Represented Green Circle Growers, a family-owned company with one of the largest greenhouse operations in the United States, in a tax appeal relating to the classification of commercial greenhouses as real or personal property. In 2018, the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals agreed with Green Circle Growers and classified the greenhouses as business fixtures, which are a type of personal property. Local officials appealed that decision, and on March 29, 2021, Ohio’s Ninth District Court of Appeals sided with Green Circle, rejecting arguments from the local officials, who had “ask[ed] for greenhouses to be included in property valuations as real property.” The Court’s decision cited binding precedent from the Ohio Supreme Court in an earlier case, Metamora Elevator Co. v. Fulton Cty. Bd. Of Revision, which Brollier had also successfully led.

The decision resulted in a roughly 75 percent reduction in annual real property taxes. The Ohio Board of Tax Appeals ruled in favor of Bricker’s client, finding the greenhouses constitute personal property, not real estate, and therefore the property owner should not pay real property tax on them.

Defended a hospital and health system in a qui tam lawsuit filed by an employed physician. The lawsuit involved claims that the system submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid by billing for services that did not comply with the applicable National Coverage Determination. The suit was ultimately settled and dismissed.

Achieved dismissal of a disgruntled surgeon’s lawsuit against a hospital that had revoked his privileges following peer review.  The First District Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s decision to grant our client’s motion to dismiss, reasoning that Ohio’s peer review statutes conferred immunity upon the hospital.

Successfully represented a grain handling company before the Board of Tax Appeals and the Ohio Supreme Court. The board and the court both ruled in favor of our client, finding that grain storage bins should not be classified and taxed as real property. This decision had state-wide implications and remains relevant to other disputes affecting the classification of property under Ohio’s tax laws. View additional details on this matter.

Successfully represented a city in a lawsuit and administrative appeal relating to the tax exemption of the city’s convention center. The Supreme Court of Ohio heard the case and issued a decision in favor of the city, holding that the opposing side had failed to take steps that were necessary to give it standing to oppose the convention center’s exemption.  

Successfully defended a hospital and its employees in a jury trial case where a patient's estate claimed that the patient had received deficient care and had been discharged from the hospital prematurely. The patient's estate claimed that the patient died from a massive internal bleed that additional hospitalization would have prevented. Following a week and a half trial, the jury returned a defense verdict.