Philip S. Heebsh

Shareholder, Shareholder-in-Charge of Toledo & Detroit Offices
Toledo
One SeaGate
Suite 1700
Toledo, OH 43604
P 419.708.5390
F 419.242.0316
P 419.708.5390 | F 419.242.0316

Overview

Phil helps clients – trucking and transportation companies, manufacturers, retailers, and more – respond to accidents and injuries. A member of Roetzel’s Emergency Response and Crisis Management Team, he makes himself available 24 hours a day to rapidly respond to client emergencies and bring order and certainty to chaos.

Clients rely on Phil’s clear explanations and guidance to understand their liability. They count on him to quickly get to accident sites to assess responsibilities, preserve evidence, and protect their employees from the moment authorities and regulators get involved. They trust him to successfully defend their rights – at the negotiating table and in the courtroom – when situations turn contentious. And they know that he will deliver optimal results in what can be tragic and catastrophic circumstances.

Phil has particular strengths in resolving workers' compensation matters, primarily for self-insured employers, and working with clients to design and implement safety programs that reduce risk and prevent workplace injuries. In addition, he regularly conducts risk and liability reviews for corporate clients throughout the United States, including in particular to establish claim reporting and litigation preparedness protocols.

Before starting law school, Phil worked full-time in an industrial heat treat facility where he ran vacuum furnaces and learned firsthand the implications of rigorous workplace safety.

Experience
  • Early resolution of a triple fatality multivehicle accident through mediation, resulting in considerable savings to the company
  • Successful defense of numerous wrongful death and injury claims at trial
  • Recovery of $1,500,000 on behalf of a client for environmental cleanup costs
Services

Industries

Education

  1. The University of Toledo, B.A.
    • cum laude
  2. The University of Toledo College of Law, J.D.

Credentials

Bar Admissions
  1. Michigan
  2. Ohio
Court Admissions
  1. U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  2. U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
  3. U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  4. Supreme Court of Ohio
  5. U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan

Recognitions

  • Named to The Best Lawyers in America® for Transportation Law (2024)

Affiliations

Professional Affiliations
  • Ohio Self Insured Association
  • Northwest Ohio Self Insured Association
  • Ohio Trucking Association
    • Nuclear Verdicts Task Force Member
  • Trucking Industry Defense Association

Insights

  1. Alerts
    Sixth Circuit Throws Out Minimum Wage Standards for Employees Who Drive Their Own Vehicles for Work (Mar 18, 2024)
    Supreme Court Issues Decision Finding TTD Compensation Can Be Terminated Based on MMI Prior to the Date of Industrial Commission Hearing (Mar 11, 2024)
    U.S. Department of Labor Implements New Rule to Clarify Worker Classification under FLSA (Jan 12, 2024)
    Ohio’s a Buzz: Impact of Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Use on Employers (Nov 8, 2023)
    Labor Department Proposes Overtime for Currently Exempt Employees Earning $55,000/Year or Less (Sep 1, 2023)
  2. Presentations
    “Winning Trial Tactics to Combat Nuclear Verdicts” - Toledo Trucking Association (February 2024)
    "Railroad Liability Issues" - USLAW Network (Jun 22, 2021)
    “2017 Roetzel Labor & Employment Law Breakfast Briefings” - Roetzel's Labor & Employment Law Seminar Series (2017)
    "The SMART Act, ORC 4113.23 and Ohio Employment Qualification Act" - Akron Bar Association Annual CLE Seminar (2015)
    "Workers’ Compensation in Ohio in the Court of Common Pleas, Courts of Appeal and Mandamus Actions" - Wal-Mart Workers Comp. National Counsel Meeting (2014)
  3. Firm News
    Roetzel & Andress Earns Recognition in 2024 Best Lawyers (Aug 17, 2023)
    Heebsh Named Shareholder-in-Charge of Roetzel’s Toledo Office (Jan 1, 2020)
    Roetzel & Andress Welcomes Philip S. Heebsh to Toledo Office (Oct 7, 2015)

Overview

Phil helps clients – trucking and transportation companies, manufacturers, retailers, and more – respond to accidents and injuries. A member of Roetzel’s Emergency Response and Crisis Management Team, he makes himself available 24 hours a day to rapidly respond to client emergencies and bring order and certainty to chaos.

Clients rely on Phil’s clear explanations and guidance to understand their liability. They count on him to quickly get to accident sites to assess responsibilities, preserve evidence, and protect their employees from the moment authorities and regulators get involved. They trust him to successfully defend their rights – at the negotiating table and in the courtroom – when situations turn contentious. And they know that he will deliver optimal results in what can be tragic and catastrophic circumstances.

Phil has particular strengths in resolving workers' compensation matters, primarily for self-insured employers, and working with clients to design and implement safety programs that reduce risk and prevent workplace injuries. In addition, he regularly conducts risk and liability reviews for corporate clients throughout the United States, including in particular to establish claim reporting and litigation preparedness protocols.

Before starting law school, Phil worked full-time in an industrial heat treat facility where he ran vacuum furnaces and learned firsthand the implications of rigorous workplace safety.

Experience
  • Early resolution of a triple fatality multivehicle accident through mediation, resulting in considerable savings to the company
  • Successful defense of numerous wrongful death and injury claims at trial
  • Recovery of $1,500,000 on behalf of a client for environmental cleanup costs

Education

  1. The University of Toledo, B.A.
    • cum laude
  2. The University of Toledo College of Law, J.D.

Credentials

Bar Admissions
  1. Michigan
  2. Ohio
Court Admissions
  1. U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  2. U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
  3. U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  4. Supreme Court of Ohio
  5. U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan

Recognitions

  • Named to The Best Lawyers in America® for Transportation Law (2024)

Affiliations

Professional Affiliations
  • Ohio Self Insured Association
  • Northwest Ohio Self Insured Association
  • Ohio Trucking Association
    • Nuclear Verdicts Task Force Member
  • Trucking Industry Defense Association

Insights

  1. Alerts
    Sixth Circuit Throws Out Minimum Wage Standards for Employees Who Drive Their Own Vehicles for Work (Mar 18, 2024)
    Supreme Court Issues Decision Finding TTD Compensation Can Be Terminated Based on MMI Prior to the Date of Industrial Commission Hearing (Mar 11, 2024)
    U.S. Department of Labor Implements New Rule to Clarify Worker Classification under FLSA (Jan 12, 2024)
    Ohio’s a Buzz: Impact of Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Use on Employers (Nov 8, 2023)
    Labor Department Proposes Overtime for Currently Exempt Employees Earning $55,000/Year or Less (Sep 1, 2023)
  2. Presentations
    “Winning Trial Tactics to Combat Nuclear Verdicts” - Toledo Trucking Association (February 2024)
    "Railroad Liability Issues" - USLAW Network (Jun 22, 2021)
    “2017 Roetzel Labor & Employment Law Breakfast Briefings” - Roetzel's Labor & Employment Law Seminar Series (2017)
    "The SMART Act, ORC 4113.23 and Ohio Employment Qualification Act" - Akron Bar Association Annual CLE Seminar (2015)
    "Workers’ Compensation in Ohio in the Court of Common Pleas, Courts of Appeal and Mandamus Actions" - Wal-Mart Workers Comp. National Counsel Meeting (2014)
  3. Firm News
    Roetzel & Andress Earns Recognition in 2024 Best Lawyers (Aug 17, 2023)
    Heebsh Named Shareholder-in-Charge of Roetzel’s Toledo Office (Jan 1, 2020)
    Roetzel & Andress Welcomes Philip S. Heebsh to Toledo Office (Oct 7, 2015)