People

Catherine M. Swartz

Catherine Swartz is a public finance attorney who serves as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel and trustee's counsel in general obligation and revenue bond financings. Her clients include Ohio cities, counties, school districts and villages. She provides counsel to political subdivisions on issues related to tax levies, continuing disclosure filings, real estate, special assessments, public records, investment policies, sales and use tax, and ethics. She works with school district clients on matters such as school finance, public records law and board policy issues. Catherine serves as Chair of Bricker's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

Experience

  • Security of school bonds

    Interdisciplinary approach provided timely and critical information to the bond rating agency and investors regarding how oil and gas leases and mineral rights are valued for property tax purposes and the potential impact of a bankruptcy filing on the payment of property taxes for the bonds.  

  • Bond counsel for community college district and state community college

    Served as bond counsel on Ohio’s first voted bond issues for a community college district and a state community college.

Professional & Community Activities

  • Women in Public Finance, Ohio Chapter, Board Member
  • Ohio Association of School Business Officials Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Member
  • Cleveland Gender Equity in the Legal Industry Forum, Planning Committee Member
  • Boulevard Elementary, Parent Teacher Organization Vice President
  • The Tunnell Leadership Development Program, Class of 2019
  • Ladder Down, Class of 2019
  • YWCA Women’s Leadership Boot Camp, Class of 2011
  • Cleveland Bridge Builders, Class of 2005
  • Stepstone Academy Board of Trustees, Former Member
  • University Heights Economic Development Committee, Former Member

Presentations & Published Works

  • Speaker, "Levy Campaigns: Practical Advice After House Bill 140," Ohio Association of Local School Superintendents Conference, January 2023
  • Speaker, Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) Annual Conference, “School Construction Financings with Pipeline Revenues,” April 2021
  • Speaker, Greater Cleveland School Superintendents’ Association and Ohio Schools Council Meeting, “An Overview of ESSER Funding,” April 2021
  • Speaker, OASBO Northeast Ohio Regional Hot Topics Meeting, “Booster Clubs, Fundraising, and Financing Booster Related Projects,” March 2021
  • Speaker, OASBO Fall School Finance Workshop, “2020 K-12 School Finance Hot Topics,” September 2020
  • Speaker, Ohio Municipal League (OML), “City and Village Financing Procedures,” June 2020
  • Author, “CARES Act: Federal Stimulus Package Resource Center," April 2020
  • Speaker, 2019 Infrastructure Funding Seminar, "Finance: Financing Options for Public Infrastructure Projects," May 2019
  • Speaker, "Continuing Disclosure Compliance - What Fiscal Officers Need to Know," Bricker webinar, October 2018
  • Speaker, "Bond Financing," Developing Property for Economic Growth seminar, February 2017
  • Author, "Ohio Attorney General Releases 2014 Yellow Book," March 2014
  • Author, "Ohio’s mid-biennium review budget bill released," March 2014
  • Author, "SEC Fines Municipal Issuer for Misleading Investors," November 2013
  • Author, "Interdistrict Open Enrollment Fact Sheet," July 2013

Bar Admissions & Activities

  • Member, National Association of Bond Lawyers
  • Member, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
  • Admitted, State of Ohio

Awards & Recognition

  • Listed, Best Lawyers in America (Municipal Law), 2023

Education

  • The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (J.D. with honors, 2002); Order of the Coif; Articles Editor, Ohio State Law Journal
  • The College of Wooster (B.A., magna cum laude, 1998); Phi Beta Kappa
Travel Blogger
Travel Blogger

Catherine travels around the world with her husband and three children and recently started the online family travel website We Go With Kids



Best Lawyers Award Badge