Focus Areas
- Served as construction and development counsel for $1 billion manufacturing facility in Asheville, NC.
- Serve as national construction counsel to national and international corporations in connection with manufacturing and distribution facility construction and expansion.
- Representation of foreign automaker in $100 million body-shop construction project in the United States.
- Serve as national construction and development counsel for large multi-state affordable and market rate multifamily housing developer on 30 projects commonly using HUD construction financing and LIHTC.
- Representation of MLS owners in connection with development, finance and construction of new $300 million MLS Stadium and surrounding mixed-use development.
- Served as real estate, construction and finance counsel to developer in connection with the development and sale of a 700,000-square-foot distribution facility in Massillon, Ohio. Thompson Hine handled all aspects of the project including the real estate acquisition and entitlement process, lease, construction financing, capital lease structure with the Stark County Port Authority and the sale of the project to USRA.
- Served as real estate and investment counsel for multinational finance and insurance corporation in connection with development of 1M-square-foot spec distribution facility in Canal Winchester, Ohio.
- Served as real estate and construction counsel to commercial real estate developer in connection with 150,000-square-foot parts distribution facility located in Lancaster, Ohio.
- Representation of international consortium sponsoring $500 million Ohio P3 project known as Portsmouth Bypass.
- Representation of county in connection with new $600 million MLB ballpark.
- Representation of Fortune 100 corporation in connection with new corporate headquarters in Hartford, CT.
- Representation of owner in connection with design and construction agreements relating to $600 million downtown mixed use development.
- Representation of owner/developer in connection with public finance and redevelopment of $65 million suburban shopping center.
- Representation of design and construction team member in P3 transportation infrastructure project in Ohio.
- Representation of design-builder in connection with $52 million highway and bridge construction project in Indiana.
- Negotiation and drafting of joint venture agreement for $450 million mixed-use town center development.
- Representation of MLB team in connection with construction and development of MLB ballpark.
- Representation of owner in connection with acquisition and finance of Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
- Representation of owner in connection with sale of 1/2 interest in $300 million office tower and hotel.
- Representation of landlord in connection with $5 million new market tax credit loan and related 40,000-square-foot office lease.
- Representation of developer in connection with $10 million acquisition and construction loan relating to historic renovation of 100,000-square-foot office building and issuance of $2 million historic tax credits.
- Representation of lender in connection with over $300 million secured and unsecured acquisition and construction loans to REIT borrowers.
- Representation of borrower in connection with $165 million multi-state portfolio financing secured by regional malls.
- Representation of borrower in connection with $50 million synthetic lease transaction.
- Representation of borrower in connection with $31 million net lease financing.
- Representation of lender in connection with construction financing for multiple LIHTC properties.
- Representation of lender in connection with $12 million deed-in-lieu of foreclosure transaction.
- Representation of lenders in connection with multiple construction, acquisition and development loans to both commercial and residential developers.
- Representation of lender in connection with acquisition and divesture of multiple bank branch portfolios involving hundreds of branches throughout the United States.
- Local counsel to multiple out-of-state lenders in connection with issuance of legal opinions.
- Representation of owner in connection with $7 million HUD apartment project acquisition and redevelopment loan.
- Representation of owner in connection with acquisition of $10 million in defaulted debt and related workouts of properties encumbered thereby.
- Negotiation and drafting of 130,000-square-foot office and distribution center lease.
- Negotiation and drafting of lease and construction agreements relating to 50,000-square-foot office building and research center.
- “Dockworker Strike Could Disrupt Construction Projects,” Thompson Hine Construction Update, October 2024
- “New York Passes Law to Reduce Retainage on Private Construction Projects,” Thompson Hine Construction Update, December 2023
- “Ohio Establishes Transformational Mixed-Use Development Tax Credit,” Thompson Hine Construction & Real Estate Update, January 2021
- “Top Five Considerations for Construction Projects During the COVID-19 Outbreak,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, March 2020
- “Ohio Court Upholds Unenforceability of Public School Construction “Contract”,” Thompson Hine Construction Update, May 2016
- Contributing author, Baldwin’s Ohio Construction Law Manual, WEST/Thomson Reuters, February 2009
- “Cleveland Construction Hot Topics: Tomorrow’s Construction Industry Headlines,” Thompson Hine Webinar, September 2024
- “When Bad Things Happen to Good Projects,” American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Nashville, November 2021
- “Managing Design and Construction Risk in Modern Stadium and Arena Projects,” Convention, Sports & Entertainment Facilities Conference, May 2019
- “Public-Private Partnerships – Asset Recycling and Privatizing Infrastructure,” American College of Real Estate Lawyers 2018 Mid-Year Meeting
- “Game On: The Myth and Reality of Sporting Venues and Urban and Suburban Development,” American College of Real Estate Lawyers 2016 Mid-Year Meeting
- “Public Private Partnerships,” Thompson Hine LLP 2013 Construction Industry Hot Topics Seminar, Cleveland, May 2013
- “Impact of Project Delivery on Green Construction – The New AIA Sustainable Project Documents,” American Bar Association – Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section, Spring Symposium: Washington, D.C., May 2013
- “BIM / Integrated Project Delivery” section of “AIA Contracts and Beyond,” Lorman Seminar, Cleveland, May 2009
- “Legal Risks Related to LEED: Contractual Provisions And Potential Consequences,” Thompson Hine LLP 2009 Construction Industry Hot Topics Update Seminar, Cleveland, February 2009
- “Building Information Modeling (BIM): Legal Issues With The Use Of This New Project Tool,” Thompson Hine LLP Construction Industry Hot Topics Update Seminar, Cleveland, February 2008
- Selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Construction, Ohio, 2021 to 2024
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2014, 2016 to 2025 for Construction Law; named the Best Lawyers® 2023 Construction Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland
- Recommended in The Legal 500 in Construction, 2019 to 2024; Sport, 2022 to 2024; Real Estate, 2017
Professional Associations
- American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL), 2015-2022; Chair of Public-Private Partnerships Committee
- American Bar Association, Real Property, Trust and Estate Law, 2014 to 2015; vice-chair of Design and Construction Law Committee; Real Property, Probate and Trust Section, Design and Construction Law Committee
- American Bar Association, Real Property, Trust and Estate Law, 2011 to 2012; vice-chair of Construction Lending Committee; Real Property, Probate and Trust Section, Design and Construction Law Committee
Education
- Cleveland State University, J.D., 1994, summa cum laude
- Bowling Green State University, B.S., 1990, cum laude
Bar Admissions
- Ohio
Languages
- Spanish
- Dockworker Strike Could Disrupt Construction Projects,
Construction Update
, October 2, 2024 - New York Passes Law to Reduce Retainage on Private Construction Projects,
Construction Update
, December 7, 2023 - Ohio Establishes Transformational Mixed-Use Development Tax Credit,
Construction & Real Estate Update
, January 7, 2021 - Top Five Considerations for Construction Projects During the COVID-19 Outbreak,
COVID-19 Update
, March 20, 2020