CHRISTOPHER MELLINO
PARTNER
PRACTICE AREAS:
Wrongful Death
Personal Injury
Medical Malpractice
Christopher has represented clients in medical negligence, truck accident, wrongful death, defective product, birth injury, and brain injury cases for more than 30 years. While with the firm Kampinski & Mellino, the Cleveland Plain Dealer said the duo “set the standard for big medical malpractice payouts in Ohio.”
LANDMARK CASE RESULTS
Chris has been involved in several landmark cases, including Moskovitz v. Mt. Sinai Medical Center (1994) (establishing the right to punitive damages for altered medical records) and Watkins v. Cleveland Clinic Foundation (1998) (case involving ghost surgery). The Mellino Law Firm obtained a $12.5 million settlement on behalf of a 51-year-old father of five who fell into a persistent vegetative state following heart surgery and a $28.7 million verdict for a child who suffered birth injuries. Chris has achieved verdicts and settlements against all of the hospitals in the Cleveland area.
HONORS
A member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Chris has established a formidable network of experts to consult on cases. Committed to the highest standard of excellence, his peers have recognized him in Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers® since 2009. Since 1999, peers have also bestowed Martindale-Hubbell’s® prestigious Preeminent AV® rating, which is based on legal knowledge, analytical capabilities, judgment, communication ability, and experience. He is the author of the book Was It A Mistake, an in-depth guide to medical malpractice in Ohio. He previously served as chair of the medical malpractice section of the Ohio Association for Justice and has served on the board of the Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys and was co-editor of CATA News.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Highest Possible Peer Review Rating (AV) for Legal Ability and Ethical Standards by Martindale Hubbell since 1999
Recognized as a Best Lawyer by US News and World Report 2009-2021
Super Lawyer 2009-2021
Member of Million Dollar Advocates Society
Member of Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Society
Recognized as Top 100 Litigation Lawyers by American Society of Legal Advocates
Member of the National Trial Lawyers Association Top 100
Accepted into International Society of Primerus Law Firms
EDUCATION
Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland, Ohio, 1984, J.D., cum laude
Cleveland State University, OH, 1981, B.A.
BAR ADMISSIONS
Ohio
U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
Ohio State Bar Association
Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys
Ohio Association for Justice
American Association for Justice
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Chris founded a social justice scholarship program in Lakewood that engages eighth-grade students with local service organizations and projects to increase awareness about justice in our society.
Throughout his 30-year career, numerous Cleveland publications have contacted Chris for comment.
