Political Subdivisions Attorneys

Overview

Advancing the interests of political subdivisions across the state.

Our political subdivision team develops creative yet practical solutions for ever-changing legal needs for municipal, township, county, and quasi-public clients. We strive to bring new opportunities forward from which our clients can benefit, economically and otherwise. From general public law issues to specific areas such as zoning, annexation, and labor and employment, our attorneys serve political subdivisions as law directors, special counsel, and trusted advisors.

Every day, we partner with our clients to advance their interests and, in doing so, advance the interests of public entities throughout the State of Ohio. Bricker Graydon has been committed to public law for over 75 years.

Bricker Graydon’s clients benefit from the deep knowledge, collaborative relationships, and broad experience of the attorneys within the political subdivisions team. Our clients also experience the benefit of the firm’s full-service capabilities. Whenever needed, we can involve knowledgeable attorneys seasoned in real estate transactions, construction, environmental issues, bond issues and other financing approaches, intellectual property issues, tax matters, economic development, and complex litigation, to name a few. When you choose Bricker Graydon, you choose a client-focused team ready to serve all your legal needs.

General Law Directorships

We help Ohio townships and municipalities navigate their day-to-day legal issues and maximize efficiencies by providing trusted counsel on civil and administrative law matters. Our services include preparing and reviewing contracts, answering procurement questions, navigating public meetings and public records issues, providing oral and/or written opinions to government officials, drafting proposed legislation, and advising on threatened and/or pending litigation.

Land Use and Zoning

Our attorneys help political subdivisions protect and maximize the productive use of land within their geographic boundaries by enacting and enforcing planning and zoning laws to regulate the use of real estate. This involves adopting and implementing comprehensive plans and zoning regulations, deploying best practices to navigate administrative or legislative hearings regarding zoning applications, and defending zoning decisions on appeal when challenged.

Eminent Domain

From counseling clients through the right-of-way acquisition process and negotiations to representing them in state and federal court appropriation cases, our attorneys combine significant eminent domain experience with the knowledge of our client’s business and project needs to achieve favorable outcomes.

Real Estate

We have a long history of helping political subdivisions with their varied real estate-related needs, regardless of whether they are as simple as negotiating and documenting a right of entry, as complex as acquiring and ground leasing property as part of a multi-million dollar economic development project, or anything in between.

Annexation

Annexation can be complicated and involves varying interests, from the landowner and developer interests to the multitude of factors at play for municipal corporations and townships. We are experienced with all types of annexations. Our village, city, and township clients rely on us to help them determine when and how best to pursue or approach proposed annexations.

Employment & Labor

Whether representing employers at the bargaining table or advising them on individual employee issues, civil service, or workers’ compensation, our attorneys provide insightful counsel to employers that reflects their workplace culture and helps them successfully engage with employees.

By working together with our public sector clients, anticipating complications, and assisting them in preventative measures, we are able to help them maintain operations best suited to their needs.

Litigation

No political subdivision likes to become entangled in litigation, but it is often unavoidable. When our clients face the uncertainty of litigation, the job of our sizable team of litigators is to understand their business, consider immediate and long-term goals, and craft the best possible solution. While we know what it takes to be successful in the courtroom, we also understand that a trial may not always be the best method to resolve a case. Whether the solution is aggressive motion practice, mediation, arbitration, or trial by jury, we are committed to delivering positive results.