216.696.8700
Samir B. Dahman
Partner in Charge, Columbus
614.427.5750
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Samir B. Dahman

Partner in Charge, Columbus
614.427.5750
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VCF logo
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Samir Dahman and his team were both extremely attentive, knowledgeable, and swift with communication for any and every question I had during the four months of my legal process. They truly cared about assisting me by any means necessary, even if that meant getting little to no sleep researching and preparing my case for the eventual landslide win. A $0 result from mediation and no further damages — I couldn’t have imagined a more favorable outcome, all resulting from Samir’s hard work and dedication to me and my case.

Edward Southworth
Owner, Eddies Calzones

OVERVIEW & EXPERIENCE

As the Co-Chair of KJK’s Litigation Practice Group, Samir steers the team towards delivering outstanding client service and creating an environment where productivity, unity, competence, and satisfaction thrive. He accomplishes this by managing training programs, evaluating performance, allocating resources effectively, integrating technology, fostering thought leadership and recruiting top talent.

As Partner in Charge of the Firm’s Columbus office, Samir leads a team of skilled partners, associates, and staff. In his role as an attorney, Samir solves issues for businesses, owners, and individuals concerning commercial litigation, business law, estate planning, and employment. Renowned for providing exceptional, client-focused legal services, he takes a sincere and serious approach to addressing his clients’ concerns.

As a testament to his client-focused approach, Samir was selected as one of the Top 5 Lawyers in Columbus and Top 100 Lawyers in Ohio, received Columbus Business First’s “Forty Under 40” award, has been repeatedly listed as one of the “Top Lawyers” in Columbus by Columbus CEO Magazine, and has been selected to the Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists by Super Lawyer magazine, annually since 2012.

He was an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law where he taught concepts in drafting and negotiating purchase agreements for privately held companies.

Samir’s litigation practice encompasses multi-jurisdictional, complex commercial disputes, such as his role as lead counsel in the successful resolution of a $6.3 million combined breach of a sales representative agreement and construction dispute pending in U.S., Canadian, and Mexican federal courts. Samir is well-versed in partnership and closely-held company shareholder, FLSA, harassment, class-action, trade secret, and competition litigation. Samir frequently defends companies in Federal, state, and local government investigations.

Samir and his cases sometimes attract media attention, with him contributing to or his high-profile cases being covered by ESPN, CBS Sports, Law360, Columbus Business FirstThe Columbus Dispatch, The Lantern, 97.1 The Fan, and WTKA.

During law school, Samir served as an extern for Magistrate Judge Mark R. Abel of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Active in his community, Samir and his wife founded The Berkshire Triathlon, a 501(c)(3) charity, which raised around $250,000 for children with serious illnesses in Central Ohio. This funding has significantly benefited Flying Horse FarmsNationwide Children’s Hospital, and the Ronald McDonald House.

Representative Experience
  • Essentially vacated a judgment by the City of Columbus against a property owner preserving $10+ million in equity.
  • Obtained preliminary injunction in a $20+ million real estate partnership dispute pending in multiple jurisdictions, which facilitated a favorable resolution, providing stability and security and allowing the partnership’s operations to thrive free and clear of outside interference.
  • Lead counsel in successful representation of Chris Spielman in a putative name, image, and likeness class action against IMG College and Ohio State University in federal court.
  • Lead counsel in two-week jury trial defending family business and its CEO against sexual harassment claims by six plaintiffs, facing liability of more than $3 million; obtained an outcome essentially awarding one plaintiff just $16,000.
  • Organized, merged, acquired, restructured, and divested dozens of privately-held companies in the technology, outsourcing, marketing, medical, manufacturing and services industries
  • Established estate plans for numerous families in Ohio and Michigan, including revocable trusts, wills, powers of attorney, foreign beneficiaries and guardians, and other supporting documents
  • Obtained $5.6 million for squeezed-out partner who did not even have a written partnership agreement in an allegedly un-named entity and who had previously provided sworn statements that he was not a partner.
  • Prevailed in bet-the-company litigation by obtaining complete defense verdict following preliminary injunction in federal court on behalf of small business accused of trademark, trade dress, and copyright infringement; breach of contract; misappropriation of trade secrets; Ohio Deceptive Trade Practices Act, unfair competition, tortious interference with business, and unjust enrichment
  • Successfully resolved $6.3 million combined breach of sales representative agreement and construction dispute pending in U.S., Canadian and Mexican federal courts
  • Prevailed in bench trial in $3.8 million breach of settlement agreement action against national bank, and was awarded $120,000 in legal fees
  • Settled $2.6 million lawsuit filed in federal court by one of the largest law firms in the Midwest for violations of trade secret, non-compete, and tortious interference laws
  • Achieved successful resolution of $2.4 million joint venture dispute pending in multiple jurisdictions
  • Prevailed at week-long jury trial on behalf of business by obtaining $42,000 in breach of contract action, while obtaining directed verdict on adversary’s fraud and conversion claims and a verdict throwing out adversary’s $650,000 breach of contract and trade secret misappropriation claims
  • Serves as outside general counsel to a number of companies, from manufacturers and distributors to marketing and international software companies
AWARDS & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Awards

  • Selected to Ohio Super Lawyers 2014 – 2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2020 – 2021
  • Leadership Upper Arlington Distinguished Alumni Award, 2017
  • “Forty Under 40,” Columbus Business First, 2015
  • Top 5: 2015 Columbus Super Lawyers
  • Top 50: 2015 Columbus Super Lawyers
  • Top 100: 2015 Ohio Super Lawyers
  • Selected to Ohio Rising Stars 2012 – 2013
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated Attorney
  • The Founders Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for Significant and Lasting Contribution to the Entrepreneurial Business Law Journal, 2007

Professional Affiliations

  • Federal Bar Association
  • Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, Adjunct Professor
  • State Bar of Michigan
BAR / COURT ADMISSIONS
  • Ohio
  • Michigan
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT
  • City of Upper Arlington Leadership Program
    • Graduate
  • Flying Horse Farms
    • Board of Directors, Chair
  • Leadership Columbus Graduate, 2019
  • Ohio State University Honors & Scholars Program
    • External Advisory Committee, Past Advisory Board Member
  • Supreme Court of Ohio Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program
    • Mentor
  • The Berkshire Triathlon benefiting Flying Horse FarmsNationwide Children’s Hospital, and the Ronald McDonald House
    • Co-founder and Past-President
  • Upper Arlington Junior High and J.V. Hockey Teams,
    • Past Coach
MEDIA MENTIONS
PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS

PRACTICE AREAS

EDUCATION

  • Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, J.D., 2007
  • University of Michigan, B.A., Economics, 2002

RECENT KJK INSIGHTS

Ohio Takes One Step Closer to Statewide Passenger Rail

Ohio Takes One Step Closer to Statewide Passenger Rail

“It’s a good time to be in transportation!” says William Murdock, Executive Director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). Speaking to KJK’s Samir Dahman and James Scherer, Mr. Murdock, who heads one of Ohio’s largest regional planning agencies, spoke...

I take my clients’ matters seriously by providing candid assessments, exceptional team members, and valuable solutions.

Samir B. Dahman
Partner in Charge, Columbus