Marc D. Mezibov has over 35 years experience in successfully litigating matters at all levels of state and federal courts. Mr. Mezibov largely focuses his practice on employment, civil rights and class action litigation, having successfully represented clients against the world's largest corporations and government entities. He has also represented individuals in several high-profile criminal prosecutions and death penalty appeals. He also represents a number of local academic faculty and staff in employment matters.
Mr. Mezibov has been listed in Best Lawyers in America in two categories: Labor/Employment and First Amendment Litigation and has been recognized by the Ohio Lawyers weekly as one of the top ten lawyers for the year 2000; by Cincinnati Magazine as one of Cincinnati's top 50 lawyers in 1995; and as an Ohio "Super-Lawyer" since 2003. Mr. Mezibov has served as general counsel of the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and as chair of the Civil Rights Committee of the Cincinnati Bar Association. In 2003, Mr. Mezibov was selected as a member of the subcommittee of the Ohio Judicial Conference, responsible for drafting pattern jury instructions to be used throughout Ohio courts in cases of defamation, libel and slander. Mr. Mezibov holds an AV rating (the highest conferred) in the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory.
Mr. Mezibov is a graduate of the Boston University School of Law and American University. He is admitted to practice in Ohio and New Jersey, United Stated District Courts in the Southern and Northern Ohio as well as the Eastern District of Kentucky, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
Among Mr. Mezibov's significant cases are the City of Cincinnati v. Contemporary Art Center, et al. (Ohio Mun. 1990), 556 N.E.2d 214 (successfully defended arts center director criminally charged for displaying Mapplethorpe exhibit); City of Cincinnati v. Discovery Network, Inc. (1993), 507 U.S. 410 (successfully argued to United States Supreme Court to strike city ordinance banning commercial handbill newsracks); State ex rel. Miami Student v. Miami University (1997), 680 N.E.2d 956 Ohio St.3d (successfully argued to Ohio Supreme Court to compel release of student disciplinary records to track campus crime); and Estep v. J. Kenneth Blackwell, Secretary of State (2006), U.S. Dist. Ct. No. 06-106 (settled class action against Ohio Secretary of State for internet disclosure of thousands of individuals' Social Security numbers).
Areas Of Practice
- Employment Law
- Civil Rights
- Education/School Law
- Defamation
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey, 1970
- Ohio, 1974
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1978
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1992
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
Education
- Boston University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts
- J.D. - 1970
- American University, Washington, District of Columbia
- B.A. - 1967
- Major: History
Representative Cases
- Discovery Network v. City of Cincinnati, 200 U.S. 321, 1993, U.S. Supreme Court
- State ex rel. Miami Student v. Miami University, 79 Ohio St.3d 168, 1997, OH Supreme Court
- City of Cincinnati v. Contemporary Art Center, et al. (Ohio Mun. 1990), 556 N.E.2d 214
- City of Cincinnati v. Discovery Network, Inc. (1993), 507 U.S. 410
- Estep v. J. Kenneth Blackwell, Secretary of State (2006), U.S. Dist. Ct. No. 06-106
Honors and Awards
- Best Lawyers in America, Labor/Employment and First Amendment Litigation
- One of the top ten lawyers for the year 2000, Ohio Lawyers weekly
- One of Cincinnati's top 50 lawyers in 1995, Cincinnati Magazine
- Ohio "Super-Lawyer" since 2003
- AV rating, Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory
Professional Associations and Memberships
- National Employment Lawyers Association, Member
- Cincinnati Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, General Counsel
- Civil Rights Committee of the Cincinnati Bar Association, Chair
- Subcommittee of the Ohio Judicial Conference, Member