Mr. Chlysta has practiced law for over 32 years, including 16 years as an HCP partner.  In 2022, he transitioned to of-counsel status, continuing to provide assistance and counsel to HCP clients.  His practice has focused on representing insurance carriers in coverage and liability-defense matters.  He also has extensive experience handling the coverage aspects of construction-defect, intentional-tort, and large-loss property claims and litigation.  He has frequently defended municipalities and their employees in civil-rights and injury cases and has successfully litigated cases throughout Ohio, in both federal and state courts.

Mr. Chlysta is one of HCP’s primary brief writers and appellate advocates.  He has personally argued approximately 80 cases in Ohio’s appellate courts.  He was a primary brief writer, for instance, in Cleveland Bar Assn. v. CompManagement, Inc., a seminal Ohio Supreme Court case regarding the unauthorized practice of law.  He briefed and argued Smith v. Landfair, the first Ohio Supreme Court case to interpret Ohio’s equine immunity statute.  More recently, Mr. Chlysta was heavily involved in defending COVID-related business-interruption cases on behalf of insurance carriers and the industry in general.  He briefed and argued Santo’s Italian Café LLC v. Acuity Insurance Co., 15 F.4th 398 (6th Cir. 2021), and Sanzo Ents. L.L.C. v. Erie Ins. Exchange, 2021-Ohio-4268, two cases that helped establish federal and Ohio law on insurance coverage for COVID-related claims.

John enjoys relaxing with his lovely wife at their home at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio.  The Chlystas’ three adult children are pure joy, as are the family dog and finicky cats.  John stays active on the family’s 130-acre farm and homestead, where he’s frequently sawing, splitting, and hauling his next batch of firewood.  The Chlystas travel whenever they can to national parks, beaches, the open seas, and all points in between.  Last but not least, John is hopelessly obsessed with the Boston Red Sox and Buckeye football.  Professional help has proved useless.

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

• McGowan, Admr. v. Family Medicine, Inc., 2002-Ohio-4071
• Hillier v. Nationwide Mut. Ins., 2003-Ohio-6153
• Erie Ins. Exchange v. Colony Dev. Corp., 2003-Ohio-7232
• Mathis v. Am. Commerce Ins. Co., 2004-Ohio-2021
• Cleveland Bar Assn. v. CompManagement, Inc., 104 Ohio St.3d 168, 2004-Ohio-6506
• State Housing Authority Risk Pool v. Erie Ins. Group, 2004-Ohio-7223
• Sompo Japan Ins. Co. v. Vaughn, 2005-Ohio-1947
• Barnes v. Hallam, 2005-Ohio-2934
• Interstate Properties v. Prasanna, Inc., 2006-Ohio-2686
• Cleveland Bar Assn. v. CompManagement, Inc., 111 Ohio St.3d 444, 2006-Ohio-6108
• Dutch Maid Logistics, Inc. v. Acuity Insurance, 2009-Ohio-1783
• Currier v. Penn-Ohio Logistics, 187 Ohio App.3d 32, 2010-Ohio-198
• Beary v. Murphy Dump Truck Serv., Inc., 2014-Ohio-4333
• Tadijanac v. Jefferson Twp. Belliville Fire Dept., 2014-Ohio-4332
• Collins v. Hearty Investment Trust, 2017-Ohio-1270
• Santo’s Italian Café LLC v. Acuity Insurance Co., 15 F.4th 398 (6th Cir. 2021)
• Sanzo Ents. L.L.C. v. Erie Ins. Exchange, 2021-Ohio-4268
• Bridgestone Ams. Tire Operations, L.L.C. v. Harris, 2018-Ohio-63
• B & S Trans., Inc. v. Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC, 758 Fed.Appx. 503 (6th Cir.2019)
• Bridgestone Ams. Tire Operations, L.L.C. v. Harris, 2020-Ohio-76

Professional Info

COURTS + BAR ASSOCIATIONS

• Ohio Supreme Court (1992)
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit (1998)
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio (1995)
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio (2005)
• Ohio State Bar Association

EDUCATION

• Case Western Reserve University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1992)
• Kent State University (B.A., summa cum laude, 1989)