-live date, the case was set on an expedited track. The Court granted our client’s motion for summary judgment. Shortly thereafter, the unrelated private health insurer filed an appeal; however, before their appellate brief was due, the party dismissed the appeal. It was a complete victory for Calfee’s client.
• Served as lead litigation counsel to our pharmaceutical company client as part of the National Opioid Litigation brought by virtually every state and municipality in the country. It is the largest or one of the largest tort cases in U.S. history. The Attorney General of Ohio sued opioid manufacturers, including Calfee’s client and its related entities for damages arising out of the marketing, sales, and distribution of opioid-related products. This matter is part of an industry-wide litigation against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and medical professionals brought by states and municipalities across the country, claiming that the opioid industry misled the public about the dangers of opioid addiction.
• Serving as lead counsel to a global chemical company assisting the client in all aspects of a cyberattack matter. Among other things, Calfee assisted the company in investigating the source of the cyberattack and in obtaining insurance coverage relating to the attack. Calfee has also been retained to defend the company with regard to losses arising from the cyberattack and the network outage. Calfee has also been retained by the insurer to pursue subrogation claims against the company whose negligent conduct caused the cyberattack.
• Served as lead litigation counsel to a publicly traded, Fortune 500, multi-billion-dollar chemical company. Calfee’s client acquired a business unit from a competitor and assumed responsibility for its litigation with a private chemical company. The litigation involved a dispute over a plant closure and the resulting termination of a supply agreement for hydrochloric acid. The case presents unique questions of law relating to a company’s legal basis for avoiding contractual obligations due to a plant closure. The case also involves novel questions relating to the calculation of damages under the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC).

Professional & Community

• Federal Bar Association, Member
• Ohio State Bar Association, Member
• Franklin County Bar Association, Member
• Columbus Bar Association, Member