Caleb Bell is chair of Bricker Graydon's Public Finance practice group with a regional practice that emphasizes public finance and economic development matters.

He has served as bond counsel in a wide variety of transactions. His clients include municipalities, counties, townships, school districts, and public universities, as well as private developers and property owners across Ohio, Kentucky, and the Midwest. Caleb is well known for his representation of special purpose financing entities such as port authorities, new community authorities (NCAs), special improvement districts (SIDs), energy special improvement districts (ESIDs), and energy project assessment districts (EPADs).

Caleb has diverse economic development experience and is sought after for his knowledge of development tools such as tax increment financing (TIF), special assessments, community redevelopment area (CRA) abatements, enterprise zone (EZ) abatements, joint economic development districts (JEDD), and local tax credits.

Caleb has been instrumental in advancing energy financing across the Midwest. He is a national thought leader in Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing. He is a Board Member of PACENation, a member of the C-PACE Alliance, and has been appointed by the U.S. Department of Energy as a C-PACE Advisor. He was retained by clients to author Ohio's PACE financing statute, he served as bond counsel for Ohio's first issue of PACE-secured bonds, and he has financed over $500 million of PACE financing for over 200 PACE projects. Caleb has structured PACE financing into a variety of transactions, including retrofit projects, new construction projects, redevelopment projects, and tax credit projects in the Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Pennsylvania markets. In addition, he advised the State of Hawaii on its commercial PACE legislation, which was enacted into law in 2022. Caleb has served as bond counsel and underwriters’ counsel in more than $4 billion of natural gas and electricity prepayment bonds, including Ohio’s only tax-exempt refunding of energy prepayment bonds.

Caleb is an experienced negotiator, regularly advising his clients on complex projects involving multiple aspects of public finance and economic development law. He advises both public entities and private developers, and he brings a broad-based perspective to every transaction.

For additional ways to contact Caleb Bell, you can reach his assistant Ashley Tarbet at 614.227.4964 or by email.

Visit Bricker's PACE Financing Resource Center

Education

Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., cum laude), 2007

Otterbein College (B.S., economics and political science, magna cum laude with honors), 2004

Distinctions

PACE Champion of the Year, PACENation, 2023

Member, Counselors of Real Estate (CRE)

Listed, The Best Lawyers in America® – Economic Development Law (2025)

Rising Star, Ohio Super Lawyers, (Government Finance), 2014–2023

Best Negotiator, Georgetown Law, 2005

Professional Activities

Trustee, Otterbein College Board of Trustees, 2002 – 2004

White House Intern, 2001

Member, PACENation Board of Directors

Member, C-PACE Alliance

Member, CDFA Ohio Financing Roundtable

Member, Ohio Economic Development Association

Member, National Association of Bond Lawyers

News

Resource Centers

Blog Posts

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Additional Items

• Co-Speaker, "EPAD/PACE Program Breakout Session," KAED Conference (April 2024)