Steven L. Baden

Experience

Steve Baden is a veteran business attorney with more than two decades of experience as general counsel and senior in-house legal advisor. He brings strategic clarity and practical solutions to clients across industries, including consumer goods, aviation, sales trade practices (including door-to-door sales), product manufacturing and distribution, and direct sales.

Steve’s multifaceted practice includes:

• Contract drafting and negotiation
• Complex commercial litigation
• Employment and workforce classification issues
• Product liability and intellectual property protection
• Regulatory compliance in advertising, marketing, and consumer sales
• Leasing, vendor, and distribution agreements

He is known for his ability to resolve high-stakes legal challenges while advancing business goals with precision and integrity.

Notable Results

• Workforce Classification- Secured a directed verdict (upheld on appeal) confirming factory distributors operated as independent contractors, not employees
• Employment- Defended the enforceability of non-compete and non-solicitation clauses with global application in federal court
• Agreements- Negotiated key manufacturing and IP agreements, including trademark and technology licenses
• Leasing- Directed leasing strategy for over 25 power equipment repair stores nationwide
• Distribution- Executed product distribution agreements with leading national retailers
• International- Led coordinated efforts between U.S. and China legal teams that resulted in seizure and destruction of counterfeit goods and prosecution of the infringer
• Trademark- Managed global trademark portfolios for major product lines and launches
• Consumer Products- Resolved multi-state attorney general investigations and inquiries from the Consumer Product Safety Commission

Professional and Civic Engagement

• Member, LawPact^®
• Admitted to practice before the Ohio Supreme Court and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
• Member, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

Beyond the office, Steve finds balance in Cleveland Metroparks, where he hikes with his wife, four children, and two dogs. He’s also an avid movie-goer, reader, traveler, and passionate supporter of Cleveland sports.