People
Jacquelin R. Lewis
Jacquelin (“Jackie”) Lewis is a partner in Bricker Graydon LLP's Public Finance group and practices in the areas of public finance, public law, and economic development with an emphasis on school and local government law and tax incentives in connection with development projects. Jackie also advises on the issuance of municipal bond and lease purchase transactions for municipalities, school districts, and other Ohio political subdivisions, and provides general counsel services to political subdivisions with respect to various issues of public law.
In addition to her work in the bond financing space, Jackie works with public and private clients to negotiate economic development incentives and establish economic development programs, such as tax increment financing (TIF), new community authorities (NCAs), and community reinvestment areas (CRAs).
Jackie formerly served as the Director of Public Affairs for the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, legislative liaison to former Ohio Treasurer of State and Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray and as a legislative aide in both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly.
Experience
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Advise public entities on spending ARPA funds
The firm currently advises approximately three dozen public entity clients across Ohio. We often take calls from around the country based on our regularly published articles detailing whether and how to spend ARPA funds. Our work includes serving as ARPA counsel to one of the nation’s largest municipal recipients of federal stimulus funds and advising several counties that have collectively received hundreds of millions in ARPA funds.
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$120 million mixed-use development project
Successfully led the closing of a mixed-use public-private development project in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Served multiple roles in the project’s financing, including as bond counsel to the developer, commercial loan bank representative and legal counsel for PACE financing.
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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.
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Oil and gas transactional assistance
Provided representation to a bank trustee controlling nearly 4,000 acres of mineral rights in eastern Ohio. Beginning with the negotiation of an above-market-value oil and gas lease, which resulted in an initial payment to the trust of tens of millions of dollars, we provided related legal services, including the completion of title curative work, lease maintenance activities and the negotiation of ancillary agreements.
Professional & Community Activities
- Board Member, Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County
- Board Member, Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority
- Member, Twin Rivers Ohio Chapter of The Links Incorporated
- Former Board Member and Volunteer, John Mercer Langston Bar Association
- Former Board Member, Columbus Urban League Young Professionals
- Former Volunteer, Dress For Success Columbus
- Former Mock Trial Judge, Law and Leadership Institute
Presentations & Published Works
- Presenter, “Principles of Public Finance: Special Purpose Money and the Pipeline Valuation Saga,” Ohio Association of Public Treasurer Conference, June 2021
- Presenter, “Levy Planning: Process, Pitfalls and Options,” Ohio Association of School Business Officials Annual Conference, April 2021
- Presenter, “2020 K-12 School Finance Hot Topics,” Ohio Association of School Business Officials Fall School Finance Workshop, September 2020
- Presenter, “Developing Property for Economic Growth,” Bricker & Eckler Webinar, September 2020
- Presenter, “Capital Planning: A Story of Debt, Uncertainties and the Importance of Fiscal Policies,” Ohio Auditor of State's Local Government Officials' Conference, March 2019
- Presenter, "Debt Management: Understanding Debt Options for Ohio Political Subdivisions," Ohio Association of Public Treasurers Public Finance Officer Training Institute, June 2018
- Presenter, “Fundamentals of Debt,” Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and Northeast Ohio Law Directors Association’s Annual Presidents' Day Seminar, February 2018
- Presenter, “Financing Options for Schools,” Education Law Seminar, Topgolf, West Chester, Ohio, October 2017
- Presenter, "Fiscal Caution, Watch, Emergency - Is Anybody There?," Ohio Association of School Business Officials, April 2017
- Co-presenter, "Local Government Fiscal Emergency,” Ohio Association of Public Treasurers Annual Conference, August 2016
- Co-author, "Local Government Fiscal Emergency,” August 2016
- Co-presenter, "Local Government Fiscal Emergency,” Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association Summer Workshop, June 2016
- Co-author, "School District Fiscal Emergency,” June 2016
Bar Admissions & Activities
- Member, Columbus Bar Association
Education
- The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law (J.D., 2014)
- The Ohio State University John Glenn School of Public Affairs (M.A., 2014)
- The Ohio State University (B.A., International Relations and French)