Porter Quoted in Columbus CEO Story Titled “Business Litigation: Going to Court is the Last Resort”

Bill Porter, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and chair of the firm’s litigation group, was recently quoted in a Columbus CEO story about litigation trends in central Ohio.  According to the story, The Ohio Supreme Court has indicated that only 1.1 percent of the state’s civil cases went to trial in 2016.

The story states:

“‘When parties have issues involving complex technical or scientific issues there can be concern about a jury of our peers—or even a judge—understanding the issues that are at hand sufficiently to get the right answer,’ says Bill Porter, chair of the litigation group at Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease.

Some potential changes are being discussed, such as putting trials on dedicated timelines, to make them more tolerable to businesses. After all, trials can be beneficial beyond the parties involved, educating the public on issues that otherwise wouldn’t see the light of day.

‘A number of organizations involving the bench and the bar have been working together to attempt to make jury trials more affordable, more accessible and more expedient so that more people will take advantage of the institution of a jury trial,’ Porter says. ‘If there is success in that regard that should help that trend line [of fewer trials] to decrease.’

Notwithstanding the drawbacks of a trial, there always will be compelling reasons for businesses to pursue the option. It could be the competitiveness or stubbornness of a business owner or an attempt to protect his or her reputation. The company’s existence could be hanging in the balance.

But often it boils down to necessity. ‘You have a trial today because there’s a dispute that just simply cannot be resolved, and the parties cannot walk away from it,’ Porter says.”

To read the entire story, visit the Columbus CEO website.