Area law firm elects five new partners

Columbus, Ohio — The law firm of Bricker & Eckler has recently elected Scott Davis, Sommer Sheely, Doug Shevelow, Chris Slagle and Liz Stock as partners of the firm.

 

Scott Davis is a member of the firm’s Construction Practice Group focusing his practice entirely on the construction industry including project delivery methods, contract issues, litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Prior to becoming an attorney, Scott worked for several construction companies, both in the field as a project engineer and as a construction estimator. He developed a niche practice in the area of roofing and building envelope systems having been in more than 15 cases over the past two years involving asphalt shingle, single-ply, clay tile, metal and built-up roofing systems. He has also served as a health and water sanitation volunteer for the U.S. Peace Corps in West Africa.

 

Active with a number of organizations, Scott is a good steward of his community and profession. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Directions for Youth and Family Services and is a member of the Columbus Urban League’s Young Professionals Association. Scott is an active member of the John Mercer Langston Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Columbus Bar Association. Scott is a member of Bricker & Eckler’s Walker Link Leadership Group, an internal team dedicated to identifying and promoting community events focusing on diversity. Scott is a prolific author and sought-after speaker on a variety of construction law topics. Additionally, Ohio Super Lawyers has recognized him as a “Rising Star.”

Scott earned his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering. He earned his law degree from The Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law.

Sommer Sheely is a member of the firm’s Litigation group with a civil litigation practice. She serves clients as lead and trial counsel before federal and state courts and administrative panels.

Sommer’s practice includes defending and pursuing claims on behalf of insurance companies in disputes with agents and insureds; vendors, suppliers, manufacturers and designers in various contract litigation, including with respect to UCC issues; trustees, individuals and beneficiaries in fiduciary disputes, including charitable giving, will and trust contests and other fiduciary challenges and individuals and entities in partnership disputes, including dissolution issues. Sommer’s practice also regularly involves defense of class actions.

A good steward of her community and profession, Sommer is actively involved in a number of organizations. She is a regular presenter at the Ohio State Bar Association and National Business Institute on a variety of litigation topics. Additionally, Sommer is a member of the inaugural class of the Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation Leadership Institute. She also serves as the chair of Charitable Events Committee for Bricker & Eckler’s Women In Networking group. She is a member of the Columbus Bar Association’s Bar Admissions Committee. Also of note, Ohio Super Lawyers has recognized him as a “Rising Star.”

Sommer earned her undergraduate degree from Ohio Wesleyan University, magna cum laude. She earned her law degree, with honors, from The Ohio State University. During her tenure at law school, Sommer was Managing Editor of The Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution, a member of the National Moot Court team and a national finalist and regional Best Oral Advocate.

A member of the Construction Practice and OSHA Defense Groups, Doug Shevelow's practice focuses on litigation and transactional law pertaining to heavy highway and other construction issues for owners and contractors. He counsels clients on matters such as differing site conditions, implied warranty of plans and specifications and underground utility protection. He has prepared and negotiated numerous design/bid/build and design/build construction contracts for projects ranging from a $400,000 skate park construction to $28 million wastewater treatment plant rehabilitation. Doug has also represented numerous contractors and other businesses in defending against citations issued by OSHA.

Ohio Super Lawyers has recognized Doug as a “Rising Star.” Doug is the current chair of the Columbus Bar Association Construction Law Committee. Doug earned his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from The Ohio State University. He earned his law degree, summa cum laude, from Capital University Law School where he was Order of the Curia. He is also a registered Professional Engineer.

Chris Slagle serves as Chair of the firm’s Government Relations Practice Group where his practice includes representing trade associations, businesses, and corporate entities with lobbying, regulatory and compliance issues before the Ohio General Assembly, Governor’s Office, statewide Constitutional offices and Executive agencies. He also represents political parties, candidates, statewide ballot committees, corporations and businesses and political action committees in all aspects of government affairs, election law and campaign finance compliance before the Ohio Election Commission, boards of elections and in litigation in state and federal courts. He practices in the areas of government relations; real estate including land use, development and zoning; banking law and financial services; transportation and logistics; and consumer finance and mortgage banking. Chris is also a member of the firm’s Shale Task Force, Southeastern Ohio Initiative and Recruiting Committee.

Prior to joining Bricker, Chris worked in a variety of capacities within state and federal governments. He worked in Washington, DC as a senior staff member to two Members of Congress, served the Ohio Attorney General and Auditor of State with policy, public affairs, and communications, in additional to service as a legislative staffer in the Ohio Senate. With more than eighteen years of experience, Chris has worked on hundreds of political campaigns in Ohio and around the country.

Chris is also active with a number of community and professional organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee for The Breathing Association and is member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Public Policy Committee for the Children’s Hunger Alliance. He has been an active member of the Transportation Lawyers Association, the Ohio Lobbying Association’s Ethics Committee and the Ohio Chapter of the Republican National Lawyers Association. Additionally, Ohio Super Lawyers has recognized Chris as a “Rising Star” in 2009 and 2012.

Chris earned his undergraduate degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his law degree, magna cum laude, from Capital University Law School. While at Capital, Chris had a number of distinctions including: Order of the Curia; Order of the Barristers; Associate Editor, Capital University Law Review; Moot Court Board; Winner of the 2002 Tulane University Law School National Moot Court Competition.

Working out of the firm’s Cincinnati-Dayton office, Liz Stock is a member of the firm’s Employment and Labor group. In this capacity, she represents businesses in employment-related litigation and administrative proceedings regarding a variety of claims, including discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour and protected leave claims under federal and state law. She is experienced in handling Equal Employment Ohio Commission and Ohio Civil Rights Commission charges and investigations and advising and counseling clients on a range of employment issues such as FMLA compliance, wage and hour matters and disciplinary issues and is experienced in drafting employment policies, handbooks, severance agreements and employment agreements.

She has successfully defended several hundred OCRC and EEOC charges and investigations for a variety of private and public employers and successfully negotiated settlements of threatened and pending claims against employers. In addition, she serves as employment counsel to various health care and other entities regarding day-to-day employment issues, including policy revisions, FMLA compliance, harassment investigations, layoffs and disciplinary issues and provides training to clients and trade associations on such topics as sexual harassment, Americans With Disabilities Act, Family Medical Leave Act, social networking, interviewing and hiring, and wage and hour issues.

Liz is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Cincinnati Bar Association and the Columbus Bar Association. Additionally, Ohio Super Lawyers has recognized her as a “Rising Star.” She earned her undergraduate degree from Miami University magna cum laude and her law degree, with honors, from The Ohio State University College of Law. During her tenure at law school, she was a staff member of the Ohio State Law Journal.

 

Bricker & Eckler is one of Ohio’s leading law firms. Located in Columbus, Cincinnati-Dayton and Cleveland the firm represents a wide variety of clients, including real estate companies, banks and financial institutions, insurers, individuals, private businesses and corporations, nonprofit organizations, governmental units, health care entities, school districts and municipalities. For more information, visit www.bricker.com.