Joe Zelasko represents clients in complex commercial disputes in state and federal courts and in arbitral proceedings. He focuses his practice on difficult commercial litigation with an emphasis on the defense of product liability, mass tort, and construction cases. Joe also has represented clients in a number of other industries, including sports and higher education.
Joe has significant experience representing commercial defendants in complex proceedings, including federal MDLs (multidistrict litigations), coordinated state proceedings, and consolidated multiplaintiff cases. Joe excels in all phases of litigation and has robust experience working with experts in a variety of fields, including engineers, statisticians, historians, marketing and advertising professionals, and many types of medical professionals. Joe's experience includes work for Sherwin-Williams, Abbott Laboratories, Fluor, Nationwide Realty Investors, Cardinal Health, the University of Notre Dame, and the Big Ten Conference.
Joe also maintains an active pro bono practice focused on immigration law. He has represented individual clients and an immigrant justice organization before the immigration courts and the United States Courts of Appeals. Prior to joining Jones Day, Joe clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
Experience
- Northwestern University (J.D. magna cum laude 2017; Online Article Editor, Northwestern University Law Review); University of Miami (B.A. magna cum laude 2010)
- Ohio and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- Law Clerk to: Judge Priscilla Richman, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit (2018-2019) and Judge William Q. Hayes, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California (2017-2018)