Anne Marie Sferra is chair of Bricker’s Litigation practice group. She has trial and appellate experience litigating a wide variety of commercial and insurance cases, including class actions, mortgage servicing litigation, life and health claims, bad faith claims and coverage issues. Anne Marie also has substantial experience handling many original actions, constitutional issues, tort reform issues and election law matters, including statewide initiative and referendum petitions.

In 2008, Anne Marie became the first Columbus-area attorney to be certified as an Appellate Law Specialist by the Ohio State Bar Association. Anne Marie is counsel on numerous amicus curiae briefs, primarily in the Ohio Supreme Court, on behalf of statewide and national organizations, including the Ohio Manufacturers Association, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Hospital Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Insurance Association, and others.

Bar Admissions & Activities

• Ohio State Bar Association Certified Specialist – Appellate Law
• Ohio State Bar Association Appellate Law Specialty Board
• Member, American Bar Association; Ohio State Bar Association; Ohio Women’s Bar Association; Columbus Bar Association
• Admitted, State of Ohio; United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio; Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals; Supreme Court of the United States

Awards & Recognition

• Listed, Ohio Super Lawyers (Appellate; General Litigation; Insurance Coverage), 2009–2022
• Listed, Top 25 Women Columbus, Ohio Super Lawyers, 2013–2022
• Listed, Top 50 Women Ohio, Ohio Super Lawyers, 2016–2022
• Listed, Best Lawyers in America (Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation), 2010–2022
• Recognized, ChambersUSA, Litigation: General Commercial with a Band 2 ranking, 2021; Band 3 ranking, 2011–2015, 2018–2020; Band 4 ranking 2008–2010, 2016–2017
• Recipient, 2021 Professionalism Award, Columbus Bar Association
• Listed, Top 50 Columbus, Ohio Super Lawyers, 2017–2021
• Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys Member of the Year, 2018
• Columbus Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America (Appellate Practice), 2014, 2018
• Listed, Top 100 Ohio, Ohio Super Lawyers, 2017
• Ranked, AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell
• Recognized, Columbus Business First’s “The Verdict,” 2005
• Recipient, Columbus Jaycees’ Ten Outstanding Young Citizens of Greater Columbus Award, 1996

Presentations & Published Works

• Author, “Arbitration: What to do when there is no right to appeal?” Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys Quarterly Review, Summer 2019
• Speaker, “Panel Discussion on the Latest Developments in Litigation,” Ohio Insurance Institute Continuing Legal Education Symposium, March 2019
• Speaker, “Appellate Practice Brief Writing,” Ohio State Bar Association, November 2018
• Speaker, “Women in the Law Panel Discussion,” DRI Annual Meeting, October 2018
• Speaker, “Sharing our Experience: How Women’s Initiatives Can Impact Your Legal Practice Setting,” Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys, Women in the Law Seminar, June 2018
• Author, “Show, Don’t Tell in Mediation,” Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys Quarterly Review, Spring 2018
• Speaker, “’Appeals: The Basics – Technical and Procedural Requirements, Brief Writing, and Oral Argument,” Ohio State Bar Association, September 2017
• Author, “Ohio apology statute covers admissions of fault,” Bricker & Eckler Publications, September 2017
• Author, “Sixth Circuit Should Follow Lead of Tyson Foods and Reject Representatives Evidence Use in FLSA Collective Actions,” Washington Legal Foundation, June 2017
• Author, “Sorry seems to be the hardest word: Ohio’s apology statute for healthcare providers,” Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys Quarterly Review, Winter 2017
• Speaker, “Mediation in Ohio Courts of Appeal,” Ohio Courts of Appeals Judges Association, February 2017
• Speaker, “Appellate Practice – Brief Writing,” Ohio State Bar Association, April 2016
• Speaker, “Appellate Practice – Brief Writing,” Ohio State Bar Association, April 2015
• Speaker, “Appellate Brief Essentials Webcast,” Ohio State Bar Association, February 2015
• Speaker, “Public Records for Private Universities,” Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio, July 2015
• Speaker, “Appellate Practice Brief Writing,” Ohio State Bar Association, April 2015
• Speaker, “Appeals: The Basics – Technical and Procedural Requirements, Brief Writing, and Oral Argument,” Paralegal Association of Central Ohio, January 2015

Education

• The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (J.D., 1985); Member, Ohio State National Moot Court Team; Recipient, Best Oral Argument Award, Sixth Circuit Moot Court Competition
• Bowling Green State University (B.S., 1982)

Bricker & Eckler LLP.

Bricker & Eckler is a leading Midwest law firm with offices throughout Ohio and clients across the country.

We are experienced appellate attorneys, crafting logical, persuasive and, often, winning arguments.

Our appellate lawyers handle all types and aspects of appeals at both the state and federal levels. In crafting briefs and oral arguments, we use our industry knowledge and understanding of the law to build creative and sophisticated appellate arguments that have resulted in favorable decisions for many of our clients. We also handle administrative appeals and writ actions, often representing national and state organizations as amici curiae.

Our skilled team includes former law clerks from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Ohio and Ohio appellate courts. Our team also includes attorneys recognized by the Ohio State Bar Association as certified specialists in appellate law.