Public Law & Finance
Public Law Litigation
Our Public Law attorneys provide specialized counsel in defending against public law issues within the government sector. Our attorneys handle cases involving civil rights, civil forfeitures, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation claims, and conflicts between public and private entities. The team has extensive experience representing government entities at the city, county, and state levels, as well as government employees, including police and fire personnel.
Our Experience
- Successfully obtained two published 6th Circuit decisions on behalf of the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel in response to federal constitutional challenges arising from disciplinary proceedings filed under Ohio's Code of Judicial Conduct
- Obtained a favorable decision from the Ohio Supreme Court regarding the constitutionality of state law in the Ohio Supreme Court relating to the method for the apportionment of local government funds between political subdivisions
- Obtained favorable decision in the Ohio Supreme Court relating to the authority of a local transit authority to enter into commercial lease agreement for the use of railroad lines for excursion train
- Prosecuted Section 1983 zoning claim in federal court to enjoin township from eliminating zoning for proposed automobile dealership
- Prosecuted breach of warranty claim in federal court on behalf of municipality that purchased fire safety vehicles from an out-of-state corporation
- Prosecuted professional malpractice actions against engineering firms on behalf of a municipality
- Prosecuted a variety of constitutional challenges to local zoning ordinances and administrative actions
- Represented a state agency in the litigation of a one million dollar construction defect claim
- Retained by a public housing authority to prosecute against a remediation contractor for its failure to meet the specifications in the mold removal process
- Defended a city police officer in federal court for violation of civil rights under 42 U.S.C. 1983
- Represented a municipality in a case involving racial harassment and discrimination
- Represented a municipality in a sexual discrimination and harassment suit
- Represented a municipality in a worker's compensation retaliation suit
- Defended a police department against a claim of violation of civil rights of a homeless man
- Defended a city government against claims by a county government in a conflict over land use plans
- Successfully defended political subdivisions and individual police officers in numerous federal court actions filed under 42 U.S.C. 1983, including a successful jury trial in a multi-million dollar wrongful death suit and a successful grant of qualified immunity in Chappell v. City of Cleveland, 585 F.3d 901 (6th Cir. 2009)
- Successfully defended municipalities, at both trial and appellate levels, to defeat putative class actions that sought to challenge the validity of sanitary sewer user surcharge and constitutionality of extraterritorial water rates
- Successfully defended a municipality, at both the trial and appellate levels, in lawsuits filed to enjoin the closing of a public road
What We Do
- Defend government entities in claims involving:
- Discrimination
- Harassment
- Retaliation
- Civil rights
- Handle conflicts between public and private entities