Industries & Practices

Political Subdivisions

Advancing the interests of political subdivisions across the state.

Our political subdivisions team develops creative, yet practical, solutions for municipal, township, county and quasi-public clients’ ever-changing legal needs. We strive to bring new opportunities forward from which our clients can benefit, both 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 & Eckler is committed to public law and has been for over 75 years.

Bricker & Eckler’s clients benefit from the deep knowledge, collaborative relationships and broad experience of the attorneys within the political subdivisions team. They 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, you are choosing a client-focused team that is ready to serve all your legal needs.

Key Contacts

Beverly A. Meyer Dayton

Benjamin J. Yoder Lebanon

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Areas of Focus

Law Directorships

We help Ohio townships and municipalities navigate through their day-to-day issues and maximize efficiency by providing trusted counsel with respect to 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 boundary limits by enacting and enforcing planning and zoning laws to regulate the use real estate. This involves the adoption and implementation of comprehensive plans and zoning regulations, deploying best practices to navigate administrative or legislative hearings regarding zoning applications, and the defense of 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, our attorneys provide insightful counsel to employers that reflects their workplace culture and helps them successfully engage with their 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 an unavoidable reality. 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.