Outside of Bricker, Aaron enjoys his time with his wife and five children.
People
Aaron M. Bruggeman

Aaron Bruggeman is co-chair of Bricker & Eckler's Southeast Ohio initiative and is a member of the firm's energy and natural resources team. He has extensive experience throughout Ohio and West Virginia on various issues related to the development of the Marcellus and Utica Shale region. Aaron’s practice focuses primarily on oil and gas pipeline litigation, oil and gas lease/ownership litigation and other energy-specific transactional matters involved in project development. He has served as counsel for national and international energy companies and energy generation facilities on multiple projects throughout Southeast Ohio.
In addition to his wide-reaching energy practice, Aaron also has considerable experience in general commercial litigation in both Ohio and West Virginia, including, but not limited to, insurance bad faith cases, real property-related cases, and personal injury-related cases. Because of the unique nature of his oil and gas practice, Aaron also has significant experience in Ohio transactional real estate matters.
Aaron is a frequent speaker on shale activities in Southeast Ohio and a lifelong resident of Barnesville, Ohio, with active involvement in civic organizations in and around the community. He is committed to helping clients navigate diverse issues related to the region, while furthering the growth and development of the local community.
Experience
-
Energy generation facility counsel
Represent Apex Power Group before the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) for the proposed Guernsey Power Station, a 1650-megawatt, natural gas-fired energy generation facility. In 2017, the project received approval to construct and operate the facility. Our team continues to provide substantial regulatory, legislative, tax, permitting and real estate counsel. In addition, we resolved issues involving interconnection with the local transmission company and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
-
Oil and gas transactions and disputes
Provide Ohio-specific legal counsel to Gulfport Energy Corporation on a variety of transactional and litigation matters primarily involving title issues and oil and gas lease disputes, including several appeals.
-
Ohio Dormant Minerals Act appeals
Represented oil and gas clients in various Ohio appellate courts, including the Ohio Supreme Court and various intermediate appellate courts regarding Ohio Dormant Minerals Act appeals.
-
DMA amicus briefs
Filed amicus briefs on behalf of oil and gas clients in various Ohio appellate courts regarding the Ohio Dormant Minerals Act, including the Ohio Supreme Court.
Professional & Community Activities
- Member, Institute for Energy Law Young Energy Professionals Law Student Subcommittee
- Board Member, Barnesville Hospital Association
- President, Barnesville Area Chamber of Commerce
- Past President, Barnesville Rotary Club (2018-2019)
- Former Board Member, Noble County Chamber of Commerce
- Chair, Ohio University Eastern Regional Coordinating Council
- Member, Energy & Mineral Law Foundation
Presentations & Published Works
- Speaker, "Dormant Mineral Act & Marketable Title Act: Curing Mineral Title Defects in Ohio" (with Craig Sweeney), Titles to Real Estate, Ohio State Bar Association, June 2019
- Speaker, "The Ohio Marketable Title Act: Landowner's Last Hope or Outdated Law?" (with Craig Sweeney), The Acronyms of Oil and Gas Law, Columbus Bar Association, September 2017
- Speaker, "The 1989 Dormant Minerals Act: Corban and Its Progeny," Ohio State Bar Association 2016 Oil and Gas Update, November 18, 2016
- Speaker, "Ohio Access to Oil, Gas and Minerals," Ohio Professional Surveying Law, October 14, 2016
Bar Admissions & Activities
- Admitted, State of Ohio; State of West Virginia
- Admitted, United States District Court, Northern District of West Virginia
- Admitted, United States District Court, Southern District of West Virginia
- Admitted, United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio
- Member, Ohio State Bar Association
- Past President, Belmont County Bar Association (2017-2018)
Awards & Recognition
- 2022 Community Service Award, Attorneys 40 & Under, Ohio State Bar Foundation
- Member, The Institute for Energy Law (IEL) 2021-2022 Leadership Class
- Rising Star, Ohio Super Lawyers (Energy & Natural Resources), 2020-2021
Education
- Ohio University (B.A., cum laude, Political Science, 2008)
- Capital University (J.D., summa cum laude, 2011); Associate Notes Editor, Capital University Law Review; Recipient, Roberta Mitchell Staff Member of the Year Award
