Who I Am …
I’m Christopher Ernst, and for more than three decades, I’ve devoted my professional life to understanding conflict and helping people resolve it -- first as a trial lawyer and now as a full-time neutral. Today, I serve as a mediator, arbitrator, and professional neutral, with a national practice focused on resolving complex business, tort, employment, and consumer disputes. After years in the courtroom, I’ve transitioned my career from litigator to problem-solver -- unlocking solutions for demanding cases.
My journey into Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) began in the early 1990s, well before ADR had gained the traction it has today. I’ve seen this field evolve firsthand, and my own practice has grown with it -- from early mediation training and panel appointments to a full-time focus on arbitration, mediation, Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE), Early Dispute Resolution (EDR), and related neutral services. Whether resolving multi-million dollar commercial disputes or helping parties reframe emotionally charged employment conflicts, I bring balanced judgment, strategic clarity, and genuine listening to every matter I handle.
From Trial Lawyer to Trusted Neutral
Before transitioning full-time to ADR, I spent nearly 35 years as a practicing attorney. I litigated a broad range of civil cases -- business contracts, torts, employment disputes, construction matters, insurance defense, and plaintiff-side personal injury. My experience included leading trials in both state and federal courts, often in high-stakes matters involving complex legal and factual issues. I’ve served as lead counsel in cases involving claims of up to $160 million and have served as a Special Master in a matter valued at over $450 million. These are not abstract numbers to me -- they represent years of my life spent inside boardrooms, courtrooms, and client strategy sessions, grappling with difficult facts and law to find clarity in complexity.
My transition to a full-time neutral was a natural evolution of my career. Over time, I came to recognize that the courtroom -- though necessary in some cases -- was often an inefficient and ineffective tool for solving the real human and business problems that underlie legal disputes. Too often, litigation left everyone drained. As I began mediating and arbitrating cases alongside my litigation practice, I discovered that the skills I had developed as a litigator -- analytical precision, subject-matter fluency, and calm under pressure -- translated powerfully into the role of a neutral. I could bring value not by advocating for one side, but by helping both sides move forward. My extensive "in the trenches" experience became the bedrock of my success as a neutral.
Training, Credentials, and Appointments
My transition to full-time neutral work has been shaped by formal training and service with some of the nation’s leading dispute resolution organizations. I am proud to be on the rosters of both mediators and arbitrators for the American Arbitration Association (AAA), where I handle Standard, Commercial, and Consumer matters. I also serve as a FINRA arbitrator and am trained by FINRA in dispute resolution involving the financial services industry.
In addition, I have received formal training through the Supreme Court of Ohio, the American Bar Association, and the Early Dispute Resolution Institute. I serve as a mediator for the United States District Court in both the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio, and I serve as a neutral for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, where I handle business mediations, arbitrations, and general dispute resolution assignments. These varied appointments reflect the breadth of my experience and the trust placed in me by courts, parties, and institutions.
As a trained neutral, I offer more than traditional mediation and arbitration. I also conduct Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE), provide Early Dispute Resolution (EDR) services, and organize mock trials and mini trials for counsel and parties who want a preview of how their case may be perceived by a neutral decision-maker. These services help parties make informed strategic decisions and avoid the time, expense, and uncertainty of trial. My primary focus remains business, tort, consumer, and employment matters -- disputes where practical judgment, emotional intelligence, and legal insight are all essential.
Thought Leadership and Legal Writing
In addition to my practice as a neutral, I am a longtime legal writer and scholar. I am the author of Baldwin’s Ohio Practice: Tort Law, published by West (a Thomson/Reuters company) and available on Westlaw. This comprehensive, 6,000-page treatise is the only standalone legal text devoted exclusively to Ohio tort law. Covering 78 chapters, it spans topics such as:
Assault and Battery
Birth Related Torts
False Imprisonment
Liability for Motor Vehicle Operations
Premises Liability
Products Liability
Professional negligence and Malpractice
Psychic and Emotional Injury
Trespass to a Person
Ultrahazardous Activities
Tortious Breach of Implied Covenant of Good Faith & Fair Dealing
Breach of fiduciary duty
Computer and Cyberspace Litigation
Civil Conspiracy
Consumer Protection
Conversion
Covenants Not to Compete
Deceptive Advertising
Defamation
Employer liability for injury to employees
Exculpatory Contracts
Fraud and Deceit
Independent Contractors
Interference with Business Relations
Intellectual Property
Interference with Prospective Advantage
Interference with Lawful Business
Interference with Employment Relations
Lender Liability
The first edition was published in 2005; the second, in 2010. I update it annually.
I’ve also written extensively on ADR topics, contributing articles to the Ohio ADR Journal and other professional publications. I believe in the power of legal education to improve the quality of dispute resolution, and I regularly present on ADR-related topics, including for bar associations, law firms, and industry groups.
Education and Memberships
I hold a B.A. from Tufts University, where I double-majored in Modern American History and International Relations and earned my degree in just three years. I received my J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. I am admitted to practice in Ohio, as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for both the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio. I have been honored by Best Lawyers in America, Ohio Super Lawyers, and Martindale Hubbell (AV Rating – 5.0 out of 5.0)29. This AV Preeminent® rating is the highest possible, a testament to the fact that my peers rank me at the pinnacle of professional excellence for legal ability and ethical standards. I have also been selected as a Super Lawyer seventeen times and been recognized repeatedly by Best Lawyers.
I am an active member of several legal and dispute resolution organizations:
American Arbitration Association – Roster of Arbitrators & Mediators
American Bar Association – Dispute Resolution Section and Litigation Section (ADR Committee)
Ohio State Bar Association – Dispute Resolution Committee
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association – ADR Section
William K. Thomas American Inn of Court – Master of the Bench
Ohio Mediation Association – Member
I was previously Chair of the ADR Practice Group at a prominent Midwest law firm and a regular contributor to the development of ADR practice in both institutional and private settings. I’m also a member of MENSA®, which reflects my lifelong commitment to intellectual rigor and problem-solving.
Whether I’m serving as an arbitrator making binding decisions, mediating high-stakes commercial disputes, or facilitating early resolution before litigation escalates, I bring a balanced temperament, decades of practical experience, and deep respect for the parties and counsel who entrust me with their disputes. If you’re looking for a seasoned neutral who understands the demands of litigation but knows how to move beyond it, I’d be honored to work with you.
