The Sixth Circuit in Bivens v. Zep, Inc. brushed aside the EEOC’s and several circuit court positions with respect to the standard to be used when determining an employer’s liability under Title VII for sexual harassment of its employee by a customer and instituted a...
OVERVIEW & EXPERIENCE
Maribeth Meluch is an experienced business law attorney with a unique and diverse skillset. She is experienced in intellectual property and employment law and provides guidance and representation to businesses on a wide range of legal issues, including IP, employment, litigation, wage and hour, OSHA and other regulatory matters.
Maribeth assists her clients in protecting their valuable and sensitive business assets by protecting their intellectual property rights through filings on copyrights, trademark and patents, and enforcing those rights through intellectual property litigation, negotiating of licensing agreements and drafting contracts to protect confidentiality of sensitive information, including non-competes and other agreements, as well as to restrict competition by employees and contractors.
An experienced litigator, Maribeth represents clients in Ohio state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies including the OCRC, EEOC, DOL and OSHA Commission. Her litigation work spans the full scope of her practice areas, including employment disputes, intellectual property enforcement, and regulatory compliance matters. She brings a diligent and strategic approach to resolving complex business conflicts, whether in court or before regulatory bodies.
In addition, she has developed a niche practice in equine law after adopting two retired Thoroughbred racehorses, one of which is the great grandson of Triple Crown Winner Affirmed. She assists equine businesses with issues unique to horses and the horse industry from customized boarding, leasing and other agreements, application of federal and state regulations, to representing plaintiffs and defendants in lawsuits involving horse-related and business issues.
An avid traveler, Maribeth has been to more than 30 countries and 40 states, including Kenya, where she took a safari on horseback. In her spare time, she is a gentleman farmer husbanding her gardens, orchards and a menagerie of farm denizens including horses, cattle, chickens, ducks, bees and three incorrigible Boxers.
Representative Experience
AWARDS
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Litigation – Intellectual Property, 2015 – 2021, 2023 – 2026; Commercial Litigation 2020 – 2021, 2023 – 2026; Labor Law – Management, 2025 – 2026
- The Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyer of the Year” Litigation – Intellectual Property, 2019, 2023
- Selected to Ohio Super Lawyers®, 2012 – 2013, 2015 – 2021, 2024-2025
- Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated Attorney
- OSBA Community Service Award for Lawyers under 40 for the Fifth District, 1996
BAR / COURT ADMISSIONS
- Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC INVOLVEMENT
- Ohio State Bar Association
- Board of Directors, 1998 – 2001
- Delaware Bar Association
- Delaware County’s Public Defender Commission, 2022 – Present
- Big Walnut Galena Rotary Club Commerce
- President of the Board, 1996 – Present
- Delaware Area Chamber of Commerce, 1996 – Present
- Board of Directors, 1996 – 2002, 2014 – 2020, 2022 – 2028, 2022 – Present
- Past President of the Board, 2001
- Kingston Township Board of Zoning Appeals
- Sunbury Big Walnut Chamber of Commerce, 2018 – Present
- President of the Board, 2021 – Present
MEDIA MENTIONS
- “Meluch named to Public Defender Commission” The Delaware Gazette, Aug. 31, 2022
- “What are your rights when it comes to religious, medical vaccine exemptions?” 10TV, Sept. 3, 2021
- “When Employees Refuse to Return to Work Due to COVID-19,” QSR Magazine, June 2020
- “Guardant Health CEO Deleted Email Evidence After Lawsuit Deposition,” GenomeWeb, Jan. 6, 2020
- “Former Delaware County deputy loses wrongful termination lawsuit,” Columbus Dispatch, Sept. 27, 2017
- “Condensed Handbooks, Videos Can Help Train Seasonal Employees, Their Managers,” Society for Human Resources Management, Nov. 10, 2016
- “Company Must Pay $3M for Deleting E-Mails,” Society for Human Resources Management, Oct. 18, 2016
- “People to Know: Maribeth Meluch,” Columbus Business First, Nov. 21, 2014
PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS
Publications
- Ohio Civil Service Law, 1992
Presentations
- HR Six Pack, Delaware Area Chamber of Commerce
- Patent Licensing Agreements, The Inventors Network, Jan. 10, 2016
- B.E.D. and Breakfast Series Delaware Area Chamber of Commerce
- First Fridays Seminar Series Sunbury Area Chamber
- National Business Institute
PRACTICE AREAS
EDUCATION
- Capital University Law School, J.D.,1991, cum laude
- Miami University, B.A., Microbiology and Zoology, 1982