Peter Soldato

Peter is a tireless advocate for clients in and out of the courtroom, representing people harmed by corporate negligence and systemic failures in health care, elder care, and policing. He focuses his practice on complex litigation involving civil rights violations, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death, bringing a relentless commitment to accountability and justice in high-stakes cases.

Peter began his career in the public sector, honing his courtroom skills as a major crimes prosecutor, and later served as a public defender, where he built a reputation for compelling advocacy on behalf of marginalized and underserved communities.

As a graduate of the Trial Lawyer’s College and a contributing member of the DiCello Levitt Trial Center, Peter has had repeated success using focus group analysis to distill even the most complex cases into clear and compelling narratives that judges and juries can understand, resulting in positive outcomes for clients across a wide range of disputes.

Peter has played a central role in securing significant courtroom victories for his clients. Recently, he helped lead the trial team that obtained a $5.7 million jury verdict against Hitachi Healthcare Americas Corporation after the company sold a defective MRI system under false pretenses. The case exposed deceptive practices in the medical imaging resale market, holding a major manufacturer accountable for misrepresenting the quality and capabilities of refurbished diagnostic equipment and resulted in a jury verdict for compensatory and punitive damages.

Peter is actively litigating several civil rights cases challenging the use of excessive force by law enforcement. He represents multiple individuals in lawsuits against the City of Canton, Ohio, alleging that police officers improperly deployed K-9 units against unarmed and compliant individuals during arrests. The lawsuits raise serious questions about how police dogs are trained, supervised, and deployed, and seeks both substantial damages and reforms to ensure that K-9 units are not used as weapons against members of the community.

Peter also focuses a large part of his practice on representing the elderly and their families in cases involving nursing home negligence and wrongful death, holding long-term care facilities accountable for systemic lapses in resident care and safety.

In addition to his trial work, Peter has secured meaningful results in pro bono matters for people harmed by wrongful prosecutions and institutional failures. In one such pro bono matter, Peter obtained the dismissal of 33 criminal charges, including arson and attempted murder, against a Cleveland resident who had spent nearly two years wrongfully incarcerated while awaiting trial. In another matter, Peter secured the acquittal of a city’s mayoral candidate after an incumbent mayor had accused the candidate of committing assault during a campaign event. After Peter’s skillful cross-examination of the incumbent mayor—during which it was made clear that the charges were simply an attempt to stifle a perceived political opponent—the jury acquitted the candidate after less than 20 minutes of deliberation.

In his free time, Peter contributes to his local community by coaching youth soccer teams.  He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation and the Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys.