Brent M. Buckley

Managing Partner

While fully engaged as Managing Partner, Brent maintains an active practice representing public and privately-held companies, financial services, businesses and executive management. He is nationally recognized for excellence in business and corporate law, corporate governance, banking and finance law, and commercial litigation. His business sense and trial experience combine to make a distinctive impact whether at the closing table or in the courtroom in matters involving:

Business and Corporate Transactions
Business and Finance Litigation
Commercial and Complex Litigation
Corporate Governance
Finance (Debt and Equity)
Government Investigations (D&O, Federal/State Investigations/White-Collar Matters)
Professional Liability, D&O/E&O

Brent has successfully represented companies, as well as directors and officers in business and transactional matters, and is often retained in litigation ranging from corporate and contracts, to governance and financial matters.

When Skill Matters

Represents/defends directors and officers of closely-held and publicly-traded companies, attorneys, law firms, accountants and accounting firms in matters involving corporate conduct, white-collar allegations, business judgment, derivative and shareholder disputes, and business tort claims.
MDL, “bet the company” litigation, and class actions engagements include:
- Multi-national bank victimized in securitized transactions involving $500 million
- National retail pharmacy involving opiates
- Pharmaceutical manufacturer of an over-the-counter drug involving product composition
- Endoscopy mass tort involving thousands of plaintiffs, physicians practices, medical products, and allegations of Hepatitis C
- Medical device manufacturer of orthopedic bone screws, including FDA matters and insurance coverage dispute, resulting in a significant eight-digit settlement
Represents candidates and political office-holders in FEC and OEC matters, including compliance, inquiries, enforcement, and proceedings.
Represented national banks in investigations and litigation involving white-collar, international scam operations by crime syndicates reaching across the U.S. and other countries, including terrorist funding with wrongdoers being extradited to the U.S.
Represents banks and businesses in coordination with federal law enforcement and secret federal grand juries involving money-laundering, white-collar crimes, embezzlement, fraud, SARs, Patriot Act, RICO, wire fraud, Financial Anti-Terrorist Act, FinCEN, and BSA matters.
Successfully defended, through appeal, a bank and mezzanine lender against allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duties, civil conspiracy, and fraudulent transfer.
Defense verdict for one of the world’s largest insurance companies in an action against insurance companies, a closely-held corporation, and shareholder/family members for millions of dollars involving split-dollar agreements.
Represents large and regional banks in corporate investigations and matters of first impression involving banking crimes, lender liability, misconduct, business torts, claims involving directors, officers, employees, and borrowers, and in UCC matters.
Defense of one of the country’s top universities in state and federal courts in high-risk litigation involving wrongful deaths, confidential circumstances, hazing incidents, tenure, demotion, and discrimination.
Counsel in management-led buyouts of mid-market subsidiaries and international companies in acquisition and complex financing.
Represented national bank in series of loan portfolio sales aggregating hundreds of millions of dollars.
Represented lenders in negotiation and structuring of multi-million dollar credit facilities to corporate and subsidiaries/affiliates.
Represented lender in restructuring syndicated credit facility, including municipal bonds and letters of credit.

Articles + Presentations

Risk of Personal Liability for Company Obligations; the Ohio Revised Limited Liability Company Act, R.C. 1706 (Presenter, Lake County Bar Association, July 2022)
Ohio Insurance Litigation, Professional Lines (Contributing Author, New Appleman Ohio Insurance Law, formerly LexisNexis Practice Guide, 2017-2022)
Main Street Lending Program Expanded to Reach More Small and Mid-Sized Businesses (Author, June 2020)
The Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act is Ready for the President’s Signature (Author, June 2020)
House Passes New Paycheck Protection Program Bill Aimed to Help Small Businesses (Author, May 2020)
Corporate Governance and Risk Management (Presenter, Willoughby Western Lake County Chamber of Commerce, May 2020)
Governance in the New World of Uncertainty (Presenter, Ohio Land Title Association, May 2020)
Coronavirus: More Business “Unusual” (Presenter, March 2020)
Lawyers Serving on Non-Profit Boards: Ethical Considerations and Obligations (Presenter, Lake County Bar Association, September 2019)
Judicial and Prosecutorial Efficiency in the U.S. (Panelist, Cleveland Council on World Affairs, March 2018)
Ohio Insurance Litigation (Contributing Author, LexisNexis Practice Guide, December 2017)
Coalition Building for NGOs (Panelist, Cleveland Council on World Affairs, December 2017)
Managing Risk: Tools for Building an Effective Risk & Crisis Management Program (Presenter, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, June 2017)
Commercial Transactions Contract Clauses: Equitable Remedies in Ohio (Contributing Author, Practical Law, October 2016)
Corporate Political Activity: Are You and Your Company – Or Your Clients – RNC Ready? Parts I and II (Program Chair/Moderator, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, June 2016)
True Reagan: What Made Him Great and Why It Matters, A presentation by James Rosebush (Program Chair, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, June 2016)
Cybersecurity: Breach Response (Presenter, Lake County Bar Association, July 2015)
Financing Options: Well, You Do Have Alternatives! (Co-Author, Properties Magazine, March 2015)
Cybersecurity: Investigation-Prosecution-Prevention (Presenter, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, December 2014)
Information Governance: What Every D&O Needs to Know (Author, Crain’s Cleveland Business, November 2014)
Corporate Responsibility: Data Privacy and Protection (Author, Properties Magazine, November 2014)
Cybersecurity Strategies That Every Business, Director, and Officer Needs to Know (Presenter, Mid-Market Business and Technology Conference, July 2014)
M&A Strategies: 10 Ways to Enhance Value for the Day you Sell (Presenter, “Profitable Growth…Doing it Better,” The Presidents’ Forum of Cleveland, June 2013)
Navigating the D&O Coverage Maze in an Era of Increased Scrutiny (Presenter, Association of Corporate Counsel, Northeast Ohio Chapter, March 2013)
Independent Advice is Critical Anytime Internal Roles are Unclear (Author, Counsel to Counsel, 2012)

Distinctions + Awards

2023 Lawyer of the Year in Litigation-Banking and Finance (Cleveland) – honored by The Best Lawyers in America
Distinguished Law Alumni Award – 2019 Recipient/Honoree (Cleveland State University)
Legal Who’s Who – Prestigious Recognition as “One of the Nation’s Top Lawyers for Major/High-Impact Litigation” (Corporate Responsibility Magazine)
Best Lawyers in America
- Banking and Finance Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
- Corporate Governance Law
- Corporate Law
- Derivatives and Futures Law
- Financial Services Regulation Law
- Litigation – Banking and Finance
Top 50 Lawyers in Cleveland – Super Lawyers
Top 100 Lawyers in Ohio – Super Lawyers
Ohio Super Lawyers
Top Rated Lawyers – Commercial Litigation
Cleveland’s Top Rated Lawyers
The Top Legal Minds in Northeast Ohio
Leading Lawyers – Corporate Law
People of Vision Award – 2012 Recipient/Honoree (Prevent Blindness Ohio)
Leadership Cleveland – Class of 2000
AV-Preeminent Peer Review Rated (Martindale-Hubbell

Civic Involvement

Lake County Free Clinic
- Chair, Board of Trustees
Union Club Foundation
- Board of Trustees
Euclid Schools Foundation
- Board of Trustees
Cleveland Institute of Music
- Vice Chair, Board of Trustees; Chair, Governance Committee
Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
- Chair, Board of Visitors
College Now Greater Cleveland
- Secretary, Board of Directors
Cleveland Ballet
- Board of Directors; Chair, Governance Committee
Cleveland Sight Center
- Board of Trustees; Chair, Campaign Advisory Committee, Join The Journey Campaign
Lakeland Foundation
- Board of Directors
American Heart Association
- Chair, Attorneys with Heart Campaign
Prevent Blindness Northeast Ohio
- Executive Council

Professional Affiliations

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association – Board of Trustees; Chair, Business Banking & Corporate Counsel Section; Governance Committee
Judicial Conference of the Eighth Judicial District – Life Member
Judge John M. Manos Inn of Court
Defense Research Institute
American Bar Association
Ohio State Bar Association