Industries & Practices
Economic Development
We establish a collaborative environment among Ohio communities and private commerce to foster job creation and quality growth.
Using the economic development tools that best suit our clients’ goals, we structure projects and layer programs, connecting government entities and private developers with available financial resources. Our team assists both public and private sector entities, offering cutting-edge financial, regulatory and other consultative solutions.
We provide economic development counsel in these areas:
- Creative application of public and private financing
- Tax incentives, loan, and grant programs
- Economic development consulting and contract services
- Housing development strategies and tools
- Site development structuring
- Downtown revitalization tools
- Regulatory compliance
- Zoning
- Site selection support
- State and local permitting
Specific projects include:
- Creating tax increment financing and special assessment districts
- Creating and managing Ohio’s PACE programs and assisting private property owners to obtain PACE financing for energy efficiency and alternative energy improvements
- Facilitating cooperative development arrangements among political subdivisions and public-private partnerships
- Establishing and working with communities and businesses to leverage community improvement corporations, community reinvestment areas, enterprise zones, joint economic development districts, new community authorities, and port authorities
- Guiding companies in their quest for new facility locations, workforce acquisition, incentive negotiation, and permit acquisition
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 h...
MoreProposed Honda-LG Energy Solution $3.5 billion bat...
Represented Fayette County, the Jefferson Township - Washington Court House Joint Economic Development District, and the West Central Ohio Port Authority in various aspects of the proposed Honda-LG...
MoreFirst greenfield project in the United States
Represented an international paper products manufacturer in connection with the establishment of the first greenfield project in the United States. This Project involved the creation of a public-pr...
MoreFinancings and refinancings for institutions of hi...
Serve as bond counsel and issuer counsel to community colleges, public and private institutions and universities across Ohio seeking to take advantage of the low-interest rate environment in order ...
MoreBond counsel for Ohio community college for culina...
Served as bond counsel to an Ohio community college in connection with the tax-exempt financing of their new, cutting-edge culinary arts center.
MoreCommunity college $300 million voted bond issue
Served as bond counsel to an Ohio community college for its first issue of general obligation bonds approved by the Ohio county voters in a $300 million voted bond issue dedicated to financing a ph...
MoreConversion of a former munitions factory
Served as counsel to a port authority for a capital lease transaction, providing a sales tax exemption to the developer and property owner. The transaction enables the conversion of a former m...
MoreOhio’s largest PACE transaction
Served as counsel on a $16.3 million refinancing of a construction loan that involved significant PACE financing. The project funds eligible upgrades to a hotel near The Ohio State University campu...
MoreCleveland-area solar farm development
Represented Cuyahoga County in closing a $10 million financing transaction for the development of a solar farm on former landfill property near Cleveland. The solar farm covers 17 acres and co...
More$1.6 billion development in Warren County
Served as special counsel to a township in connection with a 1,230-acre, $1.6 billion mixed-use development in southwest Ohio. The transaction involved negotiating and structuring a tax increment f...
MoreAreas of Focus
Public Sector
We assist state and local governments with infrastructure finance and negotiations with developers and business owners. The ultimate goal is creating and retaining jobs, supporting innovation, and stabilizing and improving property values.
MoreState Tax Counsel
We assist companies in navigating the tax implications that affect their operations. Sales and use taxes, the commercial activity tax (CAT) and the pass-through entity tax, including best practices for compliance, are just a few of the tax matters on which we focus.
MoreEnergy Finance & PACE
Participating in the issuance of Ohio’s first property-assessed clean energy (PACE) bonds, our firm is a national leader in the area of energy project finance. We help public entities use funding opportunities to update existing office buildings or warehouses or to acquire an alternative energy source, like solar panels or wind turbines, without impacting certain local debt limitations. We have facilitated over $500 million of PACE transactions for over 200 PACE projects. Visit our PACE Financing Resource Center >>
Private Sector – Developers
Collaborating with our firm’s national real estate practice, we work closely with developers. As a strategic partner, we identify options to close gaps in the capital stack in order to facilitate important development and redevelopment projects.
Private Sector – Business Owners
Supporting entrepreneurial growth, we work with companies to identify and negotiate federal, state and local incentives. We use our comprehensive knowledge of available programs to help businesses both grow and retain jobs – and improve their bottom lines.
Economic Development Compliance
Our attorneys guide incentive recipients from start to finish. We begin with negotiation of award requirements, and partner with incentive recipients until all award requirements have been satisfied. For businesses with existing awards, we provide advice regarding outstanding requirements, either in connection with ongoing reporting obligations or in response to any investigation or enforcement actions by the award provider.
People
John Caleb Bell, CRE®
Partner & Public Finance Practice Group Chair
Tyler J. Compton
Associate
Price D. Finley
Partner
Jeffry D. Harris
Of Counsel
Brendan Heil
Attorney
Mike Jacoby, CEcD
Economic Development Consultant
Christopher B. Jones
PACE Financing Consultant
Colin J. Kalvas
Partner
Gregory J. Lestini
Partner & Financial Services/Insurance Chair
Jacquelin R. Lewis
Partner
M. Shannon Martin
Partner
William D. Mason
Of Counsel
Robert F. McCarthy
Partner
Isaac A. McGlone
Public Finance Analyst
Tracy L. McKenna
Public Finance Analyst
Sarah E. O’Dea
Of Counsel
Michael Ringle
Staff Attorney
Larry D. Scurlock
Sr. Public Finance Analyst
Adam W. Seeley
Associate
Jason Tiemeier
Senior Associate