John A. Sivinski, Esq.

For nearly four decades, John has represented people whose lives were changed by injury, workplace harm, criminal accusations, and legal disputes with serious personal consequences. His career has included complex civil litigation, workplace-injury claims, asbestos litigation, criminal defense, OVI defense, and employment-related matters. Across those areas, the common thread has been trial work: preparing the case, testing the evidence, negotiating from strength, and standing before a judge or jury when the case could not be resolved any other way.

That experience matters.

A lawyer who has tried cases to verdict understands that litigation is not simply paperwork, negotiation, or argument. It is preparation under pressure. It is knowing which facts matter, which witnesses matter, which weaknesses must be confronted, and which issues can change the course of a case. It is also knowing when a case should be resolved and when it must be fought.

John has tried more than 100 cases to verdict, including cases that resulted in multi-million-dollar verdicts. He has negotiated settlements exceeding $100 million for injured clients and has received national recognition for his work in asbestos litigation. That background gives him a practical understanding of how serious cases are built from the ground up and how pressure can be applied effectively in litigation.

The Practice

At The Law Offices of Brian J. Smith, ltd., John focuses his work on criminal defense, DUI/OVI defense, and employment law. In criminal and OVI cases, his trial background allows him to evaluate the government's evidence carefully, identify weaknesses in the prosecution's case, and prepare the defense with the discipline that comes from decades of litigation. In employment matters, his experience representing injured workers and individuals facing workplace-related harm gives him a grounded understanding of what legal disputes can mean for a person's job, income, health, and future.

Recognition and Credentials

John's reputation as a sophisticated litigator has been recognized by his peers and by national organizations. He is certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a distinction recognizing excellence in civil trial law. He has also earned a Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ rating of 5.0 out of 5, the highest rating available through that peer-review system. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and has been recognized by Super Lawyers® for nine consecutive years.

OVI and Impaired-Driving Training

John has also completed the NHTSA Standardized Field Sobriety Testing course, the same type of training police officers receive in DUI/OVI investigations. That training assists him in evaluating whether field sobriety tests were properly administered and whether the officer's conclusions are supported by the procedures officers are trained to follow.

Bar Admissions

John is admitted to practice in the State of Ohio, the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio, and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Sixth and Seventh Circuits. He has also argued cases before numerous Ohio Courts of Appeal.

Education and Background

John was born in Port Clinton, Ohio. He graduated from John Carroll University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and earned his law degree from Case Western Reserve School of Law in 1986, graduating cum laude. He was also inducted into the Port Clinton High School Hall of Fame in recognition of his athletic achievements in baseball and football.

Experience, Earned

For John, experience is not measured only by years in practice. It is measured by the cases prepared, the witnesses questioned, the juries addressed, the negotiations handled, and the clients represented when the stakes were high.

That kind of experience cannot be manufactured.

It is earned over time, case by case, in the work itself.